Phase IV 
PT montage  
Performance Newsletter
July 22nd - July 28th
Save the Date
This Week Two Great Phase IV Events for Cyclists and Runners

*TUESDAY*
Proper Running Form 
with Robert Forster, PT
Tuesday, July 23rd at 6:30pm
at iRun MB - 1112 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach

 

*WEDNESDAY* 

Phase IV CycleLab™  

Analysis Clinic

When: Wednesday, July 24th  

6:30pm - 8:30pm

Clinic Includes:

> Bike Fit Check

> Flexibility & Posture Screening

> Training Plan Review &

> Nutrition/Hydration Optimization Class

 

Fee is $59 & includes  

Stretch Strap & Ice Bag 

Read more about this clinic - 

phase-iv.net/PhaseIV/CycleLab 

*Limited space, call now to RSVP! 

 

  
Recipe of the Week
Healthy Pad Thai    









Ingredients

Directions
Phase IV Student
Fitness Academy

Laying the foundation for athletic achievement in student athletes for over three decades.

 

Every Tuesday & Thursday

afternoon from 3:30 - 5:00pm    

 

Phase IV Student Fitness Academy was created to bring 30 years of experience in training elite Olympic and Professional athletes to the student athletes of our community.     

 

"With the right exercise program, puberty offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to make the most dramatic and long lasting bodily changes" Robert Forster, Physical Therapist, Founder and CEO Phase IV Scientific Health and Performance Center.  Read More  

 

Phase IV in the News

The do's and dont's of running - from Robert Forster, PT, featured on providastaff.com

 

Bike For Life: How to Ride to 100 - A book By Roy M. Wallack, Bill Katovsky featuring professional advice and info from Robert Forster, PT

 

Barefoot Running podcast on NPR's Boston affiliate, WBUR, with Robert Forster, PT

   

All of Your Muscle Soreness Questions Answered! 

An interview with Robert Forster, PT featuring Maria Sharapova.   

Published by fitbottomedgirls.com 

 

Easy Stretching moves to relieve body pain - Keys to healthier joints. 

watch the video aired on ABC featuring
Robert Forster, PT

Born to Run - Humans might have evolved to run, but there's a reason why one third of runners are hurting themselves each year. Published in the Sydney Morning Herald 

The Best Abs Exercises You've Never Seen Before - Published by Shape.com

Holiday Travel Stretching Tips
An article with Robert Forster, PT, featured in TIME Magazine's Healthland

 

What you don't know may hurt you.  

Learn the calf raise variation to train the neglected muscles in the lower leg.

Sick of Squats? 15 Workout Upgrades That'll Get Better Results - an article from www.ivillage.com featuring Robert Forster, PT.

 

 

Watch Robert Forster as he is interviewed on NBC by Dr. Bruce Hensel on training Olympic athletes.  

Click Here 

 

KCRW's Warren Olney  interviews Robert Forster from the London Olympics on "Which Way LA" 

Click Here to listen  

 

Listen to Robert's interview on the radio show, Dr. Fitness & Fat Guy, on the Sirius Radio Network.  Robert discusses training elite athletes and his Olympic experiences.  

Click Here to listen 

 

"Countdown to better habits, What physical therapists want you to know - and do"  featuring Robert Forster, PT - February 29, 2012|By Danielle Braff, Special to Tribune Newspapers.

 

 

Click Here to view archived newsletters  

Phase IV Women's Weight Training Class

BE A BETTER "BUTTER BURNER!"

If you are looking to increase your metabolism and strength while getting lean and toned, and who isn't, you need to weight train! Lean muscle burns more calories so if you want to decrease body fat, perform better, train for an event or just look & feel great, this class is for you!!!

About the Class:
  • A Weight Training class for Women of all ages and abilities
  • Each class will consist of a total body workout designed to increase muscular strength and speed up your metabolism
  • The class will follow our Phase IV fitness progression developed by Phase IV Founder and CEO, Robert Forster PT, who has over 30 years experience working with female athletes of all abilities.
  • It's a fun, energetic, group workout with fantastic music alongside other like-minded women (NO MEN) that will alleviate stress and leave you feeling great
  • Class is designed to train your body properly through scientific principles, so you don't have to do any thinking....Just SHOW UP and HAVE FUN!

Why Weight Training:

  • To increase your resting metabolism, decrease blood pressure & body fat
  • Reduce bone deterioration and build bone mass to prevent osteoporosis
  • Weight training done properly and with planning will NOT give you large muscles, but increase your metabolism which burns more calories and transforms your body into an efficient machine with the tone that we all strive to attain!  
Join Rachel Suson - EP, Trainer & PT Aide every Tuesday & Thursday -
5:00pm to 6:15pm here at Phase IV

 

Give us a call at 310.582.8212 or email us at [email protected]  

 

Ask about special 10-pack rates!

Forster Physical Therapy

427 Wilshire Blvd. 

Santa Monica, CA 90401

Stretching    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forster Physical Therapy has been chosen as "The Best Physical Therapy clinic in Los Angeles!" for good reason:

  • We have a 30 year history of helping people overcome physical problems and achieve their goal to live an active lifestyle. 
  • Featuring a compassionate Professional Staff with over 115 years of collective experience.

Services Include:

  • Rehabilitation programs for all Spinal Conditions
  • Sports PT
  • Post Surgical Care
  • Joint Replacement Rehab
  • Shoulder, Knee & Running Injuries
  • Water Exercise Therapy   

Open Mon - Friday till 8   

Sat until 12 noon - Free Parking 

 

Give us a call 310.656.8600

 

www.forsterpt.com 

 

www.twitter/Forsterpt  

Dateline: July 19, 2013. Puebla, Mexico.

 

This week I am at the IPETH International Physical Therapy Congress in Puebla, Mexico. I have been invited to present a number of lectures and conduct workshops on sports medicine and the treatment of running injuries to physical therapy practitioners and students. In addition to the breathtaking surroundings of this ancient gateway city in the mountains of central Mexico I have enjoyed great food and some of the most gracious hospitality encountered anywhere.

 

The opportunity to share ideas and concepts of rehabilitation is always as valuable for me as I hope it is for the attendees. As the Mexican physical therapists enjoy a period of explosive growth in their industry here they have been presented here with the same challenges that face physical therapists everywhere: prove their expertise is worthy of direct access for the public, i.e. eliminate the need for physician Referral, and provide safe and effective treatment at affordable prices. In addition to being reminded of these challenges these conferences provide the opportunity to put my practices through a comparative analysis with other prominent approaches.

 

The two major areas of focus for the treatment of orthopedic conditions are approaches that emphasize either specific manual techniques to restore joint function and treat pain and exercise based programs intended to do the same.

 

Our approach at Forster Physical Therapy blends these two approaches with an emphasis on the use of therapeutic exercises to address the biomechanical cause of injuries and restore function. This approach has proven effective for us over the last thirty years for several reasons. Non traumatic joint dysfunction is typically created by weak and tight muscles and connective tissues in some area either adjacent to, or far from the injured tissue. In our experience, most common injuries are best addressed with a safe and effective exercise program that not only makes the patient an active participant in their care but gives them tools to fight pain in the short term and maintain improved health in the long term. We use specific manual therapies and physical agents (ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation) to suppress symptoms and speed our patient's progress through the exercise program. Read More . . .

 

 

At Phase IV we are continuously working to update our services and information to better inform our communities. Check out our newsletter and let us know your feedback. - [email protected] - 310.582.8212 

Sincerely, Robert Forster - PT, CEO & Owner
Phase IV Scientific Health and Performance Center and
Forster Physical Therapy

Featured Article  

Phase IV Client Highlight - Diane Reynolds

 

Testimonial - Phase IV Athlete  

 

I started contemplating running trails instead of roads in November, 2012, after taking a year off from running due to a serious fall while road running. I got back on my feet running a local dirt path around Penmar golf course. Around the same time, in December, 2012, I attended a "Running Analysis Clinic" at Phase IV. I met Aishea Maas, along with Ron Berry and Robert Forster, and I learned a ton-mostly, how much I didn't know about running and training properly! I was lucky enough to win a raffle that night for an RMR. So before the end of 2012 I was at Phase IV again, having Aishea test my resting metabolic rate, as well as having a VO2 test. With those results in hand, I decided to give myself a New Year's challenge and I signed up for a June 9, 2013, trail half-marathon.

 

The Valley Crest Half-Marathon is a Road Runners Club of America State Championship Race; a hilly mountain trail, half on dirt Mulholland with 1700' of elevation gain. My goal was simply to finish my first trail half marathon so Aishea put together a manageable Enduro training program that began in February, culminating with my June race. I joined a local trail running group for my long Saturday runs and I hit the trails with the "Santa Monica Mountain Goats." Every month, Aishea and I communicated about my progress and along the way I had some issues with my knees, mostly I discovered, from taking downhills too aggressively. Aishea suggested some therapeutic cross training choices (aqua jogging, biking) to help take pressure off my knees, and she referred me to Forster Physical Therapy, where I worked with the skillful Kent Moody, PT, for a few weeks to stabilize my knees and support overall leg strength. I learned the power of icing daily to reduce inflammation, and the necessity of daily stretching.

 

In May, as I was ramping up my last weeks of training with a lot of work in my anaerobic zones, I noticed I was having real difficulty working into my highest HR zone. I talked to Aishea about this and she suggested a re-test of my VO2. The re-test quickly pinpointed why I was having difficulty; I had tremendous improvement in my aerobic efficiency over the past six months, such that my highest training zone now had lower heart rates. I was just a couple weeks out from my race and as I got ready to taper, I was increasingly worried about the heat because we were having excessively high temperatures in mid-May and early June. I had a practice run of just a few miles on part of the race course in the crazy heat and I showed signs of heat exhaustion. I re-thought my goals for the June 9th race, as I knew if I pushed myself in the heat I could be in big trouble. I prayed for cool weather and chose to carry my own pack with Tailwind nutrition frozen into cubes before putting it in my hydration bladder. I also started my day with fresh beet juice, which promised a documented 3% boost in performance! Miraculously, on Sunday, June 9th, there was low cloud cover and cool temperatures until late morning-perfect! 

On race day, Read More
. . .     

 

 

 

Click Here to view archived newsletters 

Phase IV Events
*Phase IV Special Event* 
Free Lecture on "New Treatments for Joint Pain "
The topic of this free lecture will be new treatments for joint pain comparing The Regenokine Program, Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy and Stem Cell Treatments. Clinicians are welcome.
with special guest speakers -
Dr. Chris Renna of LifeSpan 
& Robert Forster, P.T.  
Tuesday, July 30th at 6:30pm at Phase IV

 

RSVP for an Event / Lecture

 

 

Give us a call at 310.582.8212 or email us at [email protected] to find out more about our affordable services or to book a Free Consultation with one of our expert Exercise Physiologists. 

 

We're looking forward to working with YOU!

Dangers in the Gym!

Everyday we see research that shows exercise is the best medicine to prevent and treat many of the lifestyle diseases that plague our population. However, many people are not sure what to do in the gym and they are rightfully concerned about getting injured. Exercise is powerful medicine but proper dosage and use is critical to avoid problems and assure success. 

 

At Phase IV we evaluate every exercise in a risk-benefit analysis. If the potential of injury is greater than the benefit, or if the same result can be attained with a safer move, the exercise is not prescribed. In this new weekly column we will address one dangerous exercise each week.    

 

Dangers in Fitness: 

 

Faulty Running Mechanics: Over-striding

 

If someone were to take up golf, they would most likely consider taking golf lessons. If they join a tennis league there would undoubtedly be instructional resources to learn the mechanics of the serve. However, since we all have been running around since the first year of our lives we mistakenly think we don't need to understand or learn the mechanics of efficient, injury free running. The principles of proper running mechanics need to be understood and applied to reach your highest potential as an efficient and injury free runner.

 

The human body is built to be an efficient running machine. Evolution provided the adaptations that allow us to move our bodies economically for long distances in search of food. The problem is that our sedentary lifestyle denies us the strength and flexibility to exploit the built in adaptations that make us efficient runners; we have to relearn how to use the evolutionary gifts. 

 

Problem: Over-striding is defined as taking too long of a stride and therefore the foot lands too far in front of our body. Run gait is comprised of two distinct phases. The stance and swing phase. The stance phase is the time when your foot is on the ground and the leg is bearing the forces of bodyweight. The swing phase of the running gait cycle is when your leg leaves the ground to recover from a position behind your body to land on the ground in front of you to propel you forward again. Running differs from walking in that in the walking gait there is always at least one foot on the ground and a period called double stance, where both feet are on the ground at the same time. This, of course, limits the amount of force coming down with each foot strike as some of body weight is always supported by one leg.

 

Conversely, there is a time in the run gait cycle called the float stage where neither leg is on the ground and we are flying through the air. Accordingly, in running the forces absorbed by the foot and leg at each foot strike approaches dangerously high levels, up to four times your body weight. Efficiency and speed in running is determined by where the foot strikes the ground in relation to the center of mass of your body. The further in front of the body that the foot hits the ground the more inefficient we are propelling our body mass forward. Wasted energy translates to slower speeds. Additionally, when you over stride, the joints of your foot and leg operate from a disadvantage position working too hard to propel you forward subjecting the tissues and joints and this creates injuries.

 

Solution:  Click Here 

   



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Press Room
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Forster Physical Therapy

Office: 310-656-8600  www.forsterpt.com

  

Phase IV Scientific Health and Performance Center

Office: 310-582-8212  www.phase-iv.net

   

Click Here to view archived newsletters 

Phase IV Partners

Cynergy Cycles Cynergy Logo   

Road & Mountain Bike Group Demo Rides Call 310.857.1500  
2300 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica 

     

Top to Top logo 

 

Top to Top

2621 Wilshire Blvd. - 310.829.7030 
Visit www.toptotop.com for the latest in
running apparel
.
 
 

 

Fleet Feet Sports 
- 16545 Ventura Blvd., Encino
call to 818.986.8686




*New Partner* 
iRun MB
Free Lecture - Running Mechanics
with Robert Forster, P.T.
Tuesday, July 23rd at 6:30pm
1112 Manhattan Ave, Manahattan Beach

www.irunmb.com - 310.376.0100




Suunto logo

SUUNTO -  Heart Rate Monitors and much more!    

FROM THE HIGHESTMOUNTAINS TO THE DEEPEST OCEANS   

Suunto has been at the forefront of design and innovation for sports watches, dive computers and instruments used by adventure seekers all over the globe. www.suunto.com 
Suunto products available here at Phase IV!


 

 

ACCELERADE & ENDUROX R4   

Pacific Health Labs provides products to aid you through your training like  Accelerade, after your training such as Endurox and great new products for energy and supplements!  www.pacifichealthlabs.com 

NOW AVAILABLE at  PHASE IV!   

accelerade products