On Core Training: 

What Works, What Doesn’t & Why

We don’t believe in crunches, sit-ups, abdominal crunch machines, or basically any core exercise that involves the bending and/or hunching of the mid-back region (the thoracic spine) because we have learned they can lead to postural distortions. While in a standing position, these distortions will eventually start pushing the pelvis forward from the shoulders to compensate for the bending of the thoracic spine. Simply put, this can cause an extension or protrusion of the belly. 

Also, exercises such as crunches only condition the surface abdominals, which are secondary core muscles that provide limited stability of the lower back and pelvic region. 

Body Position & Finding Your True Core

All core training must be done in a neutral spinal position. Training in this position encourages the development of the deep abdominal muscles (the true core), which are the primary core muscles that stabilize the lower back and pelvic region, which make up the foundation of the body. 

On Optimizing Strength: 

1. We believe that you must maintain a neutral spinal position to optimize total body strength gains. 
2. If you train in a hunched position, you will create a hunched and ineffective body. 
3. We don’t believe that “killing yourself” yields positive results. In fact, we believe that this type of training leads to burnout and injury. We tell our clients that they must have “patience or they will become patients.”  In time you will become what you want, but it takes patience.
4. We believe in quality over quantity. Less done the right way yields more benefits than more repetitions of an exercise done incorrectly.
5. When lifting weights, we believe that you must be able to control what you are lifting. If the weight is too heavy, it is hard to maintain a neutral spinal position. The result is a chaotic dysfunctional body (postural distortion). How you train is just as important as how much and how often you train. 

On Exercising:

We don’t believe in doing exercises just to do them. Every exercise has to have a purpose to either fix a postural deficit or to challenge your neutral postural state. We apply exercises that you can control. 

On Injury Prevention:

1. We believe that most injuries can be traced back to a postural deficiency.
2. We believe in correcting these deficiencies to improve muscular and structural balance throughout the body. 

On Cardiovascular Conditioning:

1. We believe that maintaining a better postural position during cardiovascular conditioning will optimize caloric expenditure and biomechanical efficiency.
2. We believe that you must maintain control of your body while increasing intensity.  If you look and feel out of control while walking or running, you need to slow the pace.  Again, you are a product of how you train.

On Flexibility:

1. We apply stretches that will have a positive impact on restoring the neutral biomechanics of the joints.
2. We won’t have you do a stretch that you can do with ease. We will have you work on the ones that you can’t do.
3. We believe that a stretch’s duration depends upon the activity with which you are about to participate.