How we here at Operation R&R are looking at problems and trying to find solutions:

Tactical athletes need to be a jack of all trades. Service members, and first responders are trained in various fields in order to be self sufficient in a time of crisis. Medics are trained in communications, just as communications soldiers are trained for medical situations. In combat and during emergencies this becomes especially important. For instance, should a communications soldier go down, another soldier will need to step in and fulfill those duties as the fight goes on.

This also applies to how tactical athletes should look at their physical training. Our community must be ready for any challenge thrown at them. In my opinion, a program such as CrossFit preps them for these scenarios, just as any good strength and conditioning coach would do as well. I am not saying CrossFit is the only program that looks at various components, but it is one that definitely does. The concept in CF of, “Constantly varied, functional movement” is what any service member must be ready for while performing their duties. But, it is also how we should be thinking about other issues and problems that we encounter. We must vary our thinking about these issue (such as looking at other fields) and think about how it relates to what we do functionally (for example- how does poor shoulder movement/body mechanics/pain affect ruck marching and shooting).

This is how we are trying to address problems here at Operation Reload and Recover. We cannot solely look at the literature of physical therapy to solve joint pain, just as we cannot only look at the literature in strength and conditioning to become a better, stronger tactical athlete. We try to blend different teachings together so they compliment each other. 

Kelly Starrett make a great correlation, that all of the problems that he sees and addresses are not new ideas at all. For example, he states, “In yoga, they aren’t talking about aligning the chakra (when putting your palms together overhead)...they figured out that position was the most stable position for the shoulder when the arm is overhead. Well, so did Olympic weightlifting, so did the swimmers, the gymnasts...and finally, now we have a chance and the ability to connect the dots on these things.” (cite)

10 years ago, we would hear about a NFL player who takes ballet or yoga. Even recently on the HBO show, "Hard Knocks", which followed the Cincinnati Bengals this year, QB Andy Dalton talks about how his wife got him started to do pilates in the off season and felt stronger throwing. Why?...Because he started to see what it meant to stabilize the shoulder and those movements helped him with full range of motion in his shoulder, which is where as a QB he makes his money. Its not that you have to do pilates or ballet to understand full range of motion in the shoulder or ankle, its just a tool to learn how and it allows an athlete to link it all together.

Stay tuned...the first thing we are going to attempt to address is the PUSH UP and start to try and connect some dots about it....