Dr Lucy Goldby has written a fantastic article on the Alter G treadmill (G-Trainer) that has appeared on Run Britain’s website. Run Britain is the largest online group for road running in the UK.

Balance has now had their Alter-G for over three years and firmly believe that a tool is only as good as the knowledge of those who use it. In the three years that Balance has had the Alter-G our team of therapists have accumulated hours of time using the G-trainer with clients from a huge range of disciplines, levels and with differing problems. From clients with hip replacements, club runners wanting to run faster to premiership footballers getting over a knock the Balance team have seen it all.

If you want to use the Alter-G at Balance and haven’t used it before you will automatically have a session with one of our expert therapists on how to use it to maximise your rehab and or performance to achieve your goals.

To read Lucy’s fantastic article please follow the link: http://runbritain.com/little-runbritain/157/

For more information on using the G-Trainer (commonly referred to as “Alter-G”) or to book a free session at Balance call 0207 627 2308

This fascinating course is aimed at anyone who wants to use Trigger Point Therapy in their professional capacity. You might be a Physiotherapist, Osteopath, Chiropractor, Sports Therapist, Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer, Sports Coach or even an Athlete. If you work with people who want to perform better, recover faster and prevent injuries from occuring then this course should be on your radar.

It is being taken by Jonathan Lewis (above) who is not only the Uk’s sole Trigger Point Therapy Master Trainer but also a formidable knowledge on rehabilitation and training methods to ensure that individuals develop not only agility, speed or strength but resilience which is key to the concept of Trigger Point Therapy, so you are guaranteed an afternoon of the highest quality teaching

It comprises of 4.5 hours of CPD and runs from 1pm-6pm on Friday the 17th of June. Places are obviously limited so book soon to avoid disappointment, course fees are £145. To book and reserve your place call Balance on 020 76272308

Just want to make you all aware of a very exciting course coming up at Balance Performance Physiotherapy and presented by CJS Fitness on Sunday the 13th of March 10am – 5pm.

The course will be presented by Naeem Akram the “Running Engineer”, click on the link below to read more and book online.

There is an exceptionally good early bird special offer of £75.00 if booked before the 26th February, there is a further 10% off that price available to the Balance network by entering the discount code 2011BALANCEPOSE when booking, places are obviously limited so move quickly to guarantee your place.

After that date the price rises to £129, the 10% discount code offer will still apply.

http://poserunningworkshop.eventbrite.com/

See you there

Chris Chirsalys - professional circus/sideshow performer

This article was written by J.P. Brice. Co-inventor of the War Machine Suspended Pulley Trainer by CrossCore, Inc.

Bodyweight training. It’s been around forever. But as the sports of bodybuilding and powerlifting really started to evolve in the 50’s and 60’s, we became fascinated with big, shiny, “muscle specific” machines and training with massive amounts of weight. Bigger was better, especially in the 80’s when I began lifting. Well, I will always have a deep passion for bodybuilding and heavy weights. It’s just who I am. But, now that I am almost 40 with three bulging discs caused by all the years of heavy squats and shrugs, I now tend to put longevity first when I train. After all, big muscles are really only temporary, but your tendons, joints and skeletal system are forever and you’ve got to take care of them.

Nowadays there is a growing focus on getting back to the basics. By basics I mean bodyweight training, tire flipping, kettlebells etc. I personally think the recession the past few years has had a lot to do with this. Lets face it, lifting your own bodyweight is pretty affordable compared to a rack of dumbbells. But at the same time I also think that we are all realizing after sixty years of huge leaps in fitness equipment technology, that good old fashioned basics can often give you the same desired end result, if not better.

Today some of the most popular bodyweight training routines include suspended straps. Some are made from two separate straps and some are joined together in a Y configuration toward the top near the anchor point. There are many great attributes of these straps such as allowing us to workout at many different locations, giving us a wide range of exercises that can isolate each muscle or combine many in the same movement…including the beloved “core” we all hear about these days. Straps give us a variety of multi-planar, compound exercise movements that tend to be much easier on the joints because they compliment the body’s natural mechanics. I have to be honest, as a heavy weightlifter of over twenty five years, I first laughed at these straps. I thought, “These don’t weigh 500 lbs….what use could I possibly have for them”. After I was able to shove my ego to the side I soon realized the benefit bodyweight training could offer even me. I now incorporate bodyweight training into my workouts and all my shoulder pain has gone away and my back is much better than it used to be.

Now that I have covered why I personally think bodyweight training is making a comeback and what it has done for me, let me put a different “spin” on things. Imagine adding a 3rd dimension to bodyweight training with suspended straps and even gymnastics rings. An improvement of balance through imbalance. The 3rd dimension I speak of is by way of adding a pulley to these straps that now gives your presses, pulls and everything else you did before, “rotational movement”! Because rotational movement now allows you to train one side of the body at a time or both together, any limitations your bodyweight training routine had before are now totally gone. The balance this improvement creates and the mind-muscle awareness you gain in your form and overall functionality is incredible. Rotation is also great for telling your weak side it had better quickly catch up with the dominant side. I know, my fellow weightlifters out there are still skeptical. But hold on, I’m getting to the icing on the cake for you. The implementation of the suspended pulley also allows you to attach counterweights to one side. These counterweights can range from kettlebells to weight plates. I like kettlebells because they balance perfectly when being hoisted on a pulley. The isolation exercise capability via freeweights (curls, tricep extensions, lat rows, etc.) is now just like being at the gym and the single pulley transfers all the actual weight to the handle so not much weight is needed. If that wasn’t enough, resistance bands can be used in place of the counterweights to give the user even more resistance versatility, not to mention a whole slew of different cable attachments that can be used.

This new “hybrid” concept in bodyweight training equipment is sure to please the beginner all the way up to the elite athlete and I’m convinced it is the future of many exciting things to come in our industry. Now get out there and do the “iron cross” on those rings…but this time with rotational movement!

J.P. Brice
“Life’s A Battle…Prepare For War”
www.crosscore-usa.com

The WarMachine is available in the UK and throughout Europe from Balance Performance shop. Click on this link and take a look: WarMachine

A few examples of the versatility in bodyweight training that the Pulley suspension system of the WarMachine offers personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, bootcamp providers and anyone else who likes to take their physical training outdoors. Free flowing, fluid strength, conditioning, speed, power and endurance.

interested in future education workshops in pulley suspension training across Europe? go to http://www.warmachine-europe.com

want to buy and your from UK/Ireland? you can go direct to the product page: War Machine http://bit.ly/ijyJKr

Outside of Europe and want to know where you can find the WarMachine near you? go to http://www.crosscore-usa.com

Director and Sports Injury team physiotherapist Graham Anderson is now installed in Delhi for a month for the whole of the event and currently setting up the medical clinic for the welsh team. graham is no stranger to event sports injury management with 4 Commonwealth and 3 Olympics games to his name. Fortunately Balance has depth in its team and breadth of experiences that span the sports, performance and professional spectrum so whilst we miss Graham dearly we are not left short of expertise.

Graham in Delhi ahead of the athletes to set up medical clinic

Meanwhile Raphael continues his work in athletics, Fran with cyclists (running our joint Cycling and Fitting clinic at CycleFit Covent Garden) and Paula as author of Running Repairs obviously has many runners beating a path to her door. Of course we dont just work with those engaged in our “specialist” sports area and everyone on the sports injury team sees the countless number of combat athletes that come to our London facility. Including our team of athletes on the “Fighters Development Programmee” (Brazilian Ju Juitsu, Boxing and MMA all represented )

Not only does the team at Balance deliver trigger point therapy but we also educate our clients about TrP therapy and how they can do it themselves using Trigger Point Performance kits and individual products.

The more we do it the better the results our clients can achieve for themselves and gain independence with the tools we recommend.

Here is just one comment directed at the TPT page on Facebook:

“Your Ultimate 6 kit helped get me through Boston [Marathon]. Sciatic pains for 2 weeks before. Ran pain free. Thank you!”

Having been at the TPT HQ in Austin Texas a couple of weeks back I have been able to pass on some additional teaching points to Kellie and Trevor (the Balance sports massage team) and Jason Progl (movement, strength and conditioning coach) so they can educate even more effectively the benefits to be had by their clients inducing trigger point release on themselves.

Trigger Point Performance HQ, Austin, Texas

To see the Trigger Point Performance Products online CLICK this underlined link TPT Kits.

for more info contact Jonathan Lewis via our contact page, Twitter, or feel free to look me up on facebook.

Balance Performance #Running Clinic info: http://bit.ly/cp1Oe5 our expertise goes beyond high quality rehab and the Alter-G, we do PBs too!

We have long catered for runners – from novice marathoners to elite and professional runners – but we have refocussed some of our existing services and changed the structure some to better cater for a runners requirements. Early feedback is very positive.

We hope London’s runners, triathletes and recreational marathoners will see that Balance is a place to get expert advice on getting personal bests not just high quality rehabilitation.

Click here for the Running Clinic page

BBC Science Reporter Victoria Gill’s article is linked to below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8483401.stm

It describes research that came to the obvious conclusion that if you give a human the chance to take the path of least resistance they will take it, even if the consequences are a down turn in long term efficiency. Well thats my interpretation, but to be true to the article here is the opening paragraph:

Wearing cushioned running shoes may have changed the way in which many of us run, new research suggests.

Using slow-motion footage, scientists have discovered that experienced barefoot runners land very differently from runners who wear shoes.

The researchers showed that runners who have trained barefoot tend to strike the ground with their forefoot or mid-foot, rather than their heel.

At Balance we often talk about taking a long term perspective and discourage our clients from looking for the short term quick fix  (whether to be pain free without concern for recurrence, getting fit, getting strong, losing weight, making money etc) but as with all aspects of life its a lot more complicated when you think it through. So once you have read this article dont throw your trainers in the bin and hit Battersea Park for a barefoot 10k using the pose running technique – at least not straight away. There are several more possibilities avaialable to you.

Have a read and if you’d like to share your opinion or ask ours  get in contact with one of the team Paula (author of Running Repairs ), Mick Habgood (podiatrist and running orthotic specialist), Raph (an experienced physio in international athletics and many a “minimal shoe” runner), Frances (triathlon specialist and G-trainer expert) or Sian (currently researching MBT footwear at clinics across London). You can also contact Jonathan (the blog writer) who will happily discuss evolution, sociology, the weakening of human kind and how to prevent it! Send an email by clicking this highlighted link: Contact Page

Mick and Paula will be adding their comments here soon.

Saturday 19th December – 10am til 1pm

The World Record Club is looking for members to run their fastest miles on the G-trainer treadmill.

There are several categories to challenge yourself within:

• Mens 85% bodyweight
• Womens 85% bodyweight
• Mens 75% bodyweight
• Womens 85%
• plus Mens and Womens Masters Categories

If you havent run on this revolutionary piece of technology you can have a try out for free with us on Saturday and then if you are up for it take the challenge.

Its very simple…zip in, we’ll start it up, you run…fast…you say faster (you can say slower too of course!!)

• Discounts for G-trainer running sessions of 50% which means£12.50 for 30 minutes or £17.50 for 60 minutes

Apart from being healthy competition the benefits to running speed and overall performance are significant.

Thats why Manchester United bought one in the same week that Balance did.