Thursday, March 31, 2011
Project Neck Rolls On!
Project Neck is off and running!
Project Neck, now being conducted at Elon University in North Carolina. Test subjects are working hard.
The Project Neck Lab consists of two state-of the- art pieces of strength training equipment being provided by Pendulum of Rogers Athletic. We have a compact squat rack and several hundreds of pounds of weight and a olympic bar.
Project Neck differs from any other concussive forces study in the fact that this is the only study to ever research the head and neck together. The only study to induce hypertrophy of the capital muscle of the head and neck. The only study to examine neck cylinder size and how that size difference lowers concussive forces.
Project Neck’s goal is to build a better dissipator of kinetic energy by anatomical and morphological changes of the musculature of the head and neck through resistance training.
Project Neck is a simple study. We want to lower concussive and subconcussive forces.
We believe Project Neck to be a noble cause. Project Neck is the only research study looking at what can be done prior to the concussive episode. If Project Neck’s research helps to lower dangerous forces to the brain through an established protocol we will feel our time to be well spent. A protocol would allow an athlete to prepare for the rigors of his or her sport. Concussions will always be a risk of playing competitive sports and the only cure for concussions is to stop playing sports.
The mission of every sport coach, strength coach or parent should be to protect the athlete first. Project Neck’s research results hope to give coaches and parents the tools to prepare their athletes for competition.
Project Neck, now being conducted at Elon University in North Carolina. Test subjects are working hard.
The Project Neck Lab consists of two state-of the- art pieces of strength training equipment being provided by Pendulum of Rogers Athletic. We have a compact squat rack and several hundreds of pounds of weight and a olympic bar.
Project Neck differs from any other concussive forces study in the fact that this is the only study to ever research the head and neck together. The only study to induce hypertrophy of the capital muscle of the head and neck. The only study to examine neck cylinder size and how that size difference lowers concussive forces.
Project Neck’s goal is to build a better dissipator of kinetic energy by anatomical and morphological changes of the musculature of the head and neck through resistance training.
Project Neck is a simple study. We want to lower concussive and subconcussive forces.We believe Project Neck to be a noble cause. Project Neck is the only research study looking at what can be done prior to the concussive episode. If Project Neck’s research helps to lower dangerous forces to the brain through an established protocol we will feel our time to be well spent. A protocol would allow an athlete to prepare for the rigors of his or her sport. Concussions will always be a risk of playing competitive sports and the only cure for concussions is to stop playing sports.
The mission of every sport coach, strength coach or parent should be to protect the athlete first. Project Neck’s research results hope to give coaches and parents the tools to prepare their athletes for competition.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Fixed Versus Mobile
Fixed Versus Mobile
Part of activating muscle is having it.
The Pashby Sports Safety Award is an award presented in Canada to recognize and honor people who make sports and recreational activities safer from catastrophic injuries, which typically involve the eyes, spine or brain. Dr. Karen Johnston MD, PHD was given the Safety Award for her outstanding work to prevent injuries, most specifically concussions.She is also Director of the Concussion Program at the McGill Sports Medicine Clinic.
Dr. Karen Johnston says that, “The force required to concuss a fixed head is almost twice that required to concuss a mobile head”.
Mouthguard companies understand that by activating head and neck muscles at the time of impact rotation will be decreased, which will lead to less harmful movement of the brain inside the skull.
By being able to clench down hard on a mouthguard activates the head and neck muscles and stabilizes the head.
Ralph Cornwell is taking this one step further, building bigger stronger cylinders by developing the musculature around the head, neck and thoracic spine. The developed muscles dissipate more force and ‘clenching’ on the mouthguard with a stronger head, neck and jaw augments the value of dissipation by stabilizing movement. This further reduces the subconcussive forces involved in causing a concussion.A Virginia Tech doctoral canidate Ralph Cornwell, is doing research at Elon University in North Carolina.
He is not only building necks, but a mathmatical model of force dissapation.
Build head, neck and trap muscle to dissipate force and fix the head to lower concussive forces and Get Strong.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
If You Do Not Train It - Do Not Expect It To Grow
If You Do Not Train It - Do Not Expect It To Grow
If you travel America and discuss neck training with coaches and athletes many believe they are getting sufficient neck development by doing pulls, as well as, shrugs.
In a study that was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. They trained two groups exactly the same with the exception that one group trained their neck extensors three days per week. The researchers examined the neck musculature with an MRI and looked at the cross sectional area of ten muscles and their growth.
Only the group that strength trained their neck Monday, Wednesday and Friday made muscular gains of the cervical musculature. The researchers clearly saw the results through magnetic resonance imaging.Both Groups on Sunday and Wednesday performed sets of
Parallel Squat
Push Press
Bench Press
Crunch Exercises
Both Groups on Monday and Thursday performed sets of
Pulls from the Mid-Thigh
Romanian Deadlifts
Bent Rows
Crunches
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Only one Group did neck extensions 3 sets of 10.
The study continued for 12 weeks and made it clear that a resistance exercise program does not provide stimulus for cervical adaptations unless specific neck exercises are performed.
Train your head and neck to Get Strong.
Strengthen The Head And Jaw
Strengthen The Head And Jaw
The infrahyoids are made up of four muscles; three of which attach to the hyoid bone, the omohyoid, the sternohyoid, and the thyrohyoid. They lie right over the trachea. The infrahyoids can be and are often damaged in whiplash.
Infrahyoids: flex the neck.
Suprahyoids: open the jaw.
The hyoids are involved in chewing and movements of the tongue.
The hyoids are heavily involved in posture and a weakness in these muscles can cause many interesting problems from how we stand, how our back feels to cervical neck pains.
What is interesting is that the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles attach to the hyoid bone, the only free floating bone in our body.
Musculature attaching above and below this free floating structure allows for a dampening effect that helps limit oscillations of the head.
In physics, damping is any effect that tends to reduce the amplitude of oscillations and the hyoids can act as a damping device.
Using the specialized cam on the Pendulum 5 Way Neck or… new… 4 Way Neck allows an athlete to isolate these natural force dissipators.
Train the muscles that move and protect the Head as well as train the Neck muscles, Get your athletes Strong.
Tatum High School Weight Room,Tatum Texas
The infrahyoids are made up of four muscles; three of which attach to the hyoid bone, the omohyoid, the sternohyoid, and the thyrohyoid. They lie right over the trachea. The infrahyoids can be and are often damaged in whiplash.
Infrahyoids: flex the neck.
Suprahyoids: open the jaw.
The hyoids are involved in chewing and movements of the tongue.
The hyoids are heavily involved in posture and a weakness in these muscles can cause many interesting problems from how we stand, how our back feels to cervical neck pains.
What is interesting is that the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles attach to the hyoid bone, the only free floating bone in our body.
Musculature attaching above and below this free floating structure allows for a dampening effect that helps limit oscillations of the head.In physics, damping is any effect that tends to reduce the amplitude of oscillations and the hyoids can act as a damping device.
Using the specialized cam on the Pendulum 5 Way Neck or… new… 4 Way Neck allows an athlete to isolate these natural force dissipators.
Train the muscles that move and protect the Head as well as train the Neck muscles, Get your athletes Strong.
Tatum High School Weight Room,Tatum Texas
Tags: Neck training
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Project Neck Expands to Elon University
Ralph Cornwell, Jr. PhD. Candidate from Virginia Tech announced today of the expansion of his research study looking at lowering concussive and subconcussive forces with anatomical changes to the neck, trapezius and upper back , accomplished through resistance training.
Cornwell’s research appropriately named Project Neck, is charged with creating a protocol that an athlete can use to lower concussive and subconcussive forces. Cornwell is using state of the art Pendulum equipment from Rogers Athletic.
Project Neck expanded it’s research from Virginia Tech to Elon University, located in North Carolina. Cornwell is working in conjunction with Elon professors Dr. Eric Hall and Dr. Paul Miller of the Neuroscience Department at Elon University.
Dr. Eric Hall Dr. Paul Miller
Project Neck is the only study looking at preventative sports medicine. Addressing the concussive and subconcussive forces before the athlete concusses. A great amount of research is ongoing at several universities in the United States involving concussion treatment and cause and effect. Project Neck, to the best of my knowledge, is the only proactive research study examining the effects of anatomical and morphological changes in the human body and how these changes lower those forces.
The 8 week research study will use a protocol that involves hypertrophy of the muscles of the head and neck. The protocol also addresses the trapezius and the muscles of the upper back. Cornwell is also looking for circumference changes in the upper and lower regions of the neck. Baseline measurements taken at the beginning of the research will be compared to measurements at the completion of the study. Strength increases in the head and neck region will also be recorded each training session. The adaptations to the head and neck will increase the stiffness level of that area making for a more resilient athlete.
Lead Research Assistant Matt Kavalek takes baseline measurements
Cornwell’s hope is to create a basic protocol that coaches of athletes or even parents could use to help combat what The Center of Disease Control and Prevention calls a National Concussion Epidemic. Cornwell explains, “the only way to stop concussions in athletes is to stop playing their particular sport. If we can not stop concussions then we must prepare our athletes,youth to professional, for the rigors of their sport.” The process is really a combination of the best helmets, mouth pieces and coaching technique. The variable that I believe we are overlooking is the head and neck. An athlete can still sustain a concussion even while wearing a helmet.
The stronger athlete will be better prepared for contact or collision. Subcocussive forces are also a health problem that must be addressed. The low level bumps and dings an athlete receives in any given season can be a cause for concern later in life. Research has shown that subcocussive forces can cause long term brain injuries well after the athlete stops playing competitive sports. Concussions can be caused by the accumulation of these small hits too. When we watch sporting events on television it would make sense that the extremely hard collisions we view would be the culprit of the concussion crisis. This not the case, as further research is conducted, scientists are finding the subconcussive forces to be just as damaging as the violent collisions. The problem with subconcussive forces is this; you don’t always notice them as an athlete playing a sport or as a coach observing a practice or game.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the National Institute of Health agree that America has a National Concussion Epidemic. These two goverment agencies are only called upon when there is a health crisis or problem with our food supply on a national level. If there were a Flu Epidemic, scientists would work towards a vaccine and begin inoculating the population with a cure. The Concussion Epidemic has been dealt with in a different manner. Researcher observe the cause of concussions and study how to best treat a concussion after the person has injured his or her brain.
Cornwell’s research takes a different approach towards the concussion epidemic. He believes we should inoculate our youth playing sports and their college and professional counterparts. Cornwell explains, ” I do not believe we are curing the concussion problem in America with any protocol designed to give the athlete the ability to lower concussive forces. What I do believe is this, if we do nothing we are not giving our athletes any means of resistance to concussive or subconcussive forces. If my study helps to lower concussive forces by 1 percent, it is a step in the right direction. If we raise the level by which subconcussive forces can not harm the brain, this is also a step in the right direction.”
Project Neck’s protocol is time efficient, purposeful and presumed effective. The protocol can be performed in under 20 minutes twice a week. This is not a large amount of time out of an athletes day when we are concerned with brain injury. I want this simple study to be the genius of larger research studies looking at protecting the athlete first and foremost. Researchers, athletic trainers and coaches will tell you we can do nothing to protect our athletes. If my research proves nothing at all but spurs on further research, then what harm was done? That’s what science is all about, the search for the truth.
I would like to thanks Dr. Hall and Dr. Miller for their support. I would also like to thank Elon University for allowing me to use their facilities and their generous hospitality.
Cornwell’s research appropriately named Project Neck, is charged with creating a protocol that an athlete can use to lower concussive and subconcussive forces. Cornwell is using state of the art Pendulum equipment from Rogers Athletic.
Project Neck expanded it’s research from Virginia Tech to Elon University, located in North Carolina. Cornwell is working in conjunction with Elon professors Dr. Eric Hall and Dr. Paul Miller of the Neuroscience Department at Elon University.
Dr. Eric Hall Dr. Paul Miller
Project Neck is the only study looking at preventative sports medicine. Addressing the concussive and subconcussive forces before the athlete concusses. A great amount of research is ongoing at several universities in the United States involving concussion treatment and cause and effect. Project Neck, to the best of my knowledge, is the only proactive research study examining the effects of anatomical and morphological changes in the human body and how these changes lower those forces.
The 8 week research study will use a protocol that involves hypertrophy of the muscles of the head and neck. The protocol also addresses the trapezius and the muscles of the upper back. Cornwell is also looking for circumference changes in the upper and lower regions of the neck. Baseline measurements taken at the beginning of the research will be compared to measurements at the completion of the study. Strength increases in the head and neck region will also be recorded each training session. The adaptations to the head and neck will increase the stiffness level of that area making for a more resilient athlete.
Lead Research Assistant Matt Kavalek takes baseline measurementsCornwell’s hope is to create a basic protocol that coaches of athletes or even parents could use to help combat what The Center of Disease Control and Prevention calls a National Concussion Epidemic. Cornwell explains, “the only way to stop concussions in athletes is to stop playing their particular sport. If we can not stop concussions then we must prepare our athletes,youth to professional, for the rigors of their sport.” The process is really a combination of the best helmets, mouth pieces and coaching technique. The variable that I believe we are overlooking is the head and neck. An athlete can still sustain a concussion even while wearing a helmet.
The stronger athlete will be better prepared for contact or collision. Subcocussive forces are also a health problem that must be addressed. The low level bumps and dings an athlete receives in any given season can be a cause for concern later in life. Research has shown that subcocussive forces can cause long term brain injuries well after the athlete stops playing competitive sports. Concussions can be caused by the accumulation of these small hits too. When we watch sporting events on television it would make sense that the extremely hard collisions we view would be the culprit of the concussion crisis. This not the case, as further research is conducted, scientists are finding the subconcussive forces to be just as damaging as the violent collisions. The problem with subconcussive forces is this; you don’t always notice them as an athlete playing a sport or as a coach observing a practice or game.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the National Institute of Health agree that America has a National Concussion Epidemic. These two goverment agencies are only called upon when there is a health crisis or problem with our food supply on a national level. If there were a Flu Epidemic, scientists would work towards a vaccine and begin inoculating the population with a cure. The Concussion Epidemic has been dealt with in a different manner. Researcher observe the cause of concussions and study how to best treat a concussion after the person has injured his or her brain.
Cornwell’s research takes a different approach towards the concussion epidemic. He believes we should inoculate our youth playing sports and their college and professional counterparts. Cornwell explains, ” I do not believe we are curing the concussion problem in America with any protocol designed to give the athlete the ability to lower concussive forces. What I do believe is this, if we do nothing we are not giving our athletes any means of resistance to concussive or subconcussive forces. If my study helps to lower concussive forces by 1 percent, it is a step in the right direction. If we raise the level by which subconcussive forces can not harm the brain, this is also a step in the right direction.”
Project Neck’s protocol is time efficient, purposeful and presumed effective. The protocol can be performed in under 20 minutes twice a week. This is not a large amount of time out of an athletes day when we are concerned with brain injury. I want this simple study to be the genius of larger research studies looking at protecting the athlete first and foremost. Researchers, athletic trainers and coaches will tell you we can do nothing to protect our athletes. If my research proves nothing at all but spurs on further research, then what harm was done? That’s what science is all about, the search for the truth.
I would like to thanks Dr. Hall and Dr. Miller for their support. I would also like to thank Elon University for allowing me to use their facilities and their generous hospitality.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Give 100% Toward Everything You Put Your Hand To
Give 100% Toward Everything You Put Your Hand To 
Mike Gittleson was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Michigan for 30 years and was a part of 15 Football Championships in that time. He explains, what you do speaks so well.
As a coach in the off season after every run I would huddle the players and read or tell them something that I felt was important to their growth. This would often require extensive preparation and memorization on my part, and if the message was particularly meaningful memorization on their part.
I spent a great deal of my evenings during my career reading and studying to find appropriate communique. To me the significance of the point presented after the run was an important part of the development of the 'will' of each athlete. After all, to continually compete for the championship of your conference requires a special resolve and discipline. Make no mistake the athletes were in college and there to learn more than just weight training and running.
Tyler Hobson the inventor of Pendulum sent me a note and in it he described his father. I think his description of his Dad and his beliefs would be worth reading to your athletes.
Kentucky Weight RoomHe believed that a man should do what he said he would, and that you should give 100% toward everything you put your hand to. He was a man that believed the products of your efforts was a signature for everyone to read, and it should be something you are proud of. At the end of the day you could rest knowing you gave your best, you held nothing back.
Mike Gittleson was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Michigan for 30 years and was a part of 15 Football Championships in that time. He explains, what you do speaks so well. As a coach in the off season after every run I would huddle the players and read or tell them something that I felt was important to their growth. This would often require extensive preparation and memorization on my part, and if the message was particularly meaningful memorization on their part.
I spent a great deal of my evenings during my career reading and studying to find appropriate communique. To me the significance of the point presented after the run was an important part of the development of the 'will' of each athlete. After all, to continually compete for the championship of your conference requires a special resolve and discipline. Make no mistake the athletes were in college and there to learn more than just weight training and running.
Tyler Hobson the inventor of Pendulum sent me a note and in it he described his father. I think his description of his Dad and his beliefs would be worth reading to your athletes.Kentucky Weight RoomKansas State Weight Room
Giving 100% toward everything you put your hand to is the way to Get Strong.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)