Q: I’m a mixed martial arts fighter and I’m very weak when I sprawl. I can’t brace as well when I sprawl and keep getting taken down, what do you suggest?

A: First, you need to address your training. How’s your posterior chain training? Are you deadlifting at all? I’d like to see clients pull at least twice their bodyweight in a deadlift since your posterior chain is going to be your biggest power producer, in this example, reducing the likelihood of you being taken down. I’d also work on glute activation work since being in a sprawl is hip extension. Get strong in your hip extension movements like box squatting, stiff leg deadlifts and glute-ham raises.

Q: Before an upper body training session, I do my external rotations to make sure that my shoulder blades stay healthy. The problem is that I continue to get shoulder pain in the front side and I also have pain when I sleep with my arm overhead. I’ve talked to a physical therapist and they keep giving me the same exercise, what’s your take.

A: I’ve seen this problem quite often; it typically is linked to a downward rotation syndrome, where as the scapula is being pulled downward. The muscle linked here is your levator scapule, when tight will pull your scapula downward causing neck pain. Since we don’t have our upward rotating muscle such as our serratus anterior, middle and lower traps firing correctly we’ll get this consistent pain.

I suggest that you had this scapular stabilization circuit in

• Levator Scapula Self-Static Stretch 2x 15 seconds each side
• Wall Slides 2x12 reps
• Serratus Push-ups 2x12 reps
• Prone Lower Trap Raises 2x12 reps

Q: I’m a basketball player that continually suffers from patella tendonitis, my doctor tells me to rest it and I go to physical therapy where I do leg extensions and other movement to strength my quads. I’m not getting better though. Any tips?

A: Patella tendonitis is a pretty crappy term and the doctor is basically telling you” I have no clue what is going on”. Leg extensions and movement like them aren’t any better for you. The number one cause of basketball knee pain is patella-femoral pain and there are a few reasons why.

Basketball players by nature have crappy ankle mobility; since their ankles are locked up the pressure is going to go to the next available joint, in this case is our knee. PF pain is also related to decreased hip rotation; I’d bet some money that the side of your hip is pretty locked up and tight as well. Here are a few ideas to get you on the right track.

• Perform ankle mobility drills (Email me at jimmy@jimmysmithtraining.com for some videos)
• Improve your glute max strength through bridging variations
• Increase the length of your quads and other hip flexors with some static stretches
• Regroove a proper squatting pattern so that you can squat correctly and sit low to strength your entire lower body.