docBdc, a short professional bio.

This is a short bio written for LINKED Athletics.

Dr. Brendan Malloy is a Co-Owner and the LINKED Athletics Chiropractor. Dr. Brendan completed his Doctor of Chiropractic in September 2010 from the Life University College of Chiropractic, located in Marietta, Georgia. During his time at Life University, Dr. Brendan placed an emphasis in sports rehabilitation as well as spinal analysis and adjusting techniques. In 2011, he became a certified Twist Conditioning Sport Coach. Dr. Brendan also works for Sandy Plains Chiropractic Clinic, addressing athletic injuries, spinal problems, and administering a number of therapies including percussion, laser, ultrasound, traction, and trigger point therapy. In 2013, he began his 200 hour certification for Maternity and Pediatric Chiropractic from the ICPA. For the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, Dr. Brendan was employed as the team chiropractor for the Life University ACHA Division 2 hockey team. Along with Brian Barry, Dr. Brendan is one of the strength and conditioning coaches for the ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators. In his own words, “... most, if not all, non-traumatic, non-organic injuries or pain that people experience during their lives is a result of deconditioning of the neuromusculoskeletal system of the body." This is what LINKED Athletics addresses and rebuilds; this is what Chiropractic rehabilitates. Let us show you what LINKED Athletics and Chiropractic care can do for you.”

The Subluxation, a little more on the topic...

Chiropractic operates on a very simple premise, that the body is a self-healing and self-regulating organism. Every single function of the body, every body system, is under the direct control of the Central Nervous System, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. We all have a brain (some of us may choose not to use it) yet we all have one. So as we work our way down, the brain descends becoming the brainstem and then the spinal cord. The cord peels away into branches as it descends and those branches become the peripheral nervous system (have I put you to sleep with the anatomy lesson yet?). Think of the nerves as lines of communication that send signals to and from the brain and body at all times. If there is optimal communication, there is greatest potential for optimal health and performance. If, however, there is a disruption in the signal, (think… static on a cell phone) then the body and brain are not communicating effectively and you lose the potential for health and performance. This is what chiropractors refer to as, Subluxation.

Subluxation is easiest described as a disruption of information between your software (your brain) and your hardware (your body)...

Slightly more complicated, Subluxation is a pattern brought on by your body’s inability to adapt to an accumulation of stress. Stress is a common word that most people have heard and think they understand, but most people fail to realize that stress is accumulative. Stressors fall into 3 main categories: Physical (Traumatic), Biochemical (Toxins), and Mental/Emotional (Thoughts). The stressors from childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and adulthood can, and do, stay with us and build over time. This accumulated stress forces our body to create compensations or adaptations in order to cope. For a time, the body wins, which is why we appear with no symptoms, but over time as we live and engage with life, more stress accumulates and the compensations or adaptations begin to fail. This is usually when we feel symptoms (decreased range of motion, lack of flexibility, pain, dis-ease, etc). The body tries to continue to adapt, but the compensations and adaptations become excessive devolving into patterns of Subluxation (a disruption of information between the software and the hardware). Ultimately, the body and the brain, the hardware and the software, begin to miscommunicate, usually in very subtle ways at first. If left uncorrected, the pattern spirals downward and can lead to a deterioration of health and vitality.

The objective of Chiropractic is to remove these patterns of Subluxation by adjusting the spine. It has been observed, over the last century, the spine is interface between the hardware and the software. By adjusting the patterns of Subluxation at the spinal level, Chiropractors can promote a change and the body can begin to return to optimal communication, optimal health. Because we are dealing with patterns of Subluxation and not the usually thought of “bone-out-of-place”, corrective care takes time and energy. Proper diet, adequate recovery, effective exercise, competent positive mental attitude strategies, and consistent Chiropractic care can correct Subluxated patterns and return your body to the highest potential for health and vitality.

What is Chiropractic

I haven't blogged about my life's chosen profession in a while, and posting the blog about "limits" the other day got me thinking, I really should!

I mean no disrespect, but 99% of the population has no idea what a Chiropractor does, that inevitably includes people who think they do... That even includes many Chiropractors. 

So if I may, lets begin with with The Chiropractic Premise:

The Chiropractic premise begins with innate intelligence, that force, that something, that brings to being all that you are; it is the part science does not/cannot explain. Innate is the body's ability to be a self-healing, self-regulating organism. Next is the brain and spinal cord; they control and coordinate ALL of the bodies functions. The messages, either to or from the brain, run along the nervous system and the nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and all of the bodies nerves. As long as the brain can remains in constant contact with the cells, organs, and structures of the body, we are healthy. Not just healthy, but potentially in optimal health. As soon as the communication is disrupted in any way, and the cells can no longer "hear" the commands of the brain, nor can the brain "hear" the input from the cells, our bodies experience a decrease in health; in the parlance of our times, "garbage in, garbage out." In the old days this was referred to as "dis-ease". The disruption, or distortion, of the nerve signal is likened to static on a cell phone or television. The Chiropractic profession has named this the Vertebral Subluxation. Vertebral Subluxations are a disruption of nerve impulses and may or may not be accompanied by pain, usually no pain. If your experiencing Vertebral Subluxations, Chiropractors can help. If you are not experiencing Subluxations, we cannot help but we may be able to refer you to someone who can.

The event of a Vertebral Subluxation is complex and far reaching, but this is the premise not a dissertation. The main piece of information that I want to convey is that Vertebral Subluxations are disruptive, unhealthy, and will lead to dis-ease, and even disease, if they are allowed to persist. They are a degenerative process, are accumulative by their very nature, and they are a maladaptive pattern. Subluxations prematurely age a person.

In the word of the esteemed Dr. Fred Barge, "There is but one cause in disease, the body's inability to comprehend itself and/or its environment." 
If you understand the human body and its functions, then you see the truth in this quote. If you do not understand the human body and its functions, if you rail against this quote, then I urge you to delve deeper into the vast workings of the human body. I assure you, even though it may take you some time, it well worth the study.

I have always advocated Chiropractic care and I urge everyone to find a Chiropractor. Make Chiropractic apart of your healthy lifestyle, trust me it fits. Most Chiropractors can help you figure out how to maximize lifestyle choices and create the healthiest you possible.
 "Your body's ability to heal is far greater than anyone has permitted you to believe." 

As always, thank you for reading.
docBdc

The Limit

I was coaching this morning, but first let me set the stage: I opened the facility at 530a after a very late night of taking care of a friend. It was taking everything I had to keep up with coaching the class, and because it was a Monday, the clients seemed to be feeling very much the same.

I took notice of one client in particular. She has become one of the "poster children" of LINKED, one of our greatest success stories. Her commitment and dedication have paid off in spades.

She was in the middle of a grueling carpet-slider roll-outs set when I saw her falter. She then drop-set to the stability ball and finished that set of the exercise. I was quite pleased with her willingness to drop-set and regress downward to do the exercise right and finish strong. All too often, I watch people try to "power through" an exercise and completely botch it; usually doing more harm than good.

That's when it hit me, and I was inspired to share what I was actually watching. She had just demonstrated the very reason why she was such a outstanding success, while others success remains, as they would say, "average".

She pushed her own limits. She always had. Whether by prompting from the coaches or of her own choosing, this client would almost always push her limit. Failure IS an option for her. She would choose a progression or a weight that would be challenging. She would start the set knowing that she could not finish in the way in which she had started and would ultimately have to drop down in difficulty. Again, too many people get it in their heads that they must finish with what they start or they have failed; they "power through it" (you know who you are) instead of finishing right.

I am a firm believer that exercise promotes a mental toughness and fortitude. Training in this way absolutely strengthens your "mental muscle" as well as the bodies muscles. To train yourself to stretch or push your limits back, but not to break them (because, lets face it, limits are there for a reason), helps you to become stronger, faster, and more adaptable.

I can spend an entire lecture about true fitness being "adaptability", but this blog is only about stretching your limits. If you can find safe, fun, and effective ways to push yourself, like drop-setting, you will see results.

As always, thanks for reading.
docBdc

LINKED Athletics trains in 3 dimensions

Training in 3D

Performance training is ever evolving. New information is constantly being introduced, and with it comes advances in methodology. In order to remain current and within the realm of safely training athletes to perform at their very best, performance coaches must evolve as well. Unfortunately a large number of performance coaches still remain who rely on outdated information and training techniques, and ultimately it is the athlete who suffers training this way. To properly train for dynamic sports, athletes must mimic the environments that they will perform in. LINKED Athletics uses a 3D training methodology to do just this.

Classically, training was very 1 dimensional, with 1 plane of motion being utilized. These are exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and bench press. 1 dimensional lifts are still relied upon heavily for strength training, and are the basis for powerlifting. 2 dimensional training gained popularity some years ago, and remains to this day as the most readily used in training programs. The addition of a second plane of movement to an exercise, such as progressing squats to lunges or a chest press into flys, allows for greater complexity. This complexity helps the athlete up his/her game on the field/pitch/ice/court. Agility and quickness training are also rooted in 2 dimensional training.

LINKED Athletics has adopted a 3 dimensional training philosophy, which we are constantly building into our methodology. 3D training refers to training in the 3 planes of movement, which are: forward/backward (sagittal plane), lateral or side to side (coronal/frontal plane), and rotation (transverse plane). The 3 dimensions of training also refers to the 3 anatomical structures, and its physiology, that are the focus’ of all training. The nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves), the muscular system, and the skeletal system (including ligamentous and cartilaginous structures). The number of exercises that incorporate all 3 planes at once are extensive, complicated and usually incorporate instability. BOSU, Surge, stability disc, toners, and a high level of education become useful tools for this type of training.

With sports being played in a 360 degree environment of organized chaos, the athlete who is best prepared, and more completely trained, will have the edge. LINKED Athletics 3D training is designed with purpose and progression that allows the athlete maximal preparation. Simply performing random multi-planar exercises without structure can be dangerous and will not allow the athlete to compete at his/her full potential. The body will not be fully ready for the demands of sport, or life. 3D performance training gives the athlete an unrivaled dynamic workout that increases difficulty and will translate into the movements of their sport. It is a safe and extremely effective training methodology.

What makes the LINKED Athletics Friday Circuit so great?

The LINKED Athletics Friday Circuit

All of our adult athletes know what to expect on Friday… The Circuit!

We often post pictures from this workout along with accolades for the athletes who week in and week out find themselves within this challenging circumstance being forced to perform at peak performance for roughly 45 min.

What makes the LINKED Circuit so progressive?

Purpose, direction and passion.

During the week our athletes perform a multitude of complex, dynamic exercises that require the body to function as one athletic unit. Listening and responding to coach cues they practice these movements in an attempt to perfect them and to train their bodies to have the ability to perform in any environment, whether it is sports, work or just life itself.

The Friday Circuit is, in a sense, test day. The athletes perform various practiced movements at a high metabolic rate, or “game speed”. This progression helps the athletes continue to improve, learn to perform proper range of motion and technique while fatigued, get in a hell of a workout to take them into the weekend and most of all, build confidence in their physical ability! They realize they CAN DO IT! And this motivation carries them into next week when it begins all over again.

The journey to getting better is what makes this different and special. Our family is growing every month and we have no plans to stop growing!

LINKED is for EVERYONE!

X-Fit.... WTF

This Blog is a brief preview of a collaboration between Coach Brian and DocBdc (to be presented soon).

It is no secret, I DO NOT LIKE CROSSFIT. The reason is very, at least to me, clear: X-fit promotes an exercise methodology based on a philosophy, and that philosophy is: "CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program, but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of 10 recognized fitness domains" (cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy).

The problem is that X-fit tries to specialize. I have seen numerous X-fit coaches promote themselves to athletes as an ideal training methodology... X-fit IS NOT an ideal training methodology, especially for athletes. Athletes NEED a specific training program that will strengthen their weaknesses and maximize their strengths. This cannot be done if the training program is "unspecific."

Recently a local X-fits has changed some of its protocols. They have added a warm-up and a strength complex or phase to their daily routine. While I immensely agree with this protocol, I must point out that this is against the X-fit manifesto. To add a strength complex, or phase, to each workout is specializing an aspect of the workout.

YES IT IS!

Again, there is a blog coming that is SCIENTIFIC and contra-postional to the FAD that is crossfit.

Thanks for reading, as always.

Regards,
Brendan

I'm now on twitter...

I'M ON TWITTER!!!

Yeah, it's pretty cool. My handle is @docBdc

I'm using it to promote both LINKED Athletics AND Sandy Plains Chiropractic
Much like my BLOG, I plan on posting thoughts, funnies, profanities directed towards opposing teams, and monthly promotion for my businesses.
Follow me at your own risk, and enjoy. I will follow you as you follow me - thanks.

Regards,
docBdc

An "If you knew what I knew, you would do what I do" Post

“If you knew what knew, you would do what I do...” 

-CHIROPRACTIC

This statement rings loud in chiropractic. Many of our seminars will have at least one speaker who addresses this theme. A question posed to us is, “If Chiropractic were illegal, would you still adjust patients?” Many say YES. So why is that? Because chiropractors are rebels. Because chiropractors are crazy. Perhaps, but the answer truly is, “if you knew what I knew, you would do what I do”.

Chiropractic has been around for 118 years as an alternative to the medical model of “healthcare”. Over the last 30 years or so, there has been an effort to define chiropractic as care for back/neck pain and headaches. Most of you, if you have seen a chiropractor, have gone for these very reasons without knowing the side benefits. I know this because I have a discussion with all of my patients about the advantages of consistent and long-term chiropractic care, and virtually every single person is genuinely surprised about the broad spectrum of chiropractic benefits.

These include, but are not limited to:

Decreased pain

Increased Energy

Sleep Better

Feel more rested when done sleeping

Move more

Move without pain

Improved digestion

Improved immune function

Allergy improvement

Think better

Improve ear infections

Breathe easier

Feel great

Ease PMS

Decreased Headaches

Improved Elimination

Increased Flexibility

Increased Vitality

Decreased Drug use

Get back to work faster

Improved Memory

Stimulate other Lifestyle changes

At this point, I'm expecting you to feel surprise or disbelief because you have never associated this list, or at least some things on it, with your spine...

And why should you? I'm here to tell you that your high school education taught you everything you would need to know to understand how it works, the problem has been that no one has ever explained it to you.

So here is docBdc trying to explaining it:

First and foremost, it is important that we define the body as a

“self-healing, self-organizing, and self-regulating organism.”

By this, I mean to say that you do not need to think to make your body work. Your bodies autonomic functions are just that, automatic. You get a cut you don't have to think to make the healing happen, your body just knows how and what to do it. This is happen continuously everyday.

So because the human body is a self-healing, self-organizing, and self-regulating organism, there must be constant communication between the body systems in order for the body to function smoothly. It is also widely known that 1 system is in charge of everything: The Central Nervous System

The Central Nervous System is the master system. Of the 11 systems of the human body, the Central Nervous System runs them all. Gray's Anatomy, written by Henry Gray in 1858 and is used to this day as a staple in anatomical/ medical/ and health practitioner studies, defines the Central Nervous System as the “master control system,” and that “every organ, system and function of the human body is under the direct control of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves).” All functions, or communication between the systems, are carried out and mediated by the central nervous system...

Essentially, all of us live and experience life THROUGH our nervous systems. Every physical, emotional and spiritual experience your have or will have is experienced through it. Without it you do not exist, with it you express and experience life.

So what happens when the master control system cannot properly communicate with the body? If there is a lack of proper nerve function then the organs, the body systems, and overall function of the body suffers. When the disruption of the nerve signal occurs at the spine, which is most often, then we (chiropractors) call this SUBLUXATION. Subluxation is what chiropractors find and correct.

The side effects of subluxation are vast, but most of us feel early symptoms as stiffness, tightness, and decreased range of motion. Because we generally ignore such minor symptoms, the subluxation cycle is permitted to continue and permanent minor damage occurs, which becomes pain. The symptoms we feel, however, should be the least of our worries. What you are not feeling is a decrease in body system functions, which left unchecked and unchanged will lead to a malfunction. When you feel that tightness, stiffness, and decreased range of motion, your body is telling you it is time to get adjusted. By the time you feel pain, damage (usually permanent) has already occurred. How many times can you afford small amounts of damage before it leads to a major problem?

Chiropractic patients who maintain consistent and long-term care have an unfair advantage. Their bodies not only heal faster and remain stronger, but they are also expressing and experiencing life to a greater potential. If you have a chiropractor, I recommend an office visit every 2 weeks (there is orthopedic research in which I base this), and if you are not currently under chiropractic care, I advise you to do so.

The 2 reasons people do not maintain consistent care are: Time and Money

While these concerns are valid, I ask, “if not now, when?” The money you spend to correct the system malfunction later will cost you more. Disc herniation’s are expensive. Headache treatment is expensive. Therapy due to nerve damage is expensive, and these are only a few of the problems chiropractic can help or head off. When tallied together, consistent long term chiropractic care's total cost is exponentially less compared to medically treating later.

There are chiropractors out there who provide office hours to accommodate tight schedules, as well as chiropractors who create care plans for your pocket book. I urge you to seek them out. The time and money you invest now into your health with payoff big down the line. “If you knew what I knew, you would do what I do.”

Thank you for your attention and for reading this entire post.

As always, if you have questions or comments you can contact me at:

brendan@linkedathletics.com

Regards,

docBdc

How Does LINKED Athletics Compare?

That is an excellent question, thank you for asking. So...

WHAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE?

Linked Athletics offers professional training for considerably less.

You will not find this quality anywhere else in Atlanta... Seriously, YOU WILL NOT!!!

We have gone through some changes over the last few months and perhaps the largest change has been our pricing. As most of you are aware, the health industry is booming and along with it, the price to be healthy is also rising! Regardless, personal training or semi personal training is the best way to train, and it is most definitely the most expensive...

Except at LINKED Athletics!

Here we understand that everyone is better when they are fit and healthy, and as stated earlier, the price of doing so is quite high. Because of this, LINKED has developed our new price plan that is designed to fit YOUR budget! Below you will find a price comparison between LINKED Athletics prices and the industry standard for personal training.

*Most facilities offer 30 minute long sessions. However, all LINKED sessions are a minimum of one hour so this is why we are using the one hour in comparison.

Average Personal Trainer: 3 one hour long sessions per week at $60/hr = $180/week or $720/month.

LINKED: 3 one hour long sessions per week = $90/month ($7.50/hr or $22.50/week)

Average Personal Trainer: 4 one hour long sessions per week at $60/hr = $240/week or $960/month.

LINKED: Unlimited training sessions per month = $130/month (under $6/hr or $32.50/week)

To re-iterate the bottom line: LINKED Athletics has 2 pricing plans that are both considerably less expensive than other gyms, personal trainers, athletic trainers, current trending "box" gyms, popular overpriced competitive gyms, private trainers, etc.

The LINKED Training System is one of a kind in Atlanta, coach based (there is always a coach on the floor to assist you), and the absolute BEST value you will find. (As an aside, our coaches are among the highest educated and best looking.)

At LINKED Athletics you can pay $90 or $130 per month and get 12 sessions or unlimited sessions! LINKED offers over 20 sessions per week to choose from!

If you have any questions please contact me at:

brendan@linkedathletics.com

*MILITARY, POLICE, FIRE AND EMT COST FOR UNLIMITED TRAINING

IS $70 PER MONTH!!!