Einstein said, “doing the same thing but expecting different results is insanity.” I’ve learned the hard way that there is never a perfect time to start.Today is as good as any other day…We should always aim to be better than yesterday.Remember that progress is success.Success in anything takes time, commitment, dedication, hard work, and most importantly patience.To set myself and AIM Tribe for success, we revert to 18 Simple Rules…These rules have fueled our development physically, plus mentally and emotionally too.They have been refined and evolving for over 10 years.Have yielded quality results.They're rules that are simple but often not easy…Follow and implement these rules to set yourself up to be the best version of you, today!Start with WHY – be honest and clear on why you want to train Mobility is ability – you can’t get strong in range you don’t have! Have FUN – if it isn’t fun then you’re not going to be doing it for long! Consistency over intensity – Stop thinking about how hard you can go this week… start thinking long term. Get coached – don’t be scared or afraid to seek and ask for help Move well first then Move often – understand and lay a solid foundation before jumping to higher-level work Eat – stop paying attention to the newest diet… start with eating real and quality food Get tribal – be in an environment of like-minded people who support and challenge you Patience – Rome wasn’t built in one day. Be patient and consistent. What gets measured gets managed – keep a journal, do/redo tests, track you progress and know your numbers Variety is spice of life – try new things, learn new things and challenge yourself Too easy – if your training isn’t making you uncomfortable every so often then it’s not right for you! Breathe – you can stretch, strengthen or condition yourself but learn to breathe Play more – it’s the highest form of research Paralysis by analysis – stop over thinking and start taking action Stretch – do more of it! Take responsibility – you only have one body and you’re in charge of it! Step into the cave of fear – Expose yourself and your weaknesses to grow yourself.If you have any questions or need any help, get in touch!Exercise is optional, movement is essential,Vik. Want free play sessions and exclusive invites to events? Enter your details below and we'll send them straight to your inbox.FollowFacebookInstagramYoutube … [Read more...] about The 18 Modern Principles for Strength, Mobility & Longevity
Movement Training
Movement training – what is it? Vik shares his thoughts on the fitness industry and on movement training, a core part of our methods at AIM... There are many trends that come and go in fitness industry. Some of which are great and some… well… let’s not get into them! Over the last few years there’s been a buzz about ‘Movement Training’. I’d like to share my thoughts on its origins and as a training approach.We all move!! We have been doing it since the dawn of time to hunt and gather, dance, walk, climb, run, jump, crawl, lift, swim, fight and even breathe! Suffice it to say that movement is essential to express ourselves as individuals and for survival.Think of a young child who progresses naturally over time to crawl, squat, lunge, bend, twist, push, pull, walk, run, jump, climb, throw, carry and thrive. We start developing these movement patterns instinctively in our first year as we learn to move, interact with the environment and play. Our joints are mobile, move in a variety of directions and we develop attributes such as balance, body awareness, coordination, strength and control. Then we start school where we sit still for short periods. However we endure years of sitting in school, then university and work. These stationary periods get longer and longer. Then throw in modern technology, where we spend increasing amounts of time watching, browsing, swiping..I think you get me. You can see the evolution of a human race that moves less and less.How does this sound? We sit for up to 12-18 hours a day in the car, train, bus, ferry, couch and work station and stare at our computer, tablet or mobile phone? It is no surprise the end result are stiff joints, muscles and tendons with diminished coordination, balance, reaction and body awareness.So what do we do?! Ahhh yes…. exercise!! Dedicate 1 to 4 hours a week running or doing strength training to counteract years of sedentary lifestyle and lack of movement. Don’t get me wrong, this is great and a lot of us are doing this at some level. However, the typical fitness industry spin centres on cosmetic motivation. Everyone wants to look good… and why shouldn’t they?!! Unfortunately this drive to purely improve our appearance is physically harming ourselves by moving less.Fortunately there has been a shift in paradigm. Humans are realising that we need more than to exercise for aesthetic purposes. We need to shift the focus back onto learning skills we once knew and moving in a functional way - pure human movement.Cue movement training.Our traditional forms of training are important because after all we are moving, which is what’s essential. I am not recommending you replace or divorce your first love for the barbell, CrossFit, martials arts, favourite class or workout routine. But if you hang onto the belief of one approach or discipline being the best, then you are losing out on a huge opportunity to expand on your physical range and to evolve into a well-rounded … [Read more...] about Movement Training
Lets Talk Mobility
Mobility training: what it is and why it should be a core part of everyone’s program, no matter what your goals... Have you heard or said –“I need to work on my mobility” Or “I am not mobile enough to do that!”Take a minute and genuinely think what the word ‘MOBILITY’ means to you.I’ve seen and heard this word thrown around so loosely by people who are either misinformed, trying to re-enact something they observed or following the latest cool trend but with little to no understanding and effect!I’d like to share my views in the hope it helps you understand a little more on the subject. This is not an in-depth opinion, rather a brief introduction. I could talk for hours on this subject, some of you which may have even had the pleasure of enduring 😊.“Mobility is the ability to actively achieve a range of motion.” This nicely defines mobility as the strength and control you have over your flexibility.Contrary to what people think, flexibility is not the same as mobility because it’s NOT USABLE range of motion. Visualise that lady who bends and twists in a way that make you cringe a little and now that guy who can barely touch his toes; both of these people are not mobile!It doesn’t matter if you’re strong or if you lack range of motion (ROM). No amount of muscle strength or control will power you through that restricted movement, at least not without serious repercussions, for example PAIN. Restricted movements force the body to compensate, creating further dysfunction. Additionally, if a muscle cannot achieve its optimal length it cannot generate sufficient force. Alternatively, if you had amazing flexibility and ROM but no strength and control then movement would be difficult, sloppy at best.Poor mobility means you are leaking energy, power and strength but also compromising your body to an extent where injuries are inevitable!! In short, good mobility is a basic requirement of quality, safe, and efficient human function and performance.I’m thrilled that the masses are becoming aware that restricted mobility causes trouble and are ready to take charge and do something about it. It’s important to know using tools such as foam rollers, lacrosse balls and resistant bands to roll and smash are NOT mobility!Mobility is a skill in itself. It should be treated like any other training protocol as it requires patience, understanding and dedication. It needs to be applied and requires progressions specific to the individual, for you to create a training stimulus and gain results. How we do mobility At AIM we incorporate different methods and systems such as active, weighted, partner, ballistics and stretching as well as movement practices and systems like functional range conditioning (FRC). This enables us to create safe, sustainable and long lasting results to get our TRIBE moving freely, with strength and pain free.The priority of any good mobility work or program should cover:Articular health and longevity; … [Read more...] about Lets Talk Mobility
Hips Don’t Lie
Are you limited in your movement because of your hips? One of the key problematic regions in our bodies are our hips! This is mainly due to our modern-day lifestyles.So many of the AIM TRIBE commenced training with us due to TIGHT, RESTRICTED, UNSTABLE or WEAK HIPS!!Hip issues can cause an array of problems that can affect the most basic day to day movements such as bending, squatting and can often be the underlying cause of lower back pain.Truth be told there is no magic sauce to cure your hip restrictions straight away! This issue of yours didn’t happen overnight and it won’t be going away overnight either!The good news is we’ve had great success in all our clients moving more freely in a short space of time by doing simple mobility drills that can take anywhere between 10-15 minutes to perform.It requires the willingness to understand, implement and being consistent with your practise to progress and start moving your hips.“Whilst I still have a long way to go, my hip mobility and general awareness has increased dramatically. I not only have unlocked lots of movement in my hips, but I now understand how to move them safely, without fear of injury – especially after retraining myself how to engage a strong posterior tilt!My back pain has decreased massively, and I now know how to alleviate and avoid mistakes that lead to the pain.”– Chris PurvesFundamental hip exercises We have decided to share our AIM hip fundamental exercises to help you free your hips. This is the same regime the AIM TRIBE perform before our group sessions or individually, as a part of their own daily practise.If you want and/or need to work on freeing your hips then we have compiled our hip fundamentals in this short video.https://youtu.be/DkoRdShIcyEWe recommend you listen to Shakira as we do and perform these exercises at least 3-5 times a week. 😊To happy hips...Vik Have questions or want us to help you improve your hip mobility? Hit the button below to get in touch and arrange a chat with us.Make an EnquiryFollowFacebookInstagramYoutube … [Read more...] about Hips Don’t Lie