Les Mills and the world.

They are like this....

Our eight group fitness-to-music classes are delivering the results people want and changing lives from Sydney to Stockholm, from Washington to Wellington and from Rio to Reykjavik.

Great music and passionate instructors inspire exhilarating workouts that more and more club members are making part of their regular fitness routine.

Our classes are currently running in more than 13,000 clubs in more than 70 independent countries, with an estimated six million participants a week.

Les Mills has stamped a huge ‘footprint’ on the industry and gained recognition in IHRSA’s Club Business International magazine for “doing for group exercise what McDonald’s did for hamburgers”.

Les Mills has produced much more than an innovative and effective form of exercise - we have created a global fitness phenomenon.

In Stockolmo...

In Philippines

Scandinavia....

Brazil....

They are everywhere.

People get easily addicted to them and bring family and friends to participate of their addiction!

We wish the addictions had the same effect: good body shape, amazing health, energy to share!

Soon in Flex, we will be sharing happiness with our members. Soon!

Competition Flex Women.

It was December 22nd, 2009.

Anny did a very good job with the Competition "Resist to the limit": 4 hours of classes, all sort and many instructors.

She organized and invite instructors, listened to the members in their demands and reasonably satisfied their wishes.

Everyone prepared their 30 min class and members were excited jumping, spinning, running, dancing, crunching! Ufa!

Many entered and left, but 08 brave members did the 4 hours, non stop!

Th pictures were taken at the end.

Anny, Nathalie, Iman, Aprile, Ryhanah, Melrose and me.

Small decoration made them very happy. Good to know they like colors and balloons...

Melrose, Me, Anny, Florena, Aprile, Nath, Iman, Veronica.

December 17th, 2009,

we had the Body Coach training with Mr. Kenny.

This picture is in our break. We were having fun posing... Showing off a little.

It was a moment to be together ans learn together, Very pleasant actually.

I had the chance to be with them and they, with me.

Truly we had fun!

Hehehehe!

Edition of December 2009, Feminine Magazine

WAIST CLASSES???

Dear Readers,

So many times I was approached with the same question “Do we have exercises for the waist?” I decided to write about it.

Our “waist” is composed by muscles that are from the abdominal section and from the Back section.

We see old videos (or should I say “old knowledge!”) showing the side bend as a “magical formula” for the “slim desired waist”.

There I go again destroying dreams…

1. A slim waist is basically determined by genetically heritage. Some Europeans and Africans women have thin waist. On the other hand, there are some genetics for “squared waist”. It is easy to identify: check your aunties, preferably the slim ones, and, if they have slim waist, there is a chance you might have it too! If they are “squared type”, bad news.

2. Get rid of the extra fat helps a lot. So you can see the lines of your body.

Exercising the side bends, moving your waist right and left/ back and forward will not help you make it thinner!

Do instead cardio exercises and diet. You will have then the original body lines and I am sure you will like it!

And observe I did not mention abdominal exercises. Why? Because they will NOT make your waist smaller, but the muscle stronger and firmer, giving your abs a fit shape.

Bellow, the science about the side bends exercises.

Question: Do Standing Side Bends Exercise My Abdominals?

Answer: Unfortunately, many people have the misconception that holding hand weights and doing side bending exercises will trim or tone the "love handles." However, this movement (lateral flexion) is performed mainly with the deep muscles of the spine and not the internal obliques or the external obliques (read - abdominal muscles). Instead, the quadratus lumborum muscle, which attaches from the iliac crest to the lumbar vertebrae and to the lowest rib, is actually a primary lateral flexor muscle (read - back muscles). What this exercise is good for is increasing lateral range of motion in the spine, not to make it slimmer. If you do side bending exercises, make sure they are slow and controlled movements and be sure they are for the BACK not the FRONT part of your waist.

From the www.sportsmedicine.about.com

Marcia Novo - Flex Resorts Fitness Manager

m.novolopes@flexq8.com

novo.marcia@gmail.com

Edition of November 2009, Feminine Magazine

Vacation from the CLUB.

Yes, it is a dream members have: to take vacation and do not exercise.

Again I apologize from destroying old myths about fitness. And I would like to raise a question: does your stomach or lungs stop to rest when you go on vacation? Of course not. They are vital organs. So exercise should be in your life: VITAL!

The moment you get used to exercise, your body improves metabolism speed, provoking higher fat burning than usual. It is a new life for muscles and internal organs. The routine of going to the gym clicks your metabolism and it makes full body working at full power. If you stop the “pull and push”,” up and down”, “ go right and left” exercises, your muscles read the breaking routine as “ she does not need me anymore”. And, unfortunately, the human body does not save muscle. Unless you use them to move, run, jump, they will not remain same size and strength in your body – they will “shrink” (horrible word!). After two weeks of non-exercise, the muscle atrophy starts (diminishing tonus and size).

So, if you’re thinking the club membership is like an English Course membership (you have vacation from it!), your body will never understand what you want from it! Give yourself good treatment, exercise differently, but exercise!

Tips to keep fit while on vacation.

1) The best is to continue weights exercise if you do them normally. Look for a hotel with a small Gym. Or find a Gym nearby.

2) No options of Gym around? Plan B is: walking or running in the streets/beach for minimum 30 minutes 3 to 5 times a week; Abdominal crunches before taking a shower (normally in one minute you can do 40 to 50 crunches!); Pushups to work upper body will give you the right shape you need for sleeveless shirts.

3) Is there any pool around? Swimming is one of the best exercises ever! Cardio + Toning together. Cannot swim? Make some movements against the water, like walking, jumping, lifting knees, kicking forward. Good calorie burner and pleasant experience.

4) Prefer “tours” where you can see parks, museums, expositions, long walking afternoons outdoors. Time will pass pleasantly and you will be using your muscles properly.

5) Give yourself ONE day rest. No exercise at all. Let the body understand there is rest. So you can work out full power the day after.

6) Instead of elevators, go by stairs. Keep high level of stamina!

7) And finally, dance! No better exercise, unless you don’t like it…

Marcia Novo – Flex Fitness Manager.

m.novolopes@flexq8.com

novo.marcia@gmail.com

Article for Feminine Magazine

Firm/Slim/Strong BODY????

Last edition we agreed on the subject: what should I do to have a firm/slim/strong body?

Let me start with the most common request from members around the world: “Can you make me slim for my cousin’s wedding next month? My dress is two numbers smaller than my normal size!” I normally joke with them, asking for a knife!

Most of club users see the machines and classes as “magical solution” for extra kilos or a non desirable body shape.

I have good and bad news for you:

The bad one: changing the shape of your body is not related to any party timing! It will happen according to your own “internal clock”. If you never exercised in your life (low metabolism) it will take more than 3 months, if you were used to move your body and stopped for “vacation” (we will be talking about that) probably in 40 days you can see some transformation in your body shape. So, it will happen but not according to your social events!

The good news: as soon as you get used to exercise (after one month or so) your body will start enjoying the feeling “after” physical activities. It has a name: endorphin. Hormone of happiness. After finishing a session of lower body work out, or a sprint in the Spinning Class, you feel relieved. That sensation is caused by endorphins. It is a pleasant and relaxing feeling. And you want to feel it again! Guess how? Through exercise! And you will run for the classes that will give you the good feeling again and again. It will guarantee your frequency in the club.

Of course all the numbers above change from person to person. There are individuals that within 30 days feel their legs turning stronger and firmer and abdominal smaller. For others, to wake up the sleeping muscles takes time.

Now that you know there is no “magic formula” (you have to sweat the t-shirt, no other way to change your body shape), let’s give the tips:

1Start slow: If you're new to physical activity, haven't been active for a long time, or are trying a new sport, start out slowly. Build up your activity gradually so you don't get hurt. Ten minutes per aerobics, 3 times a week, plus controlled weights in the other days. Increase time and weights as they get too easy. At least ONE day off. Minimum 3 times week, maximum 6.

2- Warm up and cool down. Always warm up your body before you begin a workout. After your workout, be sure to move more slowly to cool down and bring your heartbeat back to normal. Stretch after your workout while your muscles are still warm and to help avoid soreness.

3 - Drink up. If you're planning to exercise for an hour or more, drink more water than you think you need before, during, and after exercise to avoid getting dehydrated.

4- Listen to your body. People know their bodies better than anyone else does. A little soreness is common. But the soreness you feel should go away about 24-48 hours after your workout. If it persists, go after a doctor to check it out

5- Go for professionals. Your friend has an amazing body? Lucky woman! If she studied muscles and joints, movements and possible injuries, she can give you any tip. If she is just blessed and has an incredible abs, she is not entitled to write routines or tell you what is good or bad in fitness field. Go for professionals, preferable with Physical Education in their back ground. These coaches have gone through all sorts of trainings and injuries in sports and fitness. Listen to their advice.

6- Try something you like. I see people lifting weights and hating it! Are you sure you are paying to do something you don’t like? Clubs nowadays have a huge variety of activities. One of them will suit you. From Aqua Aerobics to Climbing Wall, you will find a rhythm that is just tailor made for you. If you are shy, go for Pilates and Yoga. They are amazing work outs and the calorie burn is considered moderate. If you are a hyper, all the cardio classes (and their crazy music) are available to make you feel happy. Just to name some: Spinning, Aerobics, Step, Dance, Running, and Jumping. Pick something that motivates you.

7- Share feelings with the professionals. Most of the times members leave the clubs without saying what bother them. Let people know how you feel. If you like it or not, let coaches and managers know it. And sometimes it was just missing someone to tell the right person the right information to change the impossible and available.

Good readers, changing is not easy. But who told it would be? Start the modifications slowly and you will succeed.

Next month: Vacation from work, vacation from the gym?

Send email for information and questions:

marcia.novo@hotmail.com

m.novolopes@flexq8.com

In the future.

Let me quote Peter Drucker for while:

" In a few hundred years, when the history of our time is written from a long term perspective, it is likely that the most important event those historians will see is not technology, not the Internet, not e-commerce. It is an unprecedented change in human condition. For the first time-literally-substantial and rapidly growing numbers of people have choices. For the first time, they will have to manage themselves.

And society is totally unprepared for it."

TRX

TRX Stretching Class.

Many levels.

Do we have space for that?

TRX specialists.

2010

Planning 2010.

Training has to be part of our profession requirements.

More courses you have, better you are, no doubt about it!

For next year:

Pilates Equipement Training;

TRX Suspension (under research);

BODY BALANCE and BODY STEP(?);

AQUA AEROBICS (special instructor)

Functional Training.

LEADERSHIP Training for all.

Marketing our Careers

And still researching for more and more trainings.

Any ideas, let me know...

memories

First picture all Instructors together.

Flex Jump Phase III

All of us (at that time).

Managers at Wafra Open Day.

Another Pic of all.

Cultural Moment - Wafra

After a Special Class. Shaab.

One of the many Fridays...

One year.

October 15th, 2008 I started in Flex.

One year has passed, conclusions came to my mind:

-Building a Team takes longer than I thought.

-Creating people's development depends on their home education: if they were raised with trust and honesty or with lack of self-confidence and lies; if they were educated to be unfairly competitive or to give a hand to the work fellows; if it was shown to them only the negative side of all situations or optimism was part of their day-to-day lives;

-Human kind needs friendship to survive. The foreigner instructors made the members their friends and the misuse of this friendship causes lots of problems;

-We lack personal developing training in this part of the world. Self Analysis, FeedBack Techniques, Leadership Training are missing for everyone;

-Can you answer me now what is your mission? If you answered something, are you practising it everyday?

It sounds negative and not motivated, I admit. Nevertheless, it pushes me forward to reach higher levels of relationship with all people around me. And connecting with everyone lately has been an strong experience. Everyday a surprise and a necessity that makes me react diferently.

As time passes by, people cannot hold the masks any more: they have to show their real faces. So, NOW I see them! The real personalities rising from beautiful masks of kindness and gentle atittude. The dark side of every soul coming into my face and showing me exactly what are they made of: themselves!

I could detect some kinds of professionals here, among cleaners, reception, instructors, managers all levels:

- There are ones REALLY dedicated, they don't threaten anyone, they are always ready to make the business to move. I call them The Providers. For those, I am fighting for better conditions and packages.

-Others are only working for their salaries (they must be asking now "what do we work for?"). If the shift is up to 4pm, at 4:00 they punch out. Don't dare to ask them extra hour, and never call them on day off, they never asnwer. I call them Clock Workers, they only work if you provide them with bateries. No self motivation. No mission in life.

- There is a team (a team?) of complaining professionals, they think they are good, they claim rights they don't have, increments for arriving on time (isn't it obvious?) and skills bellow avarage. I call them Criers. Because they cry, cry,cry like babies.

------------------------------

There is a rule called 80/20. It means that 80% of your business is done by 20% of your staff. The other 20% of the job is done by the 80% left.

Look around and guess who is doing 80% of your company jobs today. Also evaluate if your are part of he 20% or the 80% of the employees.

..........................................................................................................................................................................

Changes on the way

I can see changes at the horizon...

There is no way to get ready, as I don't know exactly what will happen.

I just know it will change.

Straight forward

As a powerful light, I keep on going...

We continue with the training for the instructors, launching new classes, organizing schedules, planning for 2010.

As I said before: no bad humor of any one will put me down or divert my mission in life!

Promoting trainings for the instructors as much as I

can: that's the only way to have a strong team. And that's what we will do! Give them knowledge.

One miracle will happen, I know it will. To allow us to work

in peace, in the right direction, without threating. I know it will happen...

I know.

Recently

Yesterday I faced the angry boss, arguing a non sense for me.

Where they see trouble, I see chance.

What to do about it?

One member complaing can change a whole project of 10 months?

Well, the asnwer is YES, he can.

And no numbers or facts could convince the nervous man.

I observed they want to get ride of the obstacles very fast, jumping into quick solutions to solve immediately the situation. Disregarding the consequences of such a hurry answer.

Soon, it comes back with a Dragon's face and asking for its rights!

My current situation does not allow me to do any sudden change. So, adapting to the poor reality of pampering members instead of teaching them reality about training and providing REAL results, not the FAKE results the managers insist to give members.

Aff, tough times.

300 days report

I will post the report of 300 days here.

Also my personal comments.

First the report:

Report on 300 days Management

On August 17^th, 2009 it will be 300 days of my management in Flex Resorts.

I proudly present the report on these days.

Proud of the generosity of the company to me.

Proud of protection the company provided me.

Proud to be part of a big Family.

From the first week working in Flex I noticed a problem with Trust. I commented with Mr. Khalid and the other managers at that time (they’ve all gone!) that the employees do not trust the high management. For many reasons: miscommunication, delays, mistakes with salaries, unclear salary policy, etc. I am still trying to clarify all the issues as much as I can with meetings, memos, conversation one to one. Sometimes I am misinterpreted, sometimes they are grateful.

My only concern is the RESULT. I observed the clubs are increasing number of members/ revenue in comparison with last year, which makes me satisfied, but not entirely happy.

Still there are mistakes in the management and these same managers are the ones dealing with the instructors and receptionists that are in direct contact with our customers. The members will always suffer if we don’t break this bad circle.

Why am I talking about the managers? I remember clearly Mrs. Amani telling me: “The instructors need motivation. They are very demotivated!” And she was right.

Digging deep in the lack of motivation, I found managers against instructors and vice-versa.

That’s why I insisted in Leadership Training for ALL Managers – 17^th floor, 18^th floor, 19^th floor and branches. The leaders have to know how to deal with their staff and to do it as one voice. Same proposal=success.

Allow me to copy a small part of the book ‘The 8^th Habit’:

“THE WHOLE-PERSON PARADIGM

At the core, there is one simple, overarching reason why so many people remain unsatisfied in their work and why most organizations fail to draw out the greatest talent, ingenuity and creativity of their people and never become truly great, enduring organizations. It seems from an incomplete paradigm of who we are-our fundamental view of human nature. The fundamental reality is, human beings are not things needing to be motivated and controlled; they are four dimensional-body, mind, heart and spirit.

We can co-relate:

Body- to live- survival;

Mind- to learn- growth and development;

Heart- to love- relationship;

Spirit- to leave a legacy- meaning and contribution.

PEOPLE HAVE CHOICES

So, what’s the direct connection between the controlling “thing” (part-person) paradigm that dominates today’s workplace and the inability of managers and organizations to inspire their people to volunteer their highest talents and contributions? The answer is simple. People make choices. Consciously or subconsciously, people decide how much of themselves they will give to their work depending on how they are treated and on their opportunities to use all four parts of their nature.”

‘The 8^th Habit. – Stephen R. Covey’

Just to illustrate the problems we have in Flex are well known around the global companies.

My suggestion – that I collected in Flex and in my years inside clubs – are:

- Every department in Flex Resorts might deliver their tasks on time and without mistakes;

- Prepare the managers to deal better with employees needs and duties;

- Promote professional growth to all employees (training, trips, challenges);

- Listen to the employees solutions for company’s problems;

- “Promises” for the employees should be avoided.

Some subjects covered last 250 days (50 Days report sent on December 4^th, 2008)

- - Hiring new instructors: locals, from abroad, travelling to Syria to contract instructors (DONE, to be continued);

- - Creating set of rules to avoid bad exercises among that instructors that cannot understand principles of anatomy and exercise physiology (DONE);

- - Promoting Meetings among Managers (DONE, to be continued);

- - Detecting extra materials and equipments and relocating some among branches (DONE, to be continued);

- - Constant training and evaluation instructors (DONE, to be continued);

- - Following up with HR all instructors issues (vacation, sick leave, salary discounts, disciplinary procedures)(DONE, to be continued);

- - Following up with Mad. Iman hiring of instructors by advising her on technical levels of the candidates (DONE, to be continued);

- - Checking and reporting Accommodation conditions (DONE, to be continued);

- - Work Shops for members about "how, when and why exercise" (DONE, to be continued);

- - Reviewing PT payment procedures (DONE);

- - Preparation for Paul Brown's visit and training. Full follow up of the training. Evaluation of all staff in F2F (DONE);

- - Following up Paul Brown's suggestions for F2F improvement-commission on appointment (DONE);

- - Participation in Graduation Parties (DONE);

- - Training Syrians Instructors to Flex Standards before let them start working in the clubs. Helping me: Sara(DONE);

- - Welcoming new instructors at the Airport (DONE);

- - Support for new instructors (out of working hours) (DONE);

- - Prepared the "Fitness Pack" for managers to know what to check in instructors classes(DONE);

- - Following up with new managers in Family(DONE);

- - Helping the Family in manager vacation (DONE);

- - Special Classes all Branches (DONE);

- - Standard for schedules per colors(DONE);

- - ‘5 Steps of Costumer Service’;

- - Re-organizing Supervisors Job Description (DONE);

- - Writing articles for Feminine Magazine (DONE);

- - Collecting information and ideas from instructors for new classes and implementing the reasonable ones (DONE);

- - Promoting new class and training :"Flex Jump", created by Jonathan (DONE), AeroBoxe, helped by Jonathan (DONE);

- - Promoting full Swimming Training. Helped: Paulo (DONE);

- - Training Wa'El (new Executive instructor) in F2F, Helped: Douglas, Paulo, Sara (DONE);

To be ended in 2009.

- - Planning VIP Corner to Flex Woman with Florina, Branch Manager. (To be presented);

- - Planning new approach for Flex Family. Helping; Melissa, branch manager and Dalia, Sales Manager. (To be presented);

- - Detecting material and equipments stored in improper places (member access), helping: Mr. Ayoub. (under process);

- - Uniforms (under process) ;

- - Replacing hopeless instructors (under process);

- - Cardio Training developed by Anny, fitness instructor;

- - Jiu-Jitsu Classes in Executive and maybe for teen agers boys in Family, developed by Neudson and Andre.

It is a great honor to work for Flex Resorts.

Best Regards,

Marcia Novo Lopes

Fitness Manager

August – 2009.

My sincere feeling is that everyone improved, from bottom to top, the clubs are better organized with the exception of Family which concept is all wrong. We are going to work on it.

The financial situation is better, technically there were some improvings. New classes took place, many trainings were done, technical discussions, "forbidden exercises" appeared, thousands of emails sent and received, recognition of some talents, recognition of irreversible cases, fellowship developed, rudeness of others at the surface.

The team is still far away to happen. They cannot put themselves in other people's shoes.

To improve every and single instructor is a hard mission, just because there are some of them that don't know they don't know...

I guess another 300 days will be necessary to reach to the point of having a good team, with stars that help the sky to bright, making the small stars shining and leaders happy!

Let's go for that!

Flex Jump

Third meeting of Flex Jump by Jonathan.

One sentence Iman said has to be posted:

"- Thanks Jonathan, you put as all together. It is very good."

The feeling of being part of a group makes us do unbelievable things: we go on even tired, we get inspired by the exercising fellows, we want to feel the good energy of friendship.

Instructors that does not work like a team lack this, but my experience proves we NEED to be part of a alike group.

We need to go on with some one else in our mission.

The road of excellent prefessionalism when traveled with colleagues,

is away much more intense and unforgetable.

I hope this instructors never forget the feeling of training together,

sweating at the same time in the Intense track, shouting because the legs were burning and celebrating when get to the end of a track.

They are reaching to a very good point: the point of enjoying learning.

When they get there, I can go some where else! The seed will be already a small tree, thirsty for the Good Water of feedback and tips to grown even more.

And Jonathan helping me to get there. Thank you boy! Excellent Job! We are changing the Fitness in Kuwait! Thanks.

"We get old too soon and smart too late."

Amazing knowledge to be shared.

Enjoy.

Joint by Joint Approach to Training

Por Michael Boyle

"We get old too soon and smart too late." - Swedish Proverb My good friend, physical therapist Gray Cook, has a gift for simplifying complex topics. I envy his ability to succinctly take a complicated thought process and make the idea appear simple. In a recent conversation about the effect of training on the body, Cook produced one of the most lucid thought processes I have ever heard. Gray and I were discussing the findings of the Functional Movement Screen, the needs of the different joints of the body and how the function of the joints relates to training. One of the beauties of the Functional Movement Screen is that the screen allows us to distinguish between issues of stability and those of mobility. Cook’s thoughts were simple and led me to realize that the future of training may be a joint-by-joint approach rather than a movement-based approach. Gray’s analysis of the body was a straightforward one. In his mind, the body is a just a stack of joints. Each joint or series of joints has a specific function and is prone to specific, predictable levels of dysfunction. As a result, each joint has specific training needs. The following table looks at the body on a joint-by-joint basis from the bottom up: Joint Primary Training Needs Ankle mobility (particularly sagittal) Knee stability Hip mobility (multi-planar) Lumbar Spine stability T-Spine mobility Gleno-humeral stability The first thing you should notice as you read the above table is that the joints simply alternate mobility and stability. The ankle needs increased mobility, and the knee needs increased stability. As we move up the body, it becomes apparent that the hip needs mobility. And so the process goes up the chain: a simple, alternating series of joints. Over the past 20 years, we have progressed from the moronic approach of training by body part (sorry, bodybuilders) to a more intelligent approach of training by movement pattern. In fact, the phrase “movements, not muscles” has almost become an overused one, and frankly, that is progress. I think most good coaches and trainers have given up on the old chest-shoulder-triceps thought process and moved forward to a push-pull-hip extend-knee extend thought process. Interestingly enough, I now believe the “movement, not muscles” process probably should have gone a step further. I think injuries relate closely to proper joint function or more appropriately to joint dysfunction. Confused? Let me try to explain. Problems at one joint usually show up as pain in the joint above or below. The simplest illustration is in the lower back. It seems obvious based on the advances of the past decade that we need core stability. It's also obvious that lots of people suffer from back pain. The interesting part lies in the theory behind low back pain. My theory of the cause? Loss of hip mobility. Loss of function in the joint below (in the case of the lumbar spine, the hip) seems to affect the joint or joints above (lumbar spine). In other words, if the hip can’t move, the lumbar spine will. The problem is that the hip is built for mobility and the lumbar spine for stability. When the supposedly mobile joint becomes immobile, the stable joint is forced to move as compensation, becoming less stable and subsequently painful. The process is simple: • Lose ankle mobility, get knee pain. • Lose hip mobility, get low back pain. • Lose thoracic mobility, get neck and shoulder pain (or low back pain). Looking at the body on a joint-by-joint basis beginning with the ankle, this thought process seems to make sense. An immobile ankle causes the stress of landing to be transferred to the joint above: the knee. In fact, I think there is a direct correlation between the stiffness of the basketball shoe and the amount of taping and bracing that correlates with the high incidence of patella-femoral syndromes in basketball players. Our desire to protect the unstable ankle comes with a high cost. We have found that many of our athletes with knee pain have corresponding ankle mobility issues. Many times, this follows an ankle sprain and subsequent bracing and taping. The exception to the rule seems to be at the hip. The hip can be both immobile and unstable, resulting in knee pain from the instability (a weak hip will allow internal rotation and adduction of the femur) or back pain from the immobility. How a joint can be both immobile and unstable is the interesting question. It seems that weakness of the hip in either flexion or extension causes compensatory action at the lumbar spine, while the weakness in abduction (or more accurately, prevention of adduction) causes stress at the knee. Poor psoas and iliacus strength and/or activation will cause patterns of lumbar flexion as a substitute for hip flexion. Poor strength and/or activation of the glutes will cause a compensatory extension pattern of the lumbar spine that attempts to replace the motion of hip extension. Interestingly enough, this fuels a vicious cycle. As the spine moves to compensate for the lack of strength and mobility of the hip, the hip loses mobility. It appears that lack of strength at the hip leads to immobility, and immobility in turn leads to compensatory motion at the spine. The end result is a kind of conundrum: a joint that needs both strength and mobility in multiple planes. The lumbar spine is even more interesting. This is clearly a series of joints in need of stability, as evidenced by all the work in the area of core stability. Strangely enough, the biggest mistake I believe we have made in training over the last 10 years is engaging in an active attempt to increase the static and active ROM of an area that obviously craves stability. I believe that most if not all of the many rotary exercises done for the lumbar spine were misdirected. Both Sahrmann in Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes and Porterfield and DeRosa in Mechanical Low Back Pain: Perspectives in Functional Anatomy indicate that attempting to increase lumbar spine ROM is not recommended and potentially dangerous. (Is rotation even a good idea?) I believe our lack of understanding of thoracic mobility has caused us to try to gain lumbar rotary ROM, and this is a huge mistake. The thoracic spine is the area about which we seem to know the least. Many physical therapists seem to recommend increasing thoracic mobility, though few seem to have exercises designed specifically for thoracic mobility. The approach seems to be “we know you need it, but we’re not sure how to get it.” I think over the next few years, we will see an increase in exercises designed to increase thoracic mobility. Interestingly enough, in Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, physical therapist Shirley Sahrmann advocated the development of thoracic mobility and the limitation of lumbar mobility. The gleno-humeral joint is similar to the hip. The gleno-humeral joint is designed for mobility and therefore needs to be trained for stability. I think the need for stability in the gleno-humeral joint presents a great case for exercises like stability ball and BOSU push ups as well as unilateral dumbbell work. The inability of joints to funcion normally places stress on the joints above or below. In the book Ultra Prevention (actually a nutrition book), the authors describe our current method of reaction to injury perfectly. Their analogy is simple: our response to injury is like hearing the smoke detector go off and running to pull out the battery. The pain, like the sound, is a warning of some other problem. Icing a sore knee without examining the ankle or hip is like pulling the battery out of the smoke detector. What we need to realize is that, as the opening quote says, “we get old too soon and smart too late.” Every day, I learn more and more about the body. What I learn allows me to be a better coach and a better educator. Often, what I learn contradicts what I formerly believed. Just remember, the world was once thought to be flat.