Author: Zac Cupples

Packing the Shoulder, Chiropractic Adjustments, and Unstable Surface Training – Movement Debrief Episode 43

Movement Debrief Episode 43 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: Is there a place for packing the shoulder? Should we coach the shoulders to be down and back? How should we coach the shoulder to move? Do wide infrasternal angles cause more trap issues? Do chiropractic adjustments work? How to improve shoulder external rotation? What are my thoughts on unstable surface training? Is there any research supporting unstable surface training? What are the best ways to work on stability and balance? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook or Instagram.They air every Wednesday at 8:30pm CST. Enjoy! and the audio version…                      Here were the links I mentioned: Infrasternal Angles The unreliability of posture Manipulation and mobilization for treating chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Spinal Manipulation Institute Restoring Shoulder Motion Here is an example activity I use to restore shoulder external rotation Effects of Strength Training Using Unstable Surfaces on Strength, Power and Balance Performance Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis The PEDro Scale for grading evidence The Problem of Transfer with Charlie Reid Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get nearly 3 hours and 50 pages of content, a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and

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Variability, The Problem of Transfer, and Gymnastics – Charlie Reid

 I recently had a great conversation with my dear friend, Charlie Reid. Charlie is a very successful trainer in the San Francisco Bay area, and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to a variety of fitness domains. He reached out to me to help audit his thought process, and it turned out we had an incredible conversation. Here were a few topics we discussed: Where does variability training fit when chasing fitness? What do certain variability tests theoretically look at, and what are the relevant mechanics? How well does variability training transfer to higher level activities? and many more  Click below to check out the video, and read along with the modified transcripts. I’ve linked some helpful pictures and links throughout. Enjoy. or if you’d rather, here is the audio version: Modified Transcript Charlie: I’m always looking for people to to audit my own thought process on things and help with shifting my paradigm. I’ve had these conversations with Joe Cicinelli regularly about interjecting PRI-based things with with fitness. It’s not even PRI, it’s just looking at like the body with this neuro-pulmonary/neuro-mechanical lens that I want to move towards and understand more of, but I’m also a pragmatist. I want to be as practical as I possibly can within the context that I’m working. That’s always a challenge. How do we take this information and make it as practical as possible? I’ll start with a confession first. I don’t I actually have a strong prejudice against PRI clinical exercises.

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Hip Adduction and Abduction, Course Takeaways, and the Draw-in Maneuver – Movement Debrief Episode 42

Movement Debrief Episode 42 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 normal hip abduction/adduction range of motion? What tests do I use to assess these ranges? Why are these limitations theoretically present? What is the treatment hierarchy for hip adduction and abduction? What are some of my favorite moves to improve these measures? What are my top 3 takeaways from the PRI courses I’ve attended? Why the draw in maneuver is complete bullshit and what you should do instead If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook or Instagram.They air every Wednesday at 8:30pm CST. Enjoy! and the audio version…                      Here were the links I mentioned: Sawbones Pelvis model Hip range of motion debrief Infrasternal Angle Debrief An Anatomic Investigation of the Ober’s Test Toe Touch to Squat for a narrow infrapubic angle Diamond Bear exercise for a narrow infrapubic angle Here is a move I use to improve active hip abduction. You can put the femur in relative external or internal rotation pending on which of those directions is limited: Bill Hartman Postural Restoration Institute Inefficient muscular stabilization of the lumbar spine associated with low back pain. A motor control evaluation of transversus abdominis. Adriaan Louw Here is the Paul Hodges video I talked about Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get

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Frequently Asked Questions

Over the last year I’ve been asked a bunch of questions, and I’ve tried to answer them immediately. Instead of sifting through all my Movement Debriefs to get your answer, maybe you just want to get a quick answer and then go apply what you learned. Or maybe you can only stand listening to me for so long. I GET IT! Well, look no further. Below is a link to every question that I have answered thus far on my Movement Debriefs. While I won’t continually update this post, going to my FAQ page will be updated after each debrief. If you have a question, just sign up for my newsletter, and when the next email comes by, just hit reply and I will do my darndest to answer yours. [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Yeah, I want Zac to A my Q”] Learn away my fam! Continuing Education   PRI vs. DNS Exercise Coaching Anchoring Old Movements to New Coaching Progressions Getting Changes to Stick Home Exercise Execution Lower Body Death of the Vertical Tibia Slideboards Squats Performance Agility Programming Exercise Programming Periodizing Physical Therapy Sessions Upper Body Dead Hangs   Overhead Pressing Pushups vs. Quad Sets   Health and Wellness The Off-Switch Sleeping Tips for New Parents Stress Response Taking care of your health Personal Development Daily Routines Building Daily Routines Deciding What to Learn Just in Time Learning Embracing Failure Detaching Refocusing Check Your Ego The Art of the Debrief Work-Life Balance Professional Development Questions to ask an interviewer New

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Self-Testing, Postural Evaluation, and Shoulder Impingement – Movement Debrief Episode 41

Movement Debrief Episode 41 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: Can you self diagnose why a muscle feels tight? What are some good self tests to assess variability can you appear “flexed” in one area but actually be extended? Can we make accurate assessments regarding posture? Why does impingement occur? How does shoulder testing relate to the infrasternal angle? What each of the shoulder tests I look at are attempting to assess? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook or Instagram.They air every Wednesday at 8joc:30pm CST. Enjoy! and the audio version…                    Here were the links I mentioned: Manual Muscle Testing Debrief Here is the toe touch to squat Infrasternal Angle Overhead vs. Quadruped And the active midstance test Posterior Tilt Pelvic Tilts and Lordosis Check out the Apley’s Scratch Test (don’t mind the adhesions portion) If you want to see trunk rotation, check out Respiration Revisited Illmatic by Nas Usain Bolt Debrief Here is the diamond bear exercise Here is the sidelying pec twist Here is the cable hang courtesy of Lucy Hendricks Bill Hartman   Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get nearly 3 hours and 50 pages of content, a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”] Self-Testing Postural

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Building Routines to Maximize Productivity and Reach Your Goals

I was speaking with one of my mentees, Graham, regarding a debrief I did on routines. I was a bit frustrated, because while I did go into my specific routines, I didn’t get as much into the “why” as I wanted to. Graham said I should just podcast it, so kudos to him for inspiring this talk. I think routines are essential in helping you both maximize productivity and reaching your goals. They take a lot of the guesswork and decision-making out of your day, and allow you to focus on what’s important. If you want some tips and ideas on routines, check out the podcast below, in which we talk about: The two reasons routines are essential Why you need goals to build your routines around Examples of some successful routines I’ve used When to and when not to use automation and routines to continue progressing your goals. Go ahead and check it out, or if you’d rather, you can catch the modified transcript below:                  Here are the links I mentioned: Movement Debrief on Routines Red light bulbs True Dark glasses Modified Transcript   The topic we will talk about today is going to be routines, habits, and priorities. Not in that order; I might mix it up a little bit you know what I’m sizzlin’.

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Acute Pain, Dead Hangs, and Occlusion – Movement Debrief Episode 40

Movement Debrief Episode 40 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: How to approach someone with an acute spasm? Can anything be done to improve acute pain syndromes? What should the finishing position be in vertical pulls? Should we “reach” during vertical pulls? Is there a risk of impingement with hanging from a bar? Should we “pack” the shoulder during pullups? What is occlusion and what are the basic types? How does occlusion relate to posture and pain? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook or Instagram.They air every Wednesday at 7:30pm CST. Enjoy!                  Here were the links I mentioned: Mike Roussell The efficacy of manual joint mobilisation/manipulation in treatment of lateral ankle sprains: a systematic review Ankle manual therapy for individuals with post-acute ankle sprains: description of a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial Meriva Curcumin (it’s more bioavailable than regular; shoot for 2-8g/day) A Randomized, Pilot Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Curcumin: a new paradigm and therapeutic opportunity for the treatment of osteoarthritis: curcumin for osteoarthritis management Fish Oil Bill Hartman Here is an example of a bar hang exercise (the famous one courtesy of Bill Hartman…and yes, I did have hair): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSaCPVLfSHU   Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention, Revised & Expanded Here is a video of

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February 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 February. 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!”]

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Ulnar Nerve Subluxations, Testing Variability, and Pelvic Tilts and Lordosis – Movement Debrief Episode 39

Movement Debrief Episode 39 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 would the ulnar nerve sublux or the triceps tendon snap? What are the variability patterns of the elbow? How to improve elbow variability to potentially reduce subluxations How did I choose the variability tests that I use? Why did I switch to the Active Midstance Test and Copenhagen Adduction Test? How are infrasternal angle, lumbar spine, and pelvic position related? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 7:30pm CST. Enjoy!                  Here were the links I mentioned: Here is the Active Midstance test: Here is the Copenhagen Adduction Test: Infrasternal Angles and Overhead vs. Quadruped Bill Hartman Large eccentric strength increase using the Copenhagen Adduction exercise in football: A randomized controlled trial Trigger Points and Muscle Chains in Osteopathy Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get nearly 3 hours and 50 pages of content, a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”] Ulnar Nerve Subluxations Testing Variability Pelvic Tilts and Lordosis

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How Pecs Can Help Shoulder Pain: A Mentorship Session

I recently did a mentorship session with my good friend, movement consultation partner, functional medicine guru, and #bae, Dave Rascoe from Method Strength. Dave and I collaborated on a client of his, and we used one of our mentorship sessions to talk through my decision-making process. We talked about a variety of topics, including theoretical underpinnings that influenced my decisions, the assessment process, exercise selection, and so much more. If you like what you see, want to improve your coaching skills, want to make better clinical decisions with your patients, and so much more, you can join my personalized mentorship program by filling out the form below the video. You can also learn more about the program here. Enjoy the video, and read the case summary and topics mentioned in the talk below to get a glimpse into my thought process.  Fill out the form below to sign up for the mentorship program. Here were a couple links and videos of things discussed in this session. Here are some posts on the infrasternal angle: Infrasternal Angle Overhead vs. Quadruped Diaphragmatic Breathing You can also get the most in-depth discussion on the infrasternal angle by subscribing to my newsletter in the link below: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Yes, I want to know it all!!!!!”] Here is the glute-biased dorsal rostral thoracic expansion, a great move for people with narrow infrasternal angles and hip external rotation limitations The glute-biased straight leg raise crossovers serve a similar purpose,  as the above activity, only adding a

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Getting Changes to Stick, Abdominals Explained, and Posterior Pelvic Tilts – Movement Debrief Episode 38

Movement Debrief Episode 38 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: How long does it take for changes desired by exercises to stay? How long do I keep someone on the same movement? What influence do the abdominal muscles have on ribcage position? How can we change position of the body to bias particular abdominal muscles? How to address rib flares Why and when should you cue a posterior tilt? What are some good way to cue a posterior tilt? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 7:30pm CST. Enjoy!                    Here were the links I mentioned: Infrasternal Angles and Overhead vs. Quadruped Respiration Revisited Excerpt from Pat Davidson’s Rethinking the Big Patterns (you can also check out the course review here) The Squatting Bar Reach: A Movement Deep Dive How to Deadlift: A Movement Deep Dive Enhancing Life Method Strength Andy McCloy Trevor LaSarre James Fryer Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get nearly 3 hours and 50 pages of content, a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”] Getting Changes to Stick Abdominals Explained Posterior Pelvic Tilts

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Social Media Resources

I was asked recently about how I utilize social media.  Namely, who I follow, why I follow them, so on and so forth. Up front, I do the best I can to limit my time on these platforms exposure. As we all know, it is very easy to get sucked into a rabbit hole of walls, posts, cats of Instagram hashtags, etc. Before you know it, it’s been four hours and you missed the most recent episode of “Days of Our Lives.” Secondary to the inevitable timewarp that you can be pulled into on social media, I utilize each platform with various goals in mind. This helps me stratify my consumption, and provide me the most relevant information.

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