March 2020 Newsletter
A large part of our mission is to develop a movement system designed around the idea of inspirational capacity. For us this concept is both a physical and mental one, a way of looking at the world.
Physical inspiration has influenced the creation of our exercises and what’s made them effective on a level beyond what even we envisioned. It’s the ability to sustain a high volume of chemical respiration, blood oxygenation, and mental awareness through more efficient breathing that makes Foundation Training the pain to performance system it has become.
The Capacity to Inspire those around you through behavior, health, and joy are what make Foundation Training the company it’s become.
We take both equally seriously and they provide the “core foundation” for all that we do and produce for you.
Reach out to us! Let us know what you’d like to see! Email us and give us your suggestions!
– The Foundation Training Team
New on FT Streaming
Your March Monthly Workout
Program Director Jessie Salas is back for another comprehensive workout with Core Educators Alli Cost and Evan Halquist. Use the 14 Week Baseline program and then play along.
Tips, Tricks, and Coaching Cues
Foundation Training Squat
Foundation Training’s approach to teaching a squat is always about the quality of life this skill can provide. Our focus on this fundamental movement pattern supersedes speed or repetition counts.
We teach the body to squat with it’s own weight as a load, not external factors like barbells and kettlebells. These tools can be incorporated once the form, stability, and body awareness become more innate.
First, train the body to load the largest joints of the body, the hips. This is accomplished by reaching the hips back behind the heels with the knees unlocked and following the hinge pattern.
Second, focus on those three points of contact (ball of the big toe, pinky toe, and heel), outward anchoring by spreading the ground with our feet and driving the knees open, as we “pull” ourselves into the bottom of the squat.
When these first two steps are accomplished correctly we are able to leverage the powerful hip extensor muscles as opposed to the knee extensors. Remember, the more muscles we can recruit in any movement the stronger and more stable the body is able to be.
Once you find your groove, with the above tips in mind, apply all the other principles with head, neck, arms, and decompression breathing. Start with the basics of hinging then make the transition to the squat, mastering the first leads to a safe and powerful squat.
Remember:
Expand (360 degrees), Elevate (rib cage away from your hips), Engage (support from your abdomen)
Hips hinge then knees unlock
Hips continue to pull back and down as the knees flex more
– Jessie Salas
Program Director
FT Anatomy with Dr. Goodman
Squat patterning has more to do with the hips than anything else. As a rule of thumb I suggest positioning the hip joints for their maximum support and range of motion.
In many FT poses we eccentrically lengthen the gluteal muscles that surround the hip by internally rotating the hips and feet. In the squat pattern we allow more external rotation to be sure the hip can move freely into its circumduction without excessive torque or torsion forces at the knee and ankle joint. In the tips above, we’ve discussed a little bit of that process.
The FT squat pattern is all about engaging and activating all of the muscles that surround the pelvis and hips. Particularly the hamstrings, adductors, and gluteal group and the important deep rotational muscles attaching the femur and pelvis. Applying an Outward Anchor on every squat will facilitate powerful, engaged iliotibial band. Applying an Inward Anchor will focus and centrate the adductors toward the pubic symphysis. Both work well and if you haven’t taken the time to learn our squat on the Foundation Training mobile app, get after it!
We’d like to thank the Visible Body app for the amazing images it allows us to create!
Feel free to look into our True to Form book for a more in-depth discussion of the anatomy behind our work.
– Dr. Eric Goodman
Instructor Spotlight
Each month we’ll be bringing attention to an individual from our incredible Certified Instructor community. Each of our Instructors bring something different to our work and we want to share that with you!
Meet Certified Level 2 Instructor, Dr. Lorena Lee, DAOM, LAC, DIPIOM based in San Diego, CA
“As an acupuncturist who specializes in pain management and sports medicine, I combine acupuncture with Chinese medicine techniques to alleviate pain for my patients.
I found my path to acupuncture, in the most unlikely place, on Wall Street, where I worked as an analyst. I sat in front of a desk all day with poor posture and neck tension. After work, I distressed by training in Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Because I didn’t know anything about proper body alignment, I injured myself. I started seeing an acupuncturist to alleviate my pain and stress levels. Thanks to my acupuncturist, who treated me for work-related stress and martial art injuries, I was inspired to become one, following in my family’s footsteps.
After earning a doctorate in Chinese Medicine, I was determined to find the best therapies for my patients. That’s when I came upon Foundation Training.
After my first Foundation Training certification course, I stood taller, and my digestion improved after learning decompression breathing techniques. The integration of acupuncture and Chinese medicine modalities with Foundation Training is a game-changer.
Level 2’s Foundation Training was mind-blowing! The added layer of spiral movements and squats advanced my practice. In Level 2, I deepened friendships that I had made in Level 1 and became part of this community of like-minded doctors and practitioners. We have a similar goal to live pain-free, healthier and more energetic. It’s fun to bounce off ideas and work on case studies with each other.
When I incorporate FT in my patients’ acupuncture treatments, I’m able to relieve their pain by 50-100%. FT isn’t just for my patients who are professional athletes or have active lives. I use FT for my patients with emotional stress, anxiety, insomnia, infertility, digestive issues and even kids for preventative care. My patients relearn how to walk, breathe, and move properly.
As part of my morning routine, I use the Foundation Training streaming app to continue my healthy habits. This year I’m planning to go one step further. I’m getting out of my comfort zone by teaching my first movement class. It’s thrilling!
I wish I had learned these foundational techniques much earlier in life. I want more people to have access to these life-changing methods!”
More about Dr. Lee and her practice can be found out here: