The Movement Guy

My workouts follow a simple rhythm
- Slow/Flow/Go

A bit of balance to prime and calm the Nervous System and get the body ready for faster coding later (contract/relax)

Some slow activations (like this one) that help to enhance the mind/muscle connection, pre-fatigue a couple of bits and stimulate remodeling in the tissues, particularly the tendons which love time under tension/isometrics - we're turning the collagen factory on

Then I use some flowy stuff to help to regulate the NS and sync the body/mind (we're one big symphony of Rhythms)

Finally I finish with some more 'poppy' stuff to bring it all together and develop someone's ability to move and react quickly. This part, while demanding on that NS at the time is what leads to a more confident/calmer NS - it feels safe not only in movement but in dealing with the unexpected

Just for those who've asked

I don't really spend much time worrying about the ins and outs of someone's condition, I just work with what's in front of me and look for opportunities

What can I improve?

Turns out that if you factor in the brain and Nervous System you can improve a hell of a lot

Our brains and bodies are linked in ways far deeper that modern medicine currently accepts and understands and while I'm not exactly sure what I'm figuring out right now, I think it's important

I've spent a lot of time around people with all sorts of conditions

I'm always looking for new ways to improve how someone moves and more importantly, how they feel in movement, but I also want it to be fun

I don't think

This is a great movement to get your shoulder/arm moving and teach you how to use your upper and lower body in an integrated way to create mobility

Putting the pop back in movement with


One of my favourite drills for putting a bit of pop back in someone's movement and develop their ability to rate code - send different signals to the tissues quickly, contract/relax

I lost a lot in my quest for strength, including my movement confidence, especially when it came to doing anything quick

I was scared to move, terrified that I'd do another disc, lock up for another month or year, that, this time it would be more than a numb leg and pain, I'd be done for good

I was anxious all the time and started getting panic attacks before training and I ended up in A&E a few times, I still trained though, I'd run for miles, lift heavy straight after and treat people all day, but inside I felt broken

That's where my system was born and movements like this where some of the best things I found/used to help me feel good in movement again

They helped me to learn how to put some give in the system, how to relax in movement, how to move again, and no matter how many times I do them they still get me excited and I feel great afterwards

I'm not just sharing random drills, I'm not trying to be different for the sake of it, I'm sharing this because I'm so thankful for what it's done for me and it's my obligation to share it

A couple of things are going on in this one

Reciprocal Inhibition - For something to relax/lengthen, something else must contract/shorten, and vice versa - think bicep/tricep - this is that on a body wide scale

Triple extension - Your hips, knees and ankles all extend at once to transfer ground force through your core into whatever your doing - jumping, sprinting, lifting, throwing, changing direction

We're practising how to do both quickly and developing our ability to rate code - send different signals to the tissues quickly

A simple drill that ticks a lot of boxes

People often ask

If you want to understand what's going on with this one/why I get people to turn the foot in, stand in a staggered stance, foot facing forward and drive your knee over toe - pay attention to the pressure in the knee and how your glute feels, can you sit into it/your hip?

Now, turn your foot slightly inward and drive the knee straight forward again, see what that feels like in the knee/glute

If you get it right you should feel less pressure in the knee and more going on in the glute

That's you accessing more internal rotation, teaching your glute how to access that range again and building stabilisers/breaks that will spare your knees and back

Give it a try and let me know how it goes