Jason obtained his undergraduate degrees in Exercise Science and Strength and Human Performance and Masters degree in Physical Therapy at St. Ambrose University. He currently lives in Oak Park, IL and is the owner of Performance and Recovery Systems, where he works with clients as a Soft Tissue Therapist and Active Release Therapist. He has a competition background in both powerlifting and bodybuilding. In powerlifting, he holds a pro raw total at 1901 in the 242-pound weight class, and in bodybuilding, he finished top 3 in the open class at the 2011 NPC Ironman.
For the past 6-8 weeks while my breast friend and has been dieting for his procard, i have been doing the same. Except not for my pro card. More so to just for a change. To many times we get complacent with life and we have nothing to push us, to help us grow, to […]
Shoulder pain, acute or chronic, is probably the most commonly seen pathology within the bodybuilding and powerlifting community. Patient symptoms, training history, movement quality, training age, they all differ and create pain. However, there are a few commonly seen issues that run across the board. These issues when singled out don’t necessarily cause direct shoulder […]
Chronic Low Back Pain is extremely common among patients coming into my clinic. There are multiple reasons as to why someone can exhibit chronic low back. Previous/past injuries Repetitive poor movement Poor lifting technique overuse of certain muscle groups leading to low back tightenss poor postural position during daily activities Unfortunately, most people are unaware […]
Whatever you want to call this tool (compression tape, floss band, voodoo bands, or something else) it can be incredibly useful in ways often overlooked.
Here are a few beginner drills I like to use with clients when we first need to establish the glute and medial arch connection. This is crucial for foot and femoral stability. Keeping the femur centered in the glute via good glute med activation is crucial to producing power and force in the squat […]
Stem Machines, muscle stimulators, TENS units, are very popular in the at home self rehab scene. They are easily accessible, cheap, depending on the unit you purchase, and if used appropriately can decrease rehab time and increase recovery. However, there are some misconceiptions and misuse with this tool so i thought i would clarify if […]
Just getting back into the swing of things at the clinic after 10 days in beautiful North Carolina. I was able to get in some decent training at a golds gym in Asheville NC, which was a far step from the small mountain gym that we usually go to. On our way back we were […]
The sequencing and staging of your PTR is key. The exercises work synergistically, and their individual effectiveness is secondary to their combined effect.
Movement Rehab Guidelines I get numerous emails regarding how to stat the rehabbing process after injuring yourself. I wanted to give some basic guidelines as to how to overview the process and then we will dive more into detail with actual patient interventions and case studies. The actute phase (1 day up to 14 […]
Synergy: “The interaction off elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements or contributions.” This should be the end goal in all rehabilitation or rehab based exercises. To often we focus on individual exercises that lack integration through synergy. It is important for each individual […]
Theres an appropriate time and place for everything. When it comes to explosive training, timing and fatigue mean everything. Doing this too soon in a training session without the tissues being adequately warmed up and lubricated can yeild serious injury. Most of the time people like to program explosive exercises with lighter weight in a […]
Strong body parts will always activate first. Your body likes to make things as simple as possible. Making things easy means less caloric output, maintaining homeostasis and conserving energy. However, when your goal is getting huge or as strong as possible that ain’t happening. So, when doing any row exercis it is very common for […]
After addressing internal tibial rotation and stability and strength of the intrinsic foot musculature, we can now look at hip internal rotation, knee valgus, and exercises for progression.
Your eyes and head are the epi-center for balance and propioception between you and your enviornement. When your “posture” changes because of structural or neurological tightness the head position changes and your perceived “center” is now altered. This limits ROM elsewhere because your body senses that It doesn’t need it. This usually occurs at […]
It is without failure that i will have at least one new patient, or pre-existing patient come into the clinic with elbow/forearm pathology. Most elbow pathaology and discomfort will happen on the inside and outside (top of the forearm). These two pains are actually part of the same underlying issue. The elbow is an extension […]
In my opinion the most complicated joint in the human body. A joint that requires stability, mobility, end range control is one that can be deeply misundertstood. Often times the difficulty lies within understanding the multiple joints that comprise the shoulder. Gleno-humeral joint: Ball and socket. Think golf ball sitting on a T Scapulothoracic complex: […]
This second article of the series discusses additional loading concepts, training considerations, and rehabilitation protocols for increasing tissue capacity while maintaining or decreasing training load.
The associated squatting patterns in powerlifting and bodybuilding, combined with varrying volumes, intensities and various loads wreak havoc on the hips and its associated musculature. 99.99% of the time the hips are missing a lot of Internal Rotation. This is due to a number of contributing factors. Poor firing patterns of the gluteal musculature (external […]
This is something i see very often in clinic that I thought i would discuss in a new series of logs I’m going to be doing. This is to do two things. 1. Help hold me accountable to my elitefts.com requirements 2. Help you gain an side look at what i do in clinic and […]
Back from a quick 4 day trip from Louisiana. The trip was amazing and I enjoyed every moment with my favorite person. Any way jumping back into training after some time off I always start with my MEV (minimal effective volume) for a week or so until i get back into the swing of things. […]
In pain? Super tight? Read on. This month in Jason's log, you can expect content regarding self-administered soft tissue release, elbow self-care for pesky elbows, and additional information on contract/relax methods for a better stretch.
I am fortunate i get to work with many bodybuilders and powerlifters. Regardless of the training and competition status, pro, a mature, just starting here are 3 things that i find in clinic that will have an immediate impact on your training. 1. Lumbar/Spinal Contol: Regardless of the type of movement, closed chain, open chain, […]
Being a chesty man i dont need a lot of pec work. So one of the things i have been doing is playing around with angles of thoracic extension for pressing and fly movements. Decreasing the poundage and focusing my intent towards increasing the stretch from the thoracic spine has saved my shoulders, elbows and […]
One of the most common causes of injury is accumulation of load on a tissue, tendon, or ligament that exceeds that tissue, tendon, or ligament’s capacity. For optimal rehabilitation and recovery, you need to understand and manage this relationship.
A different format for this training log. I will still give a written break down of what i completed for the training session, but what is most important is the lesson, not what was lifted. Hopefully if you enjoy this format I will continue to use it and you can continue to learn. Any feedback […]
There may be a strength discrepancy between your anterior and posterior chain, but are you sure this isn’t because some muscles are stuck doing a job they weren’t originally intended to do, in a position that isn’t optimal?
Well, shit happens. Injuries happen. Being banged up is just part of the game. Dave Tate has a great post/article about the differences between being hurt, injured, and just plain fucked up. Right now I'm just hurt. It limits me from doing some things completely, causes me to second guess other things, and inhibits […]
As I mentioned in my last training log I've removed chest and "arm" training away from my weekly schedule in order to allow my intensity and effort to be put towards the muscle groups that need more work. See last log for those notes. I finally decided to train chest and secondary shoulders. Here's how […]
Training has been pretty sporadic lately. It hasn't been my main priority. I have been training the things that need improvement mainly back, shoulders (rear and medial delt focus) and legs. I've pushed chest and arms to the side for the "holiday season". This is due to the increased amount of traveling I've been doing, […]
During this current phase of training I'm doubling up on shoulders and only hitting back 1x week. This alternates every 4 weeks because those are my two weakest body parts (in comparison). My first shoulder training day of the week is all about density and intensity. Goal: cram as much as I can in the […]
How do people begin to decipher what constitutes good injury rehabilitation or pre-habilitation? In this article, I’m going to describe in detail many different factors that will help you sniff out the bullshit.
"You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.”
Training has been going well! I am enjoying training and things are coming along smoothly. A few things about the set up of the 5th set program I already enjoy. The 9 day rotation has really allowed me for ample rest and recovery. The extra two days leave me feeling fresh and eager to squat […]
Training has been going well despite a slight increase in patients and travel therapy. I was in Detroit last week for a therapy clinic, about three days, this left me with little time to train but was happy to return home and start the week off. I'm battling some nagging things stemming from "to much, […]
This article will give a thorough understanding of the similarities and differences between modalities, which modality is best for certain injuries, how they are best used in your training, and what their overall purpose is.
The first article of this series covered quick, effective drills to use prior to training that will improve your lower body performance. Now let’s look at the upper body and address the three most common dysfunction in strength athletes.