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Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Functional Training // Injury Rehabilitation // Running Analysis

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Browsing Tags lower back pain

Core Training for Runners: Stability vs. Flexion-Based Exercises

March 18, 2019 · by Garrett McLaughlin
Article written on March 14th, 2019 at 01:44pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Core Training for Runners

When we look more closely at how the spine functions during running, it becomes clear that stability is a more relevant characteristic than strength. The spine does go through a small amount of rotation but you are never flexing, extending, or rotating through the range of motion. Or, atleast I hope you aren’t! So why would you only train the core via flexion-based exercises and through these unused ranges, while neglecting the stability component altogether?

Core stability is very important when resisting unwanted joint positions and maintaining proper alignment. During running the spine should remain upright, rigid, and resisting external forces so the lower body can move efficiently. Like I mentioned above, there is a degree of rotation that happens which acts as a counterbalance to the lower body. But, for the most part, stability and proper positioning of the spine are far more important than solely possessing a strong core.

My goal with this video blog is to educate and hopefully build awareness around proper core training for runners. Don’t get me wrong, crunches, sit-ups, and other core exercises can still be used with this approach. But, if you are looking to train the core in an effective way that carries over to better performance and longevity in the sport of running, there needs to be an emphasis on stability of the spine.

In the following video, I want to walk you through (3) of the best core stability exercises for runners. They include:

  1. Dead Bug
  2. Bent Legs Lowering
  3. Front Plank

Note: It’s important to pay close attention to the position of your pelvis and spine. Maintaining a neutral spine is important to reinforce throughout the duration of the exercise. Once this position is lost, re-set, and go back into your repetitions or hold.

Now it’s up to you! Use this article and video as a guide to see where your current core training program is lacking. If it consists solely of core strengthening and no stability, I highly recommend adding some of the exercises I outline in the video.

Obviously this is a very basic starting point to see better results that carryover to your running. So please let me know if I can help you by designing a more individualized program to achieve your running goals.

Please comment and leave feedback below on your thoughts from the article or core training in general.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Why Certain Core Exercises Hurt Your Lower Back

November 25, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin
Article written on November 19th, 2018 at 01:46pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Does your lower back feel healthy and pain-free throughout the day but only to become very irritated with certain core exercises? Instead of jumping to conclusions, it’s important to realize two important factors:

  1. You never have low back pain throughout your daily routine
  2. Your back pain increases in response to specific movements

When this is the case, it’s important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Of course, seeking an evaluation from a trained healthcare professional can be a viable option. And, I always recommend this when dealing with pain or before getting started with an exercise program. But, if you have narrowed down the painful stimulus to specific movements, then it seems more impactful to either remove the trigger or assess technique and form while performing those movements.

The core is a complex area of the body. In the movement world we refer to this as the lumbopelvic hip complex. Therefore, it encompasses more joints and muscles than most people realize.

For decades we have been addressing this area with exercises such as sit-ups, crunches, supermans, etc. These can be beneficial to increase strength at the musculature surrounding the core. But, how much impact do they have on stability? And, do they place an unwanted amount of compressive force on the spine itself?

Instead of always strengthening these muscles in an attempt to build a healthy and resilient spine, let’s incorporate a stability component to improve control and positioning of each spinal segment. Too often do I see people performing tons of flexion, extension, and rotation-based movements without any focus on stability and joint position. Yes, this might build a killer 6-pack, but is it the best long-term strategy for spine health?

So, where do you begin? Self-assessing core stability can provide feedback into how well you are controlling the position of your spine. This isn’t how much weight you can move or repetitions on a sit-up. But rather how well you maintain neutral while the extremities move. 

A simple and effective self-assessment is the legs lowering drill. I would recommend performing this with a 10-second eccentric (lower) while monitoring the position of the pelvis, spine, and rib cage. Sometimes  it can be helpful to have a friend look at these areas for you to provide more accurate feedback. The video below will provide an explanation on how to properly perform this self-assessment.

Following the legs lowering self-assessment, if you notice that the lumbar spine loses it’s position into extension before the legs lower to 45 degrees, it’s important to patiently and consistently work on improving core stability. In the following video, I want to walk you through a simple exercise progression that serves as the foundation for better lumbar stability. These exercises include:

  1. Hooklying marching
  2. Dead bug
  3. Overhead dead bug

If this approach to core training is new to you or you found that it was very challenging to perform these exercises with good control, it’s important to make these stability exercises a staple within your program. What’s important when it comes to improving stability is not attempting the hardest variation and struggling through with minimal success. Instead, perform the exercise that challenges you in a productive way for 4-8 weeks before moving on to the next. The goal should be quality and execution over quantity.

If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting any lower back pain as it relates to your current exercise program, please feel free to comment below or message me directly. I hope this video provided you value in some way. Thanks for reading!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Hip Extension and It’s Impact on Lower Back Health

September 23, 2017 · by Garrett McLaughlin
Article written on September 23rd, 2017 at 10:33am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

The hip is a pivotal joint that plays a big role in function of the lower back. Oftentimes, lack of hip extension due to poor flexibility and/or weakness can predispose the body to lower back pain and injury. From another perspective, lack of anti-extension (abdominals/obliques) core control and pelvic positioning will cause the back to be forced into extension during extension of the hip. All of this is undesirable when it comes to health of the spine.

In the video below, I explain how hip extension impacts the lower back. But first, let’s appreciate how mobility and stability must work together to create an optimal environment…

During hip extension, as in basic hip strengthening exercises, walking, and running, the core must reflexively fire to stabilize the pelvis. I often see people in the gym working on glute strengthening with no regard to spine position.

When you extend the hip to a certain point, especially when done forcefully and/or without respecting it’s end-range of motion, the lower back has to extend and the pelvis tips anteriorly to allow this motion. Over time, hyperextension of the hip can lead to increased compressive forces at the lumbar spine and injury. See the picture below as an example of forcing hip extension and how the back is impacted.

Notice how the lower back changes, from more of a neutral and natural curvature at the start, to hyperextension at the finish? This occurs either due to creating false extension of the hip where the lower back is assisting the leg being lifted. Or, poor spinal stabilization and lack of anti-extension core stability, thus leading to excessive lumbar extension.

Take a second to watch the following video. I highly recommend you take notice next time you perform any hip extension movements. Can you isolate the hip while still respecting the positioning of the pelvis and lower back? This is an important concept to reduce the incidence of lower back pain and to also get more from your hips.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

In the Spotlight (September): Brooke Kocher

September 15, 2017 · by Garrett McLaughlin

We are back at it with our second edition of ‘In the Spotlight!’ This month I have a recent client who’s diligence and attention to detail has been the best I’ve seen. And, it’s really no surprise she saw great results.

After the first session/evaluation, each one of my clients receive specific instructions on exercises and drills to perform daily. This is an area many of them could be more consistent to see better results. That was not the case with Brooke.

Brooke was always eager to learn and apply the strategies I recommended on a daily basis. This allowed her to see great improvements with her lower back/hip pain and begin slowly returning back to the activities which she loved so dearly.

Without further ado, let’s shine the spotlight on…

Brooke Kocher

Brooke and her daughter at the Disney 5k in 2016

Q: First, tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from?

A: “I am from Chattanooga, TN and have lived in Nashville with my family for four years. My husband, Ryan, and I have three children who are 9, 5, and 3. I am a full time mom and have loved the gift of staying home with them while also being involved in fitness, church activities and volunteering in the community.”

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be? Why?

A: “This is a very difficult question because I love to travel and would be very happy living in many places. I was fortunate to travel abroad several times in high school and college and each trip I felt like it only increased my desire to live abroad for longer periods of time. One of my favorite spots was Edinburgh, Scotland. The history, rural and coastal beauty and cultural dances and music were all amazing.”

Q: Other the years, what forms of exercise have you been into?

A: “Early on I participated in gymnastics, diving, track, soccer, running and modern dance. Since having children, I have mostly enjoyed running longer distances and then I started doing CrossFit four years ago.”

Q: What are the top reasons you enjoy CrossFit and staying active?

A: “CrossFit was the perfect combination of gymnastic movements, running, introducing barbell movements (which was new for me) and the sheer competitive drive that I missed from organized sports. Plus I could compare my results to my husband. We are both competitive and push each other to improve as we age. I want to stay active to enjoy activities with my husband and children for as long as possible. Physical activity is my stress release, my creative outlet and my time to recharge in nature.”

Q: When you first started working with Garrett, what were the goals you wanted to achieve?

A: “I researched Active Release Therapy (ART) and wanted to know if Garrett could address sciatic nerve pain with ART that physical therapy had not improved. I didn’t want to lose hope that I could be asymptomatic from a herniated disc, but I was starting to accept that maybe I would never fully recover. I didn’t know what goals to have other than moving without pain.”

Q: What was the catalyst that made you reach out to Garrett in the first place?

A: “I had been working with a massage therapist for several months and she recommended Garrett to me. She has been a fantastic resource so I trusted her judgment and she was hopeful that Garrett could address my problems better than past physical therapists had. And most of all I had prayed daily for God to order my steps and direct me to the next step in my treatment. I am thankful God knows what He’s doing!”

Q: What are the some of the improvements you’ve seen so far?

A: “I have seen countless improvements in my activities of daily living as a mom. I can pick up my 3 year old son without pain. He used to say, “hug me up” which means pick him up and hug him. I couldn’t do that without pain and it broke my heart. I can now bend down to tie my shoes, change clothes, get in and out of a car, carry groceries, race my children and participate in pilates/yoga classes that I thought would never be possible.”

Q: An individualized corrective exercise program that includes mobility, activation, strength, and movement was a big part of your success… Why do you think this was the case?

A: “I had to train my body to awaken and activate certain muscles that were not responding properly and therefore were putting undue stress on smaller muscle groups. As a gymnast and runner, I had always taken my endurance, strength, and flexibility for granted, but none of that mattered anymore if my muscle imbalance and poor activation sequences were putting me at risk for injury.”

Q: Do you think you would’ve seen positive results without the corrective program or if you only completed your exercises sparingly?

A: “I do not think I would have improved had I not trusted Garrett’s expertise and followed the corrective program as it was prescribed. Before meeting Garrett, I had been in physical therapy for 6 months under several different therapists, and did not see the improvement I hoped for. After working on Garrett’s program, I saw significant improvement. The specific movements and sequences made all the difference!”

Q: What is that one thing you dislike the most but continue to work on because you know it will help?

A: “I dislike the restriction on movements that I know will lead to sciatic nerve pain. I wish I could resume all of the activities I once enjoyed, like running, but I know being patient and following Garrett’s guidance on which movements to avoid until my muscle balance and mobility have improved will be worth it.”

Q: Do you have any advice for others who are going through the same situation as you?

A: “The daily commitment to follow through on exercises at home will be the small and steady steps that eventually lead to long-term gains. Some nights the last thing I feel like doing is my stretches, but it is worth it.”

Q: How do you feel Garrett’s services may differ from other professionals in his field?

A: “I knew immediately that Garrett’s initial, thorough evaluation of my condition and attention to detail of my medical history, current pain levels, etc. showed his commitment to getting the proper diagnosis and corrective exercise program.  Knowing that he expected me to do my part and was confident that I could improve gave me the hope and encouragement that change was possible.”

Q: Looking ahead, do you have any new goals you are working towards?

A: “I want to pursue swimming and potentially resume running. My favorite activity with my 9 year old daughter was racing 5Ks, so I must keep improving in my corrective exercises in order to run without pain. But I trust that is possible with Garrett’s help!”


Thank you for reading the ‘In the Spotlight’ segment. And, a big shout out to Brooke Kocher!! Please feel free to comment below with any questions or feedback.

Exercise Modifications for Extension-Based Back Pain with Dr. Jesse Riley

June 19, 2017 · by Garrett McLaughlin
Article written on June 19th, 2017 at 1:38pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Back pain has become extremely prevalent in our society. From long hours of sitting, limited mobility in the hips, thoracic spine, & surrounding areas, and inadequate core strength and stability, the lower back takes a beating.

When you experience lower back pain, which you probably will at some point in your life, it doesn’t mean you need to stop exercising completely. It actually might be more advantageous to continue exercising while modifying your program appropriately. In the following video, local chiropractor and movement specialist, Dr. Jesse Riley, provides several exercise modifications for extension-based back pain.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Rib Control as it Affects Lumbar Position

May 18, 2016 · by Garrett McLaughlin
| Article written on May 18th, 2016 at 09:20am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Creating and maintaining stability at the lumbar spine is an important concept to learn. Not only does it require stability within each spinal segment, but controlling rib position is also essential.

The muscles of the anterior core, such as the abdominals and obliques, are monumental in creating optimal spine positions. Even though they are located on the front side of the body, they play a role in maintaining lumbopelvic neutral. Instead of only viewing them as movers of the spine into flexion, we must also value their role into preventing extension. Hence why they are often referred to as “anti-extension” muscles.

In the following video, I talk about rib control as it relates to lumbar position in the RDL. A common fault in the RDL of going into spine extension can easily be prevented with controlling rib position.

Lastly, if you found even the basic cue of “pull the rib cage down” to be challenging, this next video may provide more assistance. In it I provide 2 exercise regressions that have been valuable to my clients in finding the right position in which to implement back into other movement patterns.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

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