aerobic – ZacCupples.com

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

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?

August 11, 2019 Zac Cupples

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.

July 23, 2018 Zac Cupples

Costa Rica Underground S&C 2018 Retreat Review

I recently had the opportunity to attend a strength and conditioning retreat hosted by none other than the legendary Ben House at his Flo Retreat Center. The retreat consisted of a morning filled with meditating, writing, thinking, and of course learning. Afternoons were time to bro down with fellow bros at the beach, on hikes, and exploring all the wonders that Costa Rica has to offer. The experience was life changing for me. Very rarely do I get a chance to be a part of a community like we had in Costa Rica, especially as a mercenary PT. I had the opportunity to learn from great people, share phenomenal moments, and make new friendships that I hope last a lifetime. If you want to get schmarter, meet amazing people, or simply get away from the riggers of a overconnected environment, I strongly encourage you to sign up for one of these retreats. I’m hoping to be there again next year. Without further adieu, if you want some knowledge bombs from the heavy hitters who were there, check out the review below.