Zac Cupples

November 3, 2019 Zac Cupples

Bryan Walsh’s Functional Medicine and Family Tour Course Review

We pursue health by attempting to optimize many qualities—movement, power, endurance—but these are just a few of the qualities needed to be healthy. How often do we look at optimizing all of our physiological systems? That’s where functional medicine became an area of interest for me. I was dealing with some health issues over the last couple years, and I sought out Ben House with great success. I was curious to learn more about this discipline, so I attended his retreat and went through his mentorship; learning a great deal in the process. It was at Ben’s retreat that I got to listen to Bryan Walsh, and was blown away. For those who don’t know, Bryan is a naturopathic physician who is a an absolute Jedi with understanding and designing treatments from physiological mechanisms. Bryan took us through an intense physiological journey over those few days, and I absolutely needed more. Thank the maker that Bryan announced his two day seminar. And boy did he not disappoint. Over two days I drank from the firehose of all things blood chemistry and functional medicine. The amount of research we went through was astounding, both on lab values and interventions. I was amazed at how many simple treatments could have profound effects on many common conditions we see people developing. This course contained useful protocols involving supplements, optimal lab ranges based on reducing all cause mortality, and so much more, but to list the exact to-dos would be a disservice to both Bryan

October 31, 2019 Zac Cupples

Anteversion, Retroversion, Squat Stance, and Tissue Tolerance – Movement Debrief Episode 101

Movement Debrief Episode 101 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: Why does a foot turn out or in? How can we decide how much foot position is related to normal femoral torsion or ventral cavity movement limitations? How much does femoral version matter? Should we advocate for a straight foot in all activities? Why and when should we apply a straight foot position? How does this relate to running fast? What do different stance widths do to the squat? How can impingement happen in a squat? How can I find the “best” stance width on a squat? How do I explain tissue tolerance to clients? What about tissues such as joints or nerves? Do those also have tissue tolerance?

October 17, 2019 Zac Cupples

Overhead Press, Missing Molars, and Situps – Movement Debrief Episode 100

Movement Debrief Episode 100 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: First, a case study of a patient who had full thorax motion, yet still had pain How to problem solve through a set of movement limitations Why is overhead pressing useful? What does my progression look like to getting someone to overhead press? Do I prefer in front of neck or behind the neck position for overhead pressing? Why do molars get pulled? What impact can pulled molars have on breathing and movement? What would be treatment recommendations? Are situps a bad exercise choice? Will situps hurt your back? When could programming situp variations be useful?

October 10, 2019 Zac Cupples

Geriatrics, Pain with Breathing, and Dentists – Movement Debrief Episode 99

Movement Debrief Episode 99 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: What are the key performance indicators many geriatrics need to keep healthy? What are some tips to maximizing movement options in geriatrics? What progressions do I utilize for geriatrics? What are some tips to get someone to complete a breath without pain? Any cues for having someone tuck who is overweight? How do we work around someone who is fear avoidant? Any tips for helping someone progress to going overhead without pain? What are the key things I look for in a dentist?

October 4, 2019 Zac Cupples

Rib Rotation, Shoulder Issues, and Biomedical Education – Movement Debrief Episode 98

Movement Debrief Episode 98 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: What does rib external and internal rotation look like? How do I approach improving shoulder mechanics? Any current training considerations for shoulder issues? Why do medical providers often educate in a manner that induces fear-avoidance and fragility? How, as movement professionals, can we deal with these issues?

September 29, 2019 Zac Cupples

September 2019 Links and Review

Every week, my newsletter subscribers get links to some of the goodies that I’ve come across on the internets. Here were the goodies that my peeps got their learn on in September. If you want to get a copy of my weekend learning goodies every Friday, fill out the form below. That way you can brag to all your friends about the cool things you’ve learned over the weekend. [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Hell yes I want weekend learning goodies every Friday!”]

September 26, 2019 Zac Cupples

Backside Mechanics, Psych Referral, and Hernias – Movement Debrief Episode 97

Movement Debrief Episode 97 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: What is the difference between backside and frontside mechanics in sprinting? Would backside mechanics help someone push off the ground better, thus making them faster? What tips do I recommend for coaching sprinting? How do I go about approaching someone who needs a psychology referral? When is the best time to bring up that a client would benefit from a psychology referral? What are hernias? What are some different types of hernias? What treatments are typically performed for a hernia? What conservative treatments are useful for hernias? How do I approach treating a hernia?

September 22, 2019 Zac Cupples

Movement and Breathing Fundamentals

Choosing movements that are best for a client requires knowledge of basic biomechanics. That includes the biomechanics of respiration. Yet oftentimes developing the biomechanical knowledge base can be incredibly challenging. It’s easy to get lost in terminology and being able to classify what you see. Let me help you solve this problem. For those of you who haven’t attended Human Matrix: The Code for Maximal Health and Performance, part of the pre-course material involves developing the terminology and knowledge base. I wanted to share this material with you. In Human Matrix: Foundations, you will learn biomechanical principles that will help you make better movement-based decisions for you patients and clients. Having the fundamentals down will allow you to appreciate movement differently, and improve you ability to classify various movements. This course includes the following subject areas: Terminology – planes of motion Physiological movements Movements of the scapula Movement of the hip Ribcage respiratory mechanics Spinal respiratory mechanics Pelvis respiratory mechanics Scapular respiratory mechanics Unsure if you got the material, that’s why I had my guy Levi Kirkpatrick create some amazing quizzes to test your capabilities. Application is the best way to learn, and we’ve provided that for you. Here is one of the videos featured in this course: The best part? It’s 100% free to you, the fam, to sign up. If you’d like to check out this course, all you have to do is sign up for my newsletter. You’ll get an email with access to this course, 5

September 12, 2019 Zac Cupples

Voluntary Muscle Contractions, Building Fitness During Rehab, and Hip Pain During Squats – Movement Debrief Episode 96

Movement Debrief Episode 96 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: Do I use voluntary muscle contractions during my exercises? When is it useful, and when is it not? Why is it useful to pursue fitness when rehabilitating an injury or with persistent pain? Why would hip pain occur during squats if the femurs fall into internal rotation? How could a bench press with a high arch negatively impact this?

September 8, 2019 Zac Cupples

A Consistent Approach to Coaching Course Review

You can take a seminar on just about any topic in our industry…except one. Coaching. How is it that something so fundamental to what we do as movement professionals is rarely taught? Knowledge of autonomics, anatomy, and business are meaningless if you don’t possess the ability to coach. Lucy Hendricks and Michelle Boland have filled this gap in a major way. Both are expert level coaches who work in the private sector, and have created a much needed seminar titled “A Consistent Approach to Coaching: Fundamental Positions & Exercises.” This one-day seminar focused exclusively on coaching and cueing several exercises used to establish a movement baseline in the gym. What’s unique about this seminar is its 100% hands-on aspect. You’ll not only get coached on how to move effectively, but you’ll practice coaching the other attendees. If you need a seminar that is going to change what you do on Monday without the need for a complete overhaul, this is the one. Let’s check out the highlights. Having a Consistent Approach A consistent approach both simplifies coaching and creates continuity among trainers. If movement and cues stay similar across all clients, then coaching can become more streamlined. Most skill acquisition innately has feedback systems in place to inform of success or failure. If you are playing a musical instrument, you hit the wrong tune and the song is awful. In basketball, you either get buckets or your jumper is sorry AF. What feedback is there for training? Weights can be

September 5, 2019 Zac Cupples

Shoes, Self-Correction, and Position Education – Movement Debrief Episode 95

Movement Debrief Episode 95 is in the books. Below is a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, and audio if you can’t stand looking at me. Here is the set list: Do I prescribe shoes to people? What do I look for when giving shoe recommendations? How can one self-correct during breathing exercises? How do we know if a breathing exercise is working? If we shouldn’t educate bones going in/out of place, how do I explain joint position and movement options?

September 1, 2019 Zac Cupples

August 2019 Links and Review

Every week, my newsletter subscribers get links to some of the goodies that I’ve come across on the internets. Here were the goodies that my peeps got their learn on in August. If you want to get a copy of my weekend learning goodies every Friday, fill out the form below. That way you can brag to all your friends about the cool things you’ve learned over the weekend. [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Hell yes I want weekend learning goodies every Friday!”]