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(2) Dynamics of Motion™. LEVEL I Breakthrough Fitness Results for Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. by, Scott Malin, NASM-CPT and Cory Brusseau .

(3) iii. Copyright 2009, Scott Malin and Cory Brusseau All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the copyright holder, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in review. For information, contact: [email protected]. Caution: Not all exercises are suitable for everyone and this or any exercise program may result in injury. Consult with your doctor BEFORE initiating this or any exercise program. Dynamics of Motion, the author and distributors of this book, disclaim liability or loss in conjunction with the exercises, advice, and instructions expressed herein. Keep in mind that results vary from person to person. Some people have a medical history and/or medical condition that may warrant individualized recommendation and, in some cases, drugs and even surgery. Do not start, stop, or change medication without professional medical advice. Neither this, nor any book, is intended to take the place of personalized medical care or treatment. Although Scott Malin is a certified trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, he is not a physical therapist, nor is he a medical practitioner..

(4) iv. About the Authors. Scott Malin Scott has been certified as a personal trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He has worked privately with many celebrities, athletes and high profile clients, helping them achieve incredible results in health and fitness. Scott is also one of the Co-Founders of Dynamics of Nature, LLC, one of the leading nutritional supplement companies in the United States.. Cory Brusseau Cory has been extraordinarily active in health and fitness for over fifteen years. As an avid triathlete and ultra marathon runner, he has broken new ground with his passion for creating new exercises and theories to push the body beyond the limits of what science deems possible..

(5) v. Contents Introduction........................................................................................................ 6 1. Quality of Life................................................................................................ 8 2. Overview - Dynamics of Motion System...................................................... 14 3. LEVEL I Explained....................................................................................... 24 4. Warm Up..................................................................................................... 28 5. Core Exercises............................................................................................ 43 6. Exercises..................................................................................................... 56 7. Cool Down................................................................................................. 106 8. Workout Programs..................................................................................... 115 9. Nutritional Considerations......................................................................... 141 Conclusion..................................................................................................... 157.

(6) Introduction When you first look at the scope of the Dynamics of Motion system, it can seem a little overwhelming. But, do not worry, because we have broken it all down so can access any part you need at any given time. In other words, this is not a typical book that you have to read from start to finish. Feel free to jump around and focus on the areas that are most important to you or areas that are not familiar to you. Most of the book can be looked at as reference. For example, you can skip directly to the workouts at the end of the book and simply refer to the other chapters when you need to learn about the exercises. As time goes on, we encourage you to read and understand as much as possible, because the more you understand, the safer the exercises will be for you while also improving your results significantly. Here’s a basic outline of the book. Chapters 1-3 will explain the background and benefits of this program and give you important information you will need, such as how to maximize fat loss. Chapters 4-7 will take you through all the exercises in the warm-up, the core, the workout and the cool down. Make sure you read these chapters very carefully to learn the exercises and the proper form. This is absolutely essential to insuring you get the maximum benefit from the program. Chapter 8 consists of a 12 week program with all the various exercises progressing from week to week. These programs are meant as a guideline and need not be followed to the letter. Everyone is different and you should go at your own pace. It is for this reason that we have designed a flexible program to accommodate anyone’s needs. Chapter 9 will give you a broad outline of nutritional considerations for healthy fat loss as well as a very healthy maintenance diet. The three levels of this program break ALL the current fitness paradigms out there today. Combined together, Levels I - III are a comprehensive fitness program that can be used by anyone, anytime and anywhere. They provide a lifetime of stretches, exercises and workouts that have unlimited potential. It does NOT matter what level of fitness you are at right now, because this system accounts for everyone’s different levels of ability and offers a great workout for everybody. Never before has there been such a comprehensive fitness system that offers an incredible workout for people of any age. Not only that, we have designed the programs in such a way that you will transform literally every aspect of yourself in the safest and healthiest way possible. Congratulations on getting this revolutionary fitness program! By committing to this system, you are committing to yourself. You will find that your health, longevity, and most important, the quality of your life becomes significantly better. That’s our promise to you! At Dynamics of Motion, we are changing the way people exercise and stay healthy by rethinking the entire model of fitness. Instead of being chained to a gym, you now have the freedom to exercise outside, in your home, a hotel room, a park, in the woods or almost anywhere imaginable. Beginning at Level I, moving into Level II and all the way through Level III, anyone from the lowest level of fitness can progress to a fitness level one would.

(7) 7. have thought impossible. You can also expect to see your body transformed into a lean, fit, beautifully proportioned physique. But, that’s only the beginning of the health benefits you will get from this program. You will also be correcting postural distortions, muscle imbalances, inflexibility and increasing strength, power, balance, agility, coordination and endurance that will carry over into the real world. This provides two extraordinary benefits: reducing or even eliminating chronic pain in the body AND developing the ability to move safely, naturally, powerfully and gracefully in daily life. Level I is the foundational program from which all others build. We consider it absolutely essential for anyone to start right here no matter what level of fitness one may feel they are at. Level I is very unique. It marks a tremendous breakthrough, because it can take almost anyone at any level of fitness and produce phenomenal results. Even people of more advanced levels of fitness will see incredible benefits from the foundational programs in Level I, because of the unique exercises designed to fix weak and neglected areas of the body. This gives a much more effective, safe, and healthy workout than you would get from any outdated machine or exercise you see people using in the gym. Correcting weak and neglected points within the body is one of the most effective ways to speed up results. Level I will help you lose weight, get toned and in shape much faster than other fitness programs, but in addition, you will also be significantly improving your overall functional movement. Also, Level I may help you reduce and even eliminate chronic pain in various areas of the body. You will be amazed at how quickly you see and feel results from Level I. Although we encourage exercise to be done outside to achieve maximum benefits, all of Level I and II can be done inside a gym setting. If you prefer to workout at home or inside a gym for Levels I and II, that’s perfectly fine. No matter where you do the workouts, you can expect to blast through ruts and plateau’s created by old school faulty training methods. They will help you to burn that stubborn fat off faster in addition to staying injury free. And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions, just ask us the experts on our forum:. The Dynamics of Motion Forum. Become a part of our community and share your experience. We wish you the best of luck on your health and fitness journey! Oh yeah, and do NOT forget to take some pictures of yourself right now. Put on a bathing suit and take a few pictures. Fat loss can be a funny thing... the best way to see it is through pictures of yourself before and after. And hey, if you send us your before and after pictures, we will give you your choice of ANY book at Dynamics of Motion for FREE. It’s our way of saying thank you for inspiring others..

(8) Chapter 1 Quality of Life Everyone knows that working out is healthy, but what are some of the specific reasons? It is important to understand the underlying health benefits for working out, as this is the inspiration that will not only get you to start the program, but will enable you to stick with it. Here are the top reasons to get started and stick with our fitness program: Fat Loss When we speak to individuals about their motivation for working out, it almost always centers around fat loss. Although there are many additional benefits to this workout program, we know this is foremost on people’s minds, so we wanted to dive right in and explain more specifically why this program will help you maximize fat loss. Hormones and Fat Loss Hormones are the messengers of the body. They tell the body how and when to utilize its fuel for maximum benefit. Unfortunately, as we are not living a natural lifestyle, these messengers get ignored and over time begin to fall out of balance, causing the body to perform improperly and at less than peak levels. Specifically, there are hormones in the body that have to do with stress and fat. Let us take Cortisol for example. You have probably seen the commercials on television advertising pills that will block Cortisol, because it supposedly causes fat storage around the belly as well as increasing age and lowering the function of the immune system. But, this is only half the story. The negative effects only come into play when Human Growth Hormone (HGH), testosterone and other growth hormones are not utilized along with Cortisol. Cortisol’s main function is as a stress hormone that raises blood sugar levels. It is designed by the body as a kind of emergency fuel that comes about when the body is stressed. If the body is stressed and remains inactive, problems begin to emerge. Cortisol acts like a protective mechanism giving the body, in addition to adrenaline, the emergency fuel it needs for fight or flight situations. Now, if activity does not use up this fuel in the blood, insulin will be needed by the body to lower blood sugar levels back within normal range. Now here is the key... insulin lowers blood sugar by storing it as fat. So, if a person fails to exercise when the body is stressed, then stress hormones like Cortisol are released into the blood but never used, and thus the excess fuel is stored as fat. If we think about how our ancestors lived, when the body was stressed, it usually meant it was about to be used for something physical. When early man had to kill his dinner or avoid being.

(9) Chapter 1 - Quality of Life. 9. eaten, one thing determined success or failure - individual levels of fitness. Every time someone missed a kill or was almost killed, their body became leaner, stronger and faster in order to survive. The hormones released when the body is stressed only store fat if a person does not utilize them like they were biologically designed to be used, as fuel. High Intensity Training Here is an important fact to remember: stress slows down the metabolism! However, stress hormones do NOT lead to fat gain and aging when they are followed by high intensity activity. So, in order for these stress hormones to be beneficial for fat burning, a high intensity workout is a must! Low intensity activity was an every day occurrence to our ancestors, yet today this is what most of us call exercise. Walking was a necessity but is not an intense exercise. This is not to say that walking is not beneficial. It should be done as much as possible, as should all low intensity activity. But to promote a leaner, stronger body, high intensity activity is the only way the body knows how to release HGH, and other growth hormones that benefit fat loss. By using this type of exercise regime, we teach the body to burn fat, process fuel efficiently, and slow the aging process. One study, published in the journal Metabolism tracked 2 groups of people- one doing aerobic training for 20 weeks and the other group doing high intensity interval training (HIIT) for 15 weeks. The results were very interesting... even though the aerobic group burned almost 50% MORE calories than the HIIT group, the HIIT group lost 9 TIMES MORE subcutaneous fat (under the skin). And the resting levels of several fat burning enzymes were significantly higher in the HIIT group.1 Keep in mind that the HIIT group was trained a full five weeks LESS than their aerobic trained counterparts. To summarize, despite burning fewer overall calories, the HIIT group lost far more body fat overall.. A study published in a 2007 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that young females who performed seven high intensity interval training workouts over a two-week period experienced a 30% increase in both fat oxidation and levels of muscle enzymes that enhance fat oxidation.2 Florida State University (Tallahassee) researchers at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reported that subjects who performed HIIT cardio burned almost 10% more calories during the 24 hours following exercise than a steady-state group, despite the fact that the total calories burned during each workout were the same.3 1 Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism, July 1994, 43 (7): 814-8. 2 Talanian, J.L., et al. Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. Journal of Applied Physiology 102(4):1,439-1,447, 2007. 3 Meuret, J.R., et al. A comparison of the effects of continuous aerobic, intermittent aerobic, and resistance exercise on resting metabolic rate at 12 and 21 hours post-exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39 (5 suppl):S247, 2007..

(10) 10. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. Another study used a circuit training protocol of 12 sets in 31 minutes. Metabolism was elevated significantly for thirty-eight hours post-workout. Thirty-eight hours is a pretty significant time frame for metabolism to be elevated. If you trained from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday morning, you’re still burning more calories (without training) at midnight on Tuesday!4 Compound Exercises Maximize Fat Loss - But Why? Compound exercises are an important part of this program. Multi-joint movements (also known as compound exercises) are proven time-efficient muscle builders that deliver more results than single-joint exercises. Outside the weight room, in daily activities and in sports, virtually every movement involves more than one joint. Therefore, it makes sense to do mostly multi-joint exercises not only from a time management standpoint, but from a functional perspective as well. A recent study at Colorado State University followed a group of seven young women (aged 22-35 years), all of whom were physically active and lifted weights 3-4 times a week in addition to regular cardiovascular exercise. They followed a new routine that included several compound exercises and trained hard. Measurements taken 16 hours later show the rate of fat burning had increased by over 50%! Resting metabolic rate was also up by about 4%. That means that the women were burning more calories and more fat.5 Many people believe that to target certain muscle groups, isolation exercises are the way to go, but this is simply not the case. Isolation exercises (biceps curls is just one example) only work one muscle across a single joint. Compound exercises like squats and lunges all work multiple muscles across more than one joint through a single movement. Not only do they reshape troubled areas, like your butt and abs, they also sculpt secondary muscles like triceps, biceps and calves. Please, be aware that we do include some isolation exercises in our program. Even though we believe compound exercises are superior to isolation exercises in almost every way, it is also important to strengthen weaker areas and fix muscle imbalances. One of the best ways to do this is by isolating a muscle group, then activating and strengthening it. Used in this way, isolation exercises actually help improve the functionality and results of compound exercises. In other words, a few isolation exercises strategically weaved into your workouts will improve your ability to do compound exercises, so you get all the benefits of maximum fat loss in your workouts. 4 Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM. Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management. European Journal of Applied Physiology. March 2002, Vol 86 (5): 411-7. Epub 2002 Jan 29. 5 Osterberg, K.L., & Melby, C.L. (2000). Effect of acute resistance exercise on postexercise oxygen consumption and resting metabolic rate in young women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 10, 71-81..

(11) Chapter 1 - Quality of Life. 11. Builds and maintains healthy muscles, bones & joints As you get older, it is a matter of fact that your bones lose density (mass), joints become stiffer and less flexible, and your lean body mass decreases (you lose muscle and put on fat). Regular exercise is one of the best ways to slow or prevent muscle loss and joint/bone problems. In other words, a good fitness program can help you maintain strength and flexibility into old age. And as we age, strength training becomes even more important to offset age-related declines in muscle and bone mass that can lead to frailty and fracture— one of the primary reasons older adults wind up in nursing homes.6 Not only is weight training safe, it is important for preventing osteoporosis. As muscles are pulled directly against the bone, with gravity working against it, calcium is driven back into the bones. In fact, weight training can actually stimulate the manufacture of new bone. This adds up to a decrease in the effects of osteoporosis by 50% - 80%.7 Healthy seniors who are physically active and exercise more than 60 minutes each week can lessen their chances of disability as they age. In one study over a 13 year period, active seniors had significantly less disability than the inactive seniors.8 Research has also showed that, among men and women aged 50 to 69 years and across all weight ranges, the rate of decreased physical ability later in life was twice as high among those who were less physically active. Dr. Iain Lang reports, “exercise in middle age does not just benefit people in terms of weight loss - it also helps them to remain physically healthy and active later in life”.9 Better Sleep / Reduces stress Exercise will also help you sleep better at night and reduce stress. This can have a very dramatic effect on your overall well-being and health. Sleeping better and reducing levels of stress can significantly improve your ability to cope and function in the world. You will be more alert, relaxed and think more clearly. A study in 2008 found that an acute session of moderate exercise can reduce the anxiety state and improve the sleep quality of insomnia patients. A significant increase in the total sleep time (37%), including getting to sleep 40% faster were observed. Finally, a significant reduction (7%) in the anxiety state was also observed after moderate aerobic exercise session.10 Not only will sleep help you feel better throughout the day, it can also help you lose weight! 6 Healing Moves by Carol Krucoff and Mitchell Krucoff MD, (2000, May) pg. 144. 7 Get Healthy Now by Gary Null, (2003, July) pg. 15. 8 Center for the Advancement of Health (2008, June 7). Vigorous Exercise Can Help Seniors Avoid Disability.. 9 The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (2007, November 29). Use It Or Lose It: Physical Activity In Middle Age. 10 American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2008, June 12). Moderate Exercise Can Improve Sleep Quality Of Insomnia Patients..

(12) 12. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. Lead investigator of a recent study, Arn Eliasson, M.D., suggests that getting less sleep might disrupt natural hormonal balances—for example, reducing the amount of leptin, otherwise known as the satiety hormone—and could thereby cause those individuals to eat more.11 Exercising reduces stress and anxiety by diminishing electrical activity in tense muscles as soon as you finish your workout, which makes you less hyperactive and jittery. In addition, your body releases more endorphins for an hour and a half to two hours after your workout, which boosts your mood and promotes relaxation. As a result, people who exercise every day can reduce their risk of anxiety and stress levels by more than 40%.12 Reduces the risk of many diseases The best reason of all to work out regularly is that it reduces your risk of many serious and potentially deadly diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, colon cancer, breast cancer, stroke, heart attack and arthritis. Regular exercise has been shown in thousands of studies to increase longevity, help prevent disease, and increase over-all quality of life. Here are a few of the highlights... A few incredible health benefits for lowering the risk of various diseases: • Exercise has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure: A reduction of 5 to 10 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) is possible. In some cases, that’s enough to prevent or reduce the need for blood pressure medications. Falls of a few mm in blood pressure and shrinkage of a few centimeters in hip and waist circumference are enough to make a difference to an individual’s risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease. 13 • Exercise often increases the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol in the blood), especially when accompanied by weight loss. Exercise also helps reduce triglyceride levels.14 Excess triglycerides has been linked to an increased occurrence of heart disease. • A recent study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research suggests that regular physical activity can significantly lower a woman’s overall risk of cancer – but only with a good night’s sleep. Fortunately, our exercise program also helps improve your quality of sleep (see above). “Greater participation in physical activity has consistently been associated with reduced risk of cancer incidence at several sites, including breast and colon cancers,” said James McClain, Ph.D., cancer prevention fellow at the National 11 American Thoracic Society (2009, May 19). Sleep May Be Factor In Weight Control. 12 Hamer M, Stamatakis E, Steptoe A. Dose-response relationship between physical activity and mental health: the Scottish Health Survey. Br J Sports Med 2008; Apr 10. 13 BMJ-British Medical Journal (2007, August 20). Even Low Levels Of Weekly Exercise Drive. 14 Mayo Clinic (2008, January 4). Moderate Exercise Yields Big Benefits..

(13) Chapter 1 - Quality of Life. 13. Cancer Institute and lead author of the study.15 In short, the health benefits of regular exercise and a well thought out and implemented workout program are immense. It promotes a lean and healthy body into old age. We have developed this program to help you achieve all your fitness goals as well as promote extraordinary well-being and longevity.. 15 American Association for Cancer Research (2008, November 30). Exercise And Rest..

(14) Chapter 2 Overview - Dynamics of Motion System You will find this chapter in all books that encompass the Dynamics of Motion System. We feel it is very important to have a good overview, because that will help you map out your progress and maximize results. As you will see, the benefits of this system are extraordinary in more ways than you may have thought possible. By understanding a little bit of the underlying reasons for your improvements, you will be able to measure your progress as you continue to move through the various levels. The Top Ten benefits of our system: 1. Functional Movement – Moving safely and correctly in everyday life. 2. Corrects Postural Distortions – Improves posture for aesthetics & pain reduction. 3. Flexibility – Reduces tightness and alleviates chronic pain. 4. Joint Stability / Mobility – Improves functionality and reduces risk of injury. 5. Corrects Muscle Imbalances – Reduces pain and transforms physique. 6. Agility and Balance – Improves functionality and performance. 7. Functional Strength – Lifting loads correctly and safely in everyday life. 8. Fat Loss and Lean Muscle – Maximizes fat loss - builds lean, toned muscle. 9. Body Intelligence – Teaches you to interpret signals of the body. 10. Safe Progression – Safe progression of exercises from beginner to expert. Functional Movement Functional movements is based on real life situations. Functional movement usually involves multi-planar (multiple directions) / multi-joint movements, which utilize the body’s core and other various muscles synergistically, in real time. In simple terms, this relates to how you move everyday such as picking something up, walking, running, etc… Almost all of the other benefits described below work to improve your over all functional movement. In Level I, we get back to basics and teach you the foundations for successfully transforming your body. Almost everyone has muscle tightness and various imbalances in different areas of the body. This means that the functional movement patterns of the body are severely restricted. Muscle imbalances, inflexibility and poor posture all contribute to improper movement patterns. When you move incorrectly or unnaturally, it puts you at high risk for injury, chronic pain and a low ability to move freely and fluidly in everyday life. We are constantly amazed at the intelligence of the body. However naively, the body will.

(15) Chapter 2 - Overview - Dynamics of Motion System. 15. help you to move in the way you are demanding, even though the muscles it needs to do the movement safely are restricted. So, the body will compensate, recruiting other muscles to get the job done. For example: When bending over to pick up a box, if your hips and calves are tight and if you cannot properly activate your glute muscles, your body will do the best it can to get the job done. But, it will be moving in an inefficient and dangerous way. So, in this case, instead of using your legs correctly, you may use mostly your lower back. The problem is that this puts you at a high risk of injury and chronic pain. Further, you will be severely limited as to the actual weight you will be able to lift. So, your potential for functional movement will be very low. In Level I, we begin correcting poor flexibility, a wide variety of muscle imbalances and poor posture. To do this, we will be re-training the body to move correctly. Right now, it is a pretty good guess that you have accumulated many bad movement patterns over the years. These inefficient and unhealthy movement patterns usually lead to chronic pain and injury. As we retrain the body to move correctly and remove the tightness and weakness that is restricting your movements, you will start to feel much more mobile and flexible. A good analogy would be like taking off heavy, immobile ski boots and putting on tennis shoes. After just a few months, you will start to feel like a new person. In Level II, we build on the foundations you learned in Level I and move into more challenging exercises that focus on functional strength, power, balance, agility and endurance. One of the most important ways to train functional movement is to add more lean muscle to the body. By adding more strength, you will continue to increase and maintain your flexibility while also increasing your ability to place more stress on the body with a very low risk of injury in real life. This translates into improved functional movement while using more weight. We will also be challenging the body to move with more power and speed. Further, you will be moving in multiple directions which translate into better real life functional movement. By continuing to challenge the body with more advanced movement while also building more strength, you will be preparing the body for most of the movements in real life. By the end of this level, you will have corrected many of the restricted movements and built up enough strength to dramatically lower your risk of injury in life and sports. Level III is ONLY for people who have gone through Levels I and II. We take things to a very advanced level with these exercises and workouts. You will be challenging your body to move in all directions with serious power, speed and agility in a wide variety of environments and on uneven surfaces. Without the foundations from Level I and the strength from Level II, you will NOT be able to do these movements safely. But, assuming you are ready for this Level, you will not believe how much more agile, powerful, and strong you become with the fun and challenging exercises and workouts we have created for you. Level III creates an environment whereby the body’s movement mimics the way we.

(16) 16. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. used to move before modern technology limited and weakened our bodies. Level III gets us back to the place when man could move freely and safely in almost any situation life throws at you. It is an extremely exciting program, because you will be truly maximizing your potential. It is difficult to describe Level III, but sufficed to say, it will challenge your with revolutionary workouts for the rest of your life. It will take you far beyond your expectations and create phenomenal functional movement. Correcting Postural Distortions Postural distortions are usually places where the body has become slightly disfigured from its natural state. An example of a classic postural distortion would be rounded shoulders. Rounded shoulders put the chest in a tight, shortened position and the back in an over extended, weak position. Correcting rounded shoulders does wonders for a person’s aesthetic posture, because it enables them to stand up straight and immediately makes their shoulders, back and chest look their best. Of course, this is just one of many examples that will be naturally corrected as you go through Levels I and II. Correcting postural distortions is important for aesthetic reasons as well as functionality. When certain muscles are placed in shortened positions and the body is out of whack, functional movement becomes limited and the risk of injury increases. As we age, postural distortions become more and more pronounced, but they can always be addressed and improved. By correcting your posture, you will free up your muscles to work naturally as they were meant to, which means you will be able to move correctly and with much greater efficiency and power. As explained above, Level I addresses postural distortions head on and gives you the tools for correcting them. In Level II, you will begin building strength to really hold those muscles in their natural place even while more and more stress is placed upon them. By the time you reach Level III, you will have addressed and corrected many, if not all, of your postural distortions and will feel a substantial difference in your daily life. Improving Flexibility Flexibility is the body’s natural range of movement in a joint or series of joints and muscles. However, flexibility is not just the ability to get into a range of motion. It is also having the strength to hold that position and then get out of it safely. Most of us live a very sedentary lifestyle characterized by a great deal of sitting and very small amounts of actual movement. The body is designed to move often, but we rarely give it the opportunity. Because of years and years of disuse, the muscles in the body shorten and accumulate knots (adhesions in the muscle) that restrict blood flow and natural elasticity. As the muscles become tighter over the years, their ability to move naturally and safely decreases. This not only restricts natural movement, but also increases the risk of injury. This can be easily felt by trying to move into various positions. You will feel tightness in many different areas, restricting your movement. Everyone is different and will find they are inflexible.

(17) Chapter 2 - Overview - Dynamics of Motion System. 17. in some areas and flexible in others. The key is to stretch the tight muscles while improving strength in the weak muscles. These workouts will teach you an enormous amount about your body and enable you to correct inflexibility from their roots. Regaining elasticity in the muscles is absolutely essential for proper movement. You have to be able to get into a range of motion, hold that position and then get out of that motion safely. So, in Level I we start by beginning to loosen and remove the knots in the muscles. We also work on stretching dynamically and statically to begin increasing your range of motion and build some strength to hold those positions. Most people notice big gains in flexibility in just a few months. In Level II, we focus on building strength in the muscles and continuing to increase elasticity by working out remaining knots and pushing you further on the stretches. Level II should get you to the point of good flexibility, so that you can get into and hold a wide range of motions safely and effectively. In Level III, we will continue to stretch, but in new and more creative ways. You will continue to gain more and more flexibility as you challenge yourself with new ranges of motion. Naturally, creating more flexibility will carry over to much better functional movement as you learn to move more dynamically and efficiently. Joint and Muscle Stability and Instability Joint stability is one of the keys to protecting a person from injury. There are certain joints that are absolutely essential for stabilizing your movement. For example, the knees and core (including the lower back) are key stabilizing areas. When the knees are not stable, ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tears and other knee injuries can occur. When the lower back becomes unstable or too flexible, twisting motions can throw the lower back out and cause serious injury as well. In addition, excessive mobility in areas that should be immobile or stable can cause chronic pain. It is absolutely imperative that the joints and muscles that are intended to stabilize your movement are strong and able to withstand twisting forces placed upon you in life and sport. The workouts you will be doing will help create stability by increasing strength and endurance in the main stabilizing areas. We will work mainly on the core musculature, which also includes the lower back. One of the main reasons for knee issues and other joint pain and injuries is that people immobilize their mobile joints, which causes the stabilizing joints to compensate and become mobile. So, we will also work on joint mobility (see below), which is one of the keys to allowing the stabilizing joints to do their job as well. Some of the main mobile joints are the ankles, shoulders, hips, and upper back. By creating proper joint mobility in these areas, it will take stress off the immobile joints (knees and lower back), which can alleviate pain and reduce the risk of injury. We will work to increase joint.

(18) 18. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. mobility with a wide variety of stretches, exercises and movement patterns. When all of the joints work as they are meant to (stability or mobility), the body will function better and more safely. Joint mobility and stability are a primary focus in Levels I and II, where we will be developing and progressing you until you are equipped to handle most any situation and environment. In Level III, we put your joint stability and mobility to the test by challenging you with unstable weights on uneven surfaces. This is a key area that needs significant improvement by almost all people to help avoid injury and reach their true potential. Correcting Muscle Imbalances Muscle imbalances are another key area that adversely effect functional movement and posture. Muscle imbalances are also another key reason for chronic pain and are a major contributing factor to injury. There are main muscle movers (big muscles) for movement and then synergistic muscle movers (smaller muscles). The problem is that in most people, the main movers are weak or inactive. This forces the body to overuse the smaller muscles for movement, which makes them very tight and prone to injury, because they are not equipped to handle all the movement you are forcing on them. For example, most people have very weak and inactive glutes (butt muscles). Your glutes are one of the biggest and most important muscle groups in the body. If you have weak glutes, you will strain the quadriceps and hamstrings. Hence, when a person is required to run in a fast bursts, we see many quadriceps and hamstring injuries. In addition, strong glutes help support the core muscles and lower back. Many people find that their back pain is dramatically reduced by simply strengthening their glutes. It is crucial to get all the muscles working together as they were meant to so that the body can move functionally and safely. Again, everyone is unique and should focus on their particular imbalances, which will become readily apparent as you progress through the workouts. Level I addresses muscle imbalances directly and focuses on exercises for flexibility in the tight, strong areas and beginning the work of strengthening the weak areas. In Level II, you will continue flexibility work and seriously build the strength required to bring everything fully back into balance. Once your body becomes more balanced, you will be ready for the challenges of Level III. At this point, you should feel a dramatic improvement in your effectiveness to move functionally and, most kinds of chronic pain should be greatly reduced or even eliminated. Agility and Balance Agility and balance are important for everyone. Of course, there are varying degrees of proficiency in agility and balance, but everyone will see huge improvements in their daily life by improving their agility and balance. Agility and balance can be used in almost any situation to enhance the quality and safety of your movement. Agility is the ability to change the body’s position in space depending upon its environment..

(19) Chapter 2 - Overview - Dynamics of Motion System. 19. In other words, agility is the ability to change direction quickly and safely. It requires a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, strength, and endurance. By improving all of these things, your agility will improve dramatically. Once you begin to improve your agility, you will feel an improved sense of fluidity in your everyday movements. Keep in mind that many injuries originate from a person’s slow or poor response to something in their environment. As your agility improves, you will be able to respond better and more safely to your real world environment. In addition, as your agility improves, you will also be able to challenge yourself to greater degrees in your workouts. This means you will burn more calories, and build more muscle, while improving your reflexes and overall performance in sports and everyday functional movement. Balance is the ability to maintain your center of gravity with minimal postural sway or compensation. Balance requires strong and functional stabilizers and coordinated muscles working properly together. Balance is extremely important for everyday functional movement. Even walking requires good balance, especially on uneven surfaces. Good balance not only helps significantly reduce the risk of injury, it also amplifies workouts to help you burn significantly more calories. So, working on balance is an excellent fitness tool, while also providing tremendous benefit in your overall functional movement. In Level I, we lay the foundations for becoming more agile and balanced by building up the endurance, strength and coordination necessary for agility and balance while maintaining very safe positions. In Level I, we focus more on correcting all the problems that inhibit functional movement, including agility and balance. Once your overall functional movement is improved, we move into Level II where agility and balance are more directly tested. At this level, we will be focusing more on multi-directional movement and challenging your balance. Once postural distortions, muscle imbalances and inflexibility have been more adequately addressed from Level I, you will need these new and more advanced exercises. You will find that your agility and balance significantly improve in this level, which will build the foundation necessary for Level III. In Level III, your balance and agility will be taken to the limit. By doing advanced movements and exercises, your agility and balance will have the opportunity of reaching their maximum potential. You can expect to see your agility and balance improve dramatically in Level III as you move through the various exercises and workouts. Functional Strength Functional strength refers to the strength used in everyday situations. It is true that fixed movements on gym machines will increase the size and strength of a particular muscle group, but they will not allow for the building of useful strength needed in the real world. To build the foundation required, strength conditioning must involve dynamic movements that retrain the.

(20) 20. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. body. This means we have to retrain the body to recruit the correct muscles, fix poor postural abnormalities and improve flexibility. By creating proper movement patterns, you will be able to build strength the safest and most effective way, because the muscles will be working together in unison and harmony. In Level I, as mentioned above, we will work to lay the foundation for correcting movement patterns in the body. This includes improving flexibility, muscle imbalances and postural distortions. We will begin building strength, but first and foremost, we will be getting the body to move properly. We will also be focusing on lighter weight and muscular endurance, which builds the best foundation for functional strength. By learning to recruit the correct muscle groups for a given movement, you will be setting yourself up to build solid functional strength. We want to be certain that the strength is built up in the right muscles, instead of continuing to overload already tired and overworked muscles. In Level II, we will focus more on the strength aspect by increasing the amount of lean muscle in your body. This will increase the capacity of the muscles to carry heavier and heavier loads placed upon them. For example, if you are picking up a box, it is not enough to just be able to move correctly. You will also need the strength in your lower and upper body to actually pick it up! By the end of Level II, you can expect a significant amount of gained functional strength. In Level III, we will be testing and challenging your functional strength at every step. This is where you will be applying all you have learned in Levels I and II. Functional strength is one of the most fundamental prerequisites for Level III because you will be doing advanced movements and exercises with heavier and uneven weights. The challenges in Level III are creative and fun, but without a solid base of functional strength, they will be nearly impossible. The functional strength gained in Level III is tremendous and will help you safely and effectively handle almost any conceivable situation in the real world. Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Most people who are getting back into fitness want to lose weight. That is perfectly natural and it is important to note that in addition to all of the functional benefits you will get from our system, it also maximizes fat loss. Our system also maximizes gains in lean muscle, which is absolutely essential for losing fat and getting that toned, muscular look. When women hear the word muscle, they are usually concerned about becoming too muscular looking, but our workouts are aimed at losing body fat and gaining lean muscle which does NOT put “size” on women. In contrast, our workouts are the best way to burn fat and change your body type. For example, our exercises are perfect for sculpting a great looking butt, while also toning the arms and legs. Men are usually not concerned about putting on a little muscle, but they are still looking to lose fat and get toned. But, if you are a guy that’s too skinny and need to put on some size, don’t worry, as the workouts progress you will be utilizing greater amounts of weight which is key to building the muscle you seek. Plus, in the nutritional chapter.

(21) Chapter 2 - Overview - Dynamics of Motion System. 21. at the end of each book, we have specific diets and suggestions for every possible goal. By the way, when we say fat loss, we are talking about the loss of body fat, NOT water weight or muscle. It is by losing body fat and increasing lean muscle that you will get the best aesthetic results. And we maximize this by creating workouts that focus on getting you to burn the maximum amount of calories and increasing your metabolism. This means that you will actually continue to burn calories up to 48 hours AFTER the workout. We use a particular protocol known as Tabata training which produces incredible fat loss results (this is covered later). We know that you are putting your money and time into these programs and we want to make sure that you get the best possible results. And you will!! Most people do not fully understand the relationship between fat loss and lean muscle, so let’s just take a second to explain why lean muscle is so important for fat loss. Many people in the gym will get on a piece of cardio equipment and expect to lose weight. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Just doing cardio does not build lean muscle in the body. And without lean muscle, you will NOT be able to sculpt and tone your body. I think we’ve all seen people in the gym for years working away on the treadmill, but they never look ANY different. Why? They are not increasing their lean muscle. Here’s why. There are two main reasons why lean muscle helps you lose fat: 1. The more lean muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be, which means your body will burn more calories throughout the day. This will help significantly increase your body’s potential for burning fat. 2. Lean muscle literally helps push fat out of the body. In other words, lean muscle works to replace the fat in your body instead of just adding more weight. But, beware of the scale in the beginning! Muscle weighs more than fat and it may take some time to see the scale go down. Instead, look at how clothes fit you and your waistline. These are much more accurate indicators of fat loss in the beginning. It is usually very helpful to take a few pictures on day one and then every 4 weeks to compare. In Level I, the intensity will depend on your fitness level. It is imperative that you begin at Level I, even if you have a high fitness level. This will insure that you correct all the physical issues that may be restricting you. By learning to move better and more safely, you will be able to push yourself much more later on. Of course, this translates into much higher intensity during your training, which will yield much better fat loss results. But, in the beginning, we recommend focusing more on correcting your functional movement patterns. As you move through Level I and your ability to move properly increases, you will be able to turn up the heat on your workouts. That means you should see dramatic fat loss by the end of Level I. In Level II, we focus more on building lean muscle, but this means you will continue to lose fat and get toned. Now that you have learned the foundations in Level I, you will be able to.

(22) 22. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. workout at a much higher intensity with much more efficiency than ever before. That means, you will get far more out of your workouts than you have in the past. The workouts in Level II maximize strength gains in lean muscle as well as melting the fat away. This will help you turn up the heat (literally) in your body and burn fat long after your workout ends (remember, up to 48 hours afterwards). In Level III, you can expect to burn high amounts of calories in your workouts while still gaining lean muscle. You will now be challenging the body to reach new levels of strength, endurance and flexibility while perfecting the aesthetic look we all strive toward. At this point, you probably will not need to lose more weight, but we provide suggestions for weight maintenance or weight loss if necessary at this level too. Body Intelligence Body intelligence is a subject rarely discussed. Like all organisms, your body has innate intelligence. Sadly, we are not taught how to listen or benefit from this intelligence. Rather than credit our bodies, we are curiously more prone to punish, ridicule and ultimately ignore them. Ignore the pain, ignore the weakness, look bigger, be thinner, and so on and so forth. In sharp contrast to what has been taught to us, this system starts individuals off on the journey of self discovery, a path that will teach each and every one of us the foundations of building a healthy, strong and most importantly, a pain free body. As we take you through the different levels, you will slowly begin to learn how to listen to your body. This is one of the BIGGEST keys to this program. Listening to the body allows goals to be reached much faster. It is also a tremendous aid in reducing the risk of injury. When you have someone telling you what to do all the time, you do not learn to feel what the body is telling you. This is a muscle like any other. Once it is utilized, listening to your body puts you in the driver’s seat. It is an amazing process! We do this in several stages. The simple act of foam rolling (described later) will teach you more about your body than you would have thought possible. It will teach you where you are tight and weak. For example, you may find your right hip is much tighter than your left. This will awaken you to how you stand and move and give you clues to why your body is the way it is right now. From there, every single stretch and exercise will be a tool as well as an opportunity to learn something more about your body. Learning proper movement patterns will awaken you to all the ways in which you were restricted in the past. As you move more naturally, the body will begin building strength, flexibility, agility, etc. Again, there will be an opportunity at every moment to watch how your body adapts and grows. Once a solid foundation is built, you will begin expanding your comfort zone by working on new and more challenging exercises on a variety of terrains. Remember, no two people are alike. What works for one person may not work as well for.

(23) Chapter 2 - Overview - Dynamics of Motion System. 23. another. It is for this reason that we have added many different progressions and exercises into these programs. Once you learn to feel out the weak points in your body, you will begin to know which exercises produce the best results, how some make you feel okay, but others make you feel fantastic. We want you to individualize these workouts and tailor them to your body by listening to what it has to say and by working within your parameters. As you begin to improve your functional movement, you will be broadening the dialogue between you and your body. And it is through this process that you will get the most out of the system and maximize your results! Safe Progression Dynamics of Motion has put together a totally unique program. It provides a safe progression starting from the complete beginner to the most elite fitness experts. When an individual progresses through all three levels, a smooth and safe transition to higher levels of fitness will be achieved. It is important to note that just because someone has a particular level of fitness does not necessarily mean they are ready for the higher levels. Postural distortions and muscle imbalances that are not addressed can become more pronounced in the higher levels and increase the risk of injury. If the core musculature is not strengthened, certain exercises can and will be performed incorrectly which can lead to injuries, pain and discomfort. Time and time again we see people in gyms or outside working on exercises for which they are not ready. Jumping ahead is a dangerous ego trip that can cause serious harm. The Dynamics of Motion system leads individuals through a comprehensive, step by step guide to better health and fitness. Level I builds endurance, a base level of strength, a foundation of flexibility, core strength and functional movement. Level II takes off where Level I ends, building much more strength and power as well as teaching more advanced exercises that improve agility and balance by getting the body to work together efficiently, powerfully and synergistically. Level III teaches you how to blend strength, endurance and flexibility into one single unit, just as every other animal in nature does naturally. It is the culmination of all your hard work during Levels I and II which allows you to flower into your true potential in Level III. It provides unlimited potential for improvements in aesthetics and functionality. We have taken great care to mold these programs in such a way as to enable you to progress from level to level safely and intelligently. That is what makes our program so unique. We completely stand behind our promise to you: breakthrough results for anyone, anytime, anywhere..

(24) Chapter 3 LEVEL I Explained Who should start at Level I? Level I is designed for everyone and anyone – people from vastly different backgrounds, ages, injuries and fitness experience. Level I will take you through the very beginning stages and help you build the foundations necessary for correcting inflexibility, postural distortions, muscle imbalances as well as building a base level of strength and conditioning. No matter what your level of fitness, you may find some of the exercises challenging (which is a good thing), but you will also find that you adapt quickly and see improvements faster than you might think. If you are someone who hasn’t worked out before, or at the very least, in many years, Level I is clearly the place for you to start. Level I will significantly improve your functional movement, strength and conditioning. These exercises start out statically and can be done by people who are immobile and weak. As the exercises get easier for you, progress to the more challenging stages at your own pace. We want you to become more flexible and fluid while improving balance, agility, coordination, endurance and strength. This program will help you achieve these goals in a way you may not have thought possible. And of course, this program will dramatically improve your overall health as well – that means fat loss, getting more toned, balancing hormones, more restful sleep, etc… What if I work out regularly? Should I still start at Level I? Level I is NOT just for beginners. It is for everyone! We use as an example, a person whom we know from the gym who has been working out for over 30 years. He is a big strong guy, but he was wincing in agony as he tried to stretch. As we began to discuss his workout regimen, it became readily apparent that he followed the old school approach of working out: he ONLY lifted weights for his chest and arms, then did 30 minutes of cardio. He also happened to have tremendous amounts of middle and lower back pain. He didn’t stretch; he didn’t lift for his legs or back and the exercises he was doing were completely outdated. As it was explained to him why his fitness program was actually causing his pain, he actually got angry at himself for being so short sighted about his workouts. There is a lot more to this than just appearance. The real benefits are your health and your ability to function and move naturally without pain or injury. The moral of the story is that just because you have been working out for years, does not mean you will be very good at any of the exercises we lay out in this program. For our friend in the gym, he may have looked good on the surface, but if you looked a little closer, he had major postural distortions and inflexibility. Because of our modern sedentary lifestyle, most of us have a great deal of muscle tightness and weakness. This usually leads to a wide variety of improper and potentially dangerous movement patterns. And obviously, this can lead to pain and injury. The muscles are very complex and work together synergistically to produce correct.

(25) Chapter 3 - LEVEL I Explained. 25. and safe movement patterns. This requires correcting the muscle imbalances with specific stretches and exercises so that everything functions as a coherent unit. So, everyone should begin at Level I. The only difference is that people in better physical shape will progress much more quickly and be ready for Level II in a shorter time frame. But, Level I is the foundation. And without it, nothing else can follow safely or effectively. We cannot stress enough how important it is for you to start at the beginning. Here you will find extremely challenging exercises for muscles you have most likely completely ignored or didn’t even know existed. And by building up a base level of strength and flexibility, you will increase your opportunity for maximum results in Levels II and III. Outdoor Workouts All of Level I can be done indoors, but we would like to suggest doing these workouts outside if at all possible. We understand that there may be physical limiting factors for many of those doing Level I, but please be aware that there are many natural benefits to doing your workouts outside. We also realize that there may be weather issues during certain parts of the year, but unless it is extreme, do your best to get into the outdoors. Here’s why… A growing body of research has given us compelling reasons to heed our desire to get outside. Putting ourselves into direct contact with nature might offer us even more profound benefits than previously thought. Indeed, time outdoors has been proven to have beneficial effects on blood pressure, brain waves and cholesterol levels. It has also been proven to boost immunity and to promote a good night’s sleep. Outdoor activities encourage deeper breathing, which relaxes muscles and infuses the body with oxygen. More than 100 research studies have shown that outdoor recreation reduces stress. Time in nature is often recommended as a stress-management technique to promote relaxation — important for those people dealing with stress-related conditions such as tension headaches and panic attacks, and for those trying to quit smoking. In fact, a nature prescription is almost always suitable for anyone seeking a little stress reduction and downtime. How did you choose the exercises? The main idea behind this new approach is that every exercise should carry over into real life. We have specifically gone over every single exercise in this book and have included it for very specific reasons. For each and every exercise, we ask the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.. Does the exercise improve functional strength in the real world? Does the exercise improve functional movement in the real world? Does the exercise help correct postural distortions? Does the exercise help correct muscle imbalances? Does the exercise improve joint and muscle mobility and/or stability?.

(26) 26. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. 6. Does the exercise have a specific purpose that fits in with the overall goals of the program (i.e. fat loss, endurance, strength, etc.)? 7. Is the exercise the best way to achieve the necessary result(s)? In designing this program, we went through thousands of exercises and filtered them down to their bare essentials. We wanted the most effective exercises that molded into the design goals of the entire program. In every case, these specific exercises pass our test and will help you to lose fat, build strength and steer you toward a healthier, more flexible and better level of fitness in the shortest possible time. Necessary Equipment While the amount of equipment you need is minimal and inexpensive, you won’t be able to do everything necessary for these workouts without it. Here’s what we recommend.... Foam Roller: We will go over foam rolling in detail in the next chapter, but sufficed to say- these little foam logs are on of the best $15 investments you will ever make. We recommend getting the black foam rollers. The white foam rollers are too spongy and soft and only last a few months. You can get either the small or large version.. Swiss Ball: Swiss balls are large, heavy-duty inflatable balls with a diameter of 45 to 75 cm (18 to 30 inches). They offer a huge range of possibilities and will get a lot of use in our workouts. They will last for a very long time and are inexpensive..

(27) Chapter 3 - LEVEL I Explained. 27. Dumbbells: Everyone is different and you should use your unique level of strength and fitness as a guide. But, as a general rule, for Level I, here are our recommendations. For women, we recommend getting 3 sets of dumbbells (3 lb., 5 lb., and 10 lb.). For men, we recommend 3 sets of dumb bells as well (10 lb., 15 lb., and 20 lb.).. Bands: Again, exercise bands are inexpensive and will have many uses in these workouts. Get a set with a few different colors as they will be of varying tension strength and difficulty.. That’s it! The entire set of equipment shouldn’t cost more than about $50-$75 and it will be the basis for your entire new home gym..

(28) Chapter 4 Warm Up The entire warm up takes about 10-15 minutes and should NOT be considered optional. This is one of the most important parts of the entire workout. People do not realize the importance of a good warm up and therefore miss out on maximizing the benefits of the actual workout itself. A good warm up will reduce the risk of injury and start correcting postural distortions, muscle imbalances and improve flexibility. The benefits of warming up include: ‣ It warms the muscles and increases body temperature, which improves the oxygen supply to the body. ‣ It helps increase blood flow to the muscles, allowing them to contract and relax more quickly. ‣ It is one of the major factors in correcting postural distortions and muscle imbalances. ‣ It helps prepare the body and the mind for more strenuous activity. ‣ It helps reduce the risk of injury. ‣ It increases overall exercise performance. ‣ It increases the elasticity of the ligaments, tendons and other connective tissues. Take your time while warming up and learn to enjoy it. The warm up is your time to check in with the body and notice what’s tight or sore and get yourself mentally ready for the workout. It is your transition from life into your workout, which will require physical exertion and concentration. You will notice that your body moves much easier and feels lighter by the end of it. So, warm up gradually and enjoy it!. Foam Rolling Fifteen bucks does not buy much nowadays, but, for about $15, you will get one of the most important pieces of equipment in your fitness program. Foam rollers are an easy, cheap and effective way to relieve the aches and pains that are slowly building up in your body. How does it work? Foam Rolling is effective because it gives you a deep tissue massage and most importantly self-myofascial release (SMR). Okay, but what in the world in self-myofascial release? Well, over time, inactive, tight and over-worked muscles will accumulate knots. Foam rolling will help break down these soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue that builds up in the muscle over time. By breaking these “knots” down, the muscle will be able to stretch further and help you regain.

(29) Chapter 4 - Warm Up. 29. your natural flexibility. You will feel the results immediately. Traditional stretching techniques simply aren’t enough. Stretching alone will not cause a significant increase in muscle length. Imagine your muscle is one long piece of a rubber band. Now, imagine you have tied a knot in the middle of that rubber band. If you were to stretch the rubber band at each end, what would happen to that knot? It would get tighter and eventually the rubber band would break directly below or above the knot. That is basically what happens in the muscles of your body. However, by foam rolling and working out these knots, you will be able to stretch much further and without the same risk of injury. Therefore, SMR with a foam roller can produce extraordinary benefits in improving flexibility and correcting postural distortions. The foam roller is an absolutely essential part of our fitness program. To give you one quick example of the direct benefits of foam rolling, let’s take a look at knee pain. Many people with knee pain notice dramatic improvements by foam rolling their IT Band and Gluteus Medius (described below). Why? The Gluteus Medius is in the butt, but connects to the IT Band which runs down the side of the leg and wraps under the knee. If the Gluteus Medius is tight, it will actually cause the IT Band to yank the knee out of place (like a rope yanking on it). This can cause chronic pain and increase the risk of injury. Many people notice dramatic pain reduction by simply foam rolling these areas. There are countless other areas that will benefit as well by loosening tight muscles and eliminating knots. Benefits of using a foam roller for massage: • Targets all your sore points and releases your trigger points. • Increases range of motion by improving your ability to stretch further • Helps reduce and even eliminate chronic pain. • • • •. Helps reduce muscle soreness. Increases training efficiency. Helps address and fix postural problems. Helps you recover faster from a workout.. Is it going to hurt? In the beginning, foam rolling can be painful. You will be pressing down on very old knots that have been there for years. But, there is good news... one, assuming you do it everyday, the pain will diminish dramatically in just a few weeks as you work out the knots. Two, even though you will feel pain while pressing on the knots, there should not be any bruising or soreness afterward. You should probably spend about 5-10 minutes foam rolling before and after your workouts. Ideally, spend another 10-20 minutes on your off days foam rolling as well..

(30) 30. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. Here are some main points to remember: • Remember that the more pressure you apply, the faster the knots will dissipate. You have to make sure you really apply pressure and it will probably be uncomfortable in the beginning. • You can adjust the pressure by moving your body or keeping your arms or legs on the ground. The more body weight you put on the foam roller, the more pressure you will feel on the muscle. • When you find a painful spot in one of the areas we describe below, that is an important place to foam roll as it is a knot that needs to be worked out. • Sometimes, you will be foam rolling a spot in the body and actually feel pain somewhere else! We call this referred pain. Do not be alarmed. This is a great spot to roll out, because it is a clear indication that the specific knot you have found is negatively effecting other areas. • Foam rolling does NOT cause bruising. Even though it may be painful as you first start working these knots, you won’t bruise. • As soon as you stop applying pressure, the pain will diminish rapidly and completely. • Be consistent: You should try to foam roll everyday, if possible. The more consistent you are with foam rolling, the faster you will release these trigger points and eliminate the knots from your muscles. Doing it everyday, you can expect to see significant results in about 4-6 weeks. • Be patient: Remember, just like stretching, foam rolling doesn’t yield marked improvements overnight; you’ll need to be diligent and stick with it (although you will definitely notice serious benefits shortly)..

(31) Chapter 4 - Warm Up. Foam Rolling - Upper Body Upper Back: • Lay on your back. • Put your hands behind your head and try and touch your elbows together. • Raise your butt off the ground. • Roll slowly from the upper back down to the middle back and then back. • Work out any knots you feel. • 1-2 minutes.. Shoulders:. • Put the foam roller underneath your armpit and lay on your side. • Roll slowly around the back of the armpit. • Work out any knots you feel. • Switch to the other side. • 1-2 minutes.. Lats: • Put the foam roller underneath your side. • Roll slowly down the upper part of your side. • Work out any knots you feel. • Switch to the other side. • 1-2 minutes.. 31.

(32) 32. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. Foam Rolling - Lower Body IT Band: • Lay on your side. • Place the foam roller on the side of your leg. • Slowly roll down the side of your leg and stop a few inches above the knee. • Work out any knots you feel. • Switch to the other side. • 2-3 minutes.. Progression: When you are ready, you can add more pressure to this area by balancing both legs in the air.. Hip Flexors: • Lay on your stomach. • Place the foam roller beneath your hip. • Slowly roll across your hip. • Work out any knots you feel. • Switch to the other side. • 2-3 minutes. Progression: When you are ready, you can add more pressure to this area by balancing both legs in the air..

(33) Chapter 4 - Warm Up. Gluteus Medius: • Lay on your side. • Place the foam roller on the side of your butt. • Slowly roll on the upper-side portion of your butt. • Work out any knots you feel. • Switch to the other side. • 2-3 minutes.. Progression: When you are ready, you can add more pressure to this area by balancing both legs in the air.. 33.

(34) 34. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. Calves: • Place the foam roller underneath your calves. • Slowly roll the inner, middle, and outer part of your entire calf area. • Work out any knots you feel. • Switch to the other side. 2-3 minutes.. Progression: When you are ready, you can add more pressure to this area by lifting your butt in the air.. Progression #2: When you are ready, you can add more pressure to this area by lifting your butt in the air AND crossing one leg over the other and pushing down on the bottom leg..

(35) Chapter 4 - Warm Up. 35. Stretching We will be using two different kinds of stretching for our workouts. One will be used before the workout and the other will be used afterward to cool down. They are equally important, but must be used at the right time to get the best results and help reduce the risk of injury. Dynamic Stretching: Involves movement and has the over-all effect of turning a muscle “on”. Dynamic flexibility has been used successfully by trainers and coaches to increase flexibility and lower the incidence of injury. Dynamic stretching consists of functional based exercises which prepare the body for movement. So, we recommend this type of stretching to be incorporated during the warm up of a workout. Static Stretching: Involves no movement and has the effect of turning a muscle “off”. Therefore, we recommend using this type of stretching in the cool down phase. A stretch position is gently assumed and held for 20-60 seconds. There is no bouncing or rapid movement. Do not stretch to the point of pain. You should feel a slight pull, but no discomfort. Keep all joints in alignment. Do not twist joints into unnatural positions. The stretch should be felt in the belly of the muscle and not in the joints. This relaxes the muscles and helps retain elasticity. Interestingly, most people use static stretching as the ONLY way to stretch. The problem with static stretching before a workout is that it has the over-all effect of turning a muscle “off”. We definitely recommend static stretching after a workout, but NOT in the warm up phase. Used before a workout, static stretching does not help avoid injury and may actually increase the risk. Here are some reasons we recommend dynamic stretching before a workout: 1. Mike Boyle, world renowned strength and conditioning coach, uses a dynamic warm up with his athletes. He goes through about 26,000 workouts over the course of a summer. In 2002 he did not have one major muscle pull that required medical attention.1 2. Flexibility is speed specific. There are two kinds of stretch receptors- one measures magnitude and speed and the other measures just magnitude. Static flexibility improves static flexibility and dynamic flexibility improves dynamic flexibility, which is why it doesn’t make sense to static stretch prior to dynamic activity.2 3. One author compared a team that dynamically stretched to a team that static stretched. The team that dynamically stretched had fewer injuries.3 4. Dynamic Flexibility increases core temperature, muscle temperature, elongates the muscles, stimulates the nervous system and helps decrease the chance of injury.4. 1 Boyle, Mike, Functional Training for Sports, pg 29. 2 Kurz, Tomas, Science of Sports Training, page 236. 3 Mann, Douglas, Jones Margaret 1999: Guidelines to the implementation of a dynamic stretching routine, Strength and Conditioning Journal:Vol 21 No 6 pp 53-55. 4 Frederick Gregory 2001 Baseball Part 1 Dynamic Flexibility, Strength and Conditioning Journal ,Vol 23 No 1 Pages 21-30..

(36) 36. Dynamics of Motion - LEVEL I. Dynamic Stretches Hips (static) - This is going to be a little confusing, because we just made such a big deal about NOT statically stretching before a workout. So, why are we saying you should statically stretch your hips? Because, most people’s hips are very tight and completely over-active. This is due to the fact that most of us sit for such long periods of time everyday. As a result, we actually want to turn the hip muscles OFF. This will allow the muscles we aren’t using (like the glutes - your butt muscles) to wake up and start working again. This will be the only static stretch we do before the workout. The hips are an area of critical importance. Almost everyone has very tight hips from too much sitting and lack of stretching. Tight hips are a major contributing factor to low back pain, poor posture, muscle imbalances etc... Kneeling Hip Stretch: • If necessary, put a pillow on the ground or do this stretch on a soft surface. • Place one knee on the ground and move your other foot in front of you (the back leg is being stretched). • Raise your arms above your head and twist gently from your upper back (not your lower back) toward your front leg. If necessary, use something to balance (see image). • Now, the secret to this stretch is to flex your butt while doing this stretch. This will dramatically increase the effectiveness of the hip stretch. So, with your back leg, flex your butt cheek (right glute in image above) while feeling the stretch in the hip (in the right hip in the image above). • Hold for 30-60 seconds then switch..

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