What's Stopping this Former Fighter from Doing Push-Ups and Pull-Ups?

Tough to Treat

In this episode, Erica dives into the intriguing story of a former fighter who faced unexpected challenges with basic exercises like push-ups and pull-ups. She sheds light on how years of specialized training led to muscle imbalances and problems outside the ring.

The "push" and "pull" are different movement patterns. What region(s) of the body are challenged with these movements? Remember the "push" is a 4-point closed chain movement and the "pull" is not.

What do fighters do on a routine basis to their wrists before a fight? Why is the "negative" on a pull-up more important than the push on a push-up?

Listen in as Erica discusses how to make this type of assessment more efficient by really listening to the story, connecting the dots, and ultimately going back to basics to treat another region of the body that was a secondary driver to the "pull". If you want the visual, here is a link to our YouTube channel.

A glance at this episode:

• [0:01] A patient's medical history and symptoms related to military service and boxing

• [5:00] Assessing push-ups and shoulder mobility in different positions related to COM

• [8:18] Identifying different movement patterns with the push and pull and how to clinically reason and find the true driver

• [12:31] How a dysfunctional elbow can limit the pull up but not the push-up

Related links:

• Tough To Treat Website

• Erica’s Course: Decoding the Complex Patient

• Susan’s Pelvic Health Education Subscription

• Access the Transcript