Perform Better Functional Training Summit Thoughts Part I

This past weekend I attended the Perform Better Functional Training Summit in Providence, Rhode Island, with 900 other trainers, coaches, therapists and educators.  Perform Better routinely over-delivers with knockout presentations, helpful staff, and an atmosphere of energy, passion, and most of all: learning. 

I attended many great presentations this weekend, including presentations from Dan John, Todd Durkin, Alwyn Cosgrove, Eric Cressey, Dr Stuart McGill, Thomas Meyers, Gray Cook, Todd Wright, Bill Parisi, and Thomas Plummer.  Because one of the recommendations from the panel of experts at Saturday's Q and A session was to try everything BEFORE giving it to clients, I wanted to add a few things I learned from each presenter that I will be practicing in the coming weeks:

Dan John:
His 40 Day Program, found HERE.  My 5 exercises for the next 40 days or so:

• Snatch grip deadlift (my grip and upper back need work)
• Single Arm Military Press
• Pullups
• KB Snatch SA or Dual
• Ab wheel

Todd Wright:
Todd's movement matrix and methods for getting athletes to move with exceptional ability is something I will be integrating as a warm up, including, but not limited to:

• anterior, lateral, transverse ankle touches
• anterior, lateral, transverse lunges
• the above movements with upper body movements in different planes (sagittal, frontal, transverse)
• Including Medicine ball or dumbbell work to prepare my body for higher loads but in multiple planes (his squat warm up and squat jump progression is great)

Todd Durkin:
From a motivational perspective, Todd is my favorite presenter: he starts the wheels turning in your head that literally ANYTHING is possible, especially if we do two things (the $25,000 question):
1.  Every morning write a list of 5 things that need to be done
2.  DO THEM

So simple, yet Todd's own life is a clear example of how greatness has thought, believed and eventually executed. 

Alwyn Cosgrove:
If Todd is my favorite motivational speaker on tour, then Alwyn is my clear-cut favorite for two reasons:
1) Bluntness and honesty
2) Fat Loss

Alwyn is NOT afraid to speak his mind (having told me my acronym for my company name 'sucked'), and is also someone literally obsessed with changing the way fitness (and fat loss) is done.  Alwyn's continued research on the best fat loss methods reinforces what we know (train with weights) and enlightens us to what we don't (use self-limiting exercises such as the Turkish get up, goblet reverse lunge, and other movements that when you cannot do them anymore, you are at a low risk for injury).  These exercises are key for metabolic acceleration training, which both increases fat utilization during (but more so after) and can increase lean muscle tissue. 

Eric Cressey:
Having learned from Eric for almost 6+ years now, I am always curious to see what Eric is presenting, and the amount of information presented in 60 minutes was stunning.  For one, he covered Sports hernias, Spondylolysis, back bracing, ankle taping, the difference between Flexion and Extension-intolerant athletes, and femoral anterior glide syndrome to name a few.  Second, his presentation always stimulates more thought, more research, to fully understand the injuries and rehabilitation to training protocols and transitions that are so often misunderstood. 

Finally, Eric also dishes out what he's currently working and learning from, and he piqued my interest in www.posturalrestoration.com, which has helped him fix problems with numerous athletes.  Worth checking into in the near future. 


More to come Monday 6/6.  This brain needs some rest!

-Coach Kev