In this post, we discuss why you can’t improve your hip flexibility, and why it might have more to do with your parents than your muscles. If you’ve ever sat in a yoga class and looked around wondering why others seem to effortlessly achieve positions that you find impossible, the answer might not be more […]
Training
We’re living longer but we’re in worse health: why resistance training can reverse this trend
In this post, we discuss why we’re living longer but in worse health, and why resistance training can help to reverse this worrying trend. Did you ever see WALL-E? The film about a litter-picking robot trying to save the planet? In the film, humans have evolved to sit, shop, and look at screens. Travelling around […]
More weight, worse results: The neuroscience behind load and muscle activation
In this post, we discuss how more weight can produce worse results in rehabilitation and training more generally. At a glance More load does not always mean better results — it can actively reduce activation in the muscles you’re targeting. The nervous system will recruit stronger muscles to manage heavy load, bypassing weaker ones. Specialised […]
What should be happening during rehab exercises vs what is
In this post we compare what should be happening during rehab exercises to what is actually happening. Should is an interesting word in this context as it implies expectation. I hear it a lot from people who are frustrated with their current physical capacity and judge their own bodies with arbitrary metrics. “I should be […]
Stretch it or strengthen it? What’s better for chronic or ongoing injuries?
In this post, we discuss whether stretching or strengthening is the right approach when recovering from chronic or ongoing injuries. Every week a client asks me the same question: “Should I be stretching more?” They’ve been told by a well-meaning friend, a YouTube video, or a decade-old piece of advice that their tight hamstring, nagging […]