I’ve never completely subscribed to the primal fitness philosophy, and I think I’ve got a few good reasons why.

What is Primal Fitness?

Although there is no single, accepted definition of primal fitness, those that teach about it tend to hold some of the same beliefs. Primal fitness is the idea of exercising as our ancestors did. It’s a mimicry of the hunter/gatherer lifestyle, which many people still live today. Now, I doubt our hunter/gatherer ancestors had time specifically for exercise (exercise is a modern innovation based on new cultural needs). However, there is no doubt that people who live primitively lead a much more active lifestyle than we do today. Daily physical activity would be a way of life, probably for almost everyone in the community.

So, primal fitness is a modern solution for exercise based on the physical activity of the hunter/gatherer lifestyle. The problem when defining primal fitness is that everyone has a different interpretation of how hunter/gatherers lived. And on top of that, everyone has a different interpretation about how to train based on how hunter/gatherers lived.

So, it makes primal fitness a pretty broad and vague subject to discuss. On one hand, you have someone that is doing primal fitness out in nature – lifting stones and logs, climbing trees, trail running, etc. And on the other hand, you have someone that is doing primal fitness in the gym, with their mp3 player, on the treadmill, and with barbells. There’s quite an array of interpretations based on the various beliefs held about primal fitness.

Primal Fitness Pro’s

Primal fitness is a cultural movement that is encouraging trainees to take their training outdoors, which has a ton of health benefits. Plus, it gives us an opportunity to explore our environment, and get outside our comfort zones. I think going outdoors is one of the single greatest changes any trainee can make in their program, and I’m all for anything that encourages this.

Primal fitness is generally movement-based, instead of “muscle-based,” meaning it is more functional than popular bodybuilding-style programs. In this regard, I think it’s a step in the right direction, even if it’s not optimal yet.

Primal fitness training is new and fun. Not only is it a different, and thus, a fresh training style, it’s also fun to imagine running away from a tiger or climbing safely away from a wild dog (or is it? – I think most people would be terrified!).

Primal Fitness Con’s

The biggest disadvantage about primal fitness is that it is still largely open to interpretation. As I alluded to above, there is no standard definition of what primal fitness actually is. Guru’s tend to make up workouts based around what they think a hunter/gatherer might have done – but it’s all theory. Sure, a caveman may have needed to sprint as fast as possible to avoid becoming catfood, but did this really happen 3 times a week for 30-60 second intervals lasting 20 minutes? It’s speculative theory, meaning that the end-result workouts don’t necessarily reflect what true primal fitness really entailed.

We really cannot know if the average primal man experienced chronic pains or injuries, and we don’t really know the functional capacities or true functional movement patterns. We don’t even know how long they lived or how stressful their lifestyles were, which leads me to my next point.

The fitness of the primal man is somewhat glorified, and presented as the pinnacle of what we should strive for in health and function. When in reality, hunter/gatherers may be in much better shape than your average American, but that doesn’t mean they were/are in excellent condition by any stretch. The guru’s like to proclaim that the cavemen were able to outrun cheetahs, outclimb monkeys, and outswim dolphins. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but seriously – I keep reading about how the primal man would easily climb to the tops of trees, could run for miles and miles, and be able to lift humongous logs and stones (due to the HYUUUGE guns, no doubt).

Primal fitness is put on a pedestal, like a holy state of vitality that is virtually non-existent anymore. These romantic notions just don’t match reality. We have the most advanced training tools and systems ever, and it’s foolish to think that we have to revert back to primitive training disciplines while ignoring modern innovation. Even though human bodies are incredible adapting machines, the basic physiology hasn’t changed in the last several thousand years. The body is still the same, with the same potential today as  it was back then. If anything, we’re better equipped and prepared to push the limit of physical potential today because of the knowledge we’ve acquired throughout the generations.

So, my main point is that primal fitness rests on a shaky foundation at best.

Training in nature, without modern technology, doesn’t mean you’re exempt from the laws of conditioning.

The law of outcome states that whatever we do produces an outcome (everything we do, even inaction, is an act of conditioning). So, if we use an inefficient or poor movement technique, a negative outcome will always occur. If we continue to do this over a period of time, the body will change in a self-regulating attempt to produce homeostasis, meaning an even worse negative outcome. If a certain behavior is continually repeated, the principle of progression tells us that those activities will become more easily repeatable in the future – even if we don’t desire that specific conditioning.

Also, the human body cannot differentiate between different forms of resistance. It doesn’t know if you’re throwing a rock, a kettebell, or swinging a clubbell – it only knows resistance, not where that resistance comes from. It’s up to us to create a safe and sustainable training environment that allows for proper adaptation, without conditioning ourselves into injury.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a youtube video demonstrating a “primal workout” that is chock-full of horrible training practices. Just because you’re lifting a giant log instead of a barbell, doesn’t mean you have an excuse to use poor technique. I’ve seen some AWFUL movement techniques demonstrated by highly regarded coaches, in the name of primal fitness. If you can’t use proper technique when sprinting, jumping, or lifting, then you shouldn’t be doing that in your training. Training is meant to improve your health and fitness, not increase your chances of injury or worse. If you can’t train safely, you need to drop down a skill or difficulty level because everything is an act of conditioning and you don’t want to condition an improper and unsafe movement pattern.

Without coaching, it’s difficult to sustain a primal fitness plan safely and effectively long-term. I began to understand this first-hand at the recent MovNat training seminar I attended. People don’t necessarily move well naturally unless they have been coached to do so – even if the movements are labeled as natural (like walking, which is a perfectly natural human activity). Our bodies are wired to find the most effective method to accomplish a physical task, even if it isn’t an efficient expression of that movement. This is great from a survival standpoint, when we may need to do anything it takes to accomplish a physical task quickly. For lifelong training, however, this isn’t ideal because a “natural movement” can be naturally good technique, or naturally bad technique. Over time, poor technique will lead to inevitable problems.

This is getting back to the first disadvantage of primal fitness, that there is no foundation for the training discipline to rest on. There is still no such thing as a “primal fitness coach” who has stood the test of time to prove that their methods are safe, effective, and sustainable long-term.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to using primal fitness “as is,” I think the con’s far outweigh the pro’s. Nevertheless, I think it’s important to draw on those things that are useful and beneficial for us. I think some aspects of a fitness program can and should be primal (like training outdoors, for instance), but the entire program shouldn’t be based on a primal man living in a modern world. It’s just not practical. We aren’t living in caves or out in the bush, and our needs are drastically different from those who are. Our nature hasn’t changed, just some tangibles like our environment, technology, food availability, etc.

In conclusion, my advice is to be careful who you listen to when it comes to primal fitness training (even me). It’s a gray area, and everyone has their own differing opinions about it. Use what you already know to be true about training – there is so much excellent knowledge available, and we don’t need another romantic idea skewing our perception of reality. Movement is movement, and it doesn’t change anything when it’s labeled “primal.”

I think what most people are looking for is to be stronger and healthier, and able to perform most physical tasks pretty well (like lifting, carrying, running, etc.). If you’re interested in a training method that incorporates the primal nature into its practice, but still addresses our modern needs in a comprehensive fashion, I highly recommend checking out MovNat for some “True Nature” training.

Review of a 5-Day MovNat Training Seminar

And no offense to my many enthusiastic primal friends. I still love many things about the primal way of life – especially on the nutrition side of things. I just think the training department leaves much to be desired.

To your health and success,

CST, CST-KS, NSCA-CPT
Fitness Professional and MovNat Alumni

Quit hating on Crossfit!!!!…you are not objective and you’re followers are mis-informed. Honestly, I don’t want to take the time to educate you….

Let me paraphrase that for you…

Quit hating on CrossFit!!!! You’re an idiot and so is everyone that listens to you. I am enlightened, but won’t share my secrets with you because I don’t want you to beat me on today’s WOD, Fran!

All joking aside, and in my defense, I think I offered a well-balanced perspective on CrossFit. I mentioned the pros and cons of the system from a non-biased perspective, and even concluded with a suggestion to attend a CrossFit seminar (with some precautions in mind). I definitely wasn’t hating on the system at all.

I am a strong critic and an eternal skeptic, and some significant aspects of CrossFit concern me greatly. For instance, the founder Greg Glassman admits that “[CrossFit] can kill you” (NY Times article here) Things like that tend to raise a warning flag in my book, among many others.

Needless to say, I didn’t publish the comment because it offered nothing of value to the discussion, but it got me thinking…

Isn’t this the kind of blind following that CrossFit is renowned for (not every CrossFit trainee, but many of the ones I’ve encountered)? It’s this attitude of we-are-holier-than-thou. We are the enlightened ones, and all who oppose us are nonobjective and misinformed. It sounds like a cult-following to me!

Well, excuse me if I don’t bite the hook, line, and sinker on the CrossFit method. I’d rather sit back and make a thoughtful analysis of the system before I commit my entire training program over to it, no questions asked. I happen to see several things about CrossFit that worry me, and I have yet to receive any proof that my suspicions are unfounded.

For instance, I have yet to find proof that CrossFit is a safe, healthy, and sustainable activity. In fact, I’ve found plenty of anecdotal evidence to the contrary. Read some of the comments in the CrossFit Q+A to get started collecting some evidence of its risks and dangers. The more people I talk to about CrossFit, the more I realize that it does have a “dark side” – usually injury and pain, or worse.

You don’t even have to be a fitness professional to realize this. Just take a peek at any one of the CrossFit workout videos that they post regularly on CrossFit.com. One of the most common problems with CrossFit training is that most of the athletes compromise on technique to achieve higher intensity, and it’s very obvious. Sure, you can get away with this for a little while, but using poor technique in any exercise will condition you to repeat that activity poorly – leading to overuse and/or repetitive stress injuries down the road. The process usually goes like this: first diminishing returns, then a plateau in progress, regress, pain, injury, illness and eventually death. I guess that’s what Glassman was talking about.

Now, I’ve got nothing against the people who willingly and knowingly decide to go this route – free will is not the issue here. I just need to make sure that people know the costs of CrossFit before they choose to blindly participate without someone telling them that they WILL GET INJURED. I know too many people who have tried CrossFit on a whim, and gotten hurt, sometimes severely.

Conclusion

Now, hear me out on this. I want CrossFit to succeed. I want them to continue to do what they’re doing, and especially to focus on how to better serve their clientele. I think it’s safe to say that CrossFit is growing rapidly (maybe too fast!), and there are some people involved with it that legitimately want to help others rediscover vibrant health and natural athleticism, irregardless of private interests or potential for personal gain. I’ve met some very nice CrossFitters who are objective and smart about their training, and who are willing to talk about both the strengths and weaknesses of their system. Some of them have great ideas for how to improve the quality of their coaching.

However, I see some very strong dogmatic views being expressed and followed, and that worries me because it leaves little room for freethinking, questioning convention, and asking “is this really the best way to accomplish our goals?”

I would hope that CrossFit, fast becoming one of the worlds most popular fitness systems, would be open to change if it were presented logically. Instead, I see a business giant growing too fast for its own good, sacrificing quality control for profit.

And before the hate mail starts pouring, let me stress again that there are many things about CrossFit that I like, and I would encourage anyone to attend a seminar to evaluate for themselves if CrossFit is right for them. My goal is to be transparent, and to talk about the things that seem to be overlooked by others.

In case you haven’t read my brief analysis of the CrossFit system, check out this post:

http://johnsifferman.com/blog/what-about-crossfit-tuesday-qa-with-john-sifferman/

To your health and success,

CST, CST-KS, NSCA-CPT
Fitness Professional

P.S. I think there are better alternatives out there for those whom are interested well-rounded fitness. I would recommend the TacFit program to anyone that recognizes the obvious risks involved with CrossFit and wants something that will pack as much punch in terms of effectiveness, but is rooted in health-first strength and conditioning practices. If you want all that CrossFit has to offer in terms of conditioning (and then some IMO), and you want to stay injury-free for life, then I highly recommend the TacFit program which has proven injury-prevention methods directly programmed into the sessions. Plus, each workout is comprised of 4 different levels of difficulty, meaning you have the option to customize the program to your needs and conditioning level (no general WOD’s). Check it out here:

TACFIT – TACTICAL-SPECIFIC PHYSICAL CONDITIONING

Yes, like a walker for people who have trouble walking – THAT kind of walker.

There was no note, no card, nothing to explain why, I, a perfectly healthy and mobile young man received a walker via FedEx delivery.

I had a few theories at first.

My brother Joe bought me a high-tech cane as a joke awhile back, and this could have been an upgrade – you know, just in case. Or, my brother Jim could be sending me something to make fun of me because I’m always doing my “mobility moves.” This could be a secret message that someday my silly mobility moves won’t mean jack when I’m immobile. Regardless, I started putting this fold-out contraption to use right away.

I tested it for its structural integrity and then performed a set of parallel bar dips, then some bodyweight rows. Before long, I was experimenting with some moves I had always wanted to try.So, here is a quick video demonstrating some exercises you can do with parallel bars:

Playing with Parallel Bars for Strength Training

These are just strength training exercises, and my technique isn’t perfect during some of them, but I wanted to give you an idea of how many training options we really have at our disposal. It turns out my brother Jim bought this for me because he had been trying to find a way to do parallel bar dips at home, and this was his best solution.

We don’t always have a perfect training environment, or perfect training equipment, and it’s important that we take inventory of what we do have and use it to our advantage. That doesn’t mean compromise on safety, rather draw on what we know to be safe.

I’ve been reflecting lately on how much we have that is extraneous and on what we could live without. The truth is that specialized training equipment is a luxury we enjoy from an abundant lifestyle. My recent experience with MovNat reminded me of this – that we should be able to practice and train anytime, anywhere. If we don’t have a gym membership, no problem. If we don’t have space in our house for exercising, no problem. We’re people, we adapt to the situations around us, and we don’t necessarily need to try to micro-manage and control everything about our lives.

Don’t get me wrong though, I love playing with new equipment, and as long as I have it, I’ll use it. However, I may just build some parallettes after all to prevent any future faceplants…

To your health and success,

CST, CST-KS, NSCA-CPT
Fitness Professional

P.S. Find instructions for do-it-yourself parallettes here.

Then, the question comes, “how was your trip?” they ask. You struggle to find the right words, the perfect explanation, the answer they NEED to hear. But you’re at a loss. There is no one-liner that sums up your experience – no interesting or entertaining remark that can possibly convey the message effectively.

Usually, I just blurt out whatever appropriate, emphatic adjective comes to mind first. I say something like, “it was awesome. I had a blast,” and leave it at that.

And yet, even after experiencing something truly amazing, something that resonates on such a deep personal level with who I am as a person, there is no possible way for me to fully and effectively communicate how my trip went.

I’ve read some very well-written articles by people who have experienced MovNat first-hand, training directly with Erwan Le Corre for days on end. I’ll admit that reading about MovNat gets me charged up (MovNat reading directory here). It resonates with me on a deep personal level, and I finish the article feeling inspired, energized, and even more passionate about exuberant physical living. And don’t get me started on the MovNat videos!

The Seminar

Let me be clear, I am not a MovNat coach, and this was not a certification seminar. This 5 day retreat was for personal education, for those looking to explore their true nature – to be strong, healthy, happy, and free. So, I can’t necessarily say that this review directly reflects the MovNat philosophy or practice, which I’m still internalizing myself in my daily personal practice.

I arrived with four other trainees not knowing what to expect (a CrossFit trainer from CA, a fitness bootcamp instructor from ME, a paramedic from KY, and a software programmer turned wandering nomad with an interest in barefoot running and natural movement). Erwan gave us a list of required items to bring, and vague self-assessment criteria to help us determine whether or not we should attend the beginner or advanced level course. Other than that, the 5 of us were in the dark.

During the week, we camped and enjoyed a host of borderline exquisite Paleo meals. We really packed the food down at breakfast and dinner. We had various omelets, steak, chicken, a 3-fish chunky soup/chowder/chemistry experiment that Erwan invented, and some of the best homemade salads I’ve ever eaten. For lunches, we ate light, usually raw foods like walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, bananas, apples, greens, etc. And since we celebrated two birthdays during our course, we also enjoyed some ahem, *cough cough* – non-Paleo food and drink, too.

One favorite recipe was a breakfast dish, that could easily pass for dessert as well. It’s simply sliced bananas, blueberries, and shaved almonds mixed together in a bowl of Coconut milk. It’s to die for! I remember Jeremiah’s eyes lighting up every time Erwan would suggest it.

About Erwan Le Corre

This was Erwan’s fourth USA seminar in four weeks, and I was curious about how his energy and enthusiasm would be throughout the 5-day event, after having spent so much time teaching and training while camping for a month.

I was downright inspired by his contagious passion for sharing natural movement with others. He would demonstrate techniques several times in a row, all day long. And then, we would ask him to show us again. He easily did twice the total amount of physical work that we did, proving that he leads by example.

Granted, his specific movement skills were far beyond any in our group, and he was able to move with better efficiency and ease, meaning less total energy expenditure – a benefit I am already beginning to experience in my personal practice as my skills improve. Regardless, he is a good coach by leading by example – even if it means shredding his chest and arms against the rough Oak tree bark (read “cheese grater”) again and again.

Yet, even with his ease of movement, Erwan doesn’t consider himself exceptionally fit or even highly talented. He believes that the bar for natural movement has been set so low by today’s standards that anyone who moves with what could be considered average movement skills will blow a typical “zoo human” mind.

It’s a little like standardized testing. Children used to have much higher standards to attain in the past for their education. The more the establishment lowers its expectations, the more profoundly the children who perform well stand out from the others.

It’s the same with natural movement. What may have formerly been considered normal and accepted movement skills, are now considered extraordinary and only reserved for true die-hards or high-end athletes.

So, in reality, we weren’t really practicing “advanced” movement skills, but what Erwan considers rather basic, fundamental human movements – many of which come naturally to children and are gradually lost during youth and adulthood. Yet, these skills appear to be advanced to the inept, and for many people, they are.

Don’t be fooled though because I found myself doing things that I never thought I possibly could – things that were definitely “advanced” for me. For instance, when training jumping at the river, we worked on progressively more difficult jumps – either greater heights or distances, or from a more difficult support. Our learning was textbook incremental – we actually started jump skill training with picnic tables on grass.

I remember one of the more difficult jumps we attempted at the river. It was a pretty good distance for me, and a fall would have meant going into the cold, rushing water. The stone was slanted, with a peak, much like a mountaintop with a very small area for standing. The goal was to jump from one boulder, over a section of the river, and to land directly on the top of the other rock, regain stability immediately (without using hands for balance), and then jump back. No problem, right?

Here’s the thing. A week earlier, I wouldn’t have even imagined making that jump. I would have walked right by that rock, and the thought wouldn’t have even crossed my mind that I could get to it. It was simply out of reach, out of mind. One week ago, I would have looked at that rock, and said “No way can I jump that far!” And I would have been right. But when Erwan demonstrated the jump and asked who would like to try it, I stepped up to go, but Erwan stopped me. He asked me “what are you feeling?” I told him that I was going to make the jump and stick it perfectly. He said OK, and I made the jump first try.

Erwan explained that he let me try that jump because he could sense confidence, and that it is important to monitor our own confidence level when training. If we know we can do something, then we will do it. On the flip side, if a certain movement doesn’t feel right, it’s best to avoid it or drop it down a skill level for the time being. This happened many times during the course, as our group each had a major diversity of skills and conditioning.

This is just one example of many where I found myself doing things that I either had never done before, or quite literally had forgotten how to do. We did things like rock climbing with only our feet (not vertical walls, of course), climbing with our eyes closed, swimming across a lake while pushing a tree trunk, rope climbing, walking and balancing on progressively smaller tree trunks and even more difficult surfaces, basic self-defense, grappling and striking drills, odd-object lifting, throwing and catching, breath holding, and much more.

About MovNat

MovNat is fully scalable to an individuals skill level and conditioning level. You don’t have to be in exceptional condition to practice MovNat. It definitely takes strength, endurance, etc. when you get to advanced levels of practice (such as demonstrated in his videos – which are meant to be inspirational, not instructional). However, even if you’re deconditioned, you can still practice very basic levels of MovNat. In another course, there was one gentleman who was 69 years old, and some others that were overweight and very poorly conditioned.

MovNat can be practiced safely by anyone, and I think that’s the most important thing people need to hear. Don’t be intimidated by Erwan’s seemingly natural ability to perform these high skill activities, or his exceptional physique. You don’t need to be an incredible athlete or fitness star to begin exploring your natural movement skills right away.

In fact, Erwan does very little direct conditioning work – he focuses specifically on skill practice. Practicing various skills will condition the body to repeat those skills in the future, according to the SAID principle. So, the skills practice IS the conditioning within MovNat. Erwan is able to do some very high skill movements, and thus is very well conditioned for them.

Most of our training week was spent directly on practicing various individual skills over and over again. However, it eventually culminated into combo training where we would perform various skills in a circuit-like fashion, and complete rounds for time. One of our combos was team-based. I was paired with Erwan’s assistant Jeff, and we had to balance on a fallen tree, followed immediately by 8 pullups on a tree branch, followed by 10 heavy rock throws and catches between partners, followed by 6 heavy partner deadlifts of a tree trunk. We did this for 5 rounds, no rest. I think our time was 8 minutes, flat.

The body has a tendency to want to compromise on technique when fatigue sets in, but Erwan wouldn’t allow it. If one of us was getting too fatigued, Erwan would immediately change the training parameters (ie less repetitions, lighter rock, easier pullup style, etc.). If your back even hinted at rounding during those deadlifts, he would have you stop, and the next round you would be using a lighter load. This is why it is imperative that one receive good coaching when learning and practicing MovNat, and demonstrates why future MovNat coaches will have high standards to meet.

The last day of our training week was the big finale that we had all been waiting for – the continuous training circuit through a “naturally wild” environment, follow-the-leader style. We were told it could take anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours or longer, and there would not be a single moment for rest. While one person was executing the “main” skill, the rest would be doing bodyweight squats, holding a plank, or something else Erwan dreams up to make us sweat. Here’s the kicker, we were going to do this after fasting breakfast.

I saw this more as a mental challenge than physical, though it wasn’t a cakewalk, by any means. We went continuously for over 90 minutes, practicing almost all of the 12 skills. Erwan took us on foot (and sometimes on hands and feet) through the wilderness, balancing on logs and railings, climbing trees, rocks and ropes, running through swamps (yes, we looked like zombies upon our emergence from the forest), running and jumping on picnic tables, rocks and logs, lifting and throwing various stones. We did it all without resting, and it was so much fun!

Even though the point of this drill wasn’t to exhaust us, we were pretty tired by the end – and relieved that we had all completed the course, together, as a team. We broke our fast with a delicious salad that you could never find in a restaurant and then it was time to depart – homeward bound, back to our normal lives.

Erwan brought some of us to the airport and a few of us enjoyed coffee and tea for a couple hours, while Erwan discussed his vision for MovNat. It was a perfect way to end a week of learning and self-growth.

Going Barefoot

When we trained with Erwan, we all trained barefoot, even in the woods and on gravel; even “in the mud, and the blood, and the beer.” On occasion, some of the group wore footwear (usually Vibram Five Fingers) towards the end of the week as tender feet started to get sore. Some of us had barefoot training experience, some didn’t. An important note is that we are only as strong as our weakest link. If you can’t sprint 100 yards without putting your shoes on, then you can’t sprint 100 yards in an imperfect setting, and it’s important to be aware of this in your training program.

Going barefoot must be an incremental process. Like any form of training, it’s not smart to just jump right into it (and your feet will tell you this rather quickly). This is my first year going barefoot, and I’m sold on the concept. I think everyone can benefit from going barefoot as much as possible, but I do recommend approaching it cautiously. See the Definitive Guide For Going Barefoot here.

How Do CST and MovNat Compare

I know a lot of my readers are interested in Circular Strength Training. Having recently been certified as a CST Instructor and Kettlebell Specialist, I saw this MovNat seminar through a new set of eyes.

CST is a health-first fitness system. MovNat is a performance-first natural movement system. With MovNat, the ultimate goal is to be able to move effectively through a natural environment (natural can be from a tropical rain forest or through a busy urban environment – there is no such thing as an unnatural environment for human movement – well, maybe Mars!). Being able to do something effectively in MovNat (ie accomplish the goal, like climbing over a fence – even if your technique is horrible, you made it!) doesn’t mean that it is a naturally optimum movement. This is when it’s time to work on efficiency where you utilize good movement principles like selective tension, proper breathing, etc.

Better health and fitness is the number one goal of CST. Better movement is the number one goal of MovNat. CST is training based, for the purpose of conditioning to be able to better deliver skills more efficiently and effectively. MovNat is skills based, utilizing practice rather than training (specific conditioning is a by-product of practice, according to the SAID principle). If you train MovNat properly, your skills should be improving regularly (and the conditioning for those skills along with it).

One area where I saw a lot of similarity between the two systems is breathing technique. Although Erwan’s teaching style is much simpler than CST’s 5 levels of breath mastery, and 4 levels of breathing depth, the outcome is the same. I think my Be Breathed practice helped tremendously in preparing me for the breathing aspect of MovNat (except the breath holding, which I think leaves much to be desired.).

As a side note, I’m very comfortable in the water, but not a talented swimmer by any means. Sure, I can get across the lake, but I’ll be dead-beat exhausted when I get there because I’ve never learned proper swimming technique until this seminar. While I could hold my breath for 1:55 minutes when out of the water, I only held my breath for 45 seconds while under water. I have a goal of being able to do this for 2.5 minutes by the end of next summer.

I think both CST and MovNat are immensely valuable systems, and complement one another very well. Although, they are based on many of the same principles, there are many differences in the philosophy and purpose behind each system, making it difficult to do a direct comparison.

I see the greatest value in CST as applied to MovNat, as being a method of injury prevention, for PREhabilitating the body. There are already injury prevention methods present in the MovNat system, but I’m glad to have CST as a comprehensive source of training methods specifically for health-first training. In this day and age, we need to go above and beyond when it comes to fortifying health, and ensuring training is safe for the long-term, especially when working with zoo humans.

The Biggest Lesson I Learned At The MovNat Course

MovNat is a broad and comprehensive movement skills coaching system, but it will not prepare you for everything. This is NOT because I see MovNat as a flawed system and incapable of helping people better prepare for the unknown. This is simply a fact because we cannot predict future circumstances, and there is no way we can guarantee our training will prepare us for everything that could possibly happen (sorry CrossFitters, but no system will ever prepare for you everything, no matter what the elites boldly and publicly claim).

However, when it comes to being prepared for the unexpected – even the potential of being put in a life-threatening situation – MovNat will prepare you as much as any system possibly can. I don’t consider it a perfect system because it’s still in its infancy and Erwan admits that it is going to evolve in the future, but MovNat is about as good as it gets for preparing for the unknown. Here’s why…

Your skills and conditioning preparation is 100% dependent upon how much time and practice you devote to it consistently over the long-term. Obviously, the more time you spend practicing natural movement skills, the better prepared and equipped you will be to execute natural movements in the future. This is common sense, I know.

Here’s what I realized: even though MovNat doesn’t guarantee absolute and adequate preparation for the unknown, it DOES guarantee maximum benefits for the time you put into practice because MovNat is holistic. Every natural movement skill is covered, preparing you as much as you can possibly be prepared.

So, the secret is that there is no secret.

The 12 natural movement skills according to Le Corre are walking, running, jumping, balancing, moving on all fours, climbing, lifting, carrying, throwing, catching, swimming and defending. If one skill is lacking, then you can ensure inadequate preparation for unknown future circumstances. However, if you are regularly practicing all 12 skills, then you are preparing yourself as best as you possibly can be for the future.

I know, it’s not revolutionary information, but so many times I hear people who are concerned about being prepared for the unexpected event. So, they turn to a certain conditioning system that is not skills based, and when it comes down to actually being able to perform very basic movement skills, the conditioning means nothing when the skills aren’t trained yet.

Before arriving for the seminar, I could bust out 20 dead-hang pullups, but I couldn’t climb over a thick tree branch efficiently at all. This is one area where I had trouble. Sure, after a few tries I could muscle my way over a tree branch, expending a lot of energy, but I couldn’t use natural movement principles to move more efficiently without the coaching I received. MovNat training is immediately in context, requiring adaptability to situational demands (climbing over a tree branch). Adaptability is a skill that needs to be trained, or your capability (being able to do 20 pullups) won’t matter one bit.

I’m happy to say that the major skill I was having trouble with has improved greatly with practice over the past 2 weeks. Have a look:

Because of the situational adaptability embedded within MovNat training, you don’t necessarily train very specific skills over and over again. For instance, you won’t necessarily focus on continually perfecting a 36” box jump, which is a very specific skill. Instead, you’ll simply learn how to jump – just jump. Yes, you’ll start with very basic jumping drills on flat and smooth surfaces. Once you have those drills mastered, you’ll move onto something more difficult, perhaps jumping up or down on a bench – then a table. Then, you can jump to a target, further and further – and onwards in increasing sophistication from there.

You see, learning a 36” box jump is great for very specific conditioning purposes, but it bears little value when it comes to performing in a truly natural environment (outside of the gym). When jumping onto a rock or railing, the situation is different than in the gym. So, it’s important that once you’ve mastered a skill in a controlled environment (box jump in the gym), to then move onto more varied applications. In a natural environment, every jump is different, which is why training must include situational adaptability.

This doesn’t mean that we should compromise safe training methods just to practice in a more natural environment, as that would definitely lead to injury or worse. You definitely need to use your intuition. If you can’t lift a heavy stone with good technique (using the 7 key components of structure), then you shouldn’t be training with that one. Use a lighter stone, or one that’s easier to hold onto. Everything is scalable, and it’s important to monitor your level of readiness for new and more difficult skills.

Final Thoughts

This was a seminar specifically teaching humans how to move better in a natural environment, but it was about so much more than better movement. It was about being a better person in all aspects of life. I want to offer a big thank you to Erwan for all of his enthusiasm, energy, and patience with us. And I’d also like to thank Jeff Kuhland for all his help behind the scenes to make this event comfortable and memorable – all of the food was excellent, too.

Jeremiah, Brandon, Caroline, and Jennifer: It was a joy to train with all of you, and I wish you the very best success in your future MovNat training.

More MovNat eye-candy:

Even with this lengthy review, I still don’t think I’ve done the event justice. The best advice I can give is for you to seek out MovNat instruction on your own. Please do scroll down and see the post script notes at the bottom for more information, and thank you for your interest in MovNat. The reality of Erwan’s vision is about to explode!

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional
CST, CST-KS, NSCA-CPT
MovNat Alumni – Summersville Lake, WV

P.S. By the way, I really didn’t get into the philosophy and specific techniques of MovNat because Erwan is currently writing a book about it. For those who are interested in learning Erwan’s thoughts on natural movement – what makes it natural, how to move efficiently, (etc.) I would highly recommend planning to purchase his book when it becomes available in the future.

P.P.S. I think it also goes without saying that I absolutely 100% recommend that anyone who is interested in MovNat should seek Erwan out, and train with him in-person. The experience is unforgettable, and can be life-changing if you’re ready for it. He will be doing some weekend clinics around the country in the next year, along with opening a MovNat training facility in or near Boulder, CO.

P.P.P.S. If you’re interested in a New England MovNat workshop, please let me know because I am planning on hosting Erwan sometime in December 2009, and I’m sure it will fill up quickly. You may direct message me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnsifferman

-Shane

ANSWER: Hi Shane, Thanks for your question. Any condition that increases the pressure of the abdominal cavity may contribute to the formation or worsening of a hernia. So, heavy lifting is a very common cause of hernias, among many other health problems. This isn’t because lifting heavy directly increases abdominal pressure, per se, but because heavy lifting is usually accompanied by power breathing, which is a dangerous practice that most trainees should avoid.

Traditional power breathing is usually performed by taking a deep breath through the nose until your lungs are mostly filled (about 75%). The inhale travels into the diaphragm, and the belly distends forward – it shouldn’t solely expand the chest and ribcage. Then, while performing the lift, you will exhale through the mouth while hissing through your teeth until the full repetition is completed.

With power breathing, you will get an immediate improvement in your power and strength. However, that power is translated through a false foundation of abdominal pressure, not structural tension. You wouldn’t use a balloon to support a heavy weight, would you?

Now, for some people, power breathing is an essential aspect of living. Military, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and high level athletes may choose to put their duties and goals before their personal health. This is perfectly fine, it’s just not the healthiest option and eventually the body will break down with continued use.

For those pursuing health, fitness, and athletic goals with longevity in mind, power breathing should not be included in your regular training program. Instead, you need to condition yourself to maximize your structural tension through proper strength training and breathing methods, and you can do that by learning Performance Breathing. My coach, Scott Sonnon, has an excellent article about how to practice Performance Breathing: http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/?p=428

So, the point I’m trying to make is that the METHOD that you use to lift weights is far more important for preventing injury and staying strong than your age is. Age is actually much less relevant, and proper lifting should fortify your body against injury, not increase the risk.

Now, you asked, “what age should a person stop lifting heavy weights? Or should a person ever lift heavy weights to begin with?”

You should stop lifting weights when you cannot lift without pain. That’s the general rule of thumb. But I’d like to focus on your second question about whether or not we should lift heavy or not.

Lifting heavy weights will definitely produce strength training adaptations – you WILL get stronger by going heavy. However, there is a risk:benefit ratio that should be considered. Heavy weightlifting, time and time again, has been associated with injuries. That’s the risk, or the cost. If you want to get super-strong like a powerlifter, then you’ll get injured along the way – it comes with the territory, and competitive weight lifters will be the first to admit it.

So, you need to decide what you want to do based on your priorities and goals. I have a lot of friends, who are fantastic strength and conditioning coaches who choose this route, and I completely respect their decisions. I just want to inform people about the risks, so they know the full story before committing. Here’s an article I wrote about injuries when weightlifting:

Lifting Heavy Weights Will Make You Injury-Bound

Now, what most strength coaches still don’t realize is that you can get similar strength adaptations with lighter weights or no weight at all, if you know how to do it. For example, weight swinging and bodyweight training both involve much lighter “weights” and can be used to increase strength and athleticism, build muscle, or shed bodyfat – all the same things that more traditional, and often heavier, dumbbells and barbells are used for. In fact, you can get comparable “real world” strength adaptations with significantly lighter weights than you may think.

No, bodyweight training or weight swinging will not necessarily help you to bench press 400+ pounds, or squat “6 wheels.” But it will build real world strength that can be applied to everyday living. You don’t need to be the strongest, only strong enough for your life.

And I hate to break it to you, but the skills you develop through heavy weightlifting do not transfer over to functional or athletic performance because of the law of Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. I wrote an article about Specificity in Training here:

Specificity In Training: How much carry-over does weight lifting have in real life? Will your time under the iron help you on the field, on the mat, or in the ring?

Also see Does General Conditioning Even Exist?

So, just because someone can deadlift a 400 lb barbell, doesn’t mean that they can deadlift a 400 lb stone, or pick up a 200 lb unconscious man. If you change the training tool, it’s a completely different skill and it won’t necessarily transfer over. That high bench press doesn’t have much real life practicality from a physiological standpoint. The good news is that most people can reach their strength goals through safer, health-first methods, without even touching a heavy barbell.

So, I have to ask myself – “why would I lift heavy weights that is known to cause injuries if the strength doesn’t even transfer to real life applications, especially when I know of different ways to build that strength with a much lower risk of injury?”

It sounds like a no-brainer to me.

This is one of the reasons why I love clubbell training so much. The nature of swinging weights means that you can use a much lighter load to accomplish a high strength adaptation. The faster a weight swings, the more momentum it creates, meaning the more force that is required to control it. So, you can use a relatively light clubbell to achieve the same amount of force as a much heavier dumbbell or kettlebell.

Both the displaced center of mass and the resulting leverage disadvantage create a lot of torque when swinging the Clubbell, which can be done without adding any weight at all. If you swing a clubbell faster, it will create more torque = more foot lbs for you to control.

I know what you’re thinking, “there’s no way a little clubbell can be used to build the strength that heavy barbells and dumbbells can. It’s just not possible to make a 15 lb clubbell feel like a 90 lb dumbbell!”

But that’s exactly what I’m saying. More torque requires more control, which requires more strength. It’s just simple math. And if you’re still skeptical, pick up a 35 or 45 lb clubbell (aka “the Bruiser”) and get back to me on how much strength you think you can develop with it. They don’t say “you can’t lie to the Bruiser” for no reason. It will reveal weaknesses you probably didn’t even know you had, especially if you’re only accustomed to training with 2-dimensional barbells and dumbbells.

Another reason I like clubbells is that weight swinging creates traction in the joints, instead of just compressing them under a heavy load. Traction helps make the joints stronger, since the weight is pulling away from the body, and thus, pulling on the joint capsules. This is what I mean when I say that strength training is meant to injury-proof your body – not increase the likelihood of injury. All proper training should be health-first.

I haven’t even touched on the fact that clubbells are swung in three dimensions, and through the six degrees of movement freedom – just the way we live and move in real life and sport. Clubbells can be used to STIMULATE real life movement patterns (to build strength through an entire range of motion) without SIMULATING the actual movement skill. So, it builds strength that will improve your actual performance in specific skills, unlike the simulated 2D nature of barbells and dumbbells.

So, if you combine a good clubbell training program with some health-first bodyweight exercise (like from the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution), you’ve got a solid plan for lifelong strength training that will help you stay injury-free. Two of the most important goals of a strength training program should be to build life-applicable strength and to fortify your body from injury. That is health-first fitness.

The Bottom Line

So, lifting heavy weights will make you stronger, yes, but at the expense of probable, ongoing injuries. You can lift heavy weights until your body breaks down, or you can adopt a health-first strength training method including weight swinging and bodyweight exercise as staples in your program. With a health-first approach to fitness, you’ll be building strength well into old-age instead of crapping out at 40 or 50.

*For injury prevention, I also recommend a prehabilitative joint mobility routine such as Intu-Flow and proper Compensatory Movement such as Prasara Yoga.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

P.S. I interviewed Coach Adam Steer, the Creator of the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution, all about bodyweight training on this page:

http://johnsifferman.com/blog/bodyweight-exercise-interview-adam-steer/

P.P.S. I also have a lot of information about bodyweight training, joint mobility, clubbell training, and prasara yoga here on my site if you poke around a bit.

There’s something about manual labor that really hits home with me after doing landscaping for 10 years. What started as mowing lawns in the summer for some cash, ended up becoming my own professional landscaping business in my college years. Hard physical labor has numerous lessons to teach, not all of which are physical.

Being out in the sun, working beyond the point of exhaustion will certainly teach you about the limits of the human body. If you’ve ever worked construction, or held any other “grunt” type of position, then you’ll know that the human body, if well-fueled and well-rested, is capable of so much more than what is commonly expected. I’ve read that Navy SEAL/S are known for teaching that the body can take 10 times the amount of work we think it can (with a little encouragement, of course). I tend to think the body can take quite a beating, so ten times that is really saying something.

I remember building a retaining wall at a local elementary school. We were using pre-cut blocks, each of which was 91 lbs dry. That wall was 24 feet tall, and over 130 feet long when we were finished. If our estimate was correct, it was made up of over six thousand blocks when we were finished. And it was only the first of three walls that needed to be built.

That’s 6,000 deadlifts, into a carry from the palette to the wall, into a precise shimmy to get it “just right.” – in 2 days. To count repetitions would have been useless. To do “sets” would have been silly and unproductive. It was all work that had to be done, and we were on the clock – being paid handsomely for our project. We took a 30 minute break for lunch, and the rest of the day, from 7 til 5 was spent lifting, carrying, shimmying, and dropping pins into place to hold them.

I remember the first day was brutal, and it was HOT. When you work hard all day, your energy comes in waves. The first few hours aren’t so bad, but as you get into the afternoon, when the sun is high, every step becomes difficult – and the little mind-gremlins come out to tempt you to stop moving, to “just take a little break.” We didn’t have time for breaks. We were on schedule, and our work was needed to precede other work for the school construction.

By any personal training standards we should have flat-out quit after an hour or two. By then, we had already “put in our time.” We certainly had done enough to elicit an adaptation of muscle building, fat loss, and strength. Unfortunately, even a twice-a-day session wouldn’t have been enough to finish that wall on schedule.

We certainly didn’t have the optimal post workout nutrition formula drink, either. We ate food mostly at lunch, and would sometimes devour a snack while carrying the stones – an apple, sandwich, or granola bar. Oh, we didn’t even think about nutrients either. We even ate a lot of carbs – ALL DAY LONG. Dr. Atkins would have been horrified!

As it turns out, we broke all the typical diet and fitness rules when working. If it’s a rule in the gym, we broke it on the job!

This got me thinking about “real life.” You know, this world that we live in outside of the gym. Life never plays by the rules. Things come up last minute. Nothing goes according to plans. Sometimes, we just don’t have time to do the best, ideal thing.

And yet, we try to setup an ideal environment and system for exercising our bodies. Take a trip to the gym with me, and let’s see what we’ll find, shall we…

-Smooth surfaces everywhere
-Mirrors
-Perfectly sized hand grips on all machines and free weights
-”Motivational” Music (HA!! my local gym plays nothing of the sort!)
-Machines than do half of the work for us through leverage, pulleys, etc.
-Smoothie bar
-The gym guru’s that tell you what you should be doing
-Air Conditioning

Now, let’s step back into reality, what is the REAL WORLD really like?

Real world terrain is rough, rocky, dusty, various, and definitely only smooth where man has made it that way.

Unfortunately, we don’t have mirrors everywhere to show us if we’re using proper technique when doing something outside the gym. Well, except maybe posing in front of the mirror at home – a very practical and useful activity.

Not everything has a human-specific hand grip to make easy work of picking something heavy up. Most things are downright awkward to hold.

It really is too bad that we can’t have our favorite music flip on everytime we need to “do something serious” – that’s what iPod’s are for though, right?

Yeah, we’ve got machines to make our lives easier. I love em! (only some of them). Unfortunately, moving heavy things like furniture doesn’t involve pulley’s or leverage – you just gotta pick that piano up and don’t let go no matter what!

Even if you’ve just worked your butt off for hours, nobody is going to ask you if you want a banana berry smoothie on your way home from work.

What fascinates me is that there are even people OUTSIDE OF THE GYM who tell you what you should be doing. It’s the craziest thing… (OK, you got me!)

It’s funny, there’s no A/C outside. It’s the weirdest thing!

In the real world, our bikes actually travel when you pedal them. Rowing a boat will help you get somewhere and enjoy being on the water. The steps of stairs don’t actually move up and down – we walk over them. And no, we don’t walk on a constant conveyor belt to get to where we have to go. We can’t read a book while we ride a bike, and we don’t watch TV while walking somewhere (except maybe from the kitchen to the living room!). We don’t enjoy the luxury of gloves, chalk, or lifting belts. Our support beams aren’t covered in dense foam. The ground isn’t all rubber, either!

Hmmm, this just doesn’t add up…

So, I must ask myself, what is the gym environment preparing us for?

I think, in many respects, that the typical gym environment is preparing us for safety – a cushioned existence. It doesn’t mimic the wild, real world. The gym environment keeps us comfortable, even when one of our goals is to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone.

So, each of us must ask ourselves – is our current training program helping to prepare us for the real world?

Honestly ask yourself: could I carry someone out of a burning building? Could I climb over an 8 foot wall? Could I perform hard manual labor for 8 hours straight? Could I scamper up a tree while carrying a child to safety? Could I outrun an assailant? Could I survive a fight?

We need to be more prepared than the challenges we face. Even with excellent physical skills (like climbing, defending, etc.), poor conditioning will lead to your not having access to those skills. If we don’t have the conditioning to do something, then guess what? We can’t do it, no matter how willing or talented we are.

Just because you can clean and jerk a 100 kg barbell over your head, doesn’t mean you can hoist an unconscious man to your shoulder. It just doesn’t work like that.

So, it’s time for a reevaluation. The more we can align our training program with the real world demands of physical living, the better. Here are a few simple steps you can take to head in the right direction:

5 Tips for Breaking Outside of the Gym Environment

1) Take your training outdoors. This will be the single most important and positive step you can make to mimic the demands of real life in your training program. You won’t have A/C, rubber flooring, or mirrors. You’ll be out in the elements and your training will change out of necessity. (it seems going outdoors has been a common theme lately)

2) Get away from barbells and dumbbells and start using “real world” weights. This can be stones, logs, sandbags, buckets, old tires, water jugs, or even furniture. Anything that you would pick up when cleaning up the yard or house. You’d be surprised how much you can do with a few heavy rocks – deadlifts, squats, cleans, jerks, presses, rows, various throws, etc. Many traditional gym exercises can be performed with heavy and odd objects.

3) Do something you’ve never or rarely done before. This is a direct approach for getting outside of your comfort zone. Putting yourself directly into the position of novice or beginner will challenge you in new and fresh ways. It can be anything from rock climbing to ultimate frisbee. The important thing is that you seek those things which you know will be difficult for you. Facing your fears is one of the fastest routes to self-growth.

4) Test Your Limits. There’s rarely something as self-revealing as a true test of your physical limits. This can be any physical activity, but it must challenge you to your maximum threshold. For example, a one rep max strength test, a maximum repetitions within a certain time limit test, climbing a mountain under a certain time, running or cycling for time or distance. This is where you reach true HIGH INTENSITY through an extraordinary effort.

5) Train in the moment. Give up your TV, magazine, book, cell phone, mp3 player and just train. Forget the extras, and just focus on your movement and the effective execution of your training session until you are finished. Don’t stop to talk with others, don’t take an extra long rest. Stick to your plan and make the most of the time you’ve given yourself. It’s your time.

The Bottom Line

It’s ok to break the rules once in awhile. In fact, I’ve often found the most personal benefit when breaking the rules of conventional wisdom, especially when it comes to physical living. What is most important is that we find a healthy medium between balancing comfort/discomfort with adequate training stimulus and pushing to our limit. Our training MUST prepare us for the challenges we face. It’s not enough to look healthy and strong. We need to BE healthy and strong, be capable and useful for more than just average physical living. The years of looking strong at the expense of being athletically and functionally dumb are coming to an end. At least that’s what I hope, seems we haven’t learned too much in almost 2,000 years…

Why do strong arms fatigue themselves with frivolous dumbbells? To dig a vineyard is worthier exercise for men. – Marcus Valerius Martialis (40 AD – 103 AD)

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

P.S. If you want to break free from the chains of your local health club, there’s no better way to start than by becoming completely non-dependent on strength training equipment. The Bodyweight Exercise Revolution is one of my top choices for equipment-free strength training:

Ryan Murdock traveling in Jordan.

If you’ve been following the blog for awhile, I’m sure you know that I’m a big proponent of the Circular Strength Training system. Ryan Murdock is on the Faculty, in charge of bringing CST to the world, and he has a revolutionary way of sharing his health-first fitness viewpoints. I guarantee that you’ll learn something new by listening in on this call. Plus, Ryan is a great story-teller, and he’s gives us a glimpse into some of his travel adventures.  Some of the key points we covered include:

- How martial art will change your worldview and set you on the path of personal mastery, preparing you for all of life’s challenges. (also, why CST jives with most martial artists especially)

- Why joint mobility is Ryan’s “daily minimum,” and how he uses it to stay in tip-top shape year round.

- The best bodyweight training methods for achieving your health-first fitness goals at home or on the road.

- Health and Fitness Insights we can learn from visiting indigenous people from obscure places in the world.

- How to kill giant cockroaches that scurry around your hotel room! (one of Ryan’s stories from traveling in Burma with his girlfriend)

Listen to the interview here:

John Sifferman Interviews Ryan Murdock (54 Minutes in Length)

I want to thank Ryan again for doing this interview. It is an honor to learn from someone who carves out his own path in life and sets a fine example for us all. Be sure to check out his sites:

http://RyanMurdock.com
http://rmaxstaff.com/murdock
http://BodyweightExerciseRevolution.com

Here are some ways you can get started with CST today:

Clubbell Quick-Start Training Packages can be found halfway down this page (you can find more info about clubbells on the official site here http://clubbell.tv.com)

Prasara Yoga Introductory Package – Book here, Instructional DVD here.

Joint Mobility Training Package (more info about mobility training on my site here)

As always, if you have any questions about what was discussed on the call, how to get started, or about the products themselves, please leave a comment below or use the Contact page above.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and CST Student

P.S. For more information about clubbell training and prasara yoga, I recommend Scott Sonnon’s programs The Encyclopedia of Clubbell Training and his book Prasara Yoga.

Here’s the instructional video…

Natural Movement Outdoor Strength Training Session


Here are the training session specifics as referenced in the video:

Crawl 20 meters, Sprint 50 meters
Crab Walk 20 meters, Sprint 50 meters
10 continuous, running long jumps
10 jumps over a bench or box

Repeat 2-4X, no rest:
Pullups to failure
Shadow boxing for 1 minute – punches, kicks, elbow strikes, and knee strikes
400 meter run – alternating sprinting with trotting

Repeat 5X, no rest:
Squat walk for 10-15 paces
5 second rock bottom squat hold
5 Bodyweight Squats
1 forward leap

Repeat 1-5X, no rest:
Carry something heavy (20-40% of your bodyweight) for about 15 feet
Throw it as far as you can

You can repeat the entire training session circuit 1-5 times depending on your conditioning level. Also, don’t feel locked into doing each exercise exactly as it is demonstrated. Use what you have available, and adjust the exercises as necessary. If you can’t jump over a box that high, then just do some lateral hops. If you can’t do pullups, then do negative reps or band-assisted pullups. Find a way to make it work for your unique situation.

This training session was inspired by Erwan Le Corre, the creator of the MovNat system, but this does not represent the MovNat practice or philosophy. Perhaps, someday, I’ll be qualified to teach MovNat to you, too. For now, that was just me having some fun in my backyard.

If natural movement seems daunting to you, then I would recommend you invest in a program that will help you unbind your movement, restore your range of motion, and help you regain your natural athleticism. The Intu-Flow wellness system is the best program for this purpose.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Natural Movement Enthusiast

Intro:  The following workout is designed to help you build muscle, lose fat and improve your conditioning via the neuro-immuno-endocrine response. This occurs after about 14-18 minutes of training for the average person.  Always incorporate a warm-up (including a practice set or two performed slowly) and cool-down. If you are not at a high fitness level, you might need to adjust or scale the exercises to match your fitness level.

3-5 min warm-up (joint mobility is preferred, quick tutorial here, full DVD program here)

Repeat for 15-20 minutes, 1 repetition of each exercise, no rest between exercises, 0-15 seconds of rest between each circuit. Work up to being able to do one set every minute, if possible:

• Bodyweight squat
• T-Pushup (1 per side)
• Bodyweight squat
• Lateral lunges (1 per side)
• Bodyweight squat
• Mountain climbers (1 per side)
• Bodyweight squat
• Wrestlers bridge held for 1-3 seconds (aka yoga wheel pose)
• Bodyweight squat
• Spinal Rock (aka reverse situp)

Rest for 0-15 seconds and repeat for desired number of rounds.

Increase the challenge by doing more sets in less time, or by replacing the bodyweight squats with single leg squats.

3-5 min cool-down (including some whole body vibration drills is a great idea, quick tutorial here, full DVD program here).

Note: If you’d like a full conditioning program to help you burn fat and build muscle by maximizing the neuro-immuno-endocrine response, then I recommend the FlowFit program here:

Workout 2:

Intro: The following workout is designed to help you lose fat and improve your cardiovascular and athletic conditioning. Always incorporate a warm-up (including a practice set or two performed at low intensity) and cool-down. If you are not at a high fitness level, you might need to adjust or scale the exercises to match your conditioning level.

3-5 min warm-up (joint mobility is preferred, quick tutorial here, full DVD program here)

Repeat 3-6X, no rest between exercises other than what is stated, 1-2 minutes of rest at the end of each circuit:

• Sprint 50 meters, walk back to starting point
• Full Squat into Forward Leaps to 60% perceived exertion (balance both height and distance of jump)
• Bear crawl 50 meters, walk back to starting point
• Walking lunges to 60% perceived exertion (with weights if necessary)
• Crab walk 50 meters, walk back to starting point
• Alligator walking to 60% perceived exertion
• Lateral side-stepping 50 meters, each direction

Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat for desired number of sets.

Increase or decrease the number of sets, distances, or rating of perceived exertion to change the difficulty of this workout circuit.

3-5 min cool-down (including some whole body vibration drills is a great idea, quick tutorial here, full DVD program here)

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

Moving on all fours is great for a lot of reasons…

1) It can be done anywhere and doesn’t require any equipment
2) It is an integrative movement, not an isolation movement that can improve strength, endurance, power, balance, coordination, and agility.
3) It can be used for fat loss, muscle building, or general conditioning goals.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to begin to rediscover the value of moving on all fours. Pretending like you’re an animal stalking prey makes it all the more fun…

How to Move on All Fours: Basic Crawling Fundamentals


That is literally just a sampling of the huge array of possibilities when it comes to moving on all fours. The bear crawl and the crab walk are the most popular, and most useful, but there are infinite variations to explore.

Remember the key points:

1) Maintain a mostly flat back when you can do so without straining.
2) Keep your weight proportioned equally on all four of your limbs. Don’t sit too far back on your feet, and don’t lean too far forward on your hands. Find the sweet spot in the middle, where you could hold the position for a long time.

You’ll want to make it a goal to treat crawling as an exploratory exercise – not so much training as it is practice. Try to crawl with very little effort. Focusing on your breath will help with this. With each compression of the lungs, exhale. Focus on the exhale, and the inhale will take care of itself. When perfected, the movement will breathe your body for you – you won’t even have to think about it. You should be able to carry on with a normal conversation while crawling after you’ve mastered it.

Just like running and jumping, you’ll want to try and crawl softly, quietly – move like a ninja or a panther. This will teach your body to absorb shock and distribute it all throughout your body, instead of catching all of the shock in a local joint or soft tissue.

After you’ve got these fundamentals down, you can go off in so many different directions with crawling, and I think it’s best to crawl in a more natural environment. Try crawling on grass, sand, pavement, and gravel – on flat, uneven, and hilly surfaces. You can crawl forwards, backwards, laterally, and diagonally. You can move very slowly, as a grinding strength exercise, or you can hop and skip on your 4 limbs, too.

Here’s a 100 yard bear crawl test I did last year for some of the members of the Burn the Fat: Inner Circle.

Bear Crawl Test – 100 yards

And here are a couple more videos demonstrating quadrupedal movement from some parkour athletes:

And two great tutorials by my coach, Scott Sonnon. The real value here is not just in the detailed exercise instruction, but with the inclusion of example Flow Chains to play around with. Just keep in mind that these drills were crafted for very specific purposes:

The Kong

The Ape Step

Do keep in mind that there should be an element of discipline employed when you try any new exercise, especially a sophisticated one like most quadrupedal movements. In the same breath, I do want to recommend that you PLAY with these movements moreso than you train with them. They’re natural, and they’re fun, and should be enjoyed. If you like focusing on very specific technique cues, then go for it, but please don’t let the seemingly complicated nature of these movements scare you out of trying them. Self-exploration is the key, and there’s really no right or wrong way to explore your natural expression of human movement.

If you like these natural human movements, then you’ll love the biomechanical exercises from Scott Sonnon’s BodyFlow program.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Natural Movement Enthusiast