Help Any Client Achieve Their Goals

I recently did a little spot on IFAST University regarding how I approach, assess, and progress people along the physical activity continuum. Read the little intro  below, and if you want to watch the video, click on the picture or the link. As a bonus, I put together a little PDF outlining how I improve the movement variability side of physical activity. If you sign up for IFAST University, you’ll get access to it. Without further adieu, here is the post. The Four Step Process to Address Movement Limitations I’m in the business of creating change, but — as you know — that stuff is HARD TO DO. How do you simplify the process? I like to outline things. When thoughts have a directional flow, it’s easier to keep everything straight. So I have to ask myself questions about each and every situation. What kind of person is in front of me? And what am I going to do with him or her? In this post, I’ll outline my process of helping people achieve their health and performance goals. We’ll discuss:The 4 areas where we can start creating change My main area of focus: physical activity The 4 steps physical activity Each step from my physical therapy view Each step from my performance coach view My progression for mobility The 3 active mobility tests I use Testing for arm motion with lower body tests Runners who get pain after they run 5 miles Patients who get back pain after they

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Continuing Education – The Complete Guide to Mastery Guest Post

Hey all, Won’t be a debrief this week, as I will be in the land of China giving some talks. But I wanted to make you aware of a guest post I did on On Target Publications, one of my favorite resources for all things rehab and training. This site, run by the incredible Laree Draper, simply puts out a ton of awesome material from many of the big names in the industry. Some of my favorites on this site include the great Stu McGill and Gray Cook debate, and the Lorimer Moseley pain video.  The post was a print of my continuing education guide, so go ahead, check it out, and support all the great things Laree is doing for the industry. Continuing Education – The Complete Guide to Mastery

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Intro to Hand Therapy Course Review

The hand has always been a weak area of mine, anatomy, treatment, the whole 9 yards. Thus, I was inspired to take an Intro to Hand Therapy Class taught by Patricia Roholt, a certified hand therapist (CHT) with 30+ years of experience.  The intent of this class was to provide a broad overview of all things hand therapy.  We dove into hand anatomy, evaluation, treatment, splinting, and specific conditions. My favorites parts were the anatomy, evaluation, and splinting sections. All of these areas were weak points of mine, and I definitely achieved quite a bit of clarity with these concepts. P-Ro is an absolute monster when it comes to splint making, and I loved all the tricks up her sleeve she had to make effective splints. It’s an area I’d like to dive into a bit more. if the above areas are what you consider to be a hole in your game, I’d consider checking out her online offerings to see if her courses would be right for you. Check out the full review in the video below. Once you got my final verdict, check out some of the meaningful highlights in the notes below. Hand Anatomy Let’s look at some of the fascinating anatomy that accompanies the hand. The Carpal Bones Laying your anatomy foundation starts with carpal bone appreciation, and the potential accompanying clinical problems. As you can see, there are two rows of carpals. In the proximal row, the scaphoid and lunate articulate with the radius, and

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Scoliosis, Morton’s Neuroma, and Just in Time Learning – Movement Debrief Episode 22

Movement Debrief Episode 22 is in the books. Here is a copy of the video and audio for your listening pleasure. Here were all the topics: Thoughts on Treating Scoliosis Thoughts on Treating Morton’s Neuroma Why I prefer Just in time vs just in case learning If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 8:30pm CST. Enjoy.                  Here were the links I mentioned tonight Advanced Integration Day 4: Curvature of the Spine PRI Advanced Integration Ipsilateral Hip Abductor Weakness After Lateral Ankle Sprain Method Strength – Dave Rascoe Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”]   Scoliosis Morton’s Neuroma Just in Time Learning

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Resilient Movement Foundations Course Review

I recently had the pleasure of attending a class put on by my fellas at Resilient Performance Physical Therapy. I went to this course for a few reasons. First off, I of course support the home team. I can’t even front, Douglas Kechijian, Trevor Rappa, Greg Spatz, and I go way back, and are very much related through IFAST family and directly (Doug is my younger older brother, Trevor is my son, and Greg is my stepson #dysfunctionalfamily). That said, there is were a couple big things I wanted to take away from this course, which I did in spades: Mastering basic movement Program design In these two areas, the Resilient fellas delivered in spades. Knowing what good technique is in the basic movement patterns, how to coach, and how to regress, are all underappreciated topics that these guys teach quite well. So should you take this course? An emphatic hell yes. I give a more indepth review as to why in the video below, so go ahead and check that out. Once you got the verdict, check out my favorite takeaways in the course notes, and then for the love of God sign up for a course of theirs! Click here to check out the Resilient Seminar Page

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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, New Grad Advice, and Interview Questions – Movement Debrief Episode 21

Movement Debrief Episode 21 is in the books. Here is a copy of the video and audio for your listening pleasure. Here were all the topics: The step-by-step process of treating someone with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome How to leverage your strengths as a new grad searching for a job Why new grads need mentors My favorite questions to ask interviewers and to find out about a company If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 8:30pm CST. Enjoy.                  Here were the links I mentioned tonight How to Design a Comprehensive Rehab Program All About Jobs – Movement Debrief Episode 20 “The Briefcase Technique” by Ramit Sethi Join my mentorship program, get a movement consultation, or let me design an online fitness program for you. Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”]   Thoracic Outlet Syndrome New Grad Advice Interview Questions

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Knee Mechanics During the Bodyweight Squat

A Note from Zac This week we have a guest post brought to you from my boi Benjamin Fergus, a Chiropractor friend of mine, who sent me an incredibly comprehensive video on squat mechanics. I first met Ben at a DNS course way back in the day, and he was a pretty sharp kid then. Having watched this video, I can see that his knowledge base has only grown. In this spot, Ben goes over the mechanics of the bodyweight squat, and I think you folks will tremendously appreciate his explanation of what is occurring at the knee. Once you’ve finished watching the video, check his stuff out at GRIP Approach. You won’t be mistaken. Enjoy! ~Zac The Knee’s Position in the Squat This overview of the ‘Complex Movements of the Knee Complex’ is not intended to tell you the right way to squat, but rather to show what is happening with the anatomy during movement and why. It also will show you how to read/name the movements with observation from the side and front. Here on earth gravity is king in a squat. We like to keep the line of gravity and center of mass (COM/COG) situated over the midfoot. All variations of the squat can be seen as unique attempts to move our mass closer to the ground while keeping the COM over the midfoot. There are no rights or wrongs named in this video, just a look at the possibilities of joint motion. What does ‘ knee internal

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All About Jobs – Movement Debrief Episode 20

Just in case you missed Movement Debrief Episode 20, here is a copy of the video and audio for your listening pleasure. Here were all the topics: Pre-Job Preparation Job Searching The Interview Process The Post-Interview Process Negotiations The Job If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 8:30pm CST. Enjoy.                    Here were the links I mentioned tonight Resilient Performance Physical Therapy “Here’s How to Really Prepare for an Interview” by Ramit Sethi “The Briefcase Technique” by Ramit Sethi Roger Dawson’s Secrets of Power Negotiating Join my mentorship program, get a movement consultation, or let me design an online fitness program for you. Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get 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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September in 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 from this past 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!”] Biggest Lesson of the Month Much of our successes and failures can be linked back to the habits we have. I noticed many times this past month that ineffective habits I had picked up were hampering my progress and productivity. One simple change (eliminating a to-do list, blocking out time to do things) was a complete game changer for me. If you are doing something you don’t like, how do your habits keep you falling into that trap? Quote of the Month “Quality is not an act. It is a habit.” ~ Aristotle Very much linked to the above lesson. We need quality to become automatic, and who better to illustrate this than an O.G. like Aristotle. Hike of the Month This was a tough decision to make on multiple fronts. This month I hiked four National Parks, saw a National Monument, and did all types of ill stuff. Though Sequoia National Park will forever hold a dear place in my heart, Yosemite was hands down one of

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The Guide to Physical Therapy School

So peeps, I’m going on vacation this week. So instead of a debrief, I present to you the first legit episode of the Zac Cupples show. I’ll be putting these bad boys out occasionally when I have a topic that I feel would be better to riff on as opposed to discussing in a debrief or writing about. Here’s an outline of the topics I discussed Reasons to go into physical therapy What to look for in a PT school The goals of physical therapy school What you should take away from school What classes I recommend a student to take Enjoy!                  Here were the links I mentioned tonight All Gain, No Pain South College Physical Therapy Program Bill Hartman Continuing Education: The Complete Guide to Mastery Explain Pain Course Notes Therapeutic Neuroscience Education Course Notes Lorimer Moseley Explain Pain Course Notes Kettlebell Mashup FMS Level 2 Ultimate MMA Conditioning Dermoneuromodulation Course Notes ART Dry Needling Course Notes Spinal Manipulation Institute A Randomized Trial Comparing Acupuncture, Simulated Acupuncture, and Usual Care for Chronic Low Back Pain Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”] Also, check out the mentoring, movement, and training services I offer: Mentoring, Movement, and Training

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All Gain, No Pain Foreword

All Gain, No Pain  releases today. If you haven’t grabbed your copy of it yet, what the heck are you waiting for? ALL GAIN, NO PAIN   I had the honor and pleasure to write the foreword for this excellent book, which Bill has so graciously let me reprint. You can read it below, and if it doesn’t inspire you to grab Bill’s new book, what will? Foreword “Good morning!” He had that shit-eating grin on his face. The type of smile you see when your parents found out something you didn’t want them to know. That smile you saw right before your untimely demise. I knew damn well what that smile meant. Back then I was Bill’s student. A quiet, shy, and uncertain kid. After doing a deal with the Mafia to find his email, offering up my future first born to learn from him, and signing a blood oath, I somehow convinced Bill to accept me as his physical therapy intern. This was like meeting a rock star! Bill was all over Men’s Health magazine, T-Nation—the type of stuff young bucks like me were reading to get ahead of the curve. The last thing I wanted to do was let the guy down. Then I overslept. Stressed, frantic, and brushing only my front teeth, I made it to the clinic 30 minutes late. Only to be absolutely destroyed by that smile—a look that will forever be burned into my brain. I apologized, he mildly scolded me, and we

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Scars, Hands, and Handling not Getting Jobs – Movement Debrief Episode 19

Just in case you missed last night’s Movement Debrief Episode 19, here is a copy of the video and audio for your listening pleasure. Here were all the topics: Is treating scars essential? My thoughts on what hand therapy should look like How to act and react when you don’t get a job you think you want The R&B concert I went to…yes we riffed on that for awhile If you want to watch these live, add me on Facebook, Instagram, or Youtube. They air every Wednesday at 8:30pm CST. Enjoy.                      Here were the links I mentioned tonight Three Dimensional Mathematical Models for the Deformation of Human Fascia Camp Lo – Luchini K-Ci & JoJo Ginuwine Join my mentorship program, get a movement consultation, or let me design an online fitness program for you. Here’s a signup for my newsletter to get a free acute:chronic workload calculator, basketball conditioning program, podcasts, and weekend learning goodies: [yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ submit=”Get learning goodies and more”] Scars Hands Handling not Getting Jobs  

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