Blending the Table and Floor

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Something I have been having a lot of fun playing with more recently is taking the information I gather on the table about a client and then bringing that out on the floor to challenge it and actually making significant improvements in their ability to hold positions on the table.

Beginning with Muscle Activation Techniques™ CAMs, I look for their greatest bilateral asymmetry and then test it positionally, as taught in the MAT Jumpstart courses.  If they are unable to hold that position and, depending on a bunch of other variables, if it is appropriate to do so, I have been taking them out on the fitness floor and challenging these positions with what appears to be more traditional forms of exercise as part of their "warm-up".

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Then we head back to the table to retest the position and, if they are able to hold it, move on to the rest of their workout.  Sometimes that's all I will do to try to challenge it for that day while other times I will try to challenge it in multiple ways throughout the remainder of their session.  Sometimes we head back to the table between sets to retest or drop down on a mat to check it right there and then adjustments are made accordingly.

This concept of blending the table and floor was first shown to me by Charlie McMillin during the MAT Jumpstart courses and it was quite the demonstration as he showed how it was possible to apply force in order to challenge tissue with more "traditional" forms of exercise and still get the response on the table that we are looking for when we do the positional tests or AMC&S tests.  Since then, a lot of time has been spent practicing this concept and coming up with new and creative ways to apply force during the PHP study groups ran by Michelle Amore.

The value I see in this is, first, it brings another level of individualization to my clients' workouts.  It isn't remotely feasible to do the same thing with two different people when taking this approach.  Second, if the client is hesitant to spend a lot of time on the table because of their expectations of what they are coming to you for, this can be a very useful skill so as to stay within your ethical guidelines but yet give them what they want.  It can also be a nice transition into getting them to see the benefit of spending a little bit more time on the table now and then.  And, it is a good check to see if what you are doing on the floor is too much for the tissue controlling that position.  Additionally, if you as the trainer enjoy more puzzle-like brain stimulation, this is an excellent way to stay thoroughly entertained and excited throughout your day.

The other thing it helps with is the separation in the client's mind between you performing some type of therapy and you prescribing exercises.  The less they see you as a therapist, the less they may come to you with the expectation that you relieve pain, and instead see you as somebody who makes muscles stronger.

It took me a while to really feel comfortable making that transfer from the information gathered on the table to applying force on the floor, but through continual practice, study, and re-view I now have a better ability to blend the two.  I am by no sense of the word great at it, but I am getting better, and it sure is a heck of a lot fun to practice.

If you are interested in being presented with the tools to start conducting your training sessions in this manner, take RTS™ and take the MAT Jumpstart courses.

What techniques or thought processes do you use to individualize your clients' workouts?

Your body.  Your training.

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Where's Your Lever?

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Last week I was fortunate to be able to participate in a couple really great study groups ran by Michelle Amore at Precision Human Performance.  We spent a while going over the AMC&S positions for multiple tests and really tried to dial in on the precision of those.  One thing I had made the mistake of when I first started learning MAT™ and have been trying to be more conscientious of the past number of months is making sure that the force I apply in the testing position is 90 degrees to the lever I am trying to test.  With a lot of upper extremity and lower extremity tests, this lever is easier to see.  But with trunk and spine AMC&S tests, it has often proven to be more difficult.

When I first started, the force I applied in a lot of my tests was 90 degrees to the body, which is distinctly different than 90 degrees to the lever.  Reason being, the body has some amount of thickness, which tilts the lever created to such an angle that my force was no longer being applied perpendicular to that lever, and as such was less efficient at causing motion around the axis (technically axes) created by the tissue I was trying to bias towards.

In order to apply my force in a direction that was most efficient at causing motion around said axis, I needed to understand some things in greater detail.  Because historically I have found these things most difficult for myself to find in the trunk and spine, I will frame this list in that context.

First, I needed to understand where exactly the tissue I was trying to bias my force towards attached.  Which vertebrae did this muscle cross?

Second, I needed to understand the opportunities for motion that were allowed by the structure of the involved vertebrae.  For example, understanding what the structure that the tissue crossed actually allowed for lateral flexion compared to the position of the AMC&S test.

Third, after I located the tissue and understood the structure, I needed to figure out where the axis was that is created by the tissue and the given structure relative to the force that was to be applied for the AMC&S test.

Fourth, after the axis was determined, I needed to find which point of application for my force would give me the greatest mechanical ability to create motion around this axis in the plane required by the AMC&S test.

Finally, after finding that point, I could find the lever that was created between the axis and the point of application of my force, and then apply my force at a 90 degree force angle to that lever.

Similar to what I discussed last week with the CAMs, taking the time to precisely set up the AMC&S tests has made a big difference in the responses I get from my clients' bodies.  Understand that the force you apply during the test will be 90 degrees to some lever, but it is important to make sure it is 90 degrees to the lever you are trying to test.  If a position is unable to be held but your force was not applied in the appropriate direction, two issues have been created: 1) you have a designed a test that doesn't necessarily bias towards the desired tissue, and 2) you have designed a test that may not be recreated exactly during the retest.  Both of these issues may lead to false information that may be affecting the types of response you are getting from your clients.

If any of this discussion was unclear or didn't make sense, drop a comment below and let me know!  Additionally, if you are having difficulty understanding the axis, lever, etc. concepts, take RTS™!

How precise are you with setting up your AMC&S tests and your force application during these tests?

Inter­ested in find­ing out more? Check out the “Mus­cle Acti­va­tion Tech­niques™” page.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!

Change Your Brain, Change Your Body

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"Walk with those seeking truth. Run from those who think they've found it."- Deepak Chopra

This month's book review is on Daniel Amen's Change Your Brain, Change Your Body. Dr. Amen is a psychiatrist, medical director of the Amen Clinics, and has authored several New York Times bestselling books, including Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Magnificent Mind at Any Age. For the past few decades, the Amen Clinics have been performing brain SPECT imaging, scans that show not just what the brain looks like, but also, how the brain is functioning. This allows doctors to determine which, if any, parts of the brain are overactive, and which, if any, parts of the brain are under active. The balance of activity in different parts of the brain allows for normal human function. If an imbalance is present, patients can use medicines, supplements, foods, or lifestyle changes for improved stability.

One example in the book explains how one patient "was a compulsive over-eater. She couldn't stop thinking about food. Her brain SPECT study showed too much activity in the front part of her brain (anterior cingulate gyrus), likely due to low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin." In this case, the person could be prescribed an SSRI or take the supplement 5-HTP or St. John's wort to boost serotonin, engage in physical activity, and spend time practicing willpower in order to help with her compulsive overeating. A similar thought process could be applied to a vast amount of other symptoms and conditions.

This book is all about using the brain to change the way you look and feel. It is full of facts about the brain and its function, case studies demonstrating the brain as the missing link keeping someone from reaching their goals, and tips to help incorporate brain healthy actions into your lifestyle. When the brain is healthy, every part of the body functions better.

One reason I enjoyed this book is because it covers the physical brain more than any other book I have read. I have reviewed quite a few books that detail the power of positive thinking and using thoughts to change your life, but this is the first one I've come across that takes brain chemistry and regional activity into consideration. How much do these factors influence habits, thoughts, self-image, individual strengths, and financial tendencies? What happens when someone with a balanced brain and someone with an unbalanced brain both decide to start a diet and exercise program? It will likely be significantly easier for the person with balanced brain to stick to the program, enjoy the program, and achieve results.

Over the next few months, I'll be reviewing books on the brain and mind, and relaying the most relevant information onward, so you can have the necessary strategies for using the most powerful tool on this planet to achieve any goal you set and live the lifestyle of your dreams.

Enjoy this review?  Get a copy of Change Your Brain, Change Your Body in the Self Made® Book Store!

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"It's Not Just Exercise"

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On Saturday evening I had the opportunity to go to dinner with a group of friends, two of whom have attained the RTS™ Mastery certification and two who are more along the lines of serious but recreational exercisers meaning they exercise often and they enjoy it and enjoy learning about it but it's not what they do professionally.

As imagined, it didn't take long for the conversation to turn to exercise and working out and for questions about RTS™ to be brought up.  The question of, "What is RTS™?" was posed.  It was a great question and one that I had stumbled through answering multiple times with my non-RTS™ friends, that is, until a very simple and clear answer was given that night.

"It's exercise," responded Michelle Amore.

"Oh so it's just exercise?" replied a good friend of mine.

"It's not just exercise.  That's the point," answered Michelle.  Then Pete Brown dove in and started discussing ideas and concepts further.  It lead to a great conversation that I think was very eye-opening and thought-provoking for everybody.

But I want to go back to what Michelle said, because that was the first time I had heard that response given before.  And it is absolutely correct.  This exploration of force and mechanics and motion and structure and how everything interrelates manifests itself as exercise.  But it is not the choreographed routine of exercise; rather it is an in-depth study of all the possible options that present themselves within any given scenario.  Additionally, it is tools to potentially understand how to go about manipulating these options to best suit an individual's needs and abilities.

Most people miss out on all of these options because their exercise is governed by certain rules of how to perform exercises with preexisting labels instead of participating in exercise that is governed by, as is often stated in the manuals and during class, rules of the body and force.

To put it simply, this means most people are missing out on what exercise could be in lieu of staying within the box that historical continuity and present-day "experts" have determined exercise is.

To find out more, take RTS™.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!

Asking a Higher Quantity of Quality Questions

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Over the last six or so weeks I have started spending a lot more time with each client going through different CAMs before I dive into the AMC&S tests and then the PICs or DFAMATs.  And part of this increase in time is due to performing more CAMs, or asking a higher quantity of questions, and part of it is the amount of time I try to spend setting up each CAM to make sure I have an apples to apples comparison, or asking a higher quality of questions.  Ultimately, this has lead to a reduction in the amount of time I have needed to spend doing the PICs or DFAMATs.

I think if we want the body to point us in a direction of quality answers, we need to be asking quality questions.  Additionally, if we are looking for answers that are potentially closer to some type of possible source, we need to continue to ask quality questions over and over again.  Just like if you are interviewing a potential client and you ask them why they are looking for a personal trainer, do you accept their first answer of, "Because I want to lose weight," and be done with your questions, or do you keep digging and asking "Why?" and keep trying to find other possible reasons as to why they have come to you?

The CAMs are something that I used to definitely not take as much time with.  Part of this was due to a lack of a developed thought process--I'm not sure I would have known what to do with the extra info had I actually had it.  Part of this was due to me seeing that time as somewhat less important than the PICs or the DFAMATs.  I would still go through some CAMs and try to piece together a mechanical relationship, but I know I was not setting them up to compare apples to apples.  I'm not even sure if I still am 100% of the time, but I am certainly trying to more and it is now in the forefront of my mind when I am with a client.

It really wasn't until I realized that, much as in life or conversation, asking quality questions is a skill that needs to be practiced in order to be done really well.  Furthermore, stringing together a series of quality questions to make for a substantial dialogue is even more of a skill.

So that's what I've been spending a lot of time with as of late, trying to asking a higher quantity of quality questions by trying to be meticulous in setting up apples to apples comparisons.  I've been looking at things such as active hip and knee flexion before setting up a 90/90 hip external rotation CAM, pelvic position while supine on the table, and even trying to work through in my head how/if differently-shaped medial arches between the right and left foot would change how I set up different CAMs for the lower leg and foot and how that might affect everything else.

This process is by no means even remotely complete, or correct for that matter, but I think there is something to be said about if you are wanting better answers, you may need to start by asking better questions, and continue to ask better questions at that.

Are you getting the answers you are looking for?  Perhaps you need to start your pursuit by asking better questions.

Inter­ested in find­ing out more? Check out the “Mus­cle Acti­va­tion Tech­niques™” page.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!

Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder

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Arnold:  The Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Douglas Kent Hall is a great look into the life and mind of Arnold as he was first introduced to lifting weights and bodybuilding and throughout his rise and dominance of the bodybuilding world.What I really liked about this book are the descriptions of Arnold's mindset as he was realizing his potential and understanding that he could be the best in the world at something.  I think most people today see Arnold as the former giant muscle-bound dude with a funny accent who was in movies and now is in politics, but I think people may forget that he was truly, truly great at bodybuilding.  The book describes how his entire career he only lost three bodybuilding competitions, and all three of those times he took second.  That type of feat is extremely unheard of today and I think there is a lot that can be learned from someone who has accomplished what Arnold has.

In the book, Arnold describes a period early on where he would spend hours day after day lifting weights.  Nobody could really see what he was striving for so a lot of people questioned why he spent so much time doing what he did.  Nobody could see the vision he saw for himself.  His parents thought he was being a bum and his social engagements became more and more limited so his friends were kind of put off by what he was doing, as well.  But Arnold had found something that he loved and was passionate about and made him feel good.  He had found a goal and the drive and desire to achieve it.  Because of this, he cut out basically everything else he was doing and chose to put everything he had into reaching this goal.

This all-out, burn your boats type of effort is a rarity.  Considering how common exit strategies and the development of plans B, C, and D are, it's no wonder why people's plan A usually doesn't work out.  Then they sit back and think, "Wow, good thing I had plan B."  Well, maybe their plan A didn't work because they took time to develop their plan B instead of leaving themselves with no other option but for plan A to work.  This is the kind of attitude Arnold takes, and when you have that combined with his extreme self-confidence that he has the ability to get it done, that's the type of combination that allows you to become the best in the world.

You can be really good from purely raw talent, but everybody at that level is talented, so what separates the top guy from everybody else?  And then what allows him to stay there for the remainder of his career once that point is reached?

I think these questions can be answered in part by looking at how Arnold approached what he did, and I think those are highly valuable lessons to understand.

I recommend this book for anyone who wants to achieve something great.  The first half of the book will be perfect for you.  The second half is different weight lifting routines that Arnold put together, but I think the really valuable part of the book is that first 150 pages or so.

Your body.  Your training.

Enjoy this review?  Get a copy of Arnold:  The Education of a Bodybuilder in the Self Made® Book Store!

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!

What Is Balance? (Wrapping Up)

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About a month ago I began a discussion on balance, making an argument that exercises which are traditionally considered "balance exercises" are challenging a skill set more than one specific tissue and therefore questioning their use early on in the rehabilitation process.  Two weeks later I dove into COM and BOS and last week I went into orchestration.  Now it's time to tie it all together.

As I talked about in my COM and BOS post, physics dictates the need to keep your COM over your BOS in order to remain "balanced" or upright.  Then last week the relevant point to this discussion was that orchestration is happening constantly and it is a subconscious response of the brain to a given demand, a process of deciding which muscles not to use to solve a particular problem or complete a particular task based on, among other things, which muscles do not have the mechanical and/or physiological capability to help out, leaving only the ones that do.

So, if keeping your COM over your BOS is the demand that is placed on your system, your brain will find a way to go about solving this.  Which means if this challenge is presented to the system at a time when there is injured tissue or tissue that is not contracting particularly efficiently, the brain will still do its best to figure out a way to keep COM over BOS.  If it is successful in doing so, I don't think it is too far of a leap to question the extent to which the tissue that is injured or not contracting efficiently was used in the process of solving this COM over BOS problem, if it was at all.

Which leads me to question whether these balance exercises, when used in a post-injury setting, are actually training or helping the injured tissue recover and heal or if they are just simply reinforcing a compensatory pattern where you are learning to use all of the other muscles to get the job done.

You can see the potential snowball effect this can create where now, not only is this injured tissue potentially not participating in the recovery process as much as was originally thought, but the body is being trained in a "weak stay weak, strong get stronger" manner, as well.

If an assessment and exercise process was applied that allowed the practitioner to determine which tissue was not participating fully and then prescribe a specific force application to that tissue, that to me seems like a more reasonable way to focus on the tissue that you are trying to heal.

Muscle Activation Techniques™ is one potential way to go about this, but, as always, there needs to be caution used when prescribing force as you may be imposing a demand in an attempt to create a response that the body really doesn't want created at this particular moment in time.  Additionally, being able to understand the principles of exercise design and force application as presented in the RTS™ courses would be highly useful, especially in terms of progressing someone to the point of being able to use that tissue as much as their body will allow.

Looking back on this post as well as the previous three in this series, what information was left out that would have been useful to discuss or present?  Let me know below!

Inter­ested in find­ing out more? Check out the “Mus­cle Acti­va­tion Tech­niques™” page or sign up to take RTS™.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!

"Organic" Exercise

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Many people understand that in order for their body to work as best as it can, they should not be eating a diet based around Doritos and cupcakes.  However, when it comes to the forces they decide to apply to their structure through exercise, it seems as if most are stuck on a metaphorical dessert-heavy diet.While what they are currently doing may seem more fun or entertaining than its "organic" counterpart, understand that if you only eat the foods that are high in sugar or highly processed, eventually you are probably not going to feel too well.  Likewise, only doing the high-intensity, made-for-tv-esque exercise may be appropriate for your body from time to time, but if that's all you are doing, eventually you are probably not going to feel too well.

Like the stomach ache that comes from eating too much pizza telling you to eat something different if you are going to eat that much (and remember you can't have ice cream unless you finish all of your pizza), the little muscle twinges and soreness that leads to the little joint aches and pains is your body saying, "Hey, if you want to keep exercising that's cool, but you have to give me something different."

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One way to be able to keep doing your Krispy Kreme exercises--the ones that may make you feel pretty good in the immediate and short term but if that's all you are doing you may start to feel pretty crappy--is to balance it out with some "organic" exercise, something like Muscle Activation Techniques™, something that is designed to kind of give your body what it may be needing at that moment and may allow you to continue to participate in everything else you want to do for longer with fewer negative consequences.

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I like cheesecake.  Now, I haven't had cheesecake in years, but if that was all I ate every day, and, more importantly, if that cheesecake was not giving my body what it needed to work optimally, I would have to start eating something else to make sure I could keep eating my cheesecake for years to come.  And, just like eating a garden-fresh salad with grass-fed/grass-finished sirloin doesn't have to taste terrible, participating in "organic" exercise doesn't have to be boring.  In fact, with the proper guidance and consultation, it can be really fun and allow you to feel sensations you haven't ever felt before while exercising.

Are you making sure to consume some "organic" exercise so you can keep consuming your Krispy Kreme workouts?

Inter­ested in find­ing out more? Check out the “Mus­cle Acti­va­tion Tech­niques™” page.

Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!

Interested, Committed, or Fully Committed?

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"Without struggle, there is no progress." -- Eric Thomas

How committed are you to your cause?  Are you giving up sleep, meals, and social activities so you can pour absolutely everything you have into making your dreams become your reality?  Or are you merely interested, excited about it, and a participant when it is convenient?

If you are only putting in work when it is "normal", convenient, or easy, how can you expect others to go out of their way to buy what you are selling?

If you aren't willing to give up everything of yours to get where you want to go, how can you expect others to give up anything of theirs to help you get there?

Be great.

Want to use this arti­cle in your blog, newslet­ter, or other plat­form? You may, but be sure to include all of the bio­graph­i­cal infor­ma­tion found in the yellow box below!