Kettlebell Swings

I am ready for the world to stop doing isolation movements while working out.  Bicep Curls, Triceps Extension, Hamstrings Curls....oh c'mon really?  That was what the 90's were for.  "I do chest and tri's Monday/Thursday and I do Back/Bi's Wednesday Friday.....Tuesday is for my left calf and Saturday is for my right calf....."

Alright that might be going a little too far with it but still I'm ready for the exercise community to fully embrace full body movements aimed at strengthening, stabilizing, and conditioning as opposed to 'really hammering that specific muscle'.  Full body movements lead to greater hormone releases (which is what leads to muscle growth), better cardiovascular conditioning, a more proportionate build, and less fat.  What's not to like?

So today I thought I'd preview one of the best exercises out there:  The Kettlebell Swing

The Kettlebell swing is a fantastic whole body exercise that utilizes hip extension (remember your butt?)  to initiate a force that transfer up your spine(a great core exercise), out your arms (shoulder and arm strengthening) and into a kettlebell that swings over your head.  It requires a bit of coordination because the bell will swing back down for you to repeat the process as much as you can.  The more you do, the better your conditioning is.

Troubleshooting 101
The most common mistake I see is that people don't use hip extension to initiate the momentum of the swing.  They use a squat and their lumbar spine.

Rule #1 - Don't squat, keep your hips at the same level at all times

Rule #2 - Make sure the hips pop first, then the kettlebell swings upwards, not the other way around.


For any questions or concerns, please contact me at drscotthoar@gmail.com, and to schedule an appointment in Boca Raton, FL please dial 561.997.8898. To check out more visit www.Mobility-4Life.com

Bow Legged Squats

When I walk into any gym the most common dysfunction/form issue I see is the valgus collapse of the knee while squatting.  That's a fancy way of saying the knees travel inward, toward the midline of the body while pressing up.

The reason this is a problem is that it significantly increases the amount of stress on the knee.  The reason it occurs is a lack of stability and control of the foot (pronated/flat feet) as well as the rotation of the hip.

You'll notice in the 'Good' example above, the knees are almost outside of the feet, creating a 'Bow-legged' looking squat.  This is more ideal because the legs have good stability and control of not only the arch of the foot, but also the rotation of the hip.  This keeps your knees from added stress leading to overuse injuries that will slow down your fitness goals and lead to early degeneration.

The best tip I've ever heard as far as attaining this is to 'Externally rotate' or two apply a twisting pressure to your feet once your in your squatting position.  Paying attention to this will allow you to have a much more stable base in which you'll be able to squat lower, performing pulling lifts from the floor (deadlifts, olympic lifts, etc) easier, and have much higher strength output because you'll have so much better stability.  A helpful way to think of stability is shooting a canon out of a row boat.....it just won't work without stability.

If your having knee issues or would like your own evaluation, contact Dr. Scott Hoar at 561.997.8898, or email at drscotthoar@gmail.com. To check out more visit www.Mobility-4Life.com

Exercise Selection

(Exercise videos at the bottom)

Two days a week, my partner and I treat former college football players for Tony Villani's XPE group as they prepare themselves for the NFL combine coming up in a few weeks.  We do this at Jaco Hybrid training center in Delray Beach, FL.  I love going to Jaco Hybrid.  Why?  Because it's the most hilarious gym I've ever seen (and it's great for 'people watching).

It's got so many different stereotypes of fitness people.  You've got the crossfitters in the back, with their bad form and high reps.  You've got the meat heads doing ridiculous exercises to 'really feel the burn' so they can kiss their biceps afterwards.  You've got the girls on the cardio machines with their headphones and cellphones in hand.  You've got the yoga and Tae-Kwan-Do studios.  They also have a huge MMA ring and training center where the 'Blackzilians' as they call themselves, train for MMA style fighting.  Their movement for the most part is so primitive, they really look out of control with their bodies.

I highlight this because there are so many different kinds of exercise people could engage in to try to improve their health and fitness.  There question I probably get asked the most, 'how can I workout to burn fat and have the kind of body I want?"

People are starting to realize that straight cardio alone is not enough.  Have you ever run into those 'skinny fat people' as I call them?  Overall they are not fat, but their body composition isn't firm.  They're skinny, yet fat.  AND, they're more prone to injury because they don't have good enough control of their body.

The exercises I recommend are full body exercises that end up giving you a firmer body, while burning fat.  There are ways to get bigger muscles, but that involves a lot of protein and a lot of lifting weights.  I'm talking about quick effective methods of getting firm.  These are full body exercises.

1.  Burpees

2.  Kipping Pull Ups

    -for a video to this, check out www.crossfit.com

3.  Walk the Floors

4.  Box Jumps
    -jump up on a box

5.  Push Ups
    -you know how to do these....

6.  Hand Stand Push Ups (advanced, beginners can start with handstand posing while leaning against a wall)

7.  Push Up Rows

8.  Turkish-Get ups

9.  Kettlebell Swings

10.  Dumbbell Floor to overheads

For any of these exercises.  You could literally just do as many of them as possible in 4 minutes, and you'll give yourself a killer workout that will both burn fat and add proportional muscle to your frames.  If your not in a gym, these are great starters for your exercises program.

For any questions, concerns, or to schedule any treatment  in the Boca Raton area for problems doing these exercises feel free to contact me at 561.997.8898 or email me at drscotthoar@gmail.com.  To check out more visit www.Mobility-4Life.com