Low back pain is pain, muscle tension, or stiffness localized below the costal margin (bottom of your ribs) and above the inferior gluteal folds (bottom of your buttocks), with or without sciatica, and is defined as chronic when it persists for 12 weeks or more. Note, the programme I have designed is for those suffering with what is often referred to as "non-specific low back pain". Non-specific (or Simple or Mechanical) low back pain [...]

Awesome night at the 5S Halloween Party... Massive thanks to all those who came and contributed to the huge amount of booze and snacks... It was a great night! This is definitely going to become a yearly event... An infamous Halloween party in the best gym in Macclesfield! Here's a few pics from the night... We know how to train and we know how to party!   Can't wait for [...]

Thoracic Mobility The thoracic spine is the twelve vertebrae between the base of your neck and the bottom of your rib cage. Often when we refer to the thoracic spine in a training environment, we are referring to the muscles which surround it. If the your thoracic spine is restricted, it can cause a whole host of problems. One being an increased kyphotic curve (rounded upper spine), which can lead [...]

Ab Roll-Outs Ab roll-outs work your abs incredibly hard while requiring you to maintain posture of your lumbo-pelvis region, making them one of the best core exercises in your arsenal. The need to maintain a neutral pelvis and lower spine position while bending and extending your hips and knees makes the ab roll-out not only a great exercise for your abs, but also the ideal core exercise to ingrain proper [...]

Foam rolling is a method of hands-on therapy that you can perform yourself, often referred to as self-myofascial release. The aim of these techniques is to use pressure to stimulate a sensory receptor called the Golgi tendon organ that tells the muscle fibers to relax. The Golgi tendon organ (GTO) is a proprioceptive sensory receptor organ that senses changes in muscle tension. It lies at the origins and insertions/tendons of skeletal muscles. Essentially, if [...]