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When Chris Schrameck opened his Body Alive Training center in Long Beach eight years ago, he worked with plenty of rehabilitating golfers. Not only were they seeking help with injuries, they also sought exercises aimed at correcting swing posture and increasing flexibility. He discovered that many golfers were experiencing pain because of inadequate muscle conditioning. Essentially, there was a missing link between physical therapy and biomechanics, a link that can strengthen the body while ensuring optimal movement in activities like golf. At a fitness conference in Anaheim about four years ago, Schrameck attended a seminar by Greg Roskopf, a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with professional athletes and pioneered the theories behind Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT). Schrameck became certified to teach MAT, and his certification coincided with a move to Palm Desert. “Our market was very clientele-based. Adopting MAT shifted the target to golfers and tennis players,” Schram-eck said. Body Alive has been open in Palm Desert for three years, and Schrameck works with golfers from their teens to senior citizens. “I have several 80-year-old clients, and even one who is 89,” he said. “They’re quite fun to work with.” While golfers with particular injuries get specialized treatment, Schrameck targets bones in the hip area when working with most of his golfing patients. “That needs to be the strongest base to get the power out of your golf swing,” he said. “Each section of the body produces different power, and you don’t want any power to be lost at any of the segments. But the first segment where it can be lost is the pelvis.” A session for new clients often begins with stretching, stability and strength assessments. Next comes plyometrics, which involves explosive movements to develop muscular power. Exercises might involve standing on one foot and jumping across a line as many times as possible within a set period, or throwing a medicine ball against a wall. That is followed by MAT, where clients develop strength and flexibility at an even higher degree. “For a golfer, say you have tight hamstrings. By doing MAT, within 10 minutes you can literally touch the ground without doing one stretch,” Schrameck said. “Now your body is able to squat better, run better and do the full gamut of exercises better because your body is not restricted in that area.” Cardiovascular exercises and nutrition are also incorporated, but rehabilitation and physical training are the cornerstones at Body Alive Training. “It’s muscle therapy. I am not manipulating any joints, I am only activating the muscles that are at the joints,” Schrameck said. “It makes golfers feel a lot looser and helps them control their movements a lot more.” SG For more information on MAT and Body Alive Training, contact Chris Schrameck at (760) 238-0645. |
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