As a Strength Coach, movement, fluency, coordination of movement, expressing strength and power through full body fluent coordinated movement, while demonstrating physical tolerance and resiliency, is impressive and important. Traditional strength lifts and training alone don’t do that. Accessory and complimentary strength training, can do that if correct choices are made. Minimalist and unconventional exercises can definitely do this.
Traditional strength training (barbell and machine lifting) is about putting the body in mechanically advantageous positions to handle the most external load as possible in order to create large force demands on the musculature. It is sterile (line up under a bar or machine, no sensory stimulus), planned (ok, I am going to lift) and basic force production (simple contraction, move load from a to b). Strength is specific, very specific in its adaptations, we know that. So putting the body in mechanically disadvantageous positions, full and end range of motions, where little load can be handled, can still create large force demands on the muscles and movements in functional positions and have a similar perception of effort! Placing constraints on the force production to create greater functional transfer, like, increasing sensory input, reactiveness and complexity of force production can all be done unconventionally and challengingly!
Strength training for total, health, performance and optimal transfer needs to be more than just force and power production, increasing tissue tolerance to training and work loads, coordination, resilience to and recovering from injury, but brain training, solving movement and physical problems. Hence the need for unsterile (create sensory rich environment), unplanned (react to stimuli) and complicated (whole body, time or space constrained) force production exercises. To compliment or replace traditional strength exercises and programs with full range of motion, rotational, faster and reactive accessory exercises, we don’t need to go to the gym to do that. Creativeness is needed.
So far, THE CREATURE CHALLENGE has given you an unconventional way to improve mobility, stability, strength and muscular endurance. When you become part of and active in the Facebook group, you will receive online coaching and insight into how to modify the movements to your specific needs and levels of function. However, it is a precursor to more, more complicated and specific challenges, setting the foundation for human health and performance. Stay tuned.