Are Some Muscles Magical?
Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the phenomenon of “magic muscles”: the tendency in the yoga, fitness, and rehab worlds to treat some muscles as more important or more special than other muscles.
Points of discussion include:
- What is a magic muscle?
- Muscle-based approaches in strength training & bodybuilding
- Teaching yoga with a “teach movement, not muscles” approach
- What research suggests about these specific magic muscles:
- Quadratus Lumborum (QL)
- Vastus Medialis Obliquus (VMO)
- Transverse Abdominis (TvA)
- Psoas
- Glutes
- Piriformis
- What do all magic muscles have in common?
- Is the practice of labelling certain muscles as “stabilizers” and others as “movers” somewhat outdated?
- The trend in evidence-based rehab to use non-specific vs. specific diagnoses for persistent pain conditions
- What are “corrective exercises”, and are they evidence-based?
- How well does yoga, specifically, help with low back pain?
- …And much more!
Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!
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Resources mentioned in this episode:
Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis
Take Jenni’s course: “When to Be Anatomically Specific in Yoga” for free!
Podcast episodes referenced in this episode (in order of appearance on the show):
- Ep 35: Nasal vs. Mouth Breathing: Does it Matter:
- Ep 6: Is Ashtanga Yoga a Cult? And the Value of Strength
- Ep 4: The Truth About Core Training
- Ep 9: Do We Store Emotions in Our Hips?
- Ep 13: The Glutes: Peachy Keen or Not All They Seem?
- Ep 18: Pigeon Pose: Friend or Foe?
Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni
Strength for Yoga email newsletter
To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram
Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.
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**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!