Gmb Fitness Show - Physical Autonomy

Handstands are cool. That's actually the main reason most people want to practice them. Sure, you can also build spatial awareness and improve your shoulder health, but cool and fun are excellent benefits in their own rights. And unless you're looking to be a performer, we highly suggest sticking with those as your goals. Performers have unique needs, but if you just wanna have fun doing something cool, handstand training is a matter of three main factors:Safety - learning to bail and control your bodyPractice - developing the capabilities and abilities you need to perform the skillAttitude - keeping things fun and dealing with frustrationThis episode walks you through exactly how we suggest training handstands and works together with our (absolutely monstrous) handstand tutorial. Handstands are a skill that almost everybody can learn. Transcript of this Episode and Other NotesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

No pull-up bar? No panic.We like to talk about physical autonomy a lot here at GMB, and a big part of that is learning how to adjust to the circumstances. Whether you are stuck at home without the equipment you use normally, you're injured, or you're on the road, building strength, flexibility and control is still possible. In fact, trying a few different exercises might actually help you find the range of motion and control you need for the skills you're working toward.In this episode, Ryan and Andy chat about:5 movements you can do anywhere with minimal or no equipmenthow to get your back strong and functional in all different ranges and planes of motionwhy to not just mimic what you're used to doing No equipment doesn't mean no options, so here's some options that will actually help you.Transcript of this Episode and Other NotesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

After your first few months learning to walk, the only times most people think about their feet are when they're buying shoes or when they hurt themselves.The feet and ankles are extremely complex structures - they hav to be, because they're responsible for supporting your entire body weight while moving and adapting to changes of direction and different terrains. But in a complex system, there's a lot of things that can go wrong.This episode includes:a layperson's guide to some of the basic physiology of the feet and ankles common injuries and what you can do to avoid themtips for staying healthy and regaining healthy function after injury (or just years of neglect)Transcript of this Episode and other notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

In case you’ve never thought about this, we have some breaking news: the idea of ‘fitness’ is manufactured. We often get so caught up in how to workout and what to do to stay fit that we forget to ask ourselves WHY we are doing any of this at all. What is a push-up and who decided this was what we should do with our time?In this episode, Ryan geeks out about these questions with James Fitzgerald, Winner of the 2007 CrossFit Games “The Fittest on Earth,” founder of OPEX, and industry-leading educator. Through OPEX Coaching Education and Gyms, James educates thousands of coaches around the world each year through a dynamic digital platform and live courses.James and Ryan chat about:why we move or train at allprogramming just outside your comfort zonethe 6 basic movement patterns and how to assess themmaladaptive strategy of surviving vs. learninghow to find true autonomyJust because something exists doesn’t mean you should do it. But stick this one in your earhole; it might change the way you think about your t

Pop quiz: how many wrists do you have?Most people can answer that one pretty easily, so here's a follow up: when was the last time your wrists felt good? We all put our wrists under a lot of stress, especially on our dominant hands - texting, typing, pressing buttons on the remote control... And then you chance across these weird "GMB" people on the internet who tell you to start crawling on the floor, and you realize that your wrists have never supported your bodyweight before. It's ok, we've got your back. Or your wrists. Something like that. This episode covers basic physiology of the wrist, some of the common injuries and causes of pain, and most importantly, what you can do about them. Listen up, because you're about to hear your wrists say "thank you."Transcript of this Episode and other notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

There’s a thousand right ways to do almost anything. I know that’s not what you wanna hear, but it’s the truth. For any skill you wanna learn, the right focus is gonna depend on where you’re at, what impediments you have, your natural strengths, your goals, your context, and whatever other training or activities you’re into. All that stuff impacts how your practice works, and that’s a lot of variables to balance in a master equation. So how do you choose the right details to focus on. By now you know you can’t do it all at once...In this episode, Ryan and Andy yap about:What kinds of details are important when you’re learning a new skill or working on an exerciseWhat we optimize for personally and as coaches in GMB programsWhy good form is subjective and why that doesn’t stop good coaches from providing useful cues for performance and practiceIn every program we’ve created there’s hundreds of details and decisions we’ve made, and we can’t explain each of those, but this discussion will give you a sense of the

You probably have at least one shoulder.And if you do, there's a really good chance that you've experienced shoulder tightness, aches, and pain. Most people do. And most people also do next to nothing about it. In this episode, Jarlo and Rose go over basic shoulder anatomy and physiology, common issues and injuries, and how to get back to moving and grooving in the best way.We'll talk both theory and practice on this one so you know what's going on with your shoulders and what to do about it. Overuse vs. repetitive strainCommon (and uncommon) shoulder issuesThe relationship between the neck and shoulder issues (and vice versa)What's all this clicking and crunching in my shoulder all about?The "one and only correct way to lift overhead!" Just kidding, it depends.Episode Transcript and additional notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

We favor a cyclic approach to training at GMB, and all our programs are designed to be repeated, but periodization is a topic that can get needlessly complex and confusing. In this episode, Ryan breaks down:the key points of how to stack a series of training cycles for various goalsdetailed examples of training plans with multiple cycleshow to plan a year's worth of training cycles for specific goalsThere's a lot here, but it doesn't have to be complicated. The main thing is to rotate your focus and gives yourself breaks. Listen up for tips on creating cycles that actually move you toward your goals without burning you out or slowing your progress.Episode transcript and additional notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

Hip problems are one of the most common causes of injuries and pain in other parts of the body, and most people never even realize that they have an issue. The truth is almost everybody has some form of hip dysfunction, and in this episode Jarlo and Rose go over basic hip anatomy and physiology, common issues and injuries, and how to get back to moving and grooving in the best way.You'll learn specific problems you can avoid with the right exercise and routines (which we'll teach you). You'll also come away with a better understanding of how to even know when things are working as they should and what to do when you notice pains and restrictions cropping up. If you're gonna bother having hips, you should learn how to use them properly. This episode is your instruction manual. If you were to only do two hip stretches, do theseDifferences between men and womenMuscle vs Joint issuesEpisode transcript and additional notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

One of the coolest things that's happened to us over the past ten years is that we've gotten toward with people doing activities and sports we never would have dreamed up. Our clients are into some really cool stuff!Rock climbing, surfing, martial arts, train running, slackline, pole dance, and every traditional sport too. And what all those clients have in common is that their main reason for doing fitness training is to get them better at the actives they enjoy or compete in. The biggest mistake we see happening is that the fitness side can begin to overshadow the application in their sport. What a lot of people don't understand is that there's really three broad categories of training when it comes to fitness for sports:General Physical Preparedness - your overall health and functionSpecific Physical Preparedness - the basic movements and abilities required for your activitySport Specific Preparedness - application to the specific context of performing in your sportAt different times in

If you've got hip pain that keeps you from doing stuff you want to do, one of the diagnoses you might get is femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI. Which basically means the bones that make up your hip joint aren't the "right" shape. So they cause you problems when you move in certain ways.If you ask an orthopedic surgeon what to do about it, there's a good chance they'll recommend surgery. Literally shaving down your bones to make them fit together better.Which leaves a lot of people wondering if there's a less invasive option.In this episode Jarlo talks with Shane Dowd and Matt Hsu of the FAI Fix guys. They discuss Shane's journey of getting diagnosed with FAI and searching for non-surgical ways to get moving again. Together he and Matt created a system of assessment and treatment that helps you get back to the activities you love without surgery.Episode transcript and additional notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

There's nothing less sexy than listening to two guys talk about safety for 45 minutes, but do you enjoy being injured? Yeah, we thought so...In this episode, Jarlo pulls from his decades as a physical therapy clinician to help you understand the physical conditions that lead to injury and the mental tools you need to stay safe, even while pushing your capabilities to get stronger. A few topics covered:DOMS, or muscle soreness - what it means and how to manage itTrauma - what causes it and how to avoid itRepetitive stress - the mindset shift you need to prevent it from causing problemsEpisode transcript and additional notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

This episode was inspired by our community, best represented by this question:"I know that I get in the way of my training more than any injury or external obstacle.  Even tho it sounds silly to say it, sometimes it feels like the conditions have to be perfect to make any progress.  For example, “Shit, I ate a donut for breakfast, so today is shot.  Forget tomorrow because you can’t start a new habit on a Tuesday.  I’ll do better starting next Monday.”   Or “I didn’t do well in my workout today, so I should find a new program”.  I know it isn’t rational, but it happens.  The mental side of training is more difficult that the physical side.  Do you have any mental Elements to share for those of us that don’t see the steps between perfection and complete failure?" ~ TrevorWe can answer this in just four steps:Go deep and figure out why you're working out in the first place.Assess what you need so you can be 100% confident that you're doing the right thing.Identify the necessary actions and m

A few episodes back, we talked about building a morning routine that would set you up for a great day AND move you forward on what's most important in your life. But setting up for a great morning starts the night before, so this time, Ryan and Andy will cover the ingredients of a great evening routine. A few key points:Capping off the day so you can shut down and go to sleepOur tips for getting a great night's sleep, every nightSome different routines we've tried, and why we don't do those anymoreWhy the internet is terriblWe also mentioned this short stretch routine for stress relief and relaxation. Episode transcript and additional notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

One of the most frustrating things about diets is this: most of them work. They work for some people, sometimes, under some conditions, for some goals. So you can't dismiss the results of Diet A as a criterion for choosing to follow Diet B. If both of them work, which one is right?Which do you choose?In this episode, Andy talks with Josh Hillis about what principles underlie most diets that make them effective and how to figure out how to do the things that will actually work for you in your own life. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that a big part of the solution is self-awareness, and in fact many diets work by simply giving you rules that force you to be more aware of what you eat. Having coached thousands of people to eat better for their own goals, Josh breaks down some simple and flexible tips for developing that awareness for yourself. Episode transcript and additional notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)

Fancy bodyweight skills are completely unnecessary for normal life. You never hear, “We have a bit of a situation, is there anyone on board who can do a handstand push-up?”But that doesn’t mean they’re not useful. Because if you’re the sort of person who’s drawn to challenging skills, they can be super motivating. And working up to them will help make your body more capable in all sorts of very practical ways.Still, though, actually getting big skills can feel impossible even if you train consistently.In this episode GMB Head Coach Ryan Hurst and Lead Trainer Rose Calucchia tell you how to overcome the most common challenges in pursuit of big skills—including the fear of focusing too much on one thing, and how to shift your mindset so that small gains add up to big wins.Episode transcript and additional notesSupport the show

We've all got our own interests and priorities in life, so one of the really important questions our clients tend to ask us is how to adapt their training for their specific needs. Of course, with infinite variations, there's some black magic involved - it's more art than science at times - but there's a few general principles, and over time we've found that most of our clients fall into a handful of broad classes with regard to the kinds of goals they have in their training.Four archetypes of training goals:Overall health and wanting to feel betterExploring different activities and needing some exercise to complement thoseWorking on mastering specific skills or abilitiesExercise to supplement and support performance in a single sport or activity Ryan has example programming for each of those, and we'll tell you how to organize a routine around what really matters to you. Best quote of this episode of the GMB Show: "Don't build a lifestyle around how you look in lycra.&

The whole point of training is to get better at the stuff that really matters to you. But how do you actually structure your training to do that?The truth is that most people's workouts aren't all that aligned with what they actually care about. Maybe they used to be but as their personal priorities changed, momentum kept their workouts pretty much the same. Or maybe they're following a system some "expert" made that worked really well for the expert but isn't actually optimized for their goals.In this episode, GMB Head Coach Ryan Hurst is joined by Mercedes Pollmeier, certified GMB Trainer and founder of ModusAthletica, to help you make sure your training is supporting your real life, and not the other way around. They'll show you how aligning your training with your goals, values, and identity leads to better results with less stress.Episode transcript and additional notesSupport the show

The bodyweight fitness world tends to fetishize the idea of advancing toward a small handful of advanced skills like the planche, one-arm chin-up, handstand push-ups, and similar moves. These are all great strength moves, but a lot of people focus too much on these outcomes at the expense of developing the full package.In this episode, Ryan will teach you how he thinks about progressions for higher-level strength skills, both in general and with specific progression examples covering pushing, pulling, and pressing with both bent and straight arms, as well as leg strength.Key points are living in a variation until you own it and stepping outside the straight-line progression that can get you to a skill but might also lead to injury if you aren't careful.Episode transcript and additional notesSupport the show

Getting hurt is part of having a body, especially if you're one of those crazy people who likes to actually use yours! They key is to be smart about it when it happens so you can come back quickly and as strong as ever.The problem is there's a lot of stupidness in the fitness world when it comes to pain and injury. "No pain, no gain!" might look great on the wall of high school weight room, but it's terrible advice when you've got a busted shoulder.In this episode, GMB's Chief Pain Whisperer Jarlo Ilano is joined by Lead Trainer Rose Calucchia to help unstupid the fitness world about injury and pain. They'll help you understand what your pain is trying to tell you, when to rest vs. get back at it, and the not-so-secret key to recovery that everyone tries to ignore.Episode transcript and additional notesSupport the show (https://gmb.io/podcast/)