2016-05-25
Jessica Bento, Physical Therapist
Finally touched his toes!
That may not sound like a big deal, but when your 70 year old client does it for the FIRST time in their life, it is pretty cool. That isn’t the best part to the story that DVRT Master, Chad Skrederstu, shared with us about his client after taking him through DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training activation exercises.
No, the best part is the impact it has had on his client. How do I mean? When people see what is possible with smart training, the want to do more. The reason that we hear people say, “they don’t have time” and the million other excuses, is that they don’t REALLY think it is going to work. Most have tried a fitness program before and why should this new goal be any different?
However, when people DO see how fast the body can change, it is amazing how their attitude does as well. According to Coach Skrederstu, the impact of his client touching his toes for the first time ever wasn’t lost on his client. “For the guy who HATES to warm-up to touch his toes for the first time EVER has become the guy who now comes in 15 minutes early to do his work.”
Now, THAT is pretty darn cool!
Funny enough, Josh and I are known for our little “black magic tricks”. Helping people move better almost instantly, reducing the impact of injuries…almost instantly. How? It isn’t really a trick, but rather, understanding science.
One key is to realize that many movement issues are a response to a perceived threat by the body. When the body feels unstable, weak, and overall unsafe, it starts to shut itself down. The easiest way to achieve this is by creating flexion in the body. Think about what happens if something is thrown at you and you weren’t ready? You throw up your arms, move your head, even crunch your torso, this is all flexion.
Many people show this when they move and feel weak/unstable. Bad squats, bad movement patterns, and more is not really an issue of muscle strength or even flexibility, but the body trying to protect itself.
So, when we warm-up, we don’t necessarily need to stretch a lot, but almost focus on more “activation” drills. That would be especially true of the glutes, core, and lats. When you combine these types of actions with a dynamic stretch, all of a sudden we get not only a release, but better overall mobility. You will see the hips and the shoulders begin to move better almost instantly. Your body will feel “lighter” and oddly stronger.
The best part is that instead of spending time doing something that most hate, a few minutes of really focused work can be more effective than long drawn out stretching sessions. Where do you start? Some of my favorite DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training activation drills are in today’s video.
Check out more great drills and full programs in Jessica’s “DVRT for Better Back, Knees, and Shoulders” HERE. Save 25% on ALL DVRT programs with coupon code “MEMORIAL”
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