Calibre Performance

This was a superset I went through with Monika last week. Two big hitters:

1. The Turkish Get Up, it's very coordination based & multiplanar (sagittal, frontal, transverse), it also leans into that longevity marker of being able to get up off the floor efficiently.

2. Barbell Romanian Deadlift, the big hamstring, hips & grip based lift that is a staple in most gym environments (although not always done right). I like pairing this with the get ups because they challenge the body in completely different ways & although there's an overlap your getting a lot more shoulder & hip flexion/quad work with the get ups Vs the very posterior heavy RDL's.

One thing I do like to do is have an exercise that requires holding onto a bar, dumbbell etc then pair it up with an exercise where the bar or dumbbell presses into the hands to give your grip a bit of a rest.

This combination is killer, try it out. Monika adapted to both very quickly & did a great job.

Working through some high step ups with hovering the foot at the top position in the class this morning with Heather.

We were chatting & talking about the fundamental movements you want to be strong in as you age. For me this is right up there, keeping the moving foot hovering at the top being the essential element.

Heather is 68, to have a step platform that is somewhere around the height of 3-4 stairs & being able to surmount that is one hell of an achievement. Only in the last set or two did she need that one hand supporting the movement.

I would love to put this to the test on 10-20 people in this age bracket as I think 90%+ would struggle even at the lower heights.

Here's why this exercise should absolutely be a part of your training:

1. Because of the height of the box your already pre stretching your primary movers. To overcome the deficit the glute max & deep hip flexors really have to work hard to get you through to the top position with the leg locked out.

2. With hovering the foot at the top position (not tapping or setting it down) you are keeping maximal tension on the muscle. The quads & glutes have to work extra hard to stabilise you at the peak position.

3. The pelvis has to work hard to stabilise that single leg stance thus the glute medius & minimus fire up to keep the pelvis in a stable position. This can help people with issues like knees caving inwards during squats or even running.

4. Proprioception of the foot. The nervous system has to make rapid micro adjustments to keep you in balance & upright. Add to this the muscles in the arch of the foot firing up & the ankle stabilisers working hard.

You can see why this exercise is stacked with benefits across strength, posture, balance, flexibility & motor control.