Hello and welcome to week FOUR of Improve Your Quality of LIFT.
If you’re new to the series, you can check out the rest HERE.
Today, we will be tackling FOUNDATIONAL STRENGTH.
When we talk FOUNDATIONAL STRENGTH, I want you to think of the very foundation you have that gives you the ability to build everything.
FOUNDATIONAL STRENGTH can often be the most overlooked part of a well thought out strength training program. It’s what I call the boring stuff, or the body broccoli. You know, broccoli is super boring but also super beneficial for the body.
FOUNDATIONAL STRENGTH differs from movement prep and mobility mainly in that it is highly personalized for each individual.
There are a few key factors that make up FOUNDATIONAL STRENGTH and anytime I take on new clients (online or in person) we test these things to see where we are starting.
- Balance
- Core strength
- Flexibility
- Core functionality
BALANCE
Balance can be a tricky thing and it often feels like the first thing to go as we age. NOTE: it’s not age, it’s that we stopped training balance at some point in our lives.
Balance is not just the ability to stand on one leg, but also the entire kinetic chains ability to recover quickly from a varying foot path or misstep.
Why do some people simply stumble while others incur sometimes severe injuries after a small trip on the sidewalk? BALANCE.
The cool thing about balance is that it CAN be trained and you can program your workouts to help gain more balance overtime.
We test balance in a variety of ways:
- Simple standing balance performed on 1 leg.
- A stand and reach test; balancing on one leg you perform a single leg squat and reach down to touch the floor, then return to standing while still balancing.
- A 3 point single leg squat
- A lateral leap to balance
- A single leg jump squat
There are many other ways to test and determine balance, but these tend to fit the general population. The more athletic the individual, the harder the test. I always err on the side of caution and take test #1 first to determine where to go from there.
How can you improve balance?
By training unilateral movements into your routine, you can help to increase the mind/muscle connection as well as the nerve pathways leading to the less balanced side of the body.
Single arm and single leg movements help to increase balance.
Step up and bounding or plyometric movements can also help increase balance.
Balance is something that is HIGHLY measureable.
Check out this weeks FREE WORKOUT FRIDAY for a workout that will have you waking up your balance in no time.
CORE STRENGTH
The core can be a confusing thing for many people.
Where is it?
What does it do?
How do I train it?
All common questions when it comes to the core.
The core is different from ABS, as the core encompasses muscles 360 degrees around your body as opposed to your surface 6 pack.
CORE STRENGTH helps you lift heavy loads, stabilize the spine, protect your internal organs from dangerous injury, aid in heating up the body for workouts, and increases balance.
Assessing core strength is usually done in an individual way suited to the strength of each client, but a plank variation will typically do the trick.
When testing clients core strength, I like to use a variety of planks:
- elbow plank
- long arm plank
- side plank
I have them hold them for 60 seconds each (OR the maximum they can up to 60 seconds), then discuss WHERE they felt the exercise.
If core strength is lacking, they will often feel planks in their low back, in the quads, in the shoulders and neck, and sometimes even in the chest and upper back.
Everybody is different, but you want to feel these exercises in the deep center of the body.
To develop CORE STRENGTH you want to incorporate anti-flexion exercises into your weekly routine such as:
- Pallof Press
- Weighted Carries
- Hollow Body
- Plank varieties
If you are unable to perform a proper plank, incorporate the Pallof press until you gain the necessary strength.
FLEXIBILITY
Flexibility is the muscles ability to stretch AND recover.
NOTE: your muscles have the ability to stretch up to 20% of their length, while tendons and ligaments can only stretch about 4%. So, be careful when stretching. I know there can be a “hurt so good” feeling, but any type of sharp pain in a joint is a dangerous thing.
The Sit and Reach test is a bit of a gold standard when it comes to flexibility testing, and I stick with that in my gym.
A small percentage of your flexibility is determined at birth, but only a small percentage! You can increase your flexibility over time with post-workout stretching, yoga, Pilates, and techniques such as foam rolling and mobility work (these were addressed last week and have been show to have small effects on overall flexibility).
Below is a short example of some post-workout stretches OR stretches you can do before bed.
CORE FUNCTIONALITY
Core Functionality is the ability of your core to maintain tension as it is moved through a large range of motion.
Think about this:
You’re driving your SUV down the road (I live in Texas, so SUVs are a thing) and your child needs their pacifier or the world will most certainly end….and they are screaming violently to let you know this fact. So, you come to stop (hopefully pulled off to the side of the road and not just a red light…but I really am not the one to judge here) and keeping one hand on the steering wheel you twist back, search for said pacifier, sterilize in your own special way, and pop it back into juniors mouth so you can resume a peaceful ride home. The only problem is the ride isn’t peaceful because NOW you are crying due to a shooting pain from your lower back to your foot.
THAT is core functionality my friend.
If your core cannot keep you safe in that instance, it likely lacks the functional core strength to do the super awesome workouts on Pinterest you have been eyeing!
Core Functionality is harder to test, so mostly I watch my clients lift and displace light to moderate loads and see what their back does in the process.
Adding in core functionality should be a major to-do on your programming list.
Moves like cable rotations, wood chops (both ways), Russian twists, and more dynamic squat thrust variations can increase your core functionality in no time.
Where do I go from here?
There’s several ways you can add these into your weekly programming.
For myself, I usually sneak them into my movement prep AND into the workout itself.
If you’re not quite sure you’re ready to take over your own programming, I am looking for somebody like YOU! I am seeking out 5 highly motivated individuals who are determined to get stronger by the first of the year.
I have a 2 month challenge starting NOVEMBER 1st, and it will handle ALL of your strength programming, including your foundational work. Everything will be done for you AND you’ll get to use those extra holiday calories to build some pretty muscle.
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