Constructing Better Movement

Cory Cripe, CSCS (fitnesslyingdown.com)

It is the reason so many of us attend Perform Better programs. We do so to get ideas of how to help people move better so we can help them develop real world strength and live better lives. While that is well and good, it can be challenging to navigate all the large amount of information on this topic.

I believe helping people and fitness pros achieve this goal really goes to a couple of simple ideas. The first is understanding some foundational concepts of how the body functions. Yes, the name functional training requires us to know well, how the body functions.

Don’t worry, you don’t need a masters degree in biomechanics or exercise physiology to understand ideas that will make a big difference. One is that your body is not an independent group of muscles, but rather very well constructed “chains” that work synergistically to create movement and strength.

You think that people know this and you might! However, how does that influence the exercises you use, how you teach them, and how you get more out of them? There are some simple chains we can focus on to get a HUGE “bang for our buck.” A game changer is known as the Posterior Oblique System (POS).

Very simply, this is the fact that your glutes, core, and lats work together. The best illustration of this is when we walk how our opposite arm and leg work together to not just move out bodies, but to stabilize as well. After all, walking is our MOST foundational movement pattern, but we rarely think about in the gym other than some loaded carries.

The reality is walking is a complex and unstable movement. Many scientists estimate 50-60% of walking is spent on a single leg. When you think about that, you quickly realize we need to create stability (especially spinal stability) to walk efficiently and with stability. How we do so is when the glute, core, and opposing lat contract they create spinal stability.

If you think this sounds weird or is hard to imagine, many of you already make these connections without really thinking about it. Whether it is trying to “break the barbell” when you deadlift, or “crush the kettlebell handle” on the beginning of swings, the purpose is very much the same! That is when you create such tension you activate the lats and core. This simple technique allows you to lift more, but feel better doing it.

While that works great during deadlifts and kettlebell swings, how do we do it with all movements? Well, that is what part of this month’s Metabolic Stability is all about. How do we take great functional fitness exercises and use the RIGHT tools to create these connections to get people performing better and moving great faster!

The other component of building greater fitness success is not just having exercises, but a SYSTEM of movement. If you think about most businesses in the world, they don’t perform random acts, but have a model they follow to create success. It makes sense we SHOULD have the same in fitness, but often times we fall short. We have a bunch of exercises, but not clear direction of where we go with the training. One of our goals this month is to show you how easy and helpful such a thought process can be to your coaching.

Strength Coach, Cory Cripe, of Fitness Lying Down in LaCrosse Wisconsin breaks down functional training drills from the ground up to show how easy it is to get people successful faster simply by understanding some foundational concepts of movement. These strategies just don’t work, they make the experience of training so much better where your clients will actually enjoy training!

Watch how simple tools like kettlebells, Ultimate Sandbags, and other functional fitness tools can be turned into a powerhouse when you have greater purpose behind them!

Josh Henkin, CSCS is creator of the DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training system and has been a kettlebell instructor since 2003. His work has had him teach at world class fitness events and teach his DVRT program in over 13 countries worldwide. Don’t miss the upcoming DVRT programs in HERE