Jumping is a movement skill that is often overlooked in traditional fitness programs. I actually just recently started including more jumping in my own training program – not just for skill improvement, but also for conditioning purposes. My jumping experience had been mostly confined to doing box jumps at the local gym, but it wasn’t until I attended a MovNat natural movement training seminar that I realized the value of learning how to jump efficiently.
Below, you’ll find some pictures of me practicing vertical jumping onto a picnic table at my local park. I’ll detail some of the key points for making a successful jump. This is only one kind of jumping technique – there are many. You’ll see a few more ideas for training in the video below, but this is also only a sampling. When you learn how to jump properly, it opens up a whole new perspective for different training possibilities. How high are you jumping? How far? On what surface? What do you need to do after the jump? These things and many others come into context when applying jump training to your program. Continue reading Anatomy of a Jump
The Kong Flow is a Prasara Yoga Flow that is based on a variation of an animal-based movement called the Kong. I’ve been practicing this over the past week for fun – following my coaches advice to try one motor-moron movement each day. The Kong Flow is unique in that it actually self-compensates via hip flexion and extension, making it an excellent Prasara flow for the hips. It’s short and sweet and lot’s of fun to hop and roll around!
This is a natural movement outdoor strength training session that I modified slightly from a recent Men’s Health article which you can read here (I don’t think the workout is posted online, only in the physical magazine article). I had fun going through it, and I can tell you without a doubt that this one will challenge you a LOT. This natural movement session will definitely have your body burning fat, building muscle in places you didn’t know you had them, and conditioning you for natural human movement. I was drenched in sweat when I was done, and feel like I truly accomplished something primal. Give it a try if you’re feeling brave!
Here’s the instructional video…
Natural Movement Outdoor Strength Training Session
Moving on all fours should come naturally to humans. Personal trainers and strength coaches tend to label it as an animal exercise or animal movement, when in reality, it’s just natural human movement. Humans learn to crawl even before they learn to walk, and children are adept at moving on all fours in a variety of ways. We tend to lose this natural ability as we grow older and don’t practice or play on all fours anymore. The truth is that moving on all fours is our birthright, and we are completely entitled to being able to master this physical skill even throughout adulthood.
Moving on all fours is great for a lot of reasons…
1) It can be done anywhere and doesn’t require any equipment
2) It is an integrative movement, not an isolation movement that can improve strength, endurance, power, balance, coordination, and agility.
3) It can be used for fat loss, muscle building, or general conditioning goals.
Here is a quick tutorial on how to begin to rediscover the value of moving on all fours. Pretending like you’re an animal stalking prey makes it all the more fun…
How to Move on All Fours: Basic Crawling Fundamentals
The bodyweight jump squat is a great exercise that is useful for a variety of training goals, be it fat loss, muscle building, or general physical conditioning. The jump squat is simply a combination of a bodyweight squat and a vertical leap – paired together and they become a super-effective tool for athletic strength gains. The problem most people run into with jump squats is how to progress with them to mastery.
Contrary to popular belief, just increasing the number of reps, sets, and time spent on jump squats isn’t the only way to progress – or the best way to progress, for that matter. Increasing the quality of your movement is one of the best ways to progress, and we do this through increasing our movement sophistication. There are endless ways to increase the movement sophistication of the jump squat, and here are some examples.
How to Fire Up Your Jump Squat by Increasing Sophistication
Today, a competition was held worldwide in International Clubbell Sport. The club swinging greats from all around the globe joined together for some massive sweating, callouses, blisters, and fun.
This is my first official clubbell competition, and I competed in the 15 lbs division. Here are my results…
Total Double Clubbell Swipes completed in 10 minutes: 160
Total Single Clubbell Mills completed in 10 minutes: 128 (129R, 128L)
