News

Priscilla Barrera-Cintron has been active her whole life. She started with gymnastics, jazz, and ballet at age 2, and never slowed down. The Laredo, Texas-based nutritionist and trainer knew as a teenager that she was destined for a career in wellness. She became a registered dietician after college, started competing in fitness competitions in 2007, and opened her gym, Origin Method, earlier this year. “It’s always been a passion of mine to take it to that next level: looking good, feeling good, having sustained energy and staying healthy,” she said. “Movement is not just my passion; it’s my sanity, it’s my happiness.” Origin Method is Barrera-Cintron’s way of helping other people find that same passion and happiness in movement. “It’s a dream I’ve had since I was 17 years old: to help transform other people’s health and bodies. Origin Method is just the beginning of learning the lifestyle. It’s personalized nutrition and fitness training for families and individuals that provides a challenge and delivers effective results,” she said. For Barrera-Cintron, the most rewarding aspect of creating Origin Method is helping her clients make sustainable changes that achieve results. People appreciate that her nutrition programs don’t feel like “diets,” and her workouts can be adapted to any fitness level. TRX has been a major part of Barrera-Cintron’s wellness journey, both as a fitness competitor and a wellness entrepreneur. She learned about the TRX Suspension Trainer years ago through another coach, and she knew that it was a tool she wanted to use when she opened her own studio. “It doesn’t matter if I have 6-year-old kids or 70-year-old adults; it’s a tool that allows me as an owner, trainer, and coach to take my clients from easy workouts to challenging workouts.” She also uses the Suspension Trainer in her own workouts, whether that’s TRX for yoga—“I’m a beginner and it’s so challenging,” she admits—or traditional strength training. As part of her own routine, Barrera-Cintron sets aside time every day for self-care, dedicating 20 to 40 minutes each morning or evening for exercise and 20 minutes for daily meditation. “I love integrating different moves with the TRX Suspension Trainer, box jumps, sprints, agility, drills, plyometrics, cardio, strength and core. I usually aim for 250 minutes a week.” On top of her personal fitness schedule, she teaches 8-10 fitness classes each week at Origin Method, and spends time running and playing with her daughter. Establishing and maintaining healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to consume every minute of your day. No time to travel to the gym? Take a short run or squeeze in exercises with your TRX Suspension Trainer. Remember that movement can take on many different forms beyond squats and burpees; it could even be as simple as taking your dog for long walks, or riding your bike to the farmer’s market. Trying to spend more quality time with your kids? Bounce with them on a trampoline or play tag in the park. While her 9-to-5 gig may center around wellness, Priscilla Barrera-Cintron is a great example of how committing to a few small efforts can make a big difference. Allotting even 20 minutes each day for movement can help improve health, relieve stress, and make you feel happier.        

Post Operative Breast Cancer TRX Exercises   The more I learn, the less I know. I’ve been a fitness and nutrition professional for 11 years now but it is moments like these where I set out to understand something that is outside my experience that I am most humbled. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and when the opportunity to write a blog for my TRX peers and community presented itself I felt compelled to take action. I had no idea what I was about to learn about the complexities of breast cancer but when I sat down with a colleague of mine and Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist Vicki McGrath, I was both humbled and enlightened. Let me be clear and state that this blog is not intended to educate or inform you of the differences between a Lumpectomy, Mastectomy, Sentinel Node Surgery, Lat Flap, or Lymphedema. Living with breast cancer and recovering from invasive procedures is a major life challenge but we, informed fitness professionals, are in a position to become well enough equipped by opening our minds and hearts and expanding our skill sets for a population that can certainly benefit from the passion, care, sensitivity, and knowledge we posses. More significantly, we are ideally positioned to share exactly how wonderful the TRX Suspension Trainer is as a tool for those recovering from breast cancer surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and reconstruction.   There are 10 types of breast cancer! All women with breast cancer come into our experience with very unique stories. What I can share is that how we approach working with each individual is highly dependent on the type of breast cancer they have, the type of surgery and/or reconstruction performed, as well as whether radiation and chemotherapy are part of their treatment. Also, women come to us at different fitness levels paired with varying levels of recovery and so we must consider so many different variables at once that it can seem quite overwhelming.     The most important thing to remember is that for breast cancer patients who are dealing with treatments and therapies that are out of their control, exercise is the one thing they can control. While everyone's journey is unique, our fitness assessment quiz can help identify safe and appropriate exercises tailored to different stages of treatment and recovery. You are there to help them gain a sense of control back in their life. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ   What common ground do most breast cancer patients share? How can we as fitness professionals serve them? How can we use Suspension Training to give them back the level of fitness they once had? It is safe to say that regardless of the type of breast cancer the one thing most of these women share is a high degree of internal rotation in the musculature of the upper back and shoulders. Breast cup size, women who had office jobs prior to surgery, and the fact that surgery makes our posture even more “protective” all contribute to this pattern of internal rotation. The Suspension Trainer is a wonderful tool to help cultivate external rotation, stability, and strength in the postural muscles of the upper back and shoulders. It goes without saying that the Suspension Trainer is the best piece of pulling gear on the market and so working on Low Rows and Mid Rows are relatively great choices across the board because they are easily regressed and progressed.   Next, what I concluded after speaking with expert Vicki McGrath who manages a post operative breast cancer exercise program - The Pink Ribbon Program, at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City, CA, is that range of motion and strength are the primary goals of all breast cancer patients. Vicki states: "I see women who were particularly athletic pre-surgery want to do push-ups as soon as possible BUT the TRX Chest Press should NOT be among the first exercise choices". I am going to suggest that in addition to range of motion, stability and strength, losing weight will be a primary goal as well because chemotherapy, stress, and inactivity all contribute to weight gain. I imagine a woman who has gone through breast cancer wants to feel strong, fit and full of energy and suspension training is a wonderful way to do this while having fun!   Let’s leave the TRX Jump Split Squats, Atomic Pushups, Y Deltoid Flys, Single Leg Burpees, Rollouts, and a multitude of other exercise choices you may imagine on the back burner for now and focus on a few exercises that are really going to help increase both range of motion and strength.   TRX Modified Superman    The TRX Modified Superman is a great choice to increase range of motion. We are going to fully lengthen the straps if for no other reason than to provide the experience of freedom and personal power. Yes, this may go against the length convention we as TRX professionals are familiar with but Vicki has worked with many breast cancer survivors and they simply like how having the straps fully lengthened feels. Stand facing away from the anchor point and assume a slight hip hinge with heels lifted to engage the legs just enough without overemphasizing the squat since we are focusing on shoulder mobility. Raise your arms overhead and alternate bringing one hand down to the shoulder as the arm flexes. Extend the arm back to the starting position and switch arms. You can also move both arms in unison. It is perfectly appropriate to add the squat back in once the client feels grounded and stable in the torso, especially since combo moves that include the larger muscles like quads, hams, and glutes are going to facilitate weight loss as well as overall strength.   TRX Single Arm Golf Swing    Another wonderful exercise is the TRX Single-Arm Golf Swing.   We are going to fully lengthen the straps again and stand facing the anchor point with the arms extended at about waist height. With knees soft and a slight hip hinge, begin rotating from the thoracic spine as you raise one arm up and back. Given the nature of breast cancer surgery and the amount of scar tissue and potential tension in the scalenes, it might be a good idea to turn the head and follow the hand of the moving arm as opposed to keeping the gaze on the imaginary golf ball.   TRX “Staying Alive”   One of Vicki McGrath’s favorite exercises and stretches goes by the name of “Staying Alive” because the posture and stance look like John Travolta! Stand facing away from the anchor point with your right hand on your right hip. Offset your stance with the left leg forward and then reach your left arm up. You can increase or decrease both the intensity of the stretch and range of motion by simply leaning forward onto the left leg and then backing off. The ultimate goal is to work the entire range of motion from the arm being overhead to 90 degrees or out at the side of the body. This is accomplished best by incrementally adjusting the arm position as you explore and cultivate your range of motion.   They say the first step towards Enlightenment is Awareness. After spending time with Vicki McGrath and learning about the many types of breast cancer and overall invasive nature of its many therapies, I can confidently say my awareness to its complex nature has grown exponentially. Further, I have an entirely new level of respect for those who are impacted by breast cancer and have the strength and will and good fortune to survive breast cancer. It fulfills me to know that we fitness professionals can play a small yet significant role along the road of recovery. It fulfills me even more to know that we TRX coaches possess a unique skill set to help those who cross our paths to move better and train better. If we can help facilitate a smile as well along the way then all the better….                   About the author: Kevin Defro   CERTIFICATIONS: NASM-CPT, C.H.E.K. Practitioner Level 1 & HLC 2, IKFF Kettlebell Coach, FDN, CMTA, TRX Senior Course Instructor, Training for Warriors, Levels 1 & 2, DVRT Master Trainer, TriggerPoint Performance Master Trainer, USAW1, Precision Nutrition 1    Kevin is a California native with an immense passion for life, holistic health, fitness, nutrition and music. He has spent over 10 years as a professional in the fitness and nutrition industry. His passion for fitness developed as a youth playing soccer, baseball, tennis, swimming, and running Cross Country. He began weight training at the age of 15 and was introduced to the world of organic food and nutrition in his college years. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from UC Berkeley, Kevin integrates his interest in helping people into all of his pursuits.    His roots are in corrective exercise, but Kevin has an extensive skill set which includes the use of Russian kettlebells, ultimate sandbags, joint mobility exercises, TRX Suspension Training, TRX RIP Training, Olympic lifting, battle ropes and bodyweight training. He is currently working with private clients on the Peninsula, teaching TRX Suspension Training and an exclusive training camp at Equinox Palo Alto, and coaching bootcamps in Menlo Park. He is also a fitness educator and represents several companies as a Master Trainer and educator.      Vicki McGrath, ACSM- EP-C, HFD, CET Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist TRX Suspension Training

Kim Glass has worn a number of hats throughout her career. She’s been a volleyball player, a professional athlete, an Olympic medalist, a personal trainer, and a model. Along the way, the real test of Glass’s strength and grit didn’t come with the career highlights, but when she couldn’t stand or walk upright. For Kim, it took a performance-limiting condition to remind her she was Made2Move. Kim grew up in a competitive family, and started playing basketball a young age before making the switch to volleyball in high school. High school competition paved the way to High Performance Camp, collegiate sports, and eventually a professional career overseas. In 2009, while playing in Russia, Glass started “getting weird sensations” in her back. In 2010, she learned that she had a herniated disc while she was playing in Czech Republic. But, as elite athletes tend to do, she kept playing. While training with USA Volleyball back in California, Glass awoke one morning to discover the simple things she took for granted—like her ability to roll out of bed each morning—suddenly weren’t so simple. “I remember collapsing to the floor, as if an invisible foot kicked me behind my knees,” she said, “I felt a surge of pain that stream from my back into my toes. I tried to get up, and I couldn’t.” Glass eventually crawled through her home to get ready for volleyball practice, and drove herself to the gym. Practice, however, wasn’t going to happen. Instead, she was sent to the doctor. The diagnoses: a herniated disc and sciatica. Although she was a candidate for surgery, Glass opted for movement-based recovery instead, embracing Pilates. Her program worked so well, she was able to return to professional competition. Years later, she remains pain-free and a stickler for proper form. “Being in a position where you can’t laugh hard, sneeze or cough, get yourself to rise out of the bed the way you’ve done over and over again throughout your life; not being able to bend over and put on your own socks, pants, or shoes: it puts everything in perspective,” she said. “You start to realize the integral role your spine plays in your life, and how much you take for granted.” Now, as a trainer, Kim can use her own experiences to motivate clients to listen to their bodies and establish safe practices to avoid injuries. “Movement—and efficient movement—is important to me, because I don’t want to experience that ever again, and I want to make sure others don’t have to as well. I want to value the vessel, and celebrate my body’s freedom to move, by getting out and moving every day.”

“The one thing I take on vacation is my TRX,” Luiza Silva said. “I just know I can get a workout, and I can get it wherever I am.”             View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by LUIZA // FITNESS// MOBILITY (@themistressfitness) on Dec 8, 2018 at 12:06pm PST While TRX as a company has long touted the concept of “fitness anywhere,” Silva—an athlete-turned-fitness-instructor—puts that mantra into practice. She’s rigged her Suspension Trainer to lifeguard stands facing the ocean, palm trees on a beach, staircase railings, playground equipment, and even her Jeep.  Silva fell in love with the Suspension Trainer while rehabbing a back injury and subsequently became qualified as a TRX coach. She’s been teaching on the straps for nearly a decade and loves blending strength, yoga and Pilates moves into her TRX classes. “I think there are infinite possibilities on the straps,” she said.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by LUIZA // FITNESS// MOBILITY (@themistressfitness) on Apr 23, 2020 at 8:22am PDT For Silva, part of the joy of TRX is crafting workouts around a location.   “It's an artistic thing to workout on the TRX. If I'm on the sand, there's a bunch of stuff I can't do, but there's a whole new bunch of things that will pop up. It definitely sparks creativity to be in a different location.” Taking her TRX straps outside for workouts has also given Silva opportunities to connect with people who have never used a Suspension Trainer.  “When people wander by, they're shocked. That’s kind of fun because it ends up being interactive. I end up not working out myself and just coaching a bunch of random people. It creates a community experience.” Once you find a convenient spot to set up your Suspension Trainer, it’s easy to fall into the rut of exercising in the same place, day after day. A change of scenery can help you avoid the monotony that builds after months of home workouts amid a pandemic. “I'm not going back to a gym anytime soon, and I'm tired of working out in my house,” Silva explained. “I don't want to be inside all the time. It kind of becomes an adventure to find a spot that's safe to rig and then have a workout in a totally new place.”  Have you set up your Suspension Trainer in an unusual place? Share your TRX Anywhere pics on Instagram and be sure to tag @TRXTraining.

If you want an incredible butt, leg and hamstring workout give this 15-minute, lower-body blast a try. Want to find the perfect lower-body exercises for your fitness level? Take our quick assessment quiz to get a personalized TRX training plan. Celebrity trainer Basheerah Ahmad designed this short, super-effective TRX workout to strengthen, tone and shape your legs and lower body. Scalable to any fitness or strength level, this workout provides a challenge for everyone, whether it's your first time on the suspension trainer, or you're a seasoned TRXer. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ Perform each exercise for 60 seconds with 30 seconds rest in between each exercise. When you are finished with all five exercises, repeat the entire sequence, for a perfect 15-minute workout. For the single-leg exercises, perform the first round on one leg and the second round on the other. TRX Hamstring CurlsLay on your back with your heels in the foot cradles, directly under the anchorpoint. Press your heels down and brace your core to lift your hips up. Imagine your are performing a plank on your back. Use your hamstrings to bend your knees and pull your heels in toward your butt. Engage your core the entire time. Send your heels back to the start position in one slow and controlled motion. TRX Hip PressesLay on your back with your heels in the foot cradles and your knees bent to 90 degrees, directly over your hips. Press your heels down and engage your core to thrust your hips up until they are in a perfect line with your knees and shoulders. Lower hips down in one slow, controlled motion to return. TRX Squats Stand facing the TRX Suspension Trainer with the handles in your hands and some tension on the straps. Keep your weight in your heels and focus on engaging your core as if you were performing a standing plank. Lower your hips down and back until your knees are bent just below 90 degrees. Keep your chest up, engage your core and drive your knees out as you go down. Drive through your heels and extend your hips to stand back up. For an extra challenge, try centering one foot with the anchor point and performing a single-leg squat. Just remember to switch side the second time through. TRX Mountain ClimbersStart in a push up position with your toes in the foot cradles and your hands directly under your shoulders. Brace your core and draw one knee towards your chest while keeping your other leg straight. Allow your hips to pike up a little as you reach the top of the movement. Straighten your leg and lower your hips to return to the start position. Repeat with the other leg. TRX LungesStand facing the anchor point and hold handles with your palms facing each other. Lift one leg so that your thigh is parallel to the ground and your knee is bent to 90 degrees. Drive your leg back and lunge down until the thigh of your working leg is parallel with the ground. Drive through your heel and squeeze your glutes to stand up. If you want more fat-burning, muscle-toning workouts from Basheerah and TRX be sure to watch the rest of the 15-Minute Fitness Workout series, here.

  FIT DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE RULES. IT ONLY CARES THAT YOU SHOW UP.   The world thinks fitness has to be at the right place, the right time, with the right look, that it should come naturally or not at all.   But fit doesn't care about that. It doesn't care about what you wear, how you look, how you show up, whether you're young or old, fit or not, have kids, haven't worked out a day in your life. It only cares that you show up. That you put the effort in. And that you move in the way that moves you.   Because movement is what binds us together. It's millions of people, making fit happen every single day.   And you're invited.   So what are you waiting for?   #TRXLetsMove

Highlighting yet again the versatility of the TRX Suspension Trainer, Doug Balzarini is back, showing us five exercises you can do on the TRX when it’s anchored from a low anchor point. These are great when you’re in a vertically challenged space or for those times when you just want to switch things up a bit. As we always say, it’s nice to have options. And with the TRX, they're truly endless.   1. TRX Posterior Chain Y RaiseAt first look, people may mistake this movement for an abdominal exercise. At Fitness Quest 10, they actually cue this exercise as a pulling movement, therefore activating the backside of the body, especially the posterior shoulder muscles. Try to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement with no lumbar flexion. To do this, apply pressure into the cradles to ensure backside activation and a tall, neutral spine. 2. TRX DragonflagMade popular by Bruce Lee, this exercise is one that requires a lot of core strength and stability. When you’re at the “top” of the movement, make sure you are supporting your weight with your upper back and not your neck. Again, apply pressure into the handles to help stabilize the body. Use a slow, controlled movement when lowering the legs and try to maintain a neutral spine without arching your back. 3. TRX Single Leg Hip ExtensionBegin supine with your head near the anchor point, one handle held with both hands, and the opposite strap around one heel. Initiate the movement by pushing your heel into the strap and extending at the hip. As you lift up onto your back, stabilize your body by bracing your torso and using your hands with the off handle. Slowly lower back down to the floor without arching your back. 4. TRX Split Squat VariationsUtilizing the low anchor position while performing split squat variations allows you to use the handles to aid with balance and really maintain an upright posture throughout the movement. Facing the anchor point, get into a “lunge” or split squat position and lower down for the desired number of reps. Lifting the back leg will really engage the quad muscle of the front leg and challenge your balance. 5. TRX Pistol to Single Leg DeadliftStart with a similar setup to the split squat position (#4). This is a compound movement that combines a single leg squat and single leg deadlift. When performing the single leg squat (pistol), try to keep your weight on the heel to the mid foot and off the toes while maintaining an upright posture. After each pistol rep, hinge from your hip, maintain pressure in the TRX handles, extend your heel towards the back wall and lower down into a deadlift or “balance reach” position with a neutral spine throughout the exercise. Using the TRX with a low anchor point expands your exercise options. Take our quick assessment quiz for personalized variations that match your fitness level and equipment setup. Try these five moves and share your experience below. TAKE OUR TRAINING QUIZ Doug Balzarini works at Fitness Quest 10 (www.fq10.com) as a personal trainer, strength coach and Operations Director for Todd Durkin. A Massachusetts native, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business Management from Westfield State College. Since moving to San Diego, he has completed some graduate work in Biomechanics at SDSU, obtained an ACE Personal Trainer certification, the NSCA-CSCS certification, a Spinning certification, TRX instructor training, EFI Gravity instructor training and FMS training. He has also appeared in eight fitness videos, written numerous fitness articles, completed a MMA Conditioning Coach certification program and has competed in multiple grappling tournaments.

One of the hottest topics of discussion in the fitness industry recently has been centered on how to optimize glute function. As we begin to recognize the massive role this muscle group plays in most movement, it is no wonder that it is one of the largest muscle groups in the human body. The glutes are heavily involved in movements like the golf swing, throwing and striking actions along with running, jumping and direction changes. This huge posterior power center is in many ways the key to producing smooth and powerful movement. Before we look at how to optimize their function we must first understand how they act in normal movement if they are contributing properly. If we were to look into any anatomy text we would be sure to find the following: Muscle Name Origin Insertion Joint Concentric Action(s) Gluteus Maximus Ilium (posterior crest)Sacrum (posterior)Lumbar Fascia Femur (gluteal line)Tibia (lateral condyle) Hip extensionexternal rotationabductiontransverse abduction Gluteus Medius Ilium (external process below crest) Femur (greater trochanter) Hip abductiontransverse abductioninternal rotationexternal rotation (during abduction) Gluteus Minimus Ilium (below gluteus medius) Femur (greater trochanter) Hip abductiontransverse abductioninternal rotation (during abduction) On the surface this chart seems to sum up the glutes as a group. It covers where they start and finish, what joint they cross and what they do. The reality is that this is only the beginning of the true picture and in many ways is somewhat misleading as to how the glutes actual function. While they certainly can perform all of the actions described above, a more important piece of information is what they actually do in day to day function. How do they do it? From which position do they move from? Do they act in a primarily eccentric or concentric way? What actions do the glutes use to load in order to truly explode? It is this final point that potentially has the most bearing on our approach to activate them so that they are truly firing at full capacity. One of the most important characteristics to understand about every muscle is that they have to load in all three planes of motion before they can unload maximally. The human body has evolved in such a way as to capitalize on the unwavering affect of gravity to assist it in this function. This is especially true for the glutes and we need only look as far as a simple step for proof. While our anatomy chart provides us an excellent overview of how the glutes act concentrically and in an open kinetic chain, it fails to take into consideration that one of the primary functions of the group is to eccentrically decelerate the forces generated by gravity and ground reaction. The following is an example of how the body is designed to load the glutes in three planes of motion. As the foot strikes the ground, the impact force causes the calcaneous to roll inward into eversion setting off a chain reaction that goes all the way up the leg. The talus that sits on top of the calcaneous has no choice but to fall down and in. This causes the tibia (that sits on top of it) to internally rotate. This movement also drives the femur into internal rotation to an extent that even though the action of pelvis would create external rotation, the femur is rotating in the same direction faster which causes this internal rotation in the hip. This chain reaction of shock absorption continues up into the pelvis and through the body but we will stop for now at the hip.  The strong and fast internal rotation of the femur must be decelerated eccentrically by the function of the glute. As this is happening, the hip is also going through adduction and flexion, both of which further load the glutes, demanding them to decelerate these actions as well. At this point in gait it is safe to say that the glutes have been stretched and loaded eccentrically in all three planes of motion and should be in a very excited state and ready to fire. So what if they don't? A common approach is to lie down and, using a focused and cognitive isolation method, work the glutes through all of their concentric actions. While this will certainly fire the glutes, it will not necessarily translate into normal function in a standing position as everything changes when your foot hits the ground. This means that while an exercise may be effective for increasing strength and causing a burn, it does not necessarily equate to the increased coordinative function and timing that the body uses in natural movement. So how can we train this functionally? Our strategy is seeded in our understanding of how the glutes load naturally and capitalizing on this natural reaction by emphasizing one or more of these elements. We know that in gait the glutes load eccentrically in three planes of motion. Internal rotation of the hip in the transverse plane. Flexion of the hip in the sagittal plane. Adduction of the hip in the frontal plane.  It is important to note that all of these actions occur in a closed kinetic chain environment with the foot on the ground. So how can we accentuate these actions to increase the natural loading? By using other parts of our body to drive us further into these positions, accentuating the load and forcing the "proprioceptors to turn the muscle on". Let's take the common lunge as an example. Traditionally this exercise is done with the torso in as upright a position as possible with hands either on hips, holding dumbbells at sides or holding a bar on shoulders. Regardless of the implement or the load, the torso has most always been coached to stay upright and positioned over the hips. Our goals are simple. Increase internal rotation of the hip. Increase flexion of the hip. Increase lateral flexion of the pelvis.  If we are trying to accentuate glute loading, we can achieve this by adapting the traditional lunge using a bilateral reach with the hands toward the ground as though we were lunging forward to pick something up that is in front of our lunging leg. This reach drives the pelvis to rotate forward and increases hip flexion. This action increases the stretch or loading of the glutes and causes them to forcefully and eccentrically decelerate the movement which also results in a more forceful explosion out of the lunge with reach position. We can increase loading further by adding resistance such as a medicine ball or light dumbbells. Lunge with Forward ReachWe can apply the same technique using a different arm driver to accentuate the frontal plane load in the lunge. In this case we are trying to increase adduction of the hip of the stepping leg by increasing the lateral flexion of the pelvis. Take a lunge step forward with the right leg. As the foot hits the ground, reach as far to the side with the left arm as possible at hip height. This reach will cause a displacement of the center of gravity which is countered by a lateral flexion of the pelvis. This increases the adduction of the lead leg, putting the glutes under stretch, increasing the demands on them to decelerate the movement and loading them more effectively. Lunge with Side ReachWe could achieve the same effect by using a leg driver in a crossing balance lunge. Crossing Balance LungeIncreasing internal rotation of the hip using an arm driver can be achieved simply by rotating into the lead leg during the lunge. Lunge with Rotational ReachAnother strategy is to use an unstable surface during a normal lunge such as an Airex pad which will increase the amplitude and challenge of the initial pronation that is described earlier. This causes an even greater chain reaction up the chain to the internal rotation of the hip above. We can use similar techniques from a squat stance to help increase the loading of the glutes from this position. Squat with Rotational Reach and with Side ReachBelow is a simple exercise plan that lists the exercises outlined above and puts them into a basic structure. Be sure to start with a single set and light load before progressing. Exercise Sets Reps Lunge with Forward Reach 1 to 2 10 to 12 Lunge with Side Reach 1 to 2 10 to 12 Crossing Balance Lunge 1 to 2 10 to 12 Lunge with Rotational Reach 1 to 2 10 to 12 Deep Squat 1 to 2 10 to 12 Squat with Rotational Reach 1 to 2 10 to 12 Squat with Side Reach 1 to 2 10 to 12 Now that we have got the glutes firing to full capacity, our end goal is to bring this neuromuscular learning back to regular function. We can do this by slowly approximating our drivers back until we are getting the same peak activation without the assistance of the drivers. Once we have discovered the amplitude required to fully activate our target muscle successfully, we need to gradually reduce this amplitude over time until we are able to perform the basic actions while still maintaining good glute involvement. We can look at this process of approximation using the Crossing Balance Lunge as an example. If driving the free leg as far to the other side of the ground leg in a deep lunge causing a much exaggerated lateral flexion of the pelvis is on one end of the continuum, driving the free leg straight back which results in very average pelvic lateral flexion is on the other. The key is to start at the one end of the continuum (in this case the lateral leg driver) and slowly work toward the other. To begin, we might have to drive the foot far to the other side of the ground leg in a deep lunge to feel the kind of activation that we are looking for. As we progress, we should slowly use more oblique angles until we are able to get full activation even when driving the leg straight back. The effectiveness of this type of training is tremendous, not only in activating the target areas but also in increasing range of motion, strength and balance for you and your athletes.

For the average fit person, post-workout recovery might include a light walk to cool down from a run, toe touches after a HIIT class, or hanging onto a TRX Suspension Trainer™ after a resistance-training session. Perhaps there’s a little foam rolling or an Epsom salt bath if it was a particularly tough day. An elite athlete, by contrast, commits hours each week to recovery. For CrossFit star Kari Pearce, that recovery time includes a combination of stretching, foam-rolling, massage, and more. Pearce trains as least three hours a day, six days a week, and her workouts end with a 10-minute cooldown, a 10-15 minute stretch, foam-rolling, and mobility work. “Since I was a gymnast, I do a lot of stretches similar to that.” She also incorporates ROMWOD, (range of motion workout of the day), which she describes as similar to yoga for CrossFit. She’ll even use her TRX Duo Trainer™ to stretch. “I just hang on and relax. [It] helps loosen up my back and shoulders, especially after a lot of weight lifting.” While some cooldown work has to immediately follow exercise to maximize the benefits, Pearce points out that foam rolling is a recovery method that athletes and amateurs alike can squeeze in throughout the day. Noting that she uses her foam roller whenever she can find time, she says she tries to squeeze in 10–15 minutes—and up to 30 minutes—after a workout. “It depends on how much time I have, how my body’s feeling; the more sore it is, the more I try and foam roll. Even just 5–10 minutes will go a long way.” Another way that Pearce’s recovery routine may look like your own? Epsom salt baths. During her standard training schedule, Pearce works in Epsom salt baths about two times a week, (depending on her schedule), along with a weekly ice bath or cryotherapy. Before a major competition like Regionals or the CrossFit Games, Pearce may ramp up to daily Epsom salt soaks. She complements that muscle relief home remedy with weekly appointments for active release massage and acupuncture. To top off her active forms of recovery, Pearce swears by a good night’s sleep. “Sleep is very important to me. I try to get eight to nine hours a night,” she says. In fact, sleep is such a big part of her training regimen that she’s partnered with ReSt (Responsive Surface Technology), a smart mattress company. Through an app, the ReST bed monitors her sleep, and automatically adjusts her mattress firmness to help her sleep better. Kari Pearce may have a team of coaches, experts, and partners guiding her workout recovery, but at the end of the day, she still gets sore just like the rest of us. “Especially right now, since we’ve ramped up the training volume and intensity, my body’s sore,” she says. “You never don’t get sore. You get stronger, so you lift heavier weight. You get better, so you move faster. You get sore because you’re pushing a little bit harder and you’re pushing your body to the limit. No matter how fit you are, you’re pushing those boundaries.”