Meet Tara Llanes, Perfect Athlete Ambassador

Tara, age 32,was a professional BMX and downhill mountain bike racer for 15 years until September 2007 when she crashed during a race, landed on her head and broke her neck and back. She is now a paraplegic training to do an Ironman and hopes to qualify for the Kona Ironman, 10OCT09. She uses a hand-cycle for the biking and running portions of the race.

She religiously uses the Perfect Pushup in her rehab work to protect her wrists. Says Tara, "Because I am using my wrist so much for everyday things like transfers, weight shifts, not to mention therapy, my wrists are worked and get REALLY sore. But when I used the Perfect Pushup I could last so much longer."

Tara is one of Perfect Pushup’s inspiring Athlete Ambassadors, fully embodying the mentality of “take control of your body, take control of your life.” She is an inspiration to all of us here at Team Perfect. Last word from Tara: "So help me I will find a way to float again. Gawd I love my bike. Follow your dreams dammnit and don't ever ever give up!

Teammates, Tara is standing by to hear from you! HOOYAH Tara and thank you for being the first of many Perfect Athlete Ambassadors to share their story with the Charlie Mike Teammates.

The Benefits of Using the Perfect Pushup with Wrist Injuries

Guest blogger: Dr. Scott Calzaretta

The wrist is an amazing joint. Fifteen bones articulate and create motion at the attachment of the forearm to the hand. It can develop enough strength to break through cinder blocks yet for the average person, it can easily be injured while typing on a keyboard. The great thing about the Perfect Pushup is that wrists love it.

The standard pushup causes your wrist into forced extension (bending backwards). This can be a painful position for many people due to various causes, from shortened forearm flexors, sprains or strains, repetitive stress (keyboarding and mousing all day) to Carpal tunnel syndrome.

The ability to grip the Perfect Pushup and keep your wrist in a neutral position (not flexed or extended) allows for more comfort during the pushup motion. This allows you to train, even with certain wrist injuries, which would otherwise preclude you from the pushup motion. The additional benefit, which is huge, is that you can strengthen your grip, wrist and forearms by squeezing the device as you exercise. The rotational component of the forearm motion also adds to the development of stability in the wrist and shoulders. This also increases the intensity in your nervous system and gives you even more benefits (increased strength being the major result) then the standard pushup.

Workout Tip: The next time you go to use the Perfect Pushup, try to alternate gripping loosely and then focus on tightly gripping the handle with every other rep. You should notice an increase in strength as your nervous system gets a boost from the focused increase in intensity.

Continued use of the Perfect Pushup can help to reduce the stress on the wrists while it increases stability and strength. It also allows you to train with many of the common wrist injuries, as the neutral grip that rotates is the key to training in a pain free position.

I look forward to answering your questions about the benefits of using the Perfect Pushup with Wrist Injuries!

Dr. Scott Calzaretta

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Dr. Calzaretta is the director and founder of the Chiro-Medical Group. He has been in practice since 1985, and has successfully pioneered the design and operation of a multi-disciplinary health care facility. He has traveled extensively both nationally and abroad treating professional and world class athletes.

Dr. Calzaretta was a founding board member of F.I.C.S (World Governing Body of Sports Chiropractic). His knowledge and experience in treating athletes was a key factor in his appointment as a team doctor in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. He is a State Appointed Qualified Medical Evaluator and Certified Industrial Disability Examiner. Dr. Calzaretta has taken his experience in sports and rehabilitative medicine and has successfully integrated them into the comprehensive health care approach offered by the Chiro-Medical Group.