The Importance of The Lumbopelvic Hip Complex by Erin Ritterbusch

[This is a guest blog by Erin Ritterbusch who is currently an intern at Athletic Lab. Erin is a recent graduate of Auburn University where she received her Master's degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in biomechanics.] If I could take one thing I learned during my Master's program and run with it, it would be the importance of the Lumbopelvic Hip Complex (LPHC) (I basically had an entire summer class based around this concept). The level of strength and stability of the LPHC can make or break you in a sense. The LPHC plays a huge role in the body's kinetic chain and connects the upper and lower halves of the body. The kinetic chain can be defined as the individual body segments, or links, are coordinated in their movements by muscle activity and body positions to generate, summate, and transfer force through these segments to the terminal link. (Kibler, 326). Essentially, this concept shows that forces produced by the lower body are transferred through the LPHC to the upper body. The LPHC, also referred to as your core, is made up of the lumbar spine, pelvis, and hip musculoskeletal structures. This complex acts as a transition from your lower to upper body by serving to transmit forces that are generated. For this reason, it needs to be stable so that it doesn't cause different parts of the body to overcompensate, which can result in injury. The core is considered the integral link in the kinetic chain. All sporting movements incorporate the transfer of energy from one segment to the next in the kinetic chain model. Despite the skill being performed, it is paramount that athletes have the correct postural control when performing [...]

By |2017-04-12T19:28:37-04:00November 25th, 2016|Training Info|1 Comment

Stability Precedes Power by Pierrie Miller

[Pierrie Miller is an Athletic Development Intern at Athletic Lab] As the spring approaches, team sports increase in popularity, rather you're an athlete who is in the beginning of their season or coming toward the end of a season, injury prevention is always important. As trainers it is our job to ensure that our athletes are prepared for the rigors of a long season. Training requiring a strong mix of strength, power, flexibility and stability is often used to prepare athletes for performance. Often times we hear athletes express the want to be more "powerful", but less often do we here athletes express the need to be more stable. The idea of training to be more stable might seem silly at first, but it is difficult to perform powerful movements dynamically without a certain amount a stability. This is why we must look at some of the benefits of dynamic stability training. Popular magazines and television often show people conducting stabilization exercises on balance beams, stability balls, and other various forms of unstable surfaces. The truth is, although this looks interesting, it does not necessarily carry over to sports performance. Dynamic stability can be defined as, the process of the hip, knee, and ankle complexes to perform functional movement patterns at high levels without the feeling of slipping or giving away (wilkstorm et al. 2006). The muscles that surround the joints of the human body require a certain amount of stiffness in order for our bodies to maintain an upright posture. Without a certain joint stiffness individual joints may become hyper flexible, which my leave us at risk for injury, preventing this injury is top importance for all trainers. Injuries to lower extremities can happen [...]

By |2017-04-13T10:56:42-04:00March 20th, 2015|Training Info|0 Comments
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