Brian Schiff

Brian Schiff, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, is a licensed physical therapist, respected author and fitness professional. Currently, he serves as the supervisor for Raleigh Orthopaedic Performance Center (formerly EXOS at Raleigh Orthopaedic). Brian conducts live continuing education webinars and presents nationally at professional conferences and seminars on injury prevention, rehab and sport-specific training.
July 15 2013
Shoulder mobility limitations are often present in clients and many times are related to poor thoracic spine mobility. Addressing any asymmetry and resolving kinetic chain tightness is important to reduce... View More
July 1 2013
Pectoralis minor tightness coupled with poor scapular control often leads to postural dysfunction and shoulder problems. Improving scapular stabilizer activation and shoulder alignment will reduce rotator... View More
June 15 2013
In the February 2013 Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy the sidestep with resistance ranked second on the list. In particular, this exercise had one of the lowest TFL activations thereby... View More
June 1 2013
Weakness in the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius is often cited in contributing to patellofemoral pain, IT band problems, hip pathology and even back pain. Furthermore, activating the glutes and minimizing... View More
May 9 2013
Tightness in the hip flexors, especially the iliopsoas, can have a negative impact on the lumbar spine and pelvic motion. Excessive tightness creates undue stress and shear force on the lumbar spine particularly... View More
May 1 2013
In many cases, shoulder dysfunction and pain are tied to weakness in the scapular stabilizing musculature. The serratus anterior is an integral part of the force couple working with the upper and... View More
April 14 2013
Assessing anti-rotation pillar strength is important prior to loading clients’ spines with torsional activity. From a tall plank position, you can assess torsional control by observing this test/exercise.... View More
April 1 2013
Tightness in the chest is a common issue that negatively impacts posture and may contribute to shoulder impingement and dysfunction. In this column, I will reveal how using a compression technique in combination... View More
March 15 2013
In a previous column, I addressed a tall static plank with sliding hip flexion. In this column, I am expanding on that concept with the use of the BOSU Ballast Ball and BOSU Balance Trainer. Developing... View More
March 1 2013
In the previous column, I reviewed unstable upper body step-ups. This column expands on the column featuring unstable upper body step-ups using the BOSU Balance Trainer. Similar to lower body exercise... View More
Feb. 15 2013
Performing closed chain shoulder exercises is an integral part of training shoulder stability and promoting optimal scapular muscle control. In addition, it provides an opportunity to challenge the stability... View More
Feb. 1 2013
In the last column, I reviewed an exercise for the serratus anterior designed to improve scapular stability. I am continuing with another great elastic shoulder strengthening exercise. Many people are... View More
Jan. 15 2013
Maintaining healthy shoulders is vital for successful and long term resistance training. Over time, normal wear and tear as well repetitive use can cause shoulder dysfunction. Optimizing scapular stabilizer... View More
Jan. 1 2013
Building pillar strength is important for clients and athletes alike. Specifically, improving anterior rotational stability is important for optimizing movement patterns and reducing injury risk. Execution:... View More
Dec. 15 2012
Many of the clients and patients I see struggle with glute activation and pelvic stability. Imbalances and injuries often lead to poor postural control and the inability to maintain a level pelvis in single... View More
Dec. 1 2012
Runners are often sidelined by overuse injuries. One of the primary reasons is they move poorly. This is compounded by the fact that running entails single leg stability, and most runners have asymmetries.... View More
Nov. 15 2012
Another installment in a series of exercises featuring BOSU, Brian demonstrates an exercise that helps improve a client's range of shoulder motion. It is common to assess clients with latissimus... View More
Nov. 1 2012
Most clients will deal with shoulder and back problems at one time or another. In many cases, they lack sufficient shoulder and core stability. Integrating closed chain work that ties the hips and shoulders... View More
Oct. 14 2012
Most clients are in need posterior chain strengthening to resolve muscle imbalances and improve performance. For example, an ideal quadriceps to hamstring ratio is 3:2, yet many female athletes tend to... View More
Oct. 1 2012
Another installment in a series of exercises featuring BOSU, Brian demonstrates an exercise that helps improve a client's ability to maintain proper body alignment for activities such as running,... View More