Hi,
Discover Movement has launched a new website/blog that can serve the readers better through articles, videos and online programs.
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Hope to see you there!
Tommi & Alex
Discover Movement
http://www.discovermovement.com/
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Athleticism defined by Usain Bolt
Is there something about Usain Bolt's run that is different from a lot of other elite sprinters? Can we learn something about athleticism from this lightning bolt of a runner?
Typical answers like "well, he is a foot taller than the rest" or "he utilizes the latest pharmaceutical secret", do not explain the obvious natural athleticism of his movement.
What is athleticism "defined" and "taught" by Usain Bolt?
1. An "effortless" completion of a given task
2. An ability to adapt to different situations and challenges (slippery track etc)
3. A fluid team-work within the orchestra of body parts
4. Fun and focus combined
Watch the symphony of human movement, 200m in Lausanne (in rain)
Tommi
PS: Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers.
Typical answers like "well, he is a foot taller than the rest" or "he utilizes the latest pharmaceutical secret", do not explain the obvious natural athleticism of his movement.
What is athleticism "defined" and "taught" by Usain Bolt?
1. An "effortless" completion of a given task
2. An ability to adapt to different situations and challenges (slippery track etc)
3. A fluid team-work within the orchestra of body parts
4. Fun and focus combined
Watch the symphony of human movement, 200m in Lausanne (in rain)
Tommi
PS: Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Happy calves & stable hips
Hello there,
Some of our athletes out there need a few exercises to keep the calves happy and healthy while training a lot. An important part of keeping the lower leg in shape, is taking care of the anatomical neighbors highr up in the chain such as the hip.
Functionally mobile calves with right amount of stability from the hip helps to keep the package together. Here is a quick routine for a a runner to incorporate into the warm-up/movement prep.
1. Self-myofascial release/foam rolling: calves
2. Dynamic 3D flexibility: straight knee + bent knee
3. Integrated flexibility, staggered stance with arm drivers
4. Activation of the hip complex/gluteal family: lateral miniband walk
Keep the feet and calves happy and the rest of the body will thank you!
Have fun!
Tommi
PS: Also, post-running foam rolling helps calves to recover and regenerate through stimulated blood circulation.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Out-thinking the body?
Hello,
I hope the fall is treating you well wherever you may roam. Here in the Northeast, US, the fall is turning into bright colors and chilly mornings. A sweater in the morning and a t-shirt by the afternoon hours...
I heard they are predicting a cold winter...I personally hope they are right and that I can attach those slippery boards in my feet and go down the mountain slope more than once this winter.
Are we trying to out-think the body?
I have made a few interesting findings during my "career" as a trainer, some of them at least partially through the method of trial-and-error. Well, learning by both successful and unsuccessful events of life is said to be the key to constant improvement.
So, what are some of these trial-and-error expericences?
Mostly they are birthed by the concept of out-thinking the body.
I my own work I have utilized exercise techniques that have worked well for myself and also for my athletes. Based on those positive experiences I have elevated those specific exercise techniques to a very high position in the hierarchy of movements.
Can you guess where the problem emerges?
The problem appears when I end up over-using one technique or movement over another.
Examples of this include:
1. Glute training: Don't get me wrong, activating and strenghtening the gluteal family is super-important, but I ended up going overboard in the other end of the spectrum and causing unnecessary gluteal over-training. This caused piriformis issues among other things. I reached this state by doing exercises that emphasized hip action in single leg stance and split stance...excessively. Too much of a good thing, right?
2. Spinal extension: Yes, too many of us have a bad posture, mostly in the form of spinal flexion etc. So, I focused too much on the form on spinal extension forgetting that the body doesn't move like that in real life. Muscles around the spine need to lenghten to load to be able to unload and produce force. Constant extension in the spine doesn't allow loading to occur and now other problems can be expected.
The training industry elevates certain exercises and objectives to a "final solution"-position and some of us simplify the concept and forget moderation and individuality in all exercise prescriptions.
The next areas that could become a problem if overempasized too much are in my opinion:
3. Scapular retraction: Maybe the focus at the moment is slightly too much on concentric retraction of the shoulder blades instead of first creating a proper loading (eccentric) response prior to retraction motion.
4. Abdominal wall activation in static from: Tranversus abdominis and other core stabilizer muscles are dynamic in function. Overuse of only static stabilizing is not enough to prepare abdominal wall for true movement needs.
These are just my own experiences. I try not to out-think the body any more but to understand it better and respect its proprioceptive ("thinking") capabilities.
Have a great day!
Tommi
"What I dream of is an art of balance."
Henri Matisse.
I hope the fall is treating you well wherever you may roam. Here in the Northeast, US, the fall is turning into bright colors and chilly mornings. A sweater in the morning and a t-shirt by the afternoon hours...
I heard they are predicting a cold winter...I personally hope they are right and that I can attach those slippery boards in my feet and go down the mountain slope more than once this winter.
Are we trying to out-think the body?
I have made a few interesting findings during my "career" as a trainer, some of them at least partially through the method of trial-and-error. Well, learning by both successful and unsuccessful events of life is said to be the key to constant improvement.
So, what are some of these trial-and-error expericences?
Mostly they are birthed by the concept of out-thinking the body.
I my own work I have utilized exercise techniques that have worked well for myself and also for my athletes. Based on those positive experiences I have elevated those specific exercise techniques to a very high position in the hierarchy of movements.
Can you guess where the problem emerges?
The problem appears when I end up over-using one technique or movement over another.
Examples of this include:
1. Glute training: Don't get me wrong, activating and strenghtening the gluteal family is super-important, but I ended up going overboard in the other end of the spectrum and causing unnecessary gluteal over-training. This caused piriformis issues among other things. I reached this state by doing exercises that emphasized hip action in single leg stance and split stance...excessively. Too much of a good thing, right?
2. Spinal extension: Yes, too many of us have a bad posture, mostly in the form of spinal flexion etc. So, I focused too much on the form on spinal extension forgetting that the body doesn't move like that in real life. Muscles around the spine need to lenghten to load to be able to unload and produce force. Constant extension in the spine doesn't allow loading to occur and now other problems can be expected.
The training industry elevates certain exercises and objectives to a "final solution"-position and some of us simplify the concept and forget moderation and individuality in all exercise prescriptions.
The next areas that could become a problem if overempasized too much are in my opinion:
3. Scapular retraction: Maybe the focus at the moment is slightly too much on concentric retraction of the shoulder blades instead of first creating a proper loading (eccentric) response prior to retraction motion.
4. Abdominal wall activation in static from: Tranversus abdominis and other core stabilizer muscles are dynamic in function. Overuse of only static stabilizing is not enough to prepare abdominal wall for true movement needs.
These are just my own experiences. I try not to out-think the body any more but to understand it better and respect its proprioceptive ("thinking") capabilities.
Have a great day!
Tommi
"What I dream of is an art of balance."
Henri Matisse.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Pre-season conditioning for high-school athletes
'Tis the season alright!
Connect with the idea that matches the worst!
Deconditioned 15-year old female soccer player
WITH
Basic Movement skill training 3 times a week
or
Injury prevention exercise program within the soccer practice
or
Cross-training (soccer, basketball, tumbling) x 4/week
or
Progressively increasing soccer practices from 2 to 5 times/week
or
Double-sessions of soccer practice 5 days a week with 30 min conditioning (?) in the end
_________
You got it!
Tommi
PS: Please, recommend International Youth Conditioning Association www.IYCA.org to anyone working with children and youth and sports. I believe they are doing a great job!
Connect with the idea that matches the worst!
Deconditioned 15-year old female soccer player
WITH
Basic Movement skill training 3 times a week
or
Injury prevention exercise program within the soccer practice
or
Cross-training (soccer, basketball, tumbling) x 4/week
or
Progressively increasing soccer practices from 2 to 5 times/week
or
Double-sessions of soccer practice 5 days a week with 30 min conditioning (?) in the end
_________
You got it!
Tommi
PS: Please, recommend International Youth Conditioning Association www.IYCA.org to anyone working with children and youth and sports. I believe they are doing a great job!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
What is physical education?
How are you?
I hope your summer was great!
I wish you strength for the new season! It is going to be an excellent one.
First of all, my apologies for such a long period of blog silence. I feel accountable to those brave minds that go through the effort of trying to understand my ideas of human movement in a written format.
Some of the readers of this blog also have had to learn a new language called Finglish, a fine blend of English and Finnish language that I use often without being aware of it.
By the way, for the Finnish readers interested in human movement development and functional training, I have established a Finnish blog http://www.toiminnallinenharjoittelu.com/
This will actually enable me to focus on one language at a time.
(suomenkielinen blogi osoitteessa www.toiminnallinenharjoittelu.com)
SO, what is physical education?
Can you define it? What does it consist of?
My degree is in physical education. I should know what it is.
Well, at least I know what I have been told it is.
It is at least some of these things defined by a few main goals:
- to inspire and motivate to stay physically active for life
- to learn motor abilities
- to offer physical movement to compliment otherwise more passive life styles
- to introduce different forms of games, plays and activities
- to support social, psychological and emotional development
- to teach different kind of skills of life through physical movement and activities
I am sure there are more of them that I can’t think of right now. However, I would like to add one goal that I feel is not paid attention as far as I know.
I think it is very important and I think we should spend a few minutes of THIS during every single session of physical education no matter what the level or age.
Can you guess what it is?
To establish basic integrated movement patterns!
What?
That’s right. I will give a satisfaction guarantee (sounds good right? :-)) to a physical education program that will spend 5 minutes every single session teaching integrated movement patterns such as deep squat, lunge, hand stance, single leg squat and hanging.
Imagine if from the kindergarten level to the last grade in high school, or even better… in a home for elderly, every person would do these movements COACHED and supervised.
What if the 1.5 year olds who can sit in deep squat would never stop doing that pattern but would keep doing it for the rest of their lives?
Would it keep them healthier and more functional for the rest of their walk on the earth?
And if so, could this be a part of a successful physical education program?
Just thinking...
I missed writing the blog. It teaches me to structure my thoughts.
Thank you for your support!
Tommi
PS: “Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” Malcolm Forbes.
I hope your summer was great!
I wish you strength for the new season! It is going to be an excellent one.
First of all, my apologies for such a long period of blog silence. I feel accountable to those brave minds that go through the effort of trying to understand my ideas of human movement in a written format.
Some of the readers of this blog also have had to learn a new language called Finglish, a fine blend of English and Finnish language that I use often without being aware of it.
By the way, for the Finnish readers interested in human movement development and functional training, I have established a Finnish blog http://www.toiminnallinenharjoittelu.com/
This will actually enable me to focus on one language at a time.
(suomenkielinen blogi osoitteessa www.toiminnallinenharjoittelu.com)
SO, what is physical education?
Can you define it? What does it consist of?
My degree is in physical education. I should know what it is.
Well, at least I know what I have been told it is.
It is at least some of these things defined by a few main goals:
- to inspire and motivate to stay physically active for life
- to learn motor abilities
- to offer physical movement to compliment otherwise more passive life styles
- to introduce different forms of games, plays and activities
- to support social, psychological and emotional development
- to teach different kind of skills of life through physical movement and activities
I am sure there are more of them that I can’t think of right now. However, I would like to add one goal that I feel is not paid attention as far as I know.
I think it is very important and I think we should spend a few minutes of THIS during every single session of physical education no matter what the level or age.
Can you guess what it is?
To establish basic integrated movement patterns!
What?
That’s right. I will give a satisfaction guarantee (sounds good right? :-)) to a physical education program that will spend 5 minutes every single session teaching integrated movement patterns such as deep squat, lunge, hand stance, single leg squat and hanging.
Imagine if from the kindergarten level to the last grade in high school, or even better… in a home for elderly, every person would do these movements COACHED and supervised.
What if the 1.5 year olds who can sit in deep squat would never stop doing that pattern but would keep doing it for the rest of their lives?
Would it keep them healthier and more functional for the rest of their walk on the earth?
And if so, could this be a part of a successful physical education program?
Just thinking...
I missed writing the blog. It teaches me to structure my thoughts.
Thank you for your support!
Tommi
PS: “Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” Malcolm Forbes.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Weak and Frail?
What kind of a picture emerges in your mind from the word combination "training for elderly"?
Think about the exercises and the environment that you would use?
What are the possibilities? What are the risks? How is the potential for improvement?
Training program for 65-77 years old....?
Keep that mental image available in your head and watch this video.
http://moniviestin.jyu.fi/ohjelmat/sport/eki/en/gymnastics/6
Enjoy!
Tommi
PS: The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
(Lucille Ball)
Think about the exercises and the environment that you would use?
What are the possibilities? What are the risks? How is the potential for improvement?
Training program for 65-77 years old....?
Keep that mental image available in your head and watch this video.
http://moniviestin.jyu.fi/ohjelmat/sport/eki/en/gymnastics/6
Enjoy!
Tommi
PS: The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
(Lucille Ball)
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