Category: Assessments

How to Master the Skill of Listening

‘You are such a good listener.” “Thank you for listening to me.” “You remind me of my son.” These are a sample of things I hear from patients, friends, and acquaintances on a regular basis. My listening skills are likely the largest contributing factor to attaining buy-in, building rapport, and establishing connections. Listening is essential if you want people to like you. And if they don’t like you, well, good luck! But I wasn’t always this way. When I was a young buck, I was shy, quiet, and unsure of myself. I most certainly had friends, but most connections were superficial. Because I was quiet, many times when I spoke in a group my words would go ignored. I struggled to form the deep bonds that we as humans crave. A lack of connection can create a void within us. I wanted that void to fill, so I desperately needed to cultivate a skill. I didn’t need to talk louder, assert myself, or become the most interesting man in the world. I needed to listen.

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Treating Scoliosis with Breathing Basics – A Case Study

Have any clients with scoliosis?  Scoliosis can be quite a bugger and have some interesting consequences on an individual’s movement. I bet you feel unsure how to best help them maximize movement. Even though people can have wild and crazy curves,  utilizing a systematic approach that looks at the entire movement system can have profound effects.  I recently had the opportunity to run through a client with Scoliosis during Human Matrix: The Code for Maximal Health and Performance, where I was able to employ some of the skills taught in the class to lead to some nice movement changes. In this case study, you’ll see just how far coaching the basics savagely well can improve someone’s movement. We focused in this case on finding the best position for her to maintain the breathing strategies advocated in the seminar. And the results…well, you’ll just have to tune in and find out.

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December 2018 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 December. 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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Sitting Posture, Hypermobility, and Fear-Avoidance – Movement Debrief Episode 72

Movement Debrief Episode 72 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: Does sitting slouch = extended? Why do people appear flexed when they sit? What is going on when someone sits slouched? How should I work with someone who has a hypermobility syndrome? What is Ehlers Danlos? Are isometrics a worthy starting place? What about unstable surface training? What is fear-avoidance? How do I go about using education to reduce fear avoidance? What other tactics do I use to mitigate fear avoidance?

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Top 10 Posts of 2018

At the end of each year, I like to see what you beautiful…sexy…outstanding people liked. What the fam….recognized (fam). This year, it seems like errbody was loving all of the movement-based work that was discussed. You want practical application as a coach or clinician, you got it! I also loved how all the guest posts I had this year made the top 10. There were some rock solid contributions from my fellow colleagues. Guess I’m going to need more album features if you know what I’m sizzlin’. I want to thank you, the fam, for making 2018 an outstanding year. It has been all the comments, questions, stories, and praise that keeps me outputting content for you. I think we will keep doing this another year. Why not? 😉 But enough rambling. Let’s check out the top 10. First off… 10. The Reckoning: Part Deux Course Review This was an excellent seminar that was run by two of my favorite doctors in the game: Pat Davidson and Ben House. The topics covered were a great variety of areas I needed more exposure in. If you want to learn how our movement limitations are evolutionary, the ins and outs of hypertrophy or fat loss, blood sugar regulation, you’ll just scratch the surface of what this course covered. If you ever get a chance to hear Pat or Ben in person, do so. In fact, you can hear Pat, myself, and Seth Oberst in February.  9. Why You Need Sun Exposure My man Iordan

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Breathing Strategies for Training, Hip Clunking, and Common Knee Issues – Movement Debrief Episode 71

Movement Debrief Episode 71 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 breathing strategy do I advocate for lifting? How does the breathing strategy change at moderate and high intensities? Are the breathing mechanics different at high intensities vs. basic exercises? What causes hip clunking? Are there any treatments to reduce clunking? What are some common knee issues seen in most people? What qualities should be focused on to maximize knee health If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook . They air every Wednesday at 7pm CST. Enjoy! and the audio version… Here were the links I mentioned: Check out Human Matrix promo video below Below are some testimonials for the class Want to sign up? Click on the following locations below: February 2nd-3rd, 2019, New Providence, NJ (early bird ends January 4th) SIGN UP FOR THE REVOLUTION featuring myself, Pat Davidson, and Seth Oberst February 9th-10th in Boston. MA June 8th-9th, 2019, New York, NY (early bird ends 5/10/19 at 11:55pm) August 24th-25th, 2019, Vancouver, BC (early bird ends July 26th at 11:55pm) September 21st-22nd, Raleigh, NC (early bird ends 8/23/19 at 11:55pm) Or check out this little teaser for Human Matrix home study. Best part is if you attend the live course you’ll get this bad boy for free! Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get nearly 3 hours and 50 pages of content, a

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Respiration and Posture for Better Sprinting and Lifting

Want to help your clients and athletes perform at a higher level by incorporating breathwork? I recently did a q&a over at Simplifaster, where we discussed all things breathing, performance, and training. Below is a list of the questions I answered: The difference between the breathing patterns seen in strength training and in dynamic athletic performance. How breathing on the ground transfers to what happens when standing and moving around? The top priorities in training an athlete’s trunk and midsection How to deal with common “thoracic spine mobility” deficit in athletes How to use “big lifts” for athletes, squatting and deadlifting, in light of muscle activation and posture How to progress single leg exercise progression Click on the link below to check it out Respiration and Posture for Better Sprinting and Lifting

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Can Ribs Go Out? Terminal Knee Extension, and Back Surgery – Movement Debrief Episode 70

Movement Debrief Episode 70 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 ribs go out? What is likely happening? What are the steps I use to restore terminal knee extension? Is breathwork useful for those post-op low back? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook . They air every Wednesday at 7pm CST. Enjoy! and the audio version… Here were the links I mentioned: Check out Human Matrix promo video below Below are some testimonials for the class Want to sign up? Click on the following locations below: February 2nd-3rd, 2019, New Providence, NJ (early bird ends January 4th) SIGN UP FOR THE REVOLUTION featuring myself, Pat Davidson, and Seth Oberst February 9th-10th in Boston. MA Or check out this little teaser for Human Matrix home study. Best part is if you attend the live course you’ll get this bad boy for free! 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: Subluxation: dogma or science? Three-Dimensional Movements of the Sacroiliac Joint: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Assessment of Clinical Utility Sacroiliac joint motion in patients with degenerativelumbar spine disorders The Mechanisms of Manual Therapy in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Pain: A Comprehensive Model Selected fascial aspects of osteopathic practice Fascial plasticity –

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Better Breathing Buy-in: Educating Clients in 4 Easy Steps

I get a lot of questions from fam such as yourself, wondering: “Zac, you do some weird, wild and crazy things. How do you get buy-in with someone who has an issue that is seemingly unrelated to do the things that you want them to do?” Maybe they’re seeing you for wrist pain. Why the heck would I be breathing if my wrist hurts? Or maybe they’re squatting. Why would filling my upper back up help me squat more effectively? I have both had many successes and failures explaining what I am doing. Through these trials and tribulations, I’ve broken down education into a four step process with one concept in mind: the outcome. Below, I break down what those four steps are, and how you can implement this strategy into your practice. Enjoy the video, audio, and modified transcripts, as well as the links I mention in the talk.

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Building Rapport, Lower Back Pain Red Flags, and Minimizing Social Media – Movement Debrief Episode 69

Movement Debrief Episode 69 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 some of my keys for building rapport? How do I keep the patient interaction playful? What red flags in low back pain make me want to recommend imaging? How do I minimize my time on social media while still being active? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook . They air every Wednesday at 7pm CST. Enjoy! and the audio version…                  Here were the links I mentioned: Check out Human Matrix promo video below Below are some testimonials for the class Want to sign up? Click on the following locations below: December 8th-9th, Charleston, SC February 2nd-3rd, 2019, New Providence, NJ (early bird ends January 4th) SIGN UP FOR THE REVOLUTION featuring myself, Pat Davidson, and Seth Oberst February 9th-10th in Boston. MA Or check out this little teaser for Human Matrix home study. Best part is if you attend the live course you’ll get this bad boy for free! Sign up for updates regarding the release. No commitment required! * indicates required Email Address * First Name 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”]

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How to Build an Online Service, Training Obese Clients, and Building Relationships

Online services in our industry are still a little bit of a gray area. The logistics are uncertain, and how in the heck can we train or help someone from a movement perspective over the internet? That’s what this outstanding conversation between myself, Michelle Boland  (Instagram: mboland18), and Erik Kreuger.   Below are the list of topics that we cover:   What an online assessment for rehab and training looks like How to elicit behavior change How to stay consistent Productivity systems I have in place Training obese clients and so much more Enjoy!, and check out the transcripts below (work in progress)   or the audio-only version The difference between in-person and online consultations Erik Kreuger: Zac. Talk to me about your overall philosophy. How does it differ between working with someone in person to working with somebody online. You can start with the rehab side and then go to the training and performance side or wherever you would like to start. Zac Cupples: The Philosophy is really the same, but the methods are different. I’m trying to intervene in as many ways possible that are non-invasive. If you look at my interventional model–social support, movement, nutrition, distress management, and sleep–all being ways we can intervene still rings true whether I’m seeing someone in person or or online. And it’s about manipulating all those variables to help meet that client’s goal. Now the big difference between online and in person is I can’t touch people online. So as I tell

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Perfect Posture, Excessive Knee Bend, and SFMA – Movement Debrief Episode 68

Movement Debrief Episode 68 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 perfect posture? Why do extension-based exercises not improve posture? How does respiration impact default posture? Why would the back knee bend in a yoga pose when it needs to be straight? What is occurring when we see knee bend when the hip is placed into extension? What can we do to rectify this issue? What are my thoughts on the SFMA? Why do I not use the SFMA? What is my current thought process instead? If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook . They air every Wednesday at 7pm CST. Enjoy! and the audio version…                  Here were the links I mentioned: Check out Human Matrix promo video below Below are some testimonials for the class Want to sign up? Click on the following locations below: December 8th-9th, Charleston, SC February 2nd-3rd, 2019, New Providence, NJ (early bird ends January 4th) SIGN UP FOR THE REVOLUTION featuring myself, Pat Davidson, and Seth Oberst February 9th-10th in Boston. MA A bunch of stuff on improving posture can be found here. Here is a debrief on occlusion. Below is a picture of the high lunge pose Here is the hip separation debrief. Below is an activity that I use to improve hip separation. Here is the hip

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