Re: Corrective Exercise - Egoscue Method?

[Guest guest]

ie,

How did the Egoscue Method work out? Did you see an instructor? Did

you hit your D-Lux mark?

Thanks,

Jack Walters

St. Louis, MO

> F M wrote:

> Hello ST's,

>

> I am relatively new to the forum and have never posted before. I

do not have a background in A & P, kinesiology, biomechanics or any

expertise that many of you have, so please forgive the lack of

scientific language. I hope I don't get too severe an education

from you guys.

>

> I am replying to the " corrective exercise " discussion. I have

some personal experience with corrective exercise, The Egoscue

Method, in particular.

>

> A few months ago, I became aware one shoulder was much higher than

the other. I started researching why this was, if it were treatable

and what my treatment options were. I was recommended " The Egoscue

Method of Health Through Motion. " I consider myself a rather

critical, yet objective reader. Egoscue's premise seemed sensible,

yet he offered no evidence save anecdotal - testimonials and such.

Understandable, this was a book written for the masses and studies

would have been wasted on most of the readers. The book answered

some questions that CHEK and NASM, in my limited exposure, had not.

In theory, everything sounded solid to me, so I gave it a shot.

>

> Rewind, a couple of years to when I received a NASM cert. I did

not like the how the NASM system taught corrective exercise, balance

training, etc. It seemed much, but not all, of this so

called " functional training " was more of a trend than innovation.

The corrective exercise portion especially bothered me (The cert I

received was just the CPT, and not the CES [corrective exercise

specialist], so it is likely the information presented in my cert

was not as in depth). It seemed as simple as to shorten

(strengthen) the lengthened muscle and stretch the tight muscle.

From what I know of the inner-connectivity of the body, this

approach was a bit linear and short sighted. How I understand the

body is that that there are numerous balances within the body and an

imbalance in one area of the body has a measurable effect all over

the body. So, to re-balance the body, one must treat the entire

body and not the most obvious symptomatic location.

>

> Fast forward a year and I notice one of the more cerebral, but not

trendy, trainers using implements such as wobble boards, BOSU balls,

foam rollers, etc. with his clients. he was an NSCA-CPT and had

some level of CHEK cert. We had a rapport and would often talk shop

with each other. He asked me why I was performing multiple sets of

strength training (you know the 3-5 method) with heavy weights with

a pair of my clients? I answered, " My clients enjoy being

stronger. And to me, strength training protocol is more effective

for this than the diluted bodybuilding routines that most personal

trainers use. "

>

> I followed by making a comment to him much like Nate did in his

post. " Don't you think the ten to fifteen minutes it takes to do CE

in a training session could be better used in training them specific

to their goal? After all, how much effect could 10-15 minutes have

in comparison to all the time they spend outside of the gym re-

stimulating those faulty postures and movement patterns. What I do

is have people more mindful of their posture through correct (as I

see it) exercise posture as well as sitting and standing postures.

Most of my clients who had pain issues before no longer have them. "

>

> I also reasoned that clients are not going to be too fond of

spending time and money on CE rather than sweating.

>

> When this conversation was playing in my head some time later, I

came to a realization. Strength training can have quite a bit of

effect over time with three 10-15 minute sessions per week. Cardio

can as well. Many skills can be acquired with three 10-15 minute

sessions per week. If CE even minutely but progressively alters

posture and movement patterns, then maybe I should check it out.

After all, a body in perfect posture has greater potential for

performance, no matter the goal. Now, I didn't go off and apply the

NASM method nor did I read every article Chek ever wrote. Even

after I had opened my mind, NASM and CHEK just didn't hit me quite

right (I know a few of you feel the same).

>

> So, now to the Egoscue method. For those of you who know of the

Egoscue method, I am/was a Condition II. In about a months time, I

saw a change in my shoulder position relative to my other. My

shoulders were almost level. That wasn't the only thing that had

changed.

>

> I was doing periodized progressive sprint work and I wasn't

improving. In fact, I was getting slower. Sprinting didn't even

feel the same. Where before, it felt like my legs worked, now I

couldn't stop my hips from twisting while I was running. It wasn't

because I was training too intensely for too long a period of time.

I was using a six weeks program I had used before for great results.

>

> I reasoned because my body was in flux and I longer had the

stability my body once had in its previous set condition. It seems

to change the foundation of the athlete would adversely affect the

structure of the athlete's performance. I called and e-mailed an

Egoscue guy out of Austin and he confirmed my suspicions.

>

> I switched to jumping rope which has been much easier on my hips.

Which brings me to where I am now. I am much more kinesthetically

aware of my body than ever. In certain shoes, I am painfully aware

of my hip, shoulder, neck, knee and ankle positions when doing low

stress activities like walking. I basically feel uncomfortable in

my body. In more medium stress activities where I am mildly

distracted, I am bit more comfortable. For an athlete, this is not

good.

>

> I was told by the same Egoscue guy that it takes most people about

eight months of consistent seven days a week (not three) practice

for them to achieve a D-LUX (perfect) posture. I have only been on

the program for about 5 months. I am still very much aware of my

shoulder and hip positions. Predictably enough, I find some relief

when bracing (not drawing in nor pushing out) my abdomen. I

practice 5-6 times per week, 20-45 minutes per time - I wish it only

took 10-15 minutes. My time line, if proportionate, is about 10-11

months.

>

> I do perform strength training four times per week, a mixture of

Handstand Push-Ups, OA Push-Ups, Pistols, Preparatory work for

Levers and Planches and before I had a biceps irritation, weighted

neutral grip Pull-Ups. This practice may work against the Egoscue

method, but no way was I giving up my strength practice. I also

jump rope four times per week. I ended all my flexibility work

before starting Egoscue.

>

> I am continuing with my Egoscue work in spite of what it has done

to my comfort level and performance. I still reason that an aligned

body is eventually stronger than an unbalanced body. It is a risk,

but I am young, and if this little detour leads to greater gains

later, it was worth it. But, if at the one year mark, I am not D-

LUX, I will give up.

>

> I have not worked directly with an Egoscue rep. I will travel to

Austin soon to see one and hopefully receive more personalized info

and pointers than I have received though books, e-mails, and

telephone calls.

>

> I wrote all of this because I wanted to share some concrete, yet

anecdotal experience with CE. I hadn't seen any and thought it

might give those more academically minded more data to process. I

hope this generates some useful conversation and maybe someone out

there has some experience or success stories with CE.

>

> ie Faires

> COMBO Fitness Systems, LLC

> Dallas, TX

>

> PS

> (I love increased performance, but I feared that my misalignments

may lead to structural issues later in life. I hope I have made the

right decision to postpone performance for alignment. Maybe I'll

also work with a chiropractor, but I turned to CE because muscles

move bones not the other way around. It may still be my next step)

> rob pilger wrote:

>

> ndmosher1976 wrote:

>

> >We can perhaps make small tweaks, but basing an entire system

> on 'fixing' them holds little merit, and frankly, is insulting.

> >

> The whole tend of analysis and correction seems like a bunch of

> trainers trying to sound smarter than they actually might be. Or

at

> least letting their ego create a postion of much greater power then

> actually should exist.

> >

> > Chip Conrad

> > Bodytribe Fitness

> > Sacramento, CA

>

>

> Chip,

>

> This reminds me of when I was in corporate fitness and some of the

> Pete Egoscue fellas came to our company to evaluate and " correct "

the

> postural faults of the employees. They (the employees) were all

told

> about how their lifestyles had hurt their posture and how

> the " corrective exercise menu " they were given would help them.

>

> Here's what always struck me as odd about this: if your posture is

> poor due to your lifestyle, how does a 15-20 minute series of

> exercises fix it? The other 1,420 minutes in the day wouldn't

over-

> ride your " corrective exercises " ? Seemed like hype to me.

>

> Nate Mosher

> Albany, NY

>

> Ergonomics are then discussed, change several limiting factors,

just as in rehab... if the Client isn't taught.. can do the same

motion, or activity that got them their to begin with...destroy's

the Clinician's work...

> This can help with lasting result's...

> Rob Pilger

> ville Florida