False Grandeur of the Fitness Industry

Sunday, December 18, 2011 1:21 AM Posted by Phill Wright
Labels: , , , , 0 comments
They say love your job and love your life. Well, I do love working in the fitness industry having changed careers in 2007 and I most certainly love my life. It was a big step for myself and a huge leap of faith initially as I went straight into self employed Personal Training having never sold a thing previously.

My previous background was rather specialised in a very different direction as an Arabic Interpreter and Intelligence Operator for the Forces. My interviewer when I first stepped into PT was right when he said that the skills from my previous experience was going to prove highly useful although at the time, I didn't fully share that confidence. I just knew how to be me and have stuck with that ever since.

As an industry, fitness is relatively juvenile and still finding its feet with regulation only being fully in place for around 10 years. Research is constantly unwinding and rewriting our methods and practices. With such radical changes constantly hitting industry professionals, one of the most crucial fundamentals of maintaining our credibility is professionalism and integrity. Ensuring that our practices and guidance are honest, factual and proven. In my mind, one of the most frustrating observations is the over-glorification of specific trains of thought.

Of course to advertise and market effectively, there needs to be engagement that creates desire but there becomes a point when morally, a more factually based analysis would leave readers with a much clearer understanding and without false expectations. Making such grand statements can leave other commercial organisations feeling the need to equal or surpass their marketing promise resulting in a significant disparity between a customers perception and the reality.

A much more impartial reflection of innovations is key for clarity and an absolute must on the part of regulatory bodies and industry leaders.

Finally, to maintain industry-wide integrity, a level of professional respect is needed, I'll elaborate. There are methods of conditioning and practices within the industry that I don't fully agree with. In fact, there are some modes that I feel cause more damage than good. However, without clinical research to back my argument, I am merely expressing my opinion. Irrespectively, to maintain my own integrity, I should demonstrate a degree of respect and acknowledgement for the subject of my discussion. The number of times, blogs or articles begin with "I'll tell you the real truth about..." or go on to slate certain trains of thought is quite surprising. Especially with a clear absence of clinical back up. What they really mean is "here are my thoughts on..."

To progress the industry and demand the respect from our counter-industries, a certain decorum is vital from all parts, regulatory bodies, awarding bodies, training providers, fitness professionals and indeed anyone representing the fitness world.
Location: Leeds Leeds

Listening to your body

Friday, December 16, 2011 2:00 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
Fitness professionals and enthusiasts are well aware that recovery is the key to enjoying the benefits of exercise. My question is, do professionals know how much recovery is needed to actually allow the body to compensate from the damage it has just been exposed to? How can you confidently know that the body is ready for another training session, be it intense or moderate? Of course, general feeling can be a useful barometer for knowing whether you're ready to slog it out again but the truth is, it's the nervous system that should be listened to in order to discover recovery time.
The two arms of the autonomic nervous system; sympathetic and parasympathetic. In simple terms, the sympathetic is like the accelerator pedal in your car, speeding up your body, internal systems and function; whereas your parasympathetic is like your brake pedal, slowing things down.

At any one time, they are both in operation providing balance and maintaining healthy function. Exercise generally arrives in conjunction with the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and the PNS allows us to fully recover. However, do we accurately know when this has occurred or is it guess work?
Many athletes tune into their resting heart rate as an indicative measure of recovery on the notion that a return to a normal resting heart rate represents recovery. Sounds simple enough right? Well, unfortunately not. Sympathetic overload (i.e. overtraining) can be identified by a lowering in resting heart rate which may appear initially as a positive adaptation to exercise.

Another way in which athletes tend to manage recovery is by their planning. Typically having a light training day or a total rest day after a heavy or intense session. Is this enough? Whilst theoretically it makes sense, the body's response to training isn't always predictable. Sometimes the nervous system takes longer to recover from varying degrees of overreaching in training, not even considering muscular recovery.

My point is, periodisation of training programmes isn't enough. Careful and continual monitoring of training responses is absolutely necessary to allow the body sufficient time to recover. There are more accurate and simple methods of monitoring responses so that you as trainers and clients are able to be more selective about when to train. We're looking forward to launching our advanced fitness testing course in 2012 which covers much more on this.

Are you motivating your clients?

Sunday, November 27, 2011 11:09 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
Phill Wright, Director, Creating Chaos


As personal trainers, the very top of our job descriptions reads 'motivational'...but the question is, are you actually motivational. To be able to accurately answer this question, you'd need to be able to answer a couple of questions:

  • How are your clients motivated?
  • How do you motivate clients?
  • How do you tailor your style to fit each of your clients?

Knowing how your clients are motivated is absolutely paramount. It's very difficult to motivate someone without knowing the true things that actually drive them. Some people are motivated by achievement and reaching goals, others are driven by having recognition and approval from others. Read more on these. The reality is that we all show different elements of each in different environments. Understanding how your clients are driven in terms of health and fitness could make your life a million times easier when keeping them going.

As trainers, we have dozens of tools in our toolbox to draw upon. Which ones do you draw upon to assist your clients? Here's just a few ways in which you can offer continued purpose and drive to your client's journeys:
  • Applause - regular recognition and encouragement for their efforts
  • Training - not just the work load of exercise in their programme but also the process of learning. Be it about exercise, nutrition or lifestyle choices. After all, in an ideal world, your clients wouldn't need you would they?
  • Milestones - marking significant points in their journey with rewards (these don't need to cost)
  • Enjoyable environment - making sure sessions are enjoyable. If sessions are just hard work and not enjoyable, your client will attach un-enjoyment and possibly even suffering to their perception of exercise. Not a great idea and unlikely to increase the likelihood of clients exercising without you there
  • Themed sessions - To mark achievement, allow your client to decide on the content of a session (within reason) based on what they most enjoy
  • Social gatherings - ideal for group fitness environments. Getting clients together can forge new friendships and help boost confidence levels
  • Train the trainer day - Let your client train you. (Only if you're confident being having the roles reversed) This can be a really powerful tool. Not only will it let them get their own back, it will build huge rapport, show them that exercise can be just as hard for others as it is for them, build confidence, highlight how much they've learnt...the list goes on!!
So, going back to the original questions, how do you motivate clients and how do you tailor your style? Spending time in the initial consultation working out how clients are driven and how you can support this will make monumental differences to how positive, focussed, enthusiastic and determined your clients are.  Even if this doesn't come straight away, spending time as your relationship with clients continues adding to your understanding of their motivational hot buttons, you can only step closer and closer to keeping them happy, loyal and adding to the successful projects of your port folio.  

Functional training does not exist – Part One

Sunday, November 20, 2011 1:47 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 2 comments

Paul Swainson, Master Personal Trainer

Functional training does not exist. For some that may be a controversial statement, for others it may be something you’ve heard before. By way of explanation, the specificity principle would suggest that to be truly functional, an exercise must match the actual function (let’s say a tennis serve for example) in terms of movement patterns, energy systems, environmental conditions, etc. Therefore by definition the only ‘true’ functional exercise is the sport or activity itself, e.g. an actual tennis serve. Indeed if you are training for something, it is necessarily different in quality to the actual function - any exercise that simply tries to replicate the movements or environment in a given sport is training for function. Even practicing the sport itself may not be classed as true function if we take psychological influences into account – the effects of motivation and state of mind on performing a tennis serve will no doubt be very different on a practice court behind closed doors compared to centre court at Wimbledon in front of thousands of spectators. 
So functional training is to a large extent a contradiction in terms, although the term persists as it is commonly used to describe training for function which is the next best thing to actual competition and so is arguably the best practical form of training for sports. All we can do is try to make the gap between training and actual function as small as possible, all the while making sure we are enhancing that function more than we would by simply playing the sport.
So how do we do that? We need to replicate the physiological, psychological and environmental conditions of an activity or sport as closely as possible. However we have established that the psychological conditions of competition are as yet impossible to recreate because if you’re not competing, you’re not competing! Environmental conditions can be replicated by, for example, training indoors or outdoors depending on the sport, on the same surfaces (grass/tarmac, etc) or in the same climate.
This leaves us with mimicking physiological conditions which the fitness industry has made leaps and bounds in over recent years with for example, the increasing use of whole body, integrated multi-planar movements.
What is interesting then, is that one of the most easily replicable physical aspects of sports is typically not factored into training. Almost all programmes will feature a series of individual exercises (even if they are integrated multi-plane ones), performed for a set number of repetitions. Yet in everyday life and sports the same movement pattern is not repeated 8, 10, 12 or 20 times in succession (e.g. a tennis serve is not performed more than twice consecutively unless the player is double faulting continually – and why would you want to get good at that?!). Granted there a few activities (e.g. walking, running and cycling) where a single movement pattern is repeated continuously, but what actually happens in most sports and activities is a variety of movements, in multiple planes, occurring in sequence. In tennis, a serve could be followed by two or three fast side steps, followed by a forehand, then perhaps a two or three step forward sprint. Would there be some functional benefit therefore, in recreating these biomechanical and metabolic demands on the body as closely as possible in training?
In Part 2 of this article, we will look at how we can incorporate such an approach into training to add a new dimension to function.
Functional training does not exist – Part Two
In part one of this article, we looked at how training, by definition, can never be truly functional as we can never perfectly recreate the physiological, psychological  and environmental conditions of, for example, a sport without performing or playing that sport itself. The best we can achieve is training for function.
We also identified that almost all sports involve a complex sequence of varying movements in multiple planes and so the traditional sets and reps training format may not be the most relevant approach.
Primal FlowTM aims to tackle this aspect of functionality, by linking together multiple patterns of movement over set time periods, rather than doing multiple repetitions of single patterns. The patterns reflect the vast range of movements the human body is capable of, from the simple (e.g. pushing, pulling, flexing) to the more complex (crawling, rotating, rolling).


Exposing the body to the endless possibilities of movement available allows it to move out of its comfort zone which in turn promotes adaptation and improvement in strength, endurance, injury resistance and conditioning.
This means Primal Flow TM not only has huge potential within sports performance, but also offers a unique new method of training for general fitness. The use of sequenced movements reduces the likelihood of pattern overload associated with traditional training methods, and as the system means that just body weight is a sufficient load for even experienced exercisers (just ask the Leeds Rhinos rugby league team how they felt after a Primal FlowTM session!), it’s a practical and free system for anyone to use. In addition, the use of multiple movement patterns recruits more muscle mass, leading to greater metabolic demands, which means accelerated fat loss and increased muscle tone.
Borne from a simple concept, Primal FlowTM is the most revolutionary training approach to hit the fitness industry for years. Once you learn the philosophy behind the system, the number of original exercises and programmes you can design will be limited only by your imagination.
For more information, contact Creating Chaos, keep an eye out for taster workshops or get ahead of the game and book onto the next Primal Pattern and Functional Movement Specialist course – be one the first trainers in the world to be certified in the next generation of training technology.

Does being Pregnant mean getting unfit?

Friday, November 18, 2011 9:09 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 2 comments

Jenny Wright, OutFit director


Back in August I had some fantastic news – I’m pregnant!

As well as being overjoyed and extremely excited, I also felt a little scared. What will happen to my training? Will I get fat? Will I lose all my strength? Will I have to stop doing all the things I enjoy?
When I was past 12 weeks and able to tell others my good news, the next question after “when is it due?” was “so when are you going to give up all the exercise?”

The common train of thought amongst people is that pregnant women should be wrapped up in cotton wool and shouldn’t do much more than go for a gentle walk in terms of exercise. I knew that this couldn’t be right – pregnant animals in the wild don’t stop hunting, pregnant women in the olden days continued to work and hunt, and pregnant women now in developing countries continue to do manual work, walk miles and look after their families. Why should it be different here?


Those of you who know me will know that I am quite into my training (that’s probably an understatement). I enjoy being physically fit, and typically would train 2 to 3 times a day in a variety of ways – running, kettlebells, bodyweight circuits and hockey to name a few.

When my husband and I decided to start trying for a baby, I wanted to be as prepared as possible for what was about to happen to my body, and the changes I would inevitably have to make. I am fortunate in that I work in the fitness industry and therefore I have a number of experts and resources to go to.

To my surprise however, most trainers and instructors were very cautious about advising me about training during pregnancy. And those that had studied it were men and obviously could not fully understand the changes that occur to a woman during pregnancy.

I could only find articles stating that “you should not lift heavy weights”, “you should not over exert yourself”, “you should not raise your heart rate above a certain level”, “you should not do any balance work” and so on. What about the things I could do?

So I looked overseas for my information. I found a few blogs by fellow female kettlebell instructors in America who had continued to train during pregnancy and had a trouble free pregnancy and gave birth to a happy, healthy baby. This gave me hope, although being a bit of a geek; I still wanted to know the science behind exercising whilst pregnant.

I found a brilliant book by Doctor James F Clapp called 'Exercising Through Your Pregnancy'.

In it he details the research that has been done on the effects of training whilst pregnant (surprisingly little until about 30 years ago when he set up numerous research programmes), he described the physiological changes to the body that happen during pregnancy, and the effects of exercise on the body and the effects of exercise on a pregnant woman. The benefits of continuing to exercise are numerous, and mostly positive additive benefits to those which naturally occur to a pregnant woman.

A lot of the changes that occur during pregnancy make the body extremely efficient – more oxygen intake, more efficient at getting rid of heat, better heart rate regulation.  All of these changes also occur to women who regularly exercise. Combining exercising with being pregnant adds positively to these effects; it improves the supply of glucose and oxygen to the baby (provided the mum eats adequately and regularly).

The fitter, stronger and healthier you are, the easier labour may be, the stronger the baby will be, and the easier it will be to get back to pre-pregnancy size and fitness.

there are certain things that need to be said here. My body is used to, and has been used to for years, the types of training that I do. It is not a good idea to start an exercise programme or new types of training when you’re pregnant; and if you feel any pain or have any complications during pregnancy – always consult your doctor or midwife before continuing training.

The most important thing to understand is that it is not the time for pushing myself, or trying to beat personal records; I must listen to my body and if I’m feeling tired/exhausted/any pain, then I must stop or not try to train. I also must fuel my body properly – it’s not a case of “eating for two” (you only actually need an extra 300 calories a day, and this is only from 6 months onwards), it’s a case of eating healthy, nutritious foods that will enable the baby to develop and grow, but also sustain me through my training.

I am now 18 weeks pregnant, and I have continued to train most days throughout. I tend to do 20-30 minutes of kettlebell and bodyweight circuits in the morning before work, and then a long run including hills sprints or intervals with the dog after work.

If I feel too tired – I don’t train. The only thing I have stopped doing is playing hockey due to the physical nature and contact of the sport. I understand that when bump gets bigger I will have to slightly change and tailor my training to accommodate it. But unless I have any complications during my pregnancy – I will continue to do what I love doing. If I can’t train for some reason – I know that it is only for a few months, and most importantly – the baby now comes first. Nothing is more important to me than being able to give birth to a lovely healthy little boy or girl – that is something no amount of exercise can ever take the place of.



A Beastly, Body-Crunching Belter of a Session

Sunday, October 23, 2011 7:20 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
Now and again, those at Chaos HQ are able to get together, share some ideas and put themselves through some fairly challenging sessions. Just a week ago, that's exactly what happened resulting in a destructive session, now for the faint hearted.

Summary: 2 circuits, each completed twice through and containing 3 stations. (Ideal for 3 or more people, station 1acts as the timer)

Circuit 1:

  1. Run 40 meters, hop 40 meters (20 meters each side), bear crawl 20 meters
  2. High pull to squat catch (30lb sandbell)
  3. Sprawl - down dog / ascending Kettlebell push press each side (20kg Kettlebell)

Circuit 2:
  1. Walking lunge 20 meters, frog walk 20 meters, skater 20 meters
  2. Potato lunge to ipsilateral lunge (30lb sandbell)
  3. Hindu press up / ascending snatch each side (20-24kg Kettlebell)

Enjoy and be sure to leave your comments - only once you've given it a go!!

Suspension Training - Magic or tragic?

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 2:30 PM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
I was asked last week to give my thoughts on a particular brand of suspension training kit...you may be familiar with it and it got me thinking.

I've used this particular type of training a bit, years before this popular brand brought this type of training into the mainstream. As with many types of training/new products in the fitness industry, a good slice of marketing, healthy scoop of PR and some strategic endorsement is followed by what can potentially be called mass hysteria. The question is, in this instance, is it justified or is it just another example of a fickle industry desperately seeking the next great thing?


Why?

  • Able to target specific body parts to focus on
  • If used with good technique, the greater demand for proprioception will increase the training effect, engaging more muscles and to a greater intensity
  • Excellent to target particularly weak or phasic areas
  • Versatile to allow numerous variations in the movement pathways
  • Durable and robust
  • Assist in balance and progression towards exercises that may be currently unachievable
Why not?
  • Expensive
  • Require specific anchor points
  • Impractical for large group work
  • Require an ability to control inner core units much greater than the normal demand of activity
  • Increased stress and tension placed upon joints and supporting musculature
  • Difficult to fit into complexes or sequences of movements
  • Can encourage dependency on the support offered if used to aid balance or range of movement
  • Encourage single pattern repetition
My general thoughts are that suspension training kits can form a very useful although small component of a balanced fitness programme providing individuals are already at a good stage of physical fitness. However, exclusive exercise programmes based upon suspension training are limited due to the lack of integrated body movement possible and the significant requirement for the body to work around the kit and not visa versa. We look forward to hearing your thoughts

Follow this link to get your hands on excellent quality and reasonably priced fitness equipment

Helping clients get more from exercise

Saturday, September 24, 2011 1:07 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
As fitness professionals, we're all passionate about the importance of doing exercises properly. It can be a constant challenge trying to both educate and help clients move and perform better.



Generally speaking, there are two main issues that can occur with technique when performing exercises:

  • Poor pattern pathway - This would be typified by the client not being able to perform the movement cleanly or very well. Within a personal training setting, the risk of this causing injury should be quite low as the personal trainer will be able to pick up the poor quality of movement and regress the exercise accordingly. 
  • Poor neuromuscular firing sequences - This is where the driving muscles aren't performing optimally, commonly observed in synergistic dominance whereby a synergist performs more of the workload than it is designed too. Another example sees synergists firing before the agonist. This problem has a much higher risk of leading towards injury as the problem isn't always visually apparent. 
So, how can you combat against this? Even if you haven't done in depth courses on corrective exercises or muscle testing and strategies, there are still things you can do before large compound movements to wake up the appropriate drivers, stretch out tonic areas and get the most from the exercises:
  1. I'm not the biggest fan of isolated exercises because of the obscure ways of modern lifestyle, they are necessary. Before performing large compound exercises, stick a set or 2 of exercises specifically isolating the agonist. Considering the type of predominant fibre within the agonist will help you identify appropriate exercises to stimulate the correct response
  2. Embed stretches in between sets (possibly into recovery periods). Most of us fall down when it comes to stretches and what better way to do them than to use up recovery time. Focus on tonic areas within your client and specifically, areas that can distort the quality of the compound exercise. For example, tight hip flexors generally create poor squat patterns.
For more on how to get people moving properly, the Primal Pattern course covers screening and the advanced kettlebell course covers Bi-Functional Grouping which equips trainers with a complete training system to maximise training effect, transferable for weight loss, strength gains and hypertrophy. 

Beastly Partner Workout

Sunday, September 11, 2011 11:12 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
A lot of trainers ask what type of training we do when we're not delivering courses, running workshops or bootcamps. Here's a little monster that Jenny and I did last week:

Session aims: Complete endurance and strength
Load: Phill 24kg / Jen 16kg KB's

5 min warm up (dynamic stretching)

1.a - Kettlebell complex (double swing / single swing / high pull) 10 each side (T)
1.b - Reverse lunges

2.a - Kettlebell complex (single arm swing / high pull / snatch) 10 each side (T)
2.b - Medicine Ball overhead reverse lunge

3.a - Snatches - 10 each side (T)
3.b - Primal Flow (reverse lunge to knee drive / sprawl / adducting kick through)

4.a - Full pyramid 1-5-1 reps (squat / press up / pull up) (T)
4.b - Long cycle (remain on one side until 4.a at pyramid peak)

5.a - 5-10 minutes stretching

(T) = timer - this station dictates how long the partner station lasts

Enjoy - be sure to leave some comments once you've given it a go. Pick up more on complex circuits on our Kettlebell and Advanced Kettlebell Instructor courses.


How well do you know your clients?

Monday, August 29, 2011 8:43 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments

Being a successful personal trainer requires a lot of things including good knowledge, confidence, expert skill set, the ability to improvise and constantly being flexible. However, perhaps the most important tool having longevity with your clients and the ability to develop and maintain rapport, sometimes referred to as the softer skills.
There’s one thing for certain, not all personality types get on and that needs bearing in mind. If your instincts tell you that the connection isn’t quite there then they’re most probably right. Rapport is something you can work on but if there is nothing to build on in the first instance, it could prove quite a painful journey.
So, how can you improve rapport? Here’s some steps to help you make significant steps towards improving rapport with clients:

  • Take an interest in them and their life - Yes, clients will generally pay an interest in you but it’s your job to take more of an interest in their life. A challenge as a personal trainer is to brush off the stereotype of being self obsessed and voyeuristic. Being more interested in your own reflection isn’t going to help this. The medical screening should be not even scratching the surface of how much you want to know about your clients. 
  • Step into their world - Learn how your client paints a picture of the world and become more in tune with it. Understanding your client’s perception will help you understand them better, show empathy and be able to set more appropriate targets and focus to their programme. Learning your client’s values will help you understand what is important to them and picking up on the type of predicates they use will help. Predicates are descriptive words that give you clues as to how someone sees things. For example, “I see what you’re saying”  is a common statement but indicative of a more visual frame of mind. Most of us use a variety of frames frequently but over time, you can build up a picture of the most common frames your clients use. The key then is to speak back to them with the same type of language / terminology. This doesn’t mean you should converse parrot-fashion, more favour their type of language with how you speak. This will make more sense to them and help develop rapport.
  • Regular assessments and time to reflect - We’ve all been guilty of thinking that every second spent with clients should involve them sweating and us dictating, but is this really an ideal situation. Irrespective of how busy your clients are, you need to make time to reflect, review and take stock of progress. I believe it’s an honest mistake as the urge stems from wanting to give clients as much as possible within the time spent together. However, it’s a little like driving at night without the lights on - rather dangerous and you’re not too sure where you’re heading. Always take time out for this. A lot can be done remotely but it’s a crucial part of the process and will constantly keep you in touch.
  • Master of nothing - Avoid falling into the trap of thinking that you need to know everything as the trainer. Be confident with your areas of expertise but also know your boundaries and always sign post clients to the best resource(s) where possible. If a GP told you to see a foot specialist, you wouldn’t insult him/her for not being able to solve it themself. Trying to be everything is tiring, unnecessary and it’s potentially a legal suit waiting to happen.
  • Make your clients feel special - You’re the best placed person to decide how this might be but everyone likes to feel the receiving end of being treated well. It could be a birthday card/gift, it could be giving them a bottle of water at the start of a session, it could be greeting them showing how delighted you are to see them. Meeting them as you would a friend doesn’t take much effort but will fill your client with a sense of comfort, relax them and make them feel as though they belong in your company.
Please add your own tips and thoughts on what works well to develop rapport with clients

The Problems with Functional Training

Sunday, August 7, 2011 1:19 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 1 comments

As a fast paced industry where trends come and go at an impressive frequency, keeping hold of a philosophy that remains disaffected by the passing crazes can be quite a challenge. 
Is functional training actually functional?
Sticking to your guns
As fitness professionals, earning and maintaining the respect of clients whilst keeping a finger on the pulse in terms of the industry is a must for developing a successful business. Being consistent is one crucial component of doing this. It wouldn’t bode well if a trainer asked a client to stick to a particular eating plan one week only to advise against it the next week. The basis of trust comes from reliability and having mixed messages doesn’t achieve this. The challenge as a trainer is that the industry does move fast and often contradictory or conflicting messages are cascaded from the industry leaders. Constantly seeking to deliver the latest and greatest advice can leave a trainer almost working against themselves. The question is, how can a trainer maintain integrity in the eyes of the customers whilst being able to work with the latest research, guidelines or methods.
Changing perspective
Looking at the most recent trends, function is real buzz word which people are starting to really connect with. In terms of meaning, the industry has travelled with a rolling understanding of what function is. From using unstable platforms to side lunges to rehearsing sporting patterns and then weird and wonderful equipment, it’s fair to suggest that there has been an evolution in process. Trying to coin a definition of function from industry professionals usually reveals a statement similar to “multi-planar, multi-direction whole body movements that are specific to everyday life”. However, in the eyes of customers and clients, function is understood as being “good for them”, the kind of movements and exercises that will help their body work better. This is very much the intention of function but is this what clients are actually receiving?
It’s not what you do but the way that do it
Whilst the components of a typical industry understanding of function are true, these more dynamic, versatile and interesting exercises are often still prescribed in the same realms of traditional reps and sets. This is like putting a 1 litre engine inside a porsche. The capacity of the vehicle is fantastic but it’s not being driven to it’s potential. To exemplify the point, getting out of a chair could be seen as a functional activity, does this mean that performing 10 seated squats in a row would be a relevant functional exercise for this activity? The exercise relates strongly to the activity in discussion but performing 10 repetitions back to back doesn’t necessarily support how this activity fits in context. The context of the situation would be that after standing up, stepping forwards and performing another activity would normally take place. 
The function of change - what Darwin really said
Having established that breaking from linear or saggital patterns can better condition the body, repeating these newer movements with conventional sets detracts from the possible benefits. Instead, function represents the ability to cope with change. Whilst the term “Survival of the fittest” is widely known and used as a sales tool for activity, what Darwin actually said was “It is the not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change”. Ok, not quite as snappy for marketing terms but the sense is clear. Being able to cope with a continual environment of change is the real essence of function.
It couldn’t be simpler
So how does this apply itself to exercise? Bearing in mind that the key is adaptability, the solution is extremely simple...transition!! It is not the individual exercises that create adaptability but the transition between them. By connecting movements into sequence, the body is continually dealing with a state of change. Applying the dynamics of being multi-planar and multi-directional helps create bigger and more useable states of change but it is the transition that demands the body continually adapts to it’s new environment.
Phill Wright 
Director
Creating Chaos
Phill developed the Primal Flow training system which is part of the 2 day Primal & Functional Movement Specialist course. For more information on this fully accredited course which provides trainers with a complete training system endorsed by Leeds Rhinos, visit www.teamchaosuk.com/primal-pattern-course.php 

How kettlebells can fix your clients

Monday, August 1, 2011 3:36 PM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
Now that kettlebells are well and truly a part of the fitness industry, it's important to recognise them for the sheer range of benefits they can offer.



Many people may see kettlebells as a tool great for fat burning, aerobic fitness or improving strength but used well, they can do so much more. With the unique movements possible with kettlebells, your clients can not only enjoy the fitness related benefits but the peace of mind that their posture is in safe hands.

To explain this point in the most simple terms, kettlebells perform 2 major functions that many other exercises don't:

  • Demand a firing response from muscles
  • Continually take joints and body parts through full range of movement
The second point seems to be straight forward but why is getting a firing response important? Well, let's face it, we do abuse our bodies in terms of environment. If we were meant to sit at chairs for hours then the hips would probably lock out at this angle and we'd have been born with seats attached. The implications of day to day modern lifestyles leave most of us with faulty muscles that don't do what they're designed to do when they're designed to do it. This leaves often smaller muscles overworking resulting in soreness, stiffness and ultimately injury at some level.

By improving the firing responses of muscles, we're kind of jump-starting the musculature of the body and taking movement closer to how it should be in it's natural state.

Furthermore, getting a full flexibility work out embedded within a training programme is something that kettlebells put on the table. It's all very well performing the token stretches at the end of a training session but any dancer, gymnast or athlete of precision such as a synchronised swimmer would laugh at this token gesture. To really maintain and improve flexibility, stretching should be it's own session...and done properly, it does hurt and it is uncomfortable. However, as trainers, we all know that keeping clients engaged and not bored is difficult enough without getting them to sit down for long periods. This is where kettlebells provide that superb compromise between wants and needs.

The top two exercises for fixing your clients:

Jen taking you through the kettlebell swing

The crush grip military press

Two very straight forward exercises but hugely beneficial to give your client what they want as well as what they need. 

To find out more about the anatomical benefits of kettlebells and how they uniquely condition the body, take a look at the 2 day instructor course whilst saving money for online bookings. You'll also learn over 40 kettlebell exercises, numerous programmes and some extremely challenging complexes.



The Chaos Mean Challenge with kettlebells

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 9:03 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
This is only suitable for those proficient with kettlebells and wanting a strength and endurance challenge.

Instruction:

You have 10 minutes to achieve the highest mean average in repetitions of 4 different exercises. Each exercises uses a kettlebell and remains the same weight throughout. Double handed swing / Front squat / Snatch and Single arm press. Your final score is the total number of all exercises divided by 4.

Equipment:

  • 1 x Kettlebell (24kg for men and 16kg for women)
  • Stopwatch
  • A friend/colleague or complete stranger to time and tally the attempt

Rules:

  • Competitors may rest as many times as they wish
  • Competitors may put the KB down 
  • Competitors may complete the exercises in any order whatsoever
  • Men must use a 24kg KB and women must use a 16kg KB
  • All exercises must be done with full technique ie. full depth squats, full arm press etc
  • Each exercise total must be within 10 repetitions of another exercise total. For example (20 swings, 30 squats, 40 snatches and 50 presses would be accepted - the average and final score would be 35)

How we got on:

Like every programme, Jen and Phill always put themselves through it before asking others to give it a go.

Phill scored 55 putting the KB down once around 7 minutes
Jenny scored 65 without putting the KB down at all (Jen the machine)

What to do once I've tried it:


Let us know how you get on with it. Post your score on the Chaos facebook page and even better if you have some pics or even video of you doing it.

Enjoy!!

Throw away the rule book

Monday, July 11, 2011 11:56 PM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
When it comes to your personal training clients, there comes a time when you need to think a little outside the box and employ some creativity. 

The normal progression route for qualifying as a personal trainer in the fitness industry is to complete the gym instructor component, then the advanced fitness instructor course along with a couple of additional units which tops it up to a diploma in personal training. Whilst I appreciate the subtle differences between training providers, the syllabus for these courses is very rigid and based upon the training habits of decades gone by.

Don't get me wrong, the theory side is key and absolutely necessary to start understanding the body, demands upon the body and mechanics of training but the entire direction of the courses is all about how training can be achieved in a specific environment. For the gym instructor course, this makes sense with the name suggesting, this is for instructing within a gym and as it stands, gyms continue to be filled with machines. However, with the advanced fitness instructor course, gyms are no longer the single hub of where fitness and conditioning take place and the industry is moving in a good direction. Yet the training courses remain very gym-centric. 

My question is, would it not be better to gear the entire courses around learning how the body moves and works so that training can be achieved irrespective of any environment? The great thing about the body is that it's a mechanical wonder. It is packed with the joints, bones and muscles to articulate and move perfectly. Using futuristic looking gym machines forces the body to work around the movement of the machine which is the wrong way around in my opinion. It's understandable as to why machines are popular - they tell people what to do and keep things simple but in many situations, machines have little if no variability on movement. 

Watch a child playing, their movement is a model of perfection with no bad habits and nothing is impossible. Watch an adult playing with their children, not quite as dynamic, inflexible, slow to keep up and a little creaky when bending down to pick up a toy. The evidence is there for all to see. The results of sitting down, being constantly asked to position in awkward spaces and fit around the environment that we set (chairs/cars/sofas etc) leaves an almost prehistoric state of movement.

Here's a simple journey to get your clients heading in the right direction:

  1. Be Functional - Train the body to be strong with itself, flexible and able to cope with a constant state of change 
  2. Be Strong - Only once the body is able to handle supporting itself should strength training be adopted
  3. Be Powerful - Once the body is strong, then power can be achieved


If learning more about how the body works is of interest then take a look at the Primal Flow course which covers the inner and outer units of stability and movement helping you to train the body inline with how it's designed and avoid training against the grain.

MMA meets Kettlebells

Thursday, June 30, 2011 2:01 PM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
Every once in a while, we get together with some of our tutors and have a blast with some fairly gruelling workouts. None of us are into orthodox training and with us all having slightly different tastes, it's the perfect chance to share ideas and inject a little sprite into our own training.

This week, it was our head MMA and Kettlbell tutor James' turn to come up with the circuit and I have to say that it was some session. It didn't take long but my word, it was a bit of a beast.

If you enjoy a challenge or have clients that like pushing themselves then by all means give it a go but be warned, it's not for the faint hearted:

Round 1 - 20 minutes AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) with the following exercises

  • 10 x press ups
  • 10 x halo to woodchop with a 20kg plate
  • 20 meters overhead lunges with the 20kg plate
  • 20 meters reverse bear crawling whilst dragging back the 20kg plate on a yoga mat with alternate single pulls
  • 20 meters walking to put the mat back
2 minutes break

Round 2 - 6 minutes alternate Turkish Get Up / Windmill switching sides at the top with long cycle switch

1 minute break

Round 3 - 2 x 20 meters of tyre flips

Enjoy and if you do give it a go, share your experience on our facebook group

James with a Bank Holiday Workout

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 3:06 PM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
If you haven't been keeping up with our recent wave of circuits then I probably should introduce the 'Dirty 30' concept. Like most professionals working in the fitness industry, we're super busy and sometimes, trying to squeeze our own training in can be a challenge. Recently, 'Dirty 30' circuits were born to help solve this issue. Basically, any workout that is challenging and completed in under 30 minutes falls into this category and we're sharing some of our most effective sessions.

Big James who is the lead tutor on our Kettlebell Instructor Course has shared how he spent his Bank Holiday Monday with this rather gruelling Dirty 30.

Instruction: 30 minutes of revolving between 5 x Power cleans, 10 x suspended press ups, 15 x kettlebell swings and 5 x inch worms. Breaks taken when necessary with the aim of completing as many rounds as possible (AMRAP)

This video joins James 27 minutes into the session:


Great effort guys...we'll be giving this beast a go!!

Primal Goes South

Friday, May 13, 2011 1:21 PM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments

Wednesday 11th May saw a significant occassion with Primal Flow gracing the capital for the first time. Invited to present at the REPS South convention held at David Lloyds Raynes Park in Wimbledon, a number of the Team Chaos master coaches fled to London ready to challenge 50 fitness professionals with 2 Primal Flows.

The reception was very welcoming with an instant thumbs up from the London constituents of the industry.

One of the big ingredients of Primal Flow is function, whilst this term has been widely used for at least a decade in exercise, it's intepretation has evolved and we still continue to learn. So what is the Primal Flow take on functional exercise. For those that have explored function, movements that are based upon daily activities, typically compound patterns that are multi-planar would be a fair definition. This ethos is very much employed by PF but the flow goes further than this. It's all very well recreating similar patterns to those of daily activities but the entire industry is guilty of then resuming a normal exercise format of reps and sets with this newly found functional movement. Think about it, does daily life involve repeating each movement several times before having a short break and then repeating the entire process. It's in no way functional to approach exercise in this way. Is it not the ability of the body to adapt to change that is functional? Change in both internal and external forces, change in environment and all the variable components that are demanded upon the body. It is indeed the adaptability of the body that illicits function and surely this should be applied to exercise for it to be termed functional.

Would it not be more functional to condition the body through sequences of movement? Daily life rarely occurs in straight lines, there is indeed rarely the opportunity to perform movement with perfect precision and technique. Watch any competitive field sport and you'll constantly see movement that from an exercise perspective may be described as awkward or biomechanically unsound, yet it is these exposures that develop the robustness of the body, the function of the body. This is exactly what primal flow achieves.

The ridicous religion of health and fitness

Sunday, April 24, 2011 4:28 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
I'm just sat up in Cumbria enjoying a couple of days break at Jen's family home and though I'd put together a quick blog.

With it being Easter weekend, for many a time of indulgence and for others a time for reflection, I thought I'd indulge in a little reflection myself.

With today marking the end of lent, I guess for those having given something up, it's a junction point, do I revert back to where I was? It's a decision that has to come from within, certainly if we're going to stick to it as we live in a free society and have the fortunate circumstance allowing us to decide for ourselves.

It certainly appears this way on the face of things, but is it really the case?

Whilst I love working in an industry that I have a clear passion about, there are certain parts to the industry that I don't understand...and if truth be told, I feel are very shameful. Whilst health and fitness is a personal investment that everyone should prioritise, not everyone has the knowledge or expertise to support themselves and rightfully so, many seek guidance. This demand for guidance creates space for thought-leaders and role models to steer people in the right direction. The shameful truth is that many 'role models' create dependancy from their subscribers. Instead of aiming to empower followers, a stronger reliance is forged through clever marketing, material that only seems to answer only a handful of questions and a continuance in a buying and selling mentality.

Having been in the fitness industry now for nearly 5 years (is that all???), I'm still figuring things out and have a lot to learn but what is very evident is that (and this applies to trainers and consumers) there is often almost sectarian splits between ideas and what people believe and follow. Now If I'm not mistaken, everyone seems to be after the same thing, good health, reducing the risks of illness and enjoying a fit and able body. So why all the segregation?

Well, it's good to have many different routes, ways and paths, there is no right or wrong way to live. However, the negativity stems from the sometimes hostile division between paths that we choose.

No one person on the face of this planet knows the answer to every question or has the perfect plan for everyone yet some of the so called role models would have you believe this. Many modern plans discuss going back to basics and living like cavemen. Whilst there are some extremely positive principles in this idea, is it not hypocritical idealism in the sense that unless you actually fully adopt the life of a caveman, (no computers, no internet, hunting for food etc) it would be nonsensical. Life has evolved from this stage and surely this a good thing. Maybe the theory isn't actually the problem but the fact that many people take ideas or concepts to extremes and follow them as they may a religion. Almost placing role models on a pedastal giving them an iconic or unhumanly status. In my understanding, this is not a positive step as it changes the dynamics completely. What was previously sticking to a healthy plan has now become an approved way of life ruled by a grand figurehead. Fitness shouldn't be so serious. It shouldn't be judged or judgemental and should be open to change as the circumstances of life do. Keeping it fun, vibrant and explorative helps people stay enthused and excited about fitness.

An unwelcomed observation is that often those who are followed overtly display dismissal or disapproval towards unaligned thoughts? Why? Is it fear of the unknown? Surely approval would inspire a more empowered and confident approach; leaving followers much more able to explore, learn and be better placed to make informed decisions. After all, as professionals, this is what we want isn't it!!??






- Posted whilst adventurising using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Cumbria

How far does being a fitness professional go?

Sunday, April 17, 2011 2:18 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
Like most people in the industry, I decided to get involved in the fitness industry to pursue a passion. Something that I love and live by and certainly a way of life. Strangely though, for me it wasn't something that I've always wanted to do and naturally stepped towards through education. I studied something completely different at University and then spent 6 years in the armed forces as an Arabic Interpreter. However, I've always lived by the notion that to excel, you must live by and be a shining example of your profession.

As a fitness professional, your primary aim is to support people through positive change into adopting a healthy lifestyle. Effectively this is a leadership responsibility and if you want to lead people well then proving a good example is a good starting point. This doesn't mean that you have to be superfit, have rippling abs, a meditarranean tan or become an idol, it simply means that you practise what you preach. This really is a privileged position and so often abused.

One common habit that fitness professionals have to steer clients away from is compulsion of some description. Be it over eating, drinking or party lifestyles that leave peoples state of health very poor, helping people adopt a more balanced approach is often the biggest challenge. My question is, if this is situation that you're trying to pull a client away from, is living a party lifestyle yourself going to back your proposition with credibility?

Having spent a good few years now in the industry, delivering courses and training people to become personal trainers, I've seen a vast spectrum in how coaches and fitness professionals carry and present themselves. There is no one right or wrong way to be as a coach. The bottom line is, we all carry a different and unique message and therefore, it's not about following a set path. The golden rule is projecting your message. If you can look in the mirror (not just visually) and answer yes to that question then you're certainly doing something right.

The fact is that in the industry of selling your knowledge, expertise and experience, you are your brand and whilst it would be nice to think that people don't judge a book by it's cover, it does happen because this is often the very first impression people have to start getting to know you.



Here are my top 3 values that translate not just for guiding your clients towards making real step changes but also incorporating into your life:
  1. Education - Constantly learning keeps your mind active, helps maintain focus and supports how well you stay committed to achieving. Education is a constant journey and no one on the face of this planet is in a position to say "right, I've learnt everything I need to know". Quite often, the daunting prospect seems to be that the more you learn, the more you realise how little you know but this is quite exciting don't you think??!!
  2. Challenge - Whilst constantly being challenged could be quite exhausting and consuming, ongoing challenges, targets and achievement maintain a momemtum that keeps us moving forwards. A challenge is merely a simple question of "can I?". It is not about anyone else but oneself and it is only when asking this question that people realise just how much better the reality is than self perception would have us believe. There is big caveat on this though, positioning the standard too high or making the ideal almost unobtainable will only result in the polar opposite of the intended.
  3. Enjoyment - This is so key and often in fitness, it's really lacking. Fortunately, for most of us, we don't have a daily battle for our own survival or our next meal. As professionals, this should be a priority. People make decisions based upon emotion and feeling. If you leave people with a smile on their face, above all else they will be much more likely to return and stay committed. This applies for us as trainers too. Quite often, I see trainers who work so hard on putting together fantastic programmes for clients, so hard that they neglect their own and the enjoyment factor of it. A costly mistake!
These three points done in concert will formulate a fantastic recipe that will keep clients coming back for more as well as achieving the results they set their heart on.

What did the Leeds Rhinos think of Primal Flow?

Monday, April 11, 2011 3:02 PM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
It's always nice to get some good feedback isn't it! Here's what Ben Jones, Strength & Conditioning Coach of Leeds Rhinos had to say about the time we spent with the academy:

"Phill and Jenny from Creating Chaos were asked to come and work with the Leeds Rhinos Academy Players to help improve functional movement patterns, through the use of the primal pattern training techniques. The primal pattern technique offered the players a new challenge, targeting all components of fitness required to be a successful rugby league player and all round athlete. The unique emphasis of
unilateral kinetic chain transfer, focused on improving the athletes functional strength and stability under fatigue.

I would recommend any professional strength and conditioning coach, athlete or fitness enthusiast to work with Creating Chaos. I am very grateful for the knowledge passed on by Phill and Jenny and I am looking forward to working with them in the near future and implementing their training techniques with athletes from different sports"

Ben also works as an Academy Coach within Leeds United too.


Some of the younger Academy athletes working the flow!!

If you're interested in giving some of the flows a go then stay tuned to our YouTube channel by subscribing.

Working within the Leeds Rhinos Camp

Friday, April 1, 2011 12:07 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
A few years back, a great personal training client of mine and someone who is now a very good friend made a sounding comment that's certainly had some prophetic influence. Mid-session and what was quite a challenging bodyweight series of movements, Mark made comment that the type of work we were doing would be excellent for rugby conditioning and he was certainly well placed to make sure a comment after almost playing at International level and having spent a number of years in the sports and fitness industry.



Personally, I'm not a rugby player and was very much a spectator to rugby as a child. I did actually get pulled into playing last minute in my younger years, immediately welcomed by being dump tackled by a boy twice my size. Since that day I've held a certain respect for rugby players. Football has remained my game of choice but I certainly respect rugby and it's players.

Whilst it had already started to manifest itself, our Primal Flow concept was more deliberately born when Mark made that comment and I honestly didn't think that a few years in, we'd be delivering it within the camps of one of the top rugby league teams. 

We've had some fantastic feedback with what we did which has been incredible but right from the start, as much as we put a lot of development into the anatomical rationale behind the flow movements, above everything else, it just makes sense. Whilst lifting heavy weights has to be a big component in preparation for rugby players and many athletes for that matter, being strong on your own 2 feet and with your body weight is a must. Exercise typically has been practised in controlled environments looking to isolate parts of the body to strengthen or done through repeating specific exercises. Whilst this does have a positive effect on the body, in a game situation, the likelihood of the exact situation occuring more than once is vary slim and the body will constantly need the ability to adapt to new situations, stresses and movements.

If sports clubs are open enough to sample new methods of training then this system will have an instrumental effect on the performance of athletes. The statement was never 'Survival of the Fittest' but 'Survival of the most adaptable' and that's how it's always been and is very much the backbone of the Primal Flow system...adaptability.

We're looking forward to sharing this system with more coaches, athletes, teams and those interested in fitness. The strange thing about it is that every time we run the course, we're learning as much from those taking part as they're learning about the system...possibly more.

I certainly need to say a thank you for the encouragement from Mark for the initial encouragement. I'll get some photo's up when we get them through.

Improving Performance with Selective Tension

Thursday, March 10, 2011 11:58 AM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
As our spectrum of courses increases as well as our panel of experts, it's opened up an opportunity for me to give some of our tutors the opportunity to guest-write on my blog. Here's Ben Walsh giving an extremely interesting insight into incremental tension.

Selective Tension – Improving Performance

The incremental use of tension is a concept we apply in our regular day to day lives, although we are most likely unaware that we use it. This is a good thing; if we were constantly thinking about selective tension then we would never get anything done! Let’s look at a few examples; when opening and closing doors we don’t use all our strength, as we know that doors don’t need our full force to close and we are likely to damage ourselves and/or the door if we apply too much. Opening a can of cola is a gentle operation, avoiding shaking the contents and breaking the ring pull. Over the course of our lives we have finely tuned our skills to optimise movement efficiency, using selective tension among other proprioceptive attributes. Unfortunately a number of factors affect this including age, injury, over/under training, disease, fear, nutrition and many more.




As we use selective tension in our lives you would think we use it when exercising, right? More than likely not! Let’s take a conventional resistance training exercise, the pull-up as an example. The pull-up is easy to relate tension to; think about the last time you completed a set of pull-ups and remember what the limiting factor that caused you to fatigue. You would expect 99.9% of the answers to be grip strength and forearm fatigue, which is not surprising given the size of the muscles compared to those of the back. Now let’s go back to the start of the set you were about to complete, ask yourself, how much grip force you applied while holding on to the bar? Did you use all your fingers to grip the bar? Was there a pause before starting the set? Did you pack your shoulders and drive your elbows back to fire the lats and stabilise the scapula? It was likely that an over exertion of force at the start of the set and/or the under use of the lats lead to early fatigue. How many of us run heel to toe and bang the floor as we foot strike? Are we aware that banging our feet into the floor is unnecessary wasted energy and increasing the likelihood of stress related injuries?



The obvious question arises, why don’t we use selective tension when exercising? There are many physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual factors that influence the ability to apply selective tension, the most important thing is being aware that we use it and can therefore apply it in training. Breathing, exertion and tension are interrelated. As tension increases, so does exertion and subsequently the rate of breathing to allow the uptake and transfer of oxygen in line with exhalation of carbon dioxide. We all exercise at different levels so surely those who exercise at a less intense level should apply selective tension, right? Maybe, although many who exercise at lighter levels are novice exercisers, unaware of technique, potentially unfit and gassing out or wishing the time away, thinking of nothing but finishing the session. Those that train intensely and follow the ‘no pain no gain’ principle are more than likely unaware of using selective tension. As our heart rate increases above 140BPM the body prepares itself for the ‘fight or flight’ response, dumping adrenaline into the bloodstream and increasing the force and rate of respiration. Unfortunately this shuts off fine motor controls like selective tension in favour of gross motor controls. If the heart rate continues to rise then it is a matter of time before the body will fatigue its fuel sources and performance will be affected. This is also dependant on the nature of the exercise and the muscles and fascial chains stressed. Take the Kettlebell/Clubbell clean and jerk as an example; you are more than likely to see fatigue in the grip, forearms and shoulder before the glutes, hamstrings and quads, especially while performing G/S or ICS lifts. Seasoned lifters utilise partial or switching grips throughout exercises to share the load, allowing recovery during work.



Unfortunately many people neglect training flexibility and mobility in favour of cardiovascular and strength training. It is the body’s springs that allow us to absorb energy on impact and transfer it back through the kinetic chain. Inflexibility and poor mobility restrict the transfer of energy, creating shock points, altered neuromuscular co-ordination and faulty recruitment patterns, affecting performance and increasing the likelihood of injury.



The next time you are training, observe how much force you are applying while carrying out that exercise; be it a pull-up, interval training session, G/S clean & jerk, clubbell mills or any other example. Aim to minimise the amount of tension you use to carry out the exercise correctly and note any changes in muscle fatigue, repetitions, time under tension, weight lifted etc.



Happy training!



Coach Ben Walsh (CSCS, CST Coach, BSc, DipION, QTFE)

What's so good about the windmill

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 11:52 PM Posted by Phill Wright
, 0 comments
A movement that is very much associated with kettlebells and whilst it looks exciting, do the benefits match the spectacle?


Looking more closely, here's an overview of what it does for the body:
  • As you descend through the movement, the shoulder shoulder forces a huge stretch through the chest and anterior aspect of the shoulder, typically tight in most people
  • As well as hip flexion, there is a lot of frontal movement in this exercise which gets a great response from internal and external obliques in unison
  • There is a big stretch woking through the anterior oblique sling which taps into the adductors, again, often a very tight area
  • As your body negotiates downward whilst keeping the supporting arm vertical, the shoulder joint works through a great degree of rotation, stabilising and improving structure in the rotator cuff and doing this through movement, much more effective than static holds
  • Whilst the legs are not fully locked out, leg position remains fairly fixed through the movement and requires a great deal of stability with saggital, transverse and frontal forces occuring, excellent for ligaments and tendons within the aforementioned joints
  • The movement itself requires not just flexibility but a bank of control and balance. These are crucial for most exercises and patterns like this which demand such a strong level of these will benefit neuro-function with the body's ability to perform other patterns.
  • To hit full runge through the windmill, not only does the shoulder joint require great range and flexibility,  the thoracic spine also needs to demonstrate good extension and again, this is often a problem area for many. Gradually working through more and more depth on this movement will provide a safe and functional pathway to improve thoracic range, function and ability to support extension
The above points are just a few and there's plenty more benefits to be taken from it. I'll leave it down to you to decide whether this exercise is worthwhile :)
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)