What's In This Free Training?
- My flexibility journey
- Video 1: Passive vs active flexibility
- Video 2: Measuring progress
- Video 3: Beginner pancake training
- How to get the super early adopter Flexibility Toolkit offer
I was never gifted with flexibility
I still remember the day I took my before photos against the white wall in my apartment in China. It was a significant moment, not because the highlight of my flexibility was barely touching my toes, but rather because I realised what I was doing for my flexibility couldn't have been the whole story. I accepted in that moment I had much to learn.
Fast forward and I can now touch my head to my toe with a straight leg; grab my feet in a bridge; and wake up in the morning, roll out of bed, and sit in the splits. I'm now considered 'naturally flexible' by those that didn't know me before.
Prior to that moment I had spent the vast majority of my life, close to two decades, submersing myself in the world of martial arts. With flexibility training being a core part of this practice I had been surrounded by stretching and spent countless hours myself sat in long holds. This made everything even more shocking to me, since I was meant to be good at this.
Being in China at the time, my next stop was the Shaolin Monks. I spent my winter and spring eating, training and living the 1000+ year old traditional methods. It was here I was first introduced to many things, including ballistic stretching and ma bu (horse stance) holds that opened my eyes to how different flexibility training can be.
The next many years were spent studying from traditional eastern european contortionists and master yogi's to modern circus & dance school head coaches and end range strength training approaches. All in search for the best tools for the job.
Safe to say, I never trained flexibility the same way again.
The First 3 Steps To Flexibility Training
Video 1 - Active vs Passive Flexibility
One of the most misunderstood concepts in flexibility training is the spectrum of training drills between passive and active.
Once you grasp this concept and start applying it properly, it is a game changer for easily accessible range of motion that stays long term.
Video 2 - Quantify Progress
We're trying to improve the attribute of flexibility, but why do so many not measure their progress? How can you tell what's working and what is not if you have no data to base your decisions on?
Everyone knows to get stronger you should make sure you're adding more weight overtime. If you're trying to get flexible you need to make sure you're actually increasing your range of motion. It sounds obvious when you think about it, but I very rarely see this implemented properly.
Video 3 - Beginner Pancake Training
You're not the same as the person sitting next to you, therefore your training should be tailored specifically to you. I do not believe in generic flows and follow alongs for making serious progress. You might hit areas that need work but most of the time will be wasted on things that are not holding you back the most.
You should be deliberate in your exercise choices and how you set them up. Let's use beginner pancake training to illustrate this concept.
Get Full Access To All Modules
Learn To Assess And Individualise Your Training
Initial Assessment
Conduct an in-depth assessment, defining your starting position.
Measure Angles
Use your assessment photos to quantify your starting position.
Build Your Phase 1 Program
Build your first individualised program based on your assessment results.
Use Our Unique Drill Matrixes
Learn how to write your own programs so that you can apply the underlying principles to flexibility training indefinitely, focusing in on what works best for you. With our unique drill matrixes and developing program design section, we guide you through this process from beginner to advanced flexibility programming.
