SOLCORE FITNESS

it’s not just working out.

Personal Training Success

Personal Training Success in Santa Fe – Arthur

PERSONAL TRAINING SUCCESS STORY

Hey, my name is Arthur and I have been in SolCore for a little more than three years now. Let me tell you, it’s been a lifesaver. Before I came here, I had chronic back pain due to not an injury, but just years of having the wrong posture and doing terrible things with my back, and not really even knowing it.

I went to physical therapy and I went to chiropractors. It helped, but it was more temporary. And coming here to this class, three times a week in the group class, it’s just been amazing.

All the different techniques and whether they are new or new to us, they have been so very helpful.

In the past three years, I’ve had two minor flare-ups, and it was all my own fault. I was sitting improperly again going back to my old ways, and coming back here at class, it’s just has been amazing.

I highly recommend SolCore. It has just changed my life dramatically. I know that’s so cliché, but it’s true.

 

Find out more @

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Personal Training Success Story Santa Fe



Personal Training Success Story Santa Fe – Brian

Yipe! That is the sound Brian makes at the end of a class right before the wall stretch happens (L5/S1 ELDOA). This epitomizes what Brian is about. He is the ultimate dichotomy, a structured gypsy. He embraces both his mountaineering free spirit and team athlete mentality of making sure he puts in the work.

Brian graced Santa Fe with his presence about 4 years ago after growing up in Colorado, being a mountaineer for 20 some years, and working as contractor in Seattle. He has already lived a full life and wants to continue to do so, so when his back pain started up he started looking for answers.

You see after years of climbing up mountains and working with his hands Brian developed a lot of back pain to the point where he was in a lot of pain.  You wouldn’t know it from his super positive, engaging, and happy demeanor but there were times when he would be down for the count for 4-6 weeks with back pain.

He fortuitously came to us when we needed some men for an ELDOA class that we were doing a photo shoot for. He was friends with the photographer and heard it was a class for back pain and was down to try anything that would fix it.

During that first class he was in shock (like everybody) about how challenging these simple looking postures were. But after the class he (like everybody) felt fantastic. He felt that he had finally found what he had been looking for and joined our class.

It has been over two years that Brian has been with us and his results have been remarkable. I’ll let him tell you in his own words, but because of that free spirit, joy and the hard work he puts in, Brian is our January Member of the Month.

1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?

My back pain was so bad that I was being knocked out of my life for 4-6 week blocks. I couldn’t do anything. This started infrequently, but was getting more frequent.

2) What did you do before?

Well, at the start I just pushed through it because it wasn’t that bad, but as time went on, it was becoming unbearable. I tried everything. I went to Yoga classes, worked out, and did those 10-pack Rolfing sessions they recommend.

3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of? My back pain is pretty much nonexistent.  I feel so much more aware in my body and I feel much stronger.

4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them? The Frogs are really challenging, but I know that they are good for me. The wall stretch is great. I feel really good right after I do it.

5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?

I would like to continue to get stronger and have more freedom in my body.

6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer? I love the personal attention and the fact that this program really works!

7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?

Just keep coming and do what you can each day.

8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?

If you put in the work this program works.

 

Find out more @

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Personal Training Success Story Santa Fe

Personal Training Success Story Santa Fe- Janette

Being in this field it is impossible to not get attached to the people you work with. Some of my greatest joys are to get to know each person personally and to hear the amazing stories that come from their mouths. It is an amazing treat. And when you are able to help them it is an extra special bonus knowing where they have come from and what they had to go through to get there.  Janette extremely epitomizes this process. I have a real place in my heart for who she is and what she had to go through to get where she is now. Even though it completely makes sense to me that she could do it through the SolCore Fitness program, her journey is truly inspiring to me.

Janette is approximately my age, 40-ish, but she came to us with the body and spine of a 90 year-old. She was in constant semi-debilitating pain. The only thing that kept her going was a sense of duty to her family and hope that she could get out of this situation.

This situation was one to where she had gone from a thriving young woman with a husband and two kids to a woman that was just trying to get through her day. Her sole goal each day was to not get in any more pain and make it back home, to where she promptly collapsed not able to interact with her family. She sought help form chiros, massage therapists and PT’s but the pain in her back and neck was getting worse. It got so bad she was not even able to give her daughters a bath because she couldn’t reach over the tub.

To make matters worse she couldn’t use pain meds, and she knew that all the doctors wanted to do was to fuse her spine. Luckily, she found a DOM that was able to subside her pain somewhat and she reached out to us to “put her back together.” When I talked to her before starting, I told her that what she had wasn’t that difficult to fix, it just wouldn’t feel that great doing it and would take awhile.

Being the focused person that she is, she committed herself to try it for six months. My main direction to her was to go slow.

Let me tell you how committed Janette is. On her initial session when she did the wall stretch she was brought to tears because of the tissue being pulled back into place.

You see when tissue heals after an injury without it being put back into place properly it heals “out of order.” So when you start correcting, it doesn’t feel so nice.

This pain happened to her whenever she did a class or while she did her stretching homework at home, but she persisted. At one point her husband asked her why she kept going back and she said, “Because this has to work.”

I can’t tell you how many times I walked over to her during a class and saw her struggling just to stay in the posture on the verge. But I am glad that she kept with it because she now has pretty much no pain, has gotten back into lifting and running but more importantly she is a participant in her family’s life again.

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce Janette as the December Member of the Month.

 

1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?

I was sick and tired of being in so much pain and I had to try one more time to get rid of it. I knew that there had to be a way out of it. Your program spoke to me and I dove in.

2) What did you do before?

I used to workout a ton. Lifting weights, running and just being active. I go to an acupuncturist and I was seeing a PT before this but was given up on and told there was nothing that could be done.

3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?

My pain has gone from unbearable to almost gone and I am now able to be present in my family’s life. I can play with my kids. I can workout again. I feel like myself again.

4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?

I love lifting weights! It feels so good to be able to move like that again. The lower to mid thoracic ELDOA’s are murder for me. I know that they are exactly what I need, but they are tough.

5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?

I would like to continue to be able to keep correcting my posture and to lose the 10-20 lbs I put on when I couldn’t move.

6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer?

That it works! I love the personal attention. The way the program is put together and is taught just makes sense.

7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?

Keep going! You have got to take it one class at a time and do what you can. When you don’t feel like going…go anyway! Do your homework. Even a little bit is going to dramatically help you.

8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?

            Do it! But if you do give yourself some time to work it. You should be in it for a minimum of three months to even start to feel where it is going. If this program can work for me it can work for anybody.

 

Find out more @

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Personal Training Success Story Santa Fe

Personal Training Success Story Santa Fe- Rosanna Dill

We have a running joke in the midday class. At about 12:32 Rosanna is going to come screeching in with her workout gear and high heels. She’ll start warming up and be told what the class is that day (no matter what it is) and genially say with a huge smile on her face, “Great, let’s do it!”

Rosanna has one of those minds that likes to figure things out. She is very inquisitive and will generally figure things out on her own. This shows up at home as she is the “handyman” of her family and is pretty successful at it. So she applied the same gusto to her fitness program and got ok results. The problem was that she noticed that her “problem areas” weren’t getting better and in fact getting a little worse. She has what 90% of people have in a thoracic kyphosis. This is a tight upper back that is more rounded than it should be.

Her main goal now was to not be the “hunched back little old woman” so she decided to stop “being a cheap bastard” (her words 😉 ) and sought help. Rosanna saw us on Facebook and read a little on what we do and it really peaked her interest. She decided to commit and work on fixing her upper back by joining our group class.

She jumped in with two feet and worked her tail off. She did all the homework that was given to her and some that wasn’t.  Because of this she has drastically improved her posture and is learning tools so to never become the hunched back little old woman. This is also why Rosanna is October’s Member of the Month.

 

1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?

I did not want to become that little old woman with the hunched back.

 

2) What did you do before?

I took Pilates at a gym for a bit until a dog bit me (long story). I am active and do outdoor activities. Most recently, I was doing an at home DVD workout program that has me doing different stuff every day.

 

3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?

I have so much more awareness in my body. I have much more freedom in my body and I can see my tight upper back slowly going away.

 

4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?

I like all the exercises. I know that they are all helping me and I can feel it. I really enjoy how all the exercises work together in the program. The wall stretch helps me sleep at night and the handful of upper back exercises are really starting to strengthen me.

 

5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?

Just continuing to open up my upper back. It’s like you said, I am working on the past imbalances in my body and what I am doing to myself now.

 

6) What do you like best about our program/having a trainer?

I love the fact that the classes are varied, fun and effective.

 

7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?

Take your time. It is a process to getting results. You are not going to get major results in three months and definitely not in 6 weeks like other programs promise. Stick with it because it is totally worth it.

 

8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?

This program is a subtle yet effective practice that realigns your body.

 

Find out more @

Facebook

Google Plus

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Hip Flexor/Adductors MFS

Week 10 Marcoprogram Routines

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Lower Obliques

*** If you are still struggling to work on the regular lower abs practice that first****

Factors of progression:

  • Breath out, tuck the pelvis (butt in) and pull the crossing hip toward the opposite shoulder ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
  • Only move the lower body keep your upper body stable
  • Wrok up to 3 X 50 reps each side.

EBP: Glute Max Deep Segmental Strengthening

Standard

Variations

Now you know how important the glute max is for the strength and stability of the body and you learned the basic stretch for it. Now you also want to strengthen it.

Again this muscle has 4 different direct fibers that are part of it, so it has a lot of different ways to strengthen it. Start with this initial position and master it, because all the more advanced techniques use this as a base.

Parameters: 

  • Work up to 3 X 50 reps
  • Make sure you tuck before you lift
  • Make sure you roll your spine as you come back down

EBP: MFS front (sternal) diaphragm

EBP: MFS Lateral (Ribs) Diaphragm

EBP: MFS Posterior (Spine) Diaphragm

MFS: Intercostals Front

MFS: Intercostals Lateral

MFS: Intercostals Posterior

MFS: Obliques

The Pelvis – Segmental Strengthening and MFS

If you are stopping after round 1, jump to 34:48 for the cool down. If you want to add a third round(you stud), go back to 22:09 and then go all the way through and finish with the cool down.

Week 6 Macro Routines

1’st Routine

Pelvis Segmental Strengthening 7 MFS

2’nd Routine

Thoracic MFS

3’rd Routines

Lower to mid-back thoracic ELDOA’S

EBP: Roll up Roll Down Abs

The Abs have a lot of responsibility to your body. They interact with all the other “core” muscles and provide stability and mobility throughout your trunk. If your abs are not strong and mobile then there is NO WAY that you will be strong, pain free, energetic or move efficiently. You will also not allow your internal organs to function properly as the abs “keep the contents in the container.”

Parameters: 

  • work up to 3 X 50 -100 reps
  • Do not hook your feet underneath anything
  • Learn to roll down and not just lean back.
  • Do this at least every other day
  • Do the IlioPsosas MFS after to normalize

EBP: Lower Abs

Hopefully by now you have been diligent and have practiced the upper abs at least 3 days a week and are much more proficient at it. And since you have, I want you to start to incorporate the lower abs.

Remember when I told you that the abs can move a lot of different ways? Well this one part can at a base move the trunk to the pelvis (upper abs) and then the pelvis to the trunk (lower abs).

Parameters: 

  • Do 3 X up to 100 reps
  • Do on alternating days with the upper
  • If you have trouble with these (most people do) do the awareness modification first and then start to practice the total move.
  • Do the Psosas MFS after to normalize

EBP: The Thoracic Diaphragm – Segmental Strengthening

Most people don’t think that they need to train their diaphragm. But this muscle is really important in keeping your body balanced and functioning really well. Just think among other aspects your heart sits right on top of your diaphragm, your liver and stomach hang from it and it is the principal muscle involved in breathing. So if it is not in place, strong and flexible then you can forget about having energy, feeling comfortable, or moving well.

Parameters Segmental Strengthening:

  • Make sure the inhale is pushing the belly button up not pushing your abs out.
  • Do 3 X 20 Reps

EBP: TVA & Segmental Strengthening

To work the deepest abs muscle and the deepest orthopedic muscle you have in your trunk you need to work the TVA. This acronym stands for the Transverse Abdominis and this muscle is like the girdle of your body. Like a girdle the force of this muscle goes around the abdomen in a squeezing motion.

This muscle has a lot of really important connections and needs to to be aware and functioning.

Parameters:

  • The working (strengthening) part is when you are breathing in and not allowing anything to move.
  • Do 3 X 5 reps
  • A rep is when you breath in and try and move it.

EBP: Segmental strengthening obliques

Factors of progression:

  • Breath out, flex(move toward kees) and turn ALL AT THE SAME TIME
  • Keep your chin tucked or hand gently behinf the head for support.
  • Work up to 3 X 50 reps each side

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Upper Obliques Rotational

Factors of progression:

  • Keep your chin tucked with your head and shoulders off the ground. Use the non reaching hand to support your head if necessary.
  • Turn in the desired direction as far as possible and back to centeronly using the upper body. No to minimal pelvis and leg movement.
  • Work up to 3 X 50 reps each side.

EBP: The Glute Med Segmental Strengthening

The Glute med is definitely one of the top muscles that needs to be strong. Its #1 job is to hold your pelvis in place. They are like the walls of your pelvis. If your walls are weak or imbalanced then the pelvis will be off. If the pelvis is off then everything above and below is compromised because the connecting “floor” is off balance.

Be really careful when lifting your leg up and down as it is very easy to cheat by rolling your body backward or bending your knee. Only lift your leg as high as the form allows. When you get the form down on this one your will know as a wonderful burning sensation will come over your hips. 😉

Factors of progression: 

  • Work up to 50 reps each position. 100 if you have had a hip replacement. 3 X each side
  • Keep that leg turned in or you will end up working a different muscle…badly.

EBP: Lower Oblique Abs Rotational

Factors of progression:

  • Feet off the ground knees closed together
  • Rotate your legs side to side aiming with the outside of the thigh
  • Breath out as you go down and back up. Breath in at the top
  • Work up to 3 X 50 reps each side.

EBP: MFS Iliopsoas

It’s important to always think about the whole being and the different linking areas in the body.

And when you want to work with those areas, work on the tissue that gives you the biggest bang for your buck. The Iliopsosas is one of those muscles. Since it affects three linking areas of your body, hip, pelvis, and spine, it would behoove you to start working on this muscle and get it down.

Now, you can target 5 different main areas on this muscle, but getting the 1st basic posture down is required and super beneficial.

Parameters: 

  • Work this for 3 X 30 sec each side
  • Pain in your kneeling knee use a pad underneath and/or don’t push that foot so far outside the hip.
  • It is normal to feel tension in the opposite front leg in the glute or thigh. It is all part of the chain.
  • Factors of progression: Tucking the pelvis, Being tall with a slight lean forward of the upper body, the arms out and externally rotated.

From left to right: level 1,2,3

EBP: MFS Internal Oblique

EBP: MFS Transversospinalis

EBP: Upper Longissimus Segmental Strengthening

>

You core is not just your abs. You core is the core of your body. Basically your torso. Well your torso has a bunch more muscles in it than just your abs. Even if you master your abs (and that is a lot of work) you MUST work the other muscles in your torso.

You Longissimus is the first basic place that that you need to start at as it is mainly responsible for pulling your torso backward. Either the top part or bottom part.

Parameters: 

  • Work up to 3 X 50 reps
  • It’s nice to either do this opposite the roll un roll abs or on opposite days.
  • Don’t let your lower back arch. Keep your pelvis tucked. Even if that means pausing between each rep and making sure you tuck it.

From left to right: level 1,2,3

EBP: Lower Longissimus Segmental Strengthening

Now that you have practiced the upper longissimus let’s get you working on the lower part. Again just like all the ab muscles the back muscles have a lot of different ways it could be worked. Use this lower longissimus to connect to the upper you have been doing.

Parameters strengthening:

  • Do 3 X up to 100 reps
  • Make sure you tuck your pelvis so as not to arc your back and compress your spine
  • Think of pulling your thighs off the ground with your knees locked so to not just use your hamstrings.

From left to right: level 1,2,3

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Upper Illiocostiallias

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Lower Illiocostiallias

Factors of progression:

  • Keep your knees locked and legs together the entire time.
  • Think of pulling your thighs off the ground to get your legs off the ground
  • See saw back and forth from the lower back to move the legs.
  • Work up to 3 X 50 reps each side

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Upper Trasversospinalias

Factors of Progression:

  • Breathout, lift up and turn toward the opposite hip all at the same time
  • Kep your pelvis tucked
  • Work up to 3 X 100 reps each side

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Lower Trasversospinalis

Factors of Progression:

  • Keep your pelvis tucked
  • Pull your hip via your back towards the opposite shoulder
  • Work up to 3 X 100 reps each side

EBP: MFS Lower Longissimus

Parameters:

  • Once set up do 3 X 30 sec
  • Factors of Progression: Tucking your chin into your chest and rounding your back, reaching your arms externally rotated toward your feet.

EBP: MFS Upper Longissimus

*** If you can’t safely get your legs up while staying on your shoulders(not your neck) do only the lower longissimus MFS until you are ready.***

Factors of progression:

  • Support is through your upper back and shoulders not your neck.
  • Keep your knees slightly bent and a little wide
  • Hold your hips for a little support if you rfee can not get to the ground
  • Work up to 3 X 30 sec

MFS Lower Longissimus(Lower Lateral back)

Factors of progression:

  • Reach an arm toward the upside of the opposite knee and the other directly overtop the same knee
  • Make yourself into a “C” and round your back like a cat
  • Push the arm that is under the knee throug it and aloow your body to trn in that direction
  • Bend your body in the opposite direction
  • Work up to 3 X 30 seconds each side.

EBP: 5 Part Shoulder Warm-Up

This exercises will generally open up and waken up the 10 joints your have in your shoulder girdle. It is a really great exercises if you are tight and weak throughout your shoulders. If you sit at a desk a lot then use this to break up that pattern of sitting and having your head going forward and shoulders slouching. Use before a workout or on its own.

EBP: Piriformis Segmental Strengthening

The piriformis is part of your pelvic floor and works with the obturator internus you were shown before. So it is really efficient to work the two together.

Parameters: 

  • If you feel pain on the inside of the working knee make modifications by pulling your working heal toward your butt and/or lean back.
  • Pain or pressure inside the hip/pelvis is the muscle you are working
  • If body weight becomes too easy use and ankle strap weight around the outside of the working knee.

Parameters Segmental: 

  • Work up to 3X 50 – 100 reps each side

Parameters MFS:

  • Do 3 X 30 seconds each side

EBP: Obturator Internus Segmental Strengthening

You have already learned how to MFS the Obturtator internus and now you also want to solicit all of the muscle fibers and make it strong.

Factors of progression: 

  • Do 3 X up to 50 – 100 reps each side
  • Add an ankle weight to the outside of your thigh if you need to add some resistance.
  • If you have to much pain on the inside of the working knee then pull that heal closer to your but, lean back, take off weight.
  • If doing with the MFS do warm up with the windshield wipers warm up before and MFS at the end

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Lats

To balance and strengthen the back part of your body your lats need to have the proper strength and flexibility. They are important because they run from your upper arm all the way down (like a “V”) to your hips. They also have a direct connection to your pec underneath the armpit. They are really big muscles and can be trained in a lot of different ways.

Parameters Segmental Strengthening:

  • Do 3 X up to 50 reps
  • Make sure your arms don’t go in front of your body. Keep them a little behind. Don’t bend the elbows.
  • If you can use a cable machine that is best. If you have to use body weight try and keep the back part of your arm pits squeezed.

T4/T5 ELDOA

L4/L5 ELDOA

This joint is the second lowest on your mobile spine, and gets the second most tension on it.

Parameters:
  • Once set up hold for 1 X 1 min
  • Keep your spine lengthened as much as possible at all times
  • Factors Of Progression: Getting the spine tall, Pulling the toes toward your shins and down to the floor from your ankles, Working each arm out in external rotation.

L3/L4 ELDOA

L2/L3 ELDOA

L1/L2 ELDOA

EBP: L5/S1 ELDOA

To have a healthy, strong, vibrant, well-moving, your lower back needs to be open, aware, and strong. The main area that needs to have this is your L5/S1 joint. 

Even in a healthy back, it needs a lot of preventative work not to become unbalanced. Now factor in that most people’s bodies are unbalanced, and they will receive even more force. This is why it is the main joint that people injure when they hurt their lower back.

Luckily, one exercise will give you the most bang for your buck to strengthen, open, and make this joint more aware.  

Parameters:

  • Do this passively. After setting up just hang out for 5, 10, 15 (or how ever long you can) minutes. Just make sure that your knees are not locked.
  • After setting up do for 1 X for 1 min
  • If using this exercise always finish with it.
  • Factors of progressions: Puling your toes toward your shins and turning your feet in, turning your legs in and pulling your knees toward the wall, flattening your whole spine on the ground from butt to neck down eyes down and getting tall.

The Pelvis ELDOA’S

Week 5 Macroprogram Routine

1’st Routine

The Pelvis ELDOA’S

2’nd Routine

The Pelvis MFS

3’rd Routines

Lower back ELDOA’S

The Spine – Mid to Upper Back Thoracic ELDOA’S

Week 4 Macro Routines

1’st Routine

Mid to Upper Thoracic ELDOA’S

2’nd Routine

Cervical(neck) ELDOA’S.

3’rd Routines

Big Bang Workout

EBP: T12/L1 ELDOA

This is a very important joint to keep open in regards to movement of your upper body and the health of your internal organs.

Parameters:

  • SWITCH SIDES TOO!!!
  • Once set up 1 x 1 min each position.
  • Factors of progression: Getting tall, Working the straight leg in position and down, working the straight arm up

T11/T12 ELDOA

T10/T11 ELDOA

EBP: T8/T9 ELDOA

Really important area to keep free and open. It is one of the most challenging ELDOA’S, but one of the most necessary.

Parameters:

  • Once set up 1 X 1 min
  • Do with L5/S1 and C4/C5 to get a good general spine balancing
  • Factors of Progression: Get tall in position, Practice brining each arm out in external rotation

T7/T8 ELDOA

Parameters:

  • Once in position: 1 X 1 Min
  • Factors of progression: Get tall in position, practice bring each arm out and slightly wide and up

T6/T7 ELDOA

Parameters:

  • Once set up 1 x 1 min each position
  • Factors of progression: Sitting tall in position.

T5/T6 ELDOA

T3/T4 ELDOA

The Spine – Lower To Mid Back Thoracic ELDOA’S

Week 3 Macro Routines

1’st Routine

Lower back ELDOA’S

2’nd Routine

Low to mid-back thoracic ELDOA’S

3’rd Routines

Big Bang Workout

The Spine – Lower Back ELDOA’S

Week 3 Macro Routines

1’st Routine

Lower Back ELDOA’S

2’nd Routine

Lower to mid thoracic ELDOA’S

3’rd Routines

Big Bang Routine

EBP: MFS Glute Med

Factors of progression:

  • Cross and plant the working side foot outside the non working side leg.
  • Hug the leg with the opposite arm with the elbow or hand depending on flexability
  • Keep the working side glute and foot down
  • Non working leg: Pull the toe in and turn the leg in with knee down.
  • Arch your lower back and get tall
  • Reach the working side arm out with external rotation
  • Turn your upper body toward the thigh being pulled in.
  • 3 X 30 sec each side.

EBP: MFS Quadratus Femoris

EBP: Deep Glute Max MFS

To effectively manage your pelvis so that it functions best, it needs to have a lot of strength, and the sacrum needs to be in place. One big bang muscle that can work on both is the Glute max. Your bum 🙂

The deep part attaches to your sacrum, where it works with the piriformis to manage it, and it also attaches to the hip bone to help mobilize it.

4 fibers are associated with this muscle, and they all need to be strong and flexible. That means there are four different postures for stretching and over 12 ways to strengthen it.

Master this initial way of MFS first to make it a staple of your program.

Parameters:

  • Do 3 X 30 sec each side
  • Make sure your anchor yourself down by keeping the butt & neck down while looking at your belly button.
  • If your head is barely on the ground or really difficult use a towel on the ground so that you can go to your level.
  • If it is to difficult to grab your leg put your feet on the wall so that you have a 90 degree angle and the hip and knee and then cross the desired leg over keeping your but on the ground and push the working knee toward the wall.
  • Factor of progression: pushing your sacrum (butt) to the ground, pushing your neck down eyes looking down toward your belly button, turning your feel out.

The first posture is if it is too difficult or painful to grab your knee. The next, from left to right, level 1 and 2

EBP: MFS Piriformis

Factors of progression:

  • Turn the working side in with the knee at 90 degrees. This knee down is the most important part.
  • The opposite leg is straight and the things are touching.
  • Arch your lower back (stick you but out)
  • Get tall and bring one or two arms out if you can.
  • If you feel pain on the inside of the working knee make modifications by pulling your working heal toward your butt and/or lean back.
  • Pain or pressure inside the hip/pelvis is the muscle you are working is normal
  • The working side glute should be off the ground.
  • 3 x 30 sec each side

EBP: Glute Minimus MFS

This muscle is really important when working with the Rec fem(one of the 6 biomechanical quads).

Parameters:

  • Work this for 3 X 30 sec each side
  • Factors of progression: Tucking the pelvis, Being tall with a slight lean forward of the upper body, the arms out and externally rotated.

Left to right level 1 & 2

EBP: MFS Obturator Internus

One foundational area that needs to be in place and strong is your pelvis. It connects your upper body and lower body, and if it is off, it produces stiffness, pain, and overexertion of energy just to move around naturally.

It is the area where you have the most control because of the sheer number of stretches and exercises you can do on your own.

One primary muscle you want to work is the obturator internus. It is part of the pelvic trochanter and pelvic floor muscle groups (pelvis to hip), and it acts as a hammock for your pelvis.

The last thing you want to do is to get on a hammock that is weak or off-balance. That is why working with this muscle is vitally important.

Teaching Points & Parameters:

  • Work it for 3 X 30 sec each side
  • If you feel pain on the inside of your knee, use the modifications listed. DO NOT push through.
  • Feeling pressure inside your pelvis or hip/leg area is expected. This muscle is deep.
  • The working side glute off the ground is normal.
  • Do this posture in a passive stretch. Get into the 90/90/90 position and just hang out for 5, 10, 15 min (or whatever you can) on each side.
  • Main Factors Of Progression: Working knee down, Be tall, opposite side knee down, Working side thigh pushing forward out of the hip (without sliding hip forward).
The far-left pic is if you have knee pain on the inside of the working side. From left to right, levels 1,2,3. Level 1 is also the passive posture.

C2/C3 ELDOA

T2/T3 ELDOA

C3/C4 ELDOA

EBP: C4/C5 ELDOA

C5/C6 ELDOA

C6/C7 ELDOA

C7/T1 ELDOA

T1/T2 ELDOA

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Pecs

A foundational piece to keep the front of your body in place is your pec. It is connected through the abs to connect all the way down to your pubic bone. It also connects to the lat underneath the armpit which is behind it so that they can work together to balance the front of your body and the back of your body.

Parameters Segmental Strengthening:

  • Do 3 X up to 50 reps
  • Make sure the turn of your arm happens from the upper part mainly only using your wrists a little. Not the other way around.
  • Move in a diagonal. If you san see the crease of your elbow when they are on the ground and the hands directly straight above the chest you are in a good place.

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Biceps

EBP: The Squat

If you are not able to naturally keep yourself within your gravity line then there is no way you will be balanced , you will have pain, not be able to move properly and use a lot of unnecessary energy just to complete your day.

To have an efficient gravity line means that your feet, spine, eyes and TMJ are all working doing their jobs and communicating to you bran proper posture. These areas all need their own training to be efficient, but all will use the gravity line squat in conjunction.

The gravity line squat uses all these aspects in a global movement so that they all start working together. This is why the squat is the most important global exercises there is and why it is in your foundational program.

*** Use this as its own workout!!!*** Do 3 sets for as many as you can (resting between time worked to double time worked) and then end with the “MFS Deep Glute Max,””MFS Rec Fem,” and “L5-S1 ELDOA.”

Parameters:

  • 3 X 50 Reps
  • Start the movement down by pushing your knees forwarded leaning your upper body forward the same amount.
  • Slide your weight back toward the back outside part of your heals.
  • Only go as far as your thighs parallel to the ground and then push back up from your heals to stand back up.
  • If you can't go as far as your thighs parallel to floor use a bench to sit towards

Quads, Adductors (inner thigh), lower front leg segmental strengthening, and MFS

Week 9 Macroprogram Routines

Shoulder Girdle Segmental Strengthening(Shoulders and inter-scapula)

Week 9 Macroprogram Routines

1’st Routine

Shoulder Girdle Segmental Strengthening(Shoulders and inter-scapula)

2’nd Routine

Quads, lower front leg segmental strengthening and MFS

3’rd Routines

The Spine – Mid to Upper Back Thoracic ELDOA’S

EBP: GPS Lower Lumbar

EBP: GPS Upper Lumbar

EBP: GPS Thoracic Rotation

EBP: MFS Upper Iliocostalis

Updating your homework items.  Please wait.

ELDOA: Anterior Hip

Factors of progression:

  • Kneeling with the working leg turned out
  • Turn working foot so it points behind
  • Start by putting a hand on the knee and hip and push them away from each other.
  • Tuch the pelvis, get tall and then bring the arms out and the kneeling arm up
  • 1 X 1 min each side.

EBP: Posterior Hip ELDOA

EBP: Cephalic Nutcracker ELDOA

EBP: Caudille Nutcracker ELDOA

Core – Abs Segmental Strengthening And MFS

Week 7 Macroprogram Routines

If, after round one, you want to jump to the stretching, go 44:18. To go back for a 3rd round, rewind to 30:50.

Core – Back Segmental Strengthening & MFS

Week 7 Macroprogram Routines

If, after round 1, you want to jump to the stretching, then go to 59:47. If you want to do another round, go back to 36:00. 

Core & Upper Limb – Pec and Lats and Bicep and Tricep Segmental Strengthening & MFS

To jump to stretching, go to 28:20. To go back for a 3rd round, go to 18:54 

Week 8 Macroprogram Routines

Soleus, calves, and hamstrings segmental strengthening & MFS

Week 10 Macroprogram Routines

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Quads Middle (All)

EBP: ELDOA Lesser Arm SI Joint

Factors of progression:

  • On forearms hips, shoulders and ears lined up in one oblique line
  • Sacrum down(Most important)
  • Cross working leg over the opposite leg
  • Lock the non-working leg into the ground by turning the foot in and pushing the arch to the ground, push your knee out while pulling your hip in. The leg will not move but you will feel a “tightening” through that chain. Don’t obsess about getting this perfect at the beginning.
  • To open the lesser arm push the crossed-over working knee away from you
  • 1 X 1 min each side.

MFS Semitentonosis

Global Strengthening Squats And Push Pattern

Week 11 Marcoprogram Routines

Global Strengthening Bend And Pull Pattern

Week 11 Marcoprogram Routines

Global Strengthening Lunge And Twist Pattern

Week 12 Macroprogram Routines

GPS Hips And Pelvis

Week 12 Macroprogram Routines

GPS Trunk and Shoulder Girdle

Week 13 Macroprogram Routines

MFS Semimembranious

MFS Medial Gastroc & Lateral Gastroc

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Proximal (ALL)

Segmental Strengthening Medial and Lateral Gastroc(Calves)

Segmental Strengthening Distal Hamstrings All (prone)

Semimembranous – Foot Going toward the outside of the body
Semitendenious – Foot-going center
Bicep Femoris – Foot going toward the inside of the body

Segmental Middle Hamstrings All (kneeling)

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Peroneus Longus, Anterior, and Posterior Tib

EBP: Segmental Strengthening VMO

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Articular Genu

EBP: ELDOA Greater Arm SI Joint

Factors of Progression:

  • Sacrum down with hips, shoulders and ears lined up getting tall
  • Legs open between 30 – 45 degrees
  • toes pull in feet and legs turn in and healps push away
  • 1 x 1 min.

*** If this is difficult to feel, you can practice one leg at a time. Just plant the foot down of the nonworking leg down with the knee at about 90 degrees keeping the same width. 

EBP: GPS Pelvic Floor (Back)

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Long Head Tricep

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Soleus

EBP: MFS Lats

>

To balance and strengthen the back part of your body your lats need to have the proper strength and flexibility. They are important because they run from your upper arm all the way down (like a “V”) to your hips. They also have a direct connection to your pec underneath the armpit. They are really big muscles and can be trained in a lot of different ways.

Parameters MFS:

  • Do 3 X 30 sec each side.
  • Factors of Progression: tucking your pelvis, pushing the working side elbow to the ceiling

EBP: MFS Long Head Tricep

EBP: MFS Pecs

A foundational piece to keep the front of your body in place is your pec. It is connected through the abs to connect all the way down to your pubic bone. It also connects to the lat underneath the armpit which is behind it so that they can work together to balance the front of your body and the back of your body.

Parameters MFS:

  • Do 3 X 30 seconds each side
  • When you push your armpit down keep that arm turned out and pushed away. It won’t touch the ground.
  • Factors of Progression: Getting the ear down chest down and pelvis tucked, externally rotating the arm and pushing it away.

EBP: MFS Biceps

EBP: MFS Middle Delt

The middle delts main job is to hold your arm up because gravity is constantly trying to pull it down. Having weak delt is one of the main reasons people have shoulder pain because if it is not strong enough the supraspinatus and bicep ligament are put under to much strain and over time end up tearing.

And because the shoulder girdle is dependent on all the soft tissue elements being in place and having enough strength and flexibility to function correctly, doing this exercises and MFS will go a long way in keeping you strong, mobile, energetic, and out of pain.

Parameters MFS:

  • Tension in the neck is normal as it is part of the chain.
  • If you get tingling anywhere in that area back off in intensity a bit till it loosens up.
  • Do 3 X 30 Seconds Each side
  • Factors of progression: externally rotating your arm and pushing down to the ground, tucking your pelvis and getting tall, bending and turning your head away from the working side.

EBP: MFS Front Delt

EBP: MFS Rear Delt

EBP: MFS Serratus Anterior

This muscle is important to keep really strong and moving well as it works with the rhomboids (butterflies) to form a really important joint behind the shoulder blades.

When both of these muscles are strong and working together you upper body strength will improve and will really help keep your posture.

Parameters:

  • Do 3 X 30 seconds
  • Factors of progression: pinching your should blades, tucking pelvis and chin and getting tall.

EBP: GPS Cleida Scapula Pinch

EBP: Segmental Strengthening The Middle Delt

The middle delts main job is to hold your arm up because gravity is constantly trying to pull it down. Having weak delt is one of the main reasons people have shoulder pain because if it is not strong enough the supraspinatus and bicep ligament are put under too much strain and over time end up tearing.

And because the shoulder girdle is dependent on all the soft tissue elements being in place and having enough strength and flexibility to function correctly, doing this exercises and MFS will go a long way in keeping you strong, mobile, energetic, and out of pain.

Parameters Segmental Strengthening:

  • Keep the crease of the arm turned in without rolling your shoulders forward to put the proper fibers in tension.
  • Only go as high as you can keep the proper form.
  • Do 3 X up to 50 reps

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Rear Delt

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Front Delt

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Serratus Anterior

This muscle is important to keep really strong and moving well as it works with the rhomboids (butterflies) to form a really important joint behind the shoulder blades.

When both of these muscles are strong and working together your upper body strength will improve and will really help keep your posture.

Parameters Segmental Strengthening:

  • Do 3 X up 50 reps
  • Do with butterflies to be really efficient

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Rhomboids

If your shoulder blades are not back and in place then your whole upper body will be off balance. That is because they are the main factor in keeping the 10 joints in your shoulder girdle in place. If even one of those joints is out of place if effects the other 9 in a big way.

And if they are off it is going to make it near impossible to use the upper body in an efficient way.

Parameters:

  • 3 X up to 100 reps
  • Only have your arms between 30 – 45 degrees wide
  • Don’t bend your elbows as you come up
  • Don’t confuse just pulling your hands off the ground and the full rep

EBP: Segmental Strengthening Leterial Gaastroc

EBP: GPS Pelvic Floor (Front)

EBP: Primal Movement: Push

EBP: GPS SI Joint

EBP: GPS Hip Joint (Weber Ligament)

EBP: GPS Pubic Symphysis

EBP: GPS Hip ABD

The Spine – Cervical (neck) ELDOA’S

Week 4 Macro Routines

1’st Routine

Mid to upper back thoracic ELDOA’S

2’nd Routine

Cervical (neck) ELDOA’S

3’rd Routines

Big Bang Workout

EMP: MFS Rec Fem

Factors of progression:

  • Kneeling posture grabbing your back leg with opposite arm
  • Pull your heal to your but and tuck your pelvis (most important directions)
  • Slide you weight forward and come up if you can
  • Grab with the other hand so that both hands are holding the foot
  • If you are balanced and your heal is on your but and pelvis tucked you can reach out the same side arm as working side.
  • 3 X 30 sec each side

EBP: Proprioception Patellofemoral

One of the top things affecting peoples knees today is patella patellofemoral syndrome. It is a condition where the cartilage of the kneecap is rubbing on the thigh bone because there is not enough space and the joint doesn’t move very well. It is terrible because it hurts really bad and if all the cartilage ends up coming off the only thing you can really do will be surgery.

So it is probably a really good idea to prevent this from happening. Doing the patellofemoral proprioception before starting an activity is a great way to start doing this.

Parameters:

  • Once set up hold for 1 min
  • Find a level that you are wobbly in.
  • Progress from: lightly holding on, both arms off to the side, arms down by your side, eyes closed
  • Do with the Rec Fem MFS to directly work on your knees.

EBP: Lower Abs

Hopefully by now you have been diligent and have practiced the upper abs at least 3 days a week and are much more proficient at it. And since you have, I want you to start to incorporate the lower abs.

Remember when I told you that the abs can move a lot of different ways? Well this one part can at a base move the trunk to the pelvis (upper abs) and then the pelvis to the trunk (lower abs).

Parameters:

  • Do 3 X up to 100 reps
  • Do on alternating days with the upper
  • If you have trouble with these (most people do) do the awareness modification first and then start to practice the total move.
  • Do the Psosas MFS after to normalize

EBP: Proprioception Navicular

EBP: MFS Pectineus

Factors of progression:

  • Kneeling with the front leg to the side knee greater than 90 hips even
  • Tuck the pelvis and get tall
  • Reach the arm(s) out if you can
  • Slide via the pelvis laterally out into the front leg
  • 3 X 30 Sec each side

EBP: MFS Adductor Longus

Factors of progression:

  • Kneeling with the front leg 30 – 45 degrees wide
  • Tuck the pelvis and get tall
  • Reach the arm out if you can
  • Slide via the pelvis diagonally out into the front leg
  • Turn the torso away from the front leg
  • 3 X 30 Sec each side

EBP: MFS Bicep Femoris

>

The Bicep femoris is the most important of the three hamstrings because of its role in biomechanics (how you move). It directly connects downward through the lateral calf to the heal and upward through the pelvis leading up to the head and out to the arm.

So if it is not strong enough or too tight you will not move well, have pain, and exert more energy than is needed just to move around.

Parameters MFS:

  • Do 3 X 30 sec each side
  • The goal of pulling the knee down is to eventually get the heal off the ground.

EBP: MFS Lateral Gastroc

EBP: MFS Soleus

EBP: The “Big Bang” MFS & ELDOA Routine

Week 2 Macroprogram Routine

1’st Routine

Big Bang Routine

2’nd Routine

Practice Time. Practice some or all of the “big bang” routine.

3’rd Routines

Big Bang Routine