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!”]

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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?

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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

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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?

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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

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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?

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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!”]

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FAI, Warm-Ups, and EMG – Movement Debrief Episode 94

Movement Debrief Episode 94 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 FAI (femoracetabular impingement)? How does FAI occur if bones do not touch? What treatments are recommended for FAI? What is the purpose of a warm-up? Should you change someone’s prep routine before competition? What reasons would warrant a change in prep routine? What is EMG? Are EMG studies useful? If/when should we put stock into EMG?

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Tibial Rotation, Knee Pain During Resets, Deep Neck Flexors and Tongue – Movement Debrief Episode 93

Movement Debrief Episode 93 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 tibial external and internal rotation? What calcaneal position is associated with these tibial moves? How does the hip impact these tibial motions? What exercises can I use to change tibial rotation? Why might clients get knee pain during certain resets? How can I coach patients out of having knee pain during these activities? Is there a place for deep neck flexor contraction during resets? How about tongue posture?

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Too Much Traps, Hand Health, and Arthritis – Movement Debrief Episode 92

Movement Debrief Episode 92 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 do some people have too much trap and neck tension while they reach? How do I cue reaching without using the neck What are some key components of hand health? What are the different hand positions one should be able to achieve? What different grips should one be able to perform? What are some good ways to improve hand health? What is arthritis? Does arthritis correlate with pain? What treatments are useful for arthritis?

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Why Are You Spending Time On A Warm-Up?

Note from Zac: Do you gloss over the warm-up? Do you think a warm-up simply serves to get the heart rate going before you get to the meat and potatoes? If you are simply swinging around your arms while holding plates before you bench press, then you and your clients are sadly missing out on an opportunity to learn important movement concepts and prepare the body in a manner that will maximize the session at hand. There is no one better to speak about making the warm-up one of the most important components of a training session than Michelle Boland aka Coach Bo. In this post, Michelle serves up major knowledge on the three components of a warm-up, and provides an insane amount of practical application. Prepare to build warm-ups like never before. Enjoy.

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A Four Step Process to Becoming a Teacher in the Industry

Note from Zac Teaching can be an integral process towards demonstrating mastery of a concept, but what does it take to teach? How does one demonstrate expertise? Trial and error is one key component of that process. A teacher in our field must know what works and does not work. This process is something Lucy Hendricks has practiced in spades, and what makes her a great teacher. Having attended her and Michelle aka “Coach Bo” Boland’s course, I can testify to her skills at making complex topics simple. In today’s post, Lucy outlines some critical steps that must be taken to become an effective teacher in the fitness industry, and how to know who you should trust when it comes to applying information. Enjoy! The Industry Bullshit Meter I was catching up with a friend after not seeing her for over a year. I gave her a quick update on the hardest year of my life where almost every aspect of my life seemed to fall apart, but It ended with “however, It turns out I’m really good at teaching coaches how to coach, that’s going really well, so I have that going for me.” I feel like it’s the one thing I’m good at, and not in a self-deprecating kind of way, more in a proud way. I take coaching movement so seriously the rest of my life just gets ignored. I sometimes don’t eat or clean because I’m busy honing my craft. I’ll even forget to pay my

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