Episode 185: Fitness vs Street Fighter w/ Mike Robertson

Mike Robertson joins us for one of our best episodes ever. We discuss single leg versus bilateral leg training, hip and knee rehab, policing the fitness industry, and much more!

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Q&A with Mike Robertson

  • I have a question about my hip.  When I squat, deadlift and sometimes just try to stand up my right hip hurts in the front.  I have tried stretching my hip flexor and but I keep having pain at the bottom of my squat and deadlift.  It doesn’t hurt when I stretch it so is there something else I need to try?  I have a desk job, so I try to do lots of mobility stuff.  We do a dynamic warm up before each workout, stretch and foam roll regularly. We have assess and correct so are there any areas I need to focus on in that? My husband also has a question for Mike: What’s up with your RSS feed?  It shows up all weird on Google reader.  Also, In the Trenches is having itunes issues too. Thanks for putting on a great show and I’m glad Fass has more time to post on facebook now.  I love the articles he’s been posting. Thanks, Jessica, Apex, NC
  • I purchased Assess & Correct few months ago and it has been extremely useful. So thanks for a great product! Still, one issue I have not been able to improve much with it is my hip internal rotation. I have really good external rotation but when testing internal rotation seated I can get only few degrees of motion. When testing prone I get over 20 degrees so I guess this points to having a muscular issue? The problem is that the early progressions feel really uncomfortable, almost painful, in my knees. Could having “knock-knees” contribute to this? Could you provide any alternative exercises for increasing hip internal rotation? If there is time for a second question could you talk a little bit of “knock-knees”? I have previously understood that if you have knock-knees you’re pretty much stuck with them for the rest of your life. However, Assess & Correct contains some exercises for them but the intent of them is left a bit unclear. Are they just for addressing usual issues associated with knock-knees or can one expect some kind of other improvements? Thank for your time! – Pasi
  • I have a question…With the proliferation of corrective exercise information via the net and products such as Assess and Correct and Magnificent Mobility, how important is it for trainers to respect their  scope of practice and that of other health professionals? -Marc

    Mike about a year ago i had both my miniscus repaired in right knee. I never really had much flexability in them to begin with, i thought torn miniscus was problem. Well a year later i still dont have much flexability. When i sqaut there is no way i can got to paralell, (is going to paralell even that important)? I have been doing super heavy partials and static holds, and leg presses on sled. What can i do to increase flexability in knees to help me do a full squat again. Thanks Myron

    I have been having knee pain for ~1 year now. There was no apparent trauma that caused the pain initially, but it has persisted and made lower body exercise almost impossible. Walking up and down stairs aggravates my knee as does walking, squatting, etc.  I began working with a physical therapist ~2 months ago and she wasn’t able to tell immediately if it was due to muscle imbalances or a torn meniscus. Last week my knee felt great and we decided I would continue my rehab without her assistance. I did bodyweight reverse lunges on Wednesday last week and my knee is still in pain. The pain is on the outside of my right knee. I can pinpoint the spot and apply pressure with my finger to trigger the pain. Mike, please provide any insight you can on what I should do to improve my knee health. I do not take any supplements and I do a proper warmup before every training session.

    Thanks for the awesome podcast. Feel free to eliminate whatever you deem unnecessary from the question.

    Thanks,

    Kevin S.

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5 Responses

  1. Meaghan says:

    Hey Kevin,

    Sorry this isn’t a voicemail, but just wanted to say I really like the new direction you seem to be taking with the FitCast. Great discussion on education this week. Hopefully I can restore some of your faith in our industry here: We recently started a personal training school in NYC to try to help improve things (www.focustrainerinstitute.com). Would be great if you’d help spread the word!

  2. Robert says:

    Kevin, I side with Jon on that debate over licensing trainers or not. You failed on that one. He put up a better argument for it.

  3. LC says:

    Excellent discussion on coach/trainer education! I think Kevin was just saying that the industry self-regulates and some responsibility falls on the paying client. Many people probably get injured because they’re not using a trainer at all. However, I would welcome the opportunity to pass a licensing exam, even a government-imposed one, if the content of the exam is agreeable to most experts and evidence based, as Jonathan said.

    As soon as I passed the NASM CPT, I realized I didn’t know much, (I work in an unrelated field) and I’m reading everything I can get my hands on to continue my education. For us older folks who are just getting started, the certs currently offered are the only titles we can add to our names. I will never be on a level with someone who has a BS or MS in exercise science, but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to prove my skills and knowledge through a boards-type test.

  4. We recently had a debate on this in Australia which aired nationally on a major free-to-air channel and included many industry figures:

    http://news.sbs.com.au/insight/episode/index/id/212#watchonline

    Obviously it has generated a ton of discussion (checkout the feedback/comments) with valid points from both sides and no definitive answer.

    More fuel for the fire..
    Geoff

  1. July 15, 2010

    […] Mike Robertson on Fitcast – Kevin and Jon Feel it’s One of the Best Episodes Ever! […]