Trainer Mike T Nelson Testimonial: Shoulder Pain While Doing A Bench Press Gone!

The Night I “Couldn’t” Bench Press By Dave “The Athlete Creator” Sandel

Just like every other Tuesday, it was bench press night with Mike. However, this Tuesday was different. I sent him an email earlier in the day stating:

“Tonight might be prehab/rehab for me. I was feeling just a touch of shoulder pain in my left shoulder after last week, and it was worse after training last night. This is, unless, your voodoo works again.”

So, I showed up at the usual time, did my usual Z-health CNS warm-up, and did some push-ups to test my shoulder. Push-ups tested fine and without pain. I thought, “Hmm, maybe everything will be alright tonight.”

Then it was my turn to warm-up with the empty bar. After a few slow, pain-free, concentrated reps I decided to try exploding a rep off my chest. That nearly caused my left arm to collapse because of the shooting pain in my left shoulder, just as I had felt before.

After a brief description of the previous night’s workout, Mike put his head down and started mumbling something to himself. Something about external rotation, abduction, sagittal planes, and some other stuff I didn’t quite recognize (eventhough I’m studying for my CSCS certification).

After a minute or so he finally had his answer. We started with some z-health mobility work directly on the shoulder, and then tested it out on the bench. It was better, but still not pain-free.

This is where it got a little weird…

He had me lie on my back, internally rotate my right leg (remember, my left shoulder is what was hurting), and perform cross-body leg circles. After a few tests doing band pull-aparts, we decided to try it out on the bench.

Lo and behold, I was virtually pain-free!

He explained what the drill was doing and why it works. I understood all of that, and it made perfect sense.

Now, I know there is a direct connection between opposite-side joints, but I still can’t wrap my head around why a “trauma” to my right hip is causing pain in my left shoulder. Oh well, I’ll leave that for another visit.

In the end, you’re probably wondering how my bench press session went.

Well, as I stated in the beginning, I walked in thinking I was going to be doing some mobility and prehab/rehab work all night. As it turns out, I actually ended up bench pressing 5 more pounds in a max effort lift than the previous week!

Not only that, but I added more volume on my accessory lifts as well! All in all, I’d say it was a pretty good night.

Thanks, Mike!

Dave Sandel
www.athletecreator.com

Bench 45 lbs with Pain To Bench 270 lbs Without Pain In One Session?

How?

I know this seems insane that someone could literally go from barely being able to press the bar without pain to benching around 260 lbs without pain, so that is the reason I had him write it up in his own words above.

If you are interested in how the heck this can work and look into the methods behind the madness, drop a comment below and if I get 10 comments by 1pm tomorrow (Thurs March 11, CST) I will have a post about how it works.

If you are in pain, you are limiting your performance!

This also saved Dave about 4-8 weeks of “standard” rehab type exercise work, during which he would be told not to bench (and for good reason since benching was painful).

Add to that time period 4 weeks at least to get back to where he was before and we probably saved him about 3 months in one session!

How much would you pay to get 3 months of training time back?

I know I would pay a lot for that.

Now It Is Your Turn!

A Huge thanks to Dustin for taking the time to write that up and taking action to look for an answer to his pain and movement issues.

• If you are interested in a phone consult, for a limited time they are only $90 per session (normal rate is $110) and are 100% guaranteed.  If you are not happy for ANY reason, there is NO charge, email me by clicking HERE
• If you are in the St. Paul, MN area, you can see me in person for $110 per session (normal is $125) and it is 100% guaranteed also, email me by clicking HERE

Drop me an email by clicking HERE to move better with less pain today!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

PS

If you are still not sure, see all the other testimonials below

Mike T Nelson and Extreme Human Performance Testimonials

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PPS

10 comments below by 1pm tomorrow Thurs March 11 for the secret to how this is done!  Post a comment below now.

Amazing Feet on TED Talks

The feet truly are amazing and if you have not seen TED Talks, you are really missing out.

Optimal foot/ankle function is essential for elite athletic performance.

Messed up feet/ankles = messed up hips =  piss poor athletic performance

I loved this talk, especially since I did a Masters in Mechanical Engineering focusing on Biomechanics.

Check out this one below!

What do you think?

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

PS

Thanks to Laree at DaveDraper.com for initially posting this one

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Biofeedback Training: Move Forward In All Possible Directions

Sam Langford

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”-Goethe

The PR train rolls on with biofeedback training (ala Gym Movements)!

I have been hearing about tons of people busting PRs like crazy.   If you are on twitter, use the tag #Preveryday and start posting your PRs for a chance to win a really cool prize from Ryan at Stronger Grip.

Last night I was working on my dissertation paper and took a “study break” to go lift.  Trap Bar Deadlifts were sounding good, so I put on 135 and tested it and waaaaala, tested great!

I worked through my warm up and kept adding weight and it kept testing well.  I did 405 and it was easy w great bar speed (another indicator is the speed of the lift).

Whoo ha!

This was 20 lbs off my current PR and I knew that I could do 455 lbs, so I added a 25 to each side.

The moment of truth: it came up a bit slow, but felt very smooth and I got it!  This was a 25 lb PR is only a few weeks.

425 x 1 PR on Jan 31, 2010

455 x 1 on March 7, 2010 (unfortunately my camera was full and I did not get it on film)

So in about 5 weeks I was able to add 25 lbs to my max.  The interesting part is that I only trained trap bar deadlifts one other time during those 5 weeks.  On that day, 365 lbs felt very heavy and I just did some reps around 315.

Optimal Every Time

By using biofeedback it allows you to test what will be best for you on that day at that time!  Maybe today is a max lift on bench but your program design says to do 3 x 10 for squats.    Did you just miss a great bench session?  How would you know?

Ask any experienced lifter and they will tell you to not miss those days that everything is working well, you feel “on” and you should go for a new max on that day (1 RM, 1 rep max).  You may not get that day “back” for some time.

I call BS on this.

I would say that if you test it each day, you can have a virtual ground hog’s day of never ending PRs!

This ground hog loves hitting PRs too!

This may not always be a max lift (1 RM), but it will happen in the following

• Volume (total amount of work done)
• Intensity (max weight lifted for a single rep or % of 1 RM)
• Density (amount of work done in a given time)

Keep moving forward in whatever direction you can, each day.    Your goal is do and be better tomorrow than today.  Nothing stays the same.

There is nothing special about me at all.  Heck, most of the athletes I train make faster progress than I do.  The goal is to be better today.

How many people do you meet that are BETTER each time you see them?

Sign me up!

Comments

What do you think?  Is this possible?  I want to hear from ya in the comments!

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

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Are you making your workouts easy or hard?

Check out this video of Olympic super start Apolo Ohno training.  Tell me what you see most of the time:

What do you notice when he competes?

What did you see?

Do you see what I see?

He is the most decorated Winter Olympian and there is nobody competing on the level he is for the length time he has in speed skating.

Watching him skate is a thing of beauty. Power and grace. Extremely fluid. He makes it look very easy, but is competing at the highest level.

Why is it that most (not the readers of this blog of course, way too bright for that)  are making it look hard?

The goal is to make the difficult LOOK easy.

Make it look easy and get BETTER results.

Sounds insane I know.  Try it first before you dismiss it.  Test it.

As the old saying goes, success leaves clues.

Drop me a line in the comments below and let know your results!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

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Joint Mobility for a Shoulder Issue, Which Joints Help the Most?

Common wisdom would say that you need to work on the shoulder.  Perhaps

Further done the chain they say scapular mobility.  Perhaps

Now thoracic spine mobility is the in thing.  Does that help?  Perhaps

What about opposite hip function since we know they are connected via the serape effect?  Perhpas

Opposite foot and ankle?  Same side wrist?

The key question is “How do you know”

Test it

Everyone is different, so you will need a custom approach with each athlete.

In general, for shoulder issues I find the following to work really well

• Same side wrist
• Thoracic Spine
• Opposite Hip
• Opposite foot/ankle

Does this work all the time?  No, but most of the time is does for acute/chronic movement issues.

If you get rid of the pain, is the athlete good to go?

No, you need to make sure they can play their sport at the same level as before.  Performance must be evaluated.  If there is still a decrease in performance, they are not 100%, despite passing whatever wizz bang test of the week they ace.

Comments?

What do you think?  What works for you?  Let me know in the comments section!  I love comments!!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

PS

Thanks to Jodie for letting me film her in the video as an example.  Only 3 more weeks until the big wedding date for us!

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Inside Look at Grip n Rip 2.0 from Swager Strength

If you missed Grip n Rip 2.0 this year, you missed out.   I unfortunately was noly able to stay there for about 3 hours in the AM and since Jodie and I were hopping on plane that early afternoon to Baja Mexico (more details on that soon too).

Great stuff and the guys from Swager Strength were there in full force too. I picked up one of their 2 inch solid axle thick bars. SWEET!

This is about twice the diameter of a normal bar and there is absolutely ZERO flex to it. I love it so far.

Check out the video below of Adam Glass, Brad Nelson, and the guys at Swager Strength for an inside look at Grip n Rip 2.0

Summary

Great stuff and I will hopefully make it to the next one for sure!

Be sure to check out the fine folks at Swager Strength for some amazing products that you will not find anywhere.

Tell them I sent ya. I get nothing to promote them. Not one cent, but they are stand up guys who make excellent products at very fair prices.

If you went to Grip n Rip, drop me a comment on how it went and what you thought of the event.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

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Gym Movements Biofeedback, Z-Health Joint Mobility, Where is the hard data?

Walter Miller, Strength Athlete, Middleweight wrestling champion circa 1919

I am back!  Did you miss me?

Thanks for your patience with my response to comments last week. Jodie and I had a blast in Baja Mexico at a small town called La Ventana. We went down with some friends to hang out, see that orange thing in the sky that they call the sun and kiteboard.

We had a blast and Jodie did great kiteboarding too! I got out and rode 4 days (every day that there was wind) and even did a 7 mile downwinder back to where we were staying. More details to come soon.

Gym Movements, Z-Health, Hard Numbers Please!

One of the requests that I have received is one asking for hard numbers. Since I am a researcher, I like numbers. Heck, I did a whole MS in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics, so I better like numbers! ha! To be honest, they were never my strong suit, but after years of practice I got pretty good at it. When I started I did not think any math beyond Calc 4 even existed, wow, I was wrong.

I need to thank Kevin who is a strength coach on the East Coast for taking the time to do this. While this is far from a peer reviewed, placebo controlled study, it does show us some important things.

Take it away Kevin!

Mike

I purchased Gym Movements and I am really looking forward to the video. This past weekend I have been testing myself and 2 of my high school clients with both Z Health and some of the material I saw from the Gym Movements clips. this past weekend I had a girl I train do the following

Step 1 Toe touch test

Step 2. Vertical Jump Test (18 inches on a jump mat)

Step 3 do a “bad squat on the toes for 10 reps

Step 4 Jump again (16.4 inches)

Step 5. do some Z Health drills (ankle and hip mobility)

Step 6 Retest vertical and hit 18.2

Step 6. Static stretch (hit 16 inches)

Step 7 Z Health drills (18.5)

She looked at me like I was crazy and asked what I was doing? I filled her in and she was very interested in what I had to say

With me this weekend I have been doing static stretch tests, Active Isolates tests and Z Health test and EVERY TIME. I get more range of motion with the Z Health Drills I learned from Sara’s DVD.

I will let you know what I think about the Gym Movements DVD, but I think a combination of the Gym Movements DVD and getting the Z R-Phase is what I need

I am amazed how much your body “clears up” by just doing the ankle Mobs.

Thanks

Kevin

What Did We Learn

Now we have some hard numbers to show that what you do training wise and mobility wise has an IMMEDIATE effect upon your body.

Good training and mobility results is massive changes, very fast! I first learned this at the R-Phase cert from Dr. Cobb. When I do Z-Health sessions, the whole premise is that you have them walk (gait) and then try a Z-Health drill, then have them walk again. If their gait (walking movement) is better, that is a good drill. If not, then try another drill.

Exercise will have the same effect.

Good exercise= better movement and performance

I Want To Hear From You!

What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments and if you have any similar data, I would love to hear from you!

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

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TRX Suspension Trainer Exercises:

The Professor Does Push Up Variations via Video from the Lab

The Professor is back in the ice cold lab here in Minnesota with his super warm lab coat to bring you some chest exercises for you using the TRX suspension trainer.

As you can see in the video above, it is always fun to do those push ups after a nice bench press session!

Comments

Let me know what exercises you want to see the professor do next time by leaving some comment love below!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

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Gym Movements DVD is Now Available: Perpetual Progress in the Gym Now!

I am totally stoked that the Gym Movements DVD is finally available for everyone to order.  I literally just got the green light minutes ago!

You are going to be blown away by the progress in the gym you will make from the  Gym Movements DVD using biofeedback for exercise program design.

The feedback we have been getting is really nuts and to be honest, has exceeded my expectations.

There is a special introductory price too for a limited time.

Go to this link now

Gym Movements: Perpetual Progress

Special Bonus from Extreme Human Performance ONLY

When you purchase the Gym Movements DVD HERE, you will only get access to this special teleseminar that I will be conducting at the end of the month.   I’ve been using this system for over 2 years and I will answer tons of your questions and give you the inside track on how to maximize it.

I will reveal things that only my online consulting and personal training clients know and secrets that have never been published on this site.    This will jump start your progress like crazy and you can ask me your questions directly.

Again, this only applies if you order the Gym Movements DVD from this site!

This is an additional bonus not to be missed.  I normally charge at least $110 an hour for my time, but you will get it for free.

This special bonus is only for Extreme Human Performance customers and It is also for a limited time only!

You must have your order placed by midnight central time this coming Thurs Feb 4 to get the free teleseminar! No exceptions.

FAQ

Who Do I Contact with Product Questions?

I am selling the product only, and it is something that I truly believe in and have used for well over 2 years; but I did NOT make the product nor do I do the marketing for it.  Any direct product questions and order information please see the website at Gym Movements: Perpetual Progress

Why Are You Selling This?

It is something that works great and as stated above I have used it on myself and others for quite some time (read: years) with amazing results.  I will only sell products here that believe in 100%.

What If I Don’t Want To Buy This Product

That is up to you and I will continue to bring you the latest information on how to break a crazy number of personal records in the gym and on the field, all for free, so keep checking in!  Keep in mind that I will refer back to the Gym Movements DVD though since it has all the exact details on how to use the program to the fullest degree.

How Is This Different Than Any Other Fitness Program Design?

Gym Movements gives you the ability to simply and easily measure your own biofeedback, allowing you to custom-design your workouts each and every time you go to the gym. The result is a new personal record virtually every time you train.   Does your current training program do that?

Why Are Personal Records Important?

You are either going forward or backwards. If your body is constantly doing more, lifting more, doing it in less time, your body has no choice but to add muscle and strength!

Can I Forward Your Site Info to My Friends?

YES!  Please forward this to all your friends, send it out on twitter, facebook, etc  Spread the word.  Hit the stumble icon just below here, the twtter icon on the top of post, go crazy.

Summary

Gym Movements is finally here and you owe it to yourself to go and check it out now before the special bonuses go away.

Gym Movements: Perpetual Progress

Rock on
Mike T Nelson
PS
If you have comments please place them below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.  This will be the fastest way to get your questions answered!

PPS

Don’t forget that when you purchase Gym Movements from this site, I will have a special teleseminar for all those that purchased it by midnight central time, this Thurs Feb 4.  You will only get access to this special teleseminar if you purchase the Gym Movements DVD HERE.  I’ve been using this system for over 2 years and I will answer tons of your questions and give you the inside track on how to maximize it.  If you miss the call, I will send you the MP3 of it but again only if you buy the DVD here.   Get your copy of Gym Movements NOW by clicking HERE.

Exercise Program Design by Biofeedback Parts 1-7

Give Traditional Program Design the Finger and Destroy Your Old PRs!

So I was probably not supposed to deadlift tonight, but I like deadlifts and I wanted to try some B-Stance Deadlifts and Kettlebell Get Ups (formerly known as the Turkish Get Up, but I guess the Turks are not the only ones doing them).

I did a 2.5 hours bench-a-thon on Tuesday night with Dave “The Athlete Creator” and I hit an all time PR (personal record) on the bench at 240 lbs.  Not my end goal by any means, but moving forward and hitting all time PRs is great. To be fair we also did some neutral ring rows and kettlebell presses and kettlebell swings too. I was starting to have flashbacks for awhile there to pretty much any commercial gym on a Monday, which as you know is national bench and bicep curl day.

Squats and More Fun!

Wed night I hit up a lighter session of bottom pause squats (to an 8 inch box) for about 4 doubles, wide grip rope pull ups for singles and feet up push ups, which all tested well via biofeedback (as featured on the upcoming Gym Movements DVD).

I had not done any trap bar work in about 2 weeks so I hit up a nasty routine I’ve been working on. In short it is 10 x 10 but work to decrease the time. So Wed night I hit 265 x 10 for 10 in 21 minutes and 30 seconds for a total volume of 26,500 lbs. If you want the full details, leave a comment below and more than 12 comments and I will have a whole post with all the details.

More Deadlifts!

I did not sleep very well last night, had to work during the day, and decided to hit up some B-Stance deadlifts tonight as mentioned.

While the temp is never warm in the winter at the Extreme Human Performance Center (tonight it was 34 F, but the windchill was zero), the music on the stereo system is always amazing. Tonight was no exception and was provided by those Swedish death-medlers Soilwork.

Here is a great song by them (watch out, there are few bad words so if you are offended put on some ear muffs)

B-Stance deadlifts tested fine for awhile and worked up to 315 x 3 for 2 sets and the switched to regular deadlifts for a few singles (pronated, both palms down, for grip work) at 315.

Movement tested well, so I added 70 lbs of chains, went great! Whoo ha.  No problem at lockout either with all the chains off the floor.

Talking Weights

I had to head off to work, so I figured I would end on that high note and as I was cleaning up I saw a 25 lb plate that was just begging to be added to the bar (am I the only nut that thinks the weights talk to them?) I threw those on the end and after a long session on Tuesday, 2 sessions yesterday with a deadlift movement of 26,500 lbs and sore hams and glutes, 365 for a single was easy.  Very easy actually.

Summary

In the past I would have not even thought of doing deadlifts again and heck I probably would have opted to skip that day due to DOMS (muscle soreness). Now I have a tool to check it and test would is best.

Quality movement + volume = bigger muscles

If you are recovered, your body HAS to respond by increased strength and muscle hypertrophy (bigger muscles).

If you missed many of the biofeedback videos, I have posted them below here. This is a series that Adam T Glass did, so a huge shout out to Adam.

I feel so good I will probably hit up some kettlebells snatches yet tonight.    Whooo hahahahhaha.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

PS

If you are interested in the routine from hell details of GVT meets EDT, leave a comment below and if I get 12 comments by this Sat night I will post it for you!  Spread the word.  You can help by signing up to my RSS feeds below and hit the button —>

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Biofeedback Videos