Movement As Medicine

02/27/2026

These aren't your typical "mountain climbers"

The goal of the push-up position hip flexor drill is to teach dissociation between hip flexion and pelvic/lumbar flexion.

We want the client to maintain a neutral spinal alignment from head to pelvis and flex while they flex the hip upwards.

Progression 1: Single Side
Progression 2: Alternating

Watch the video and give them a try!

These aren't your typical "mountain climbers"The goal of the push-up position hip flexor drill is to teach dissociation between hip flexion and pelvic/lumbar...

02/25/2026

The Best Shoulder Opener/Pec Stretch: The Roller Active Pec Stretch

Many people really struggle with shoulder mobility and overhead positioning.

This stretch will help to open up the pecs, glenohumeral joint and thoracic spine for pain-free overhead motion.

Start by using a band and then progress to holding a stick to intensify.

Be sure to focus on your breath to help drive the rib cage down, avoiding compensatory lumbar extension.

Give this a try and let us know how you like it in the comments below!

Many people really struggle with shoulder mobility and overhead positioning.This stretch will help to open up the pecs, glenohumeral joint and thoracic spine...

02/24/2026

Wall Sit Variations for Knee Pain (Quad & Patellar Rehab Progressions)

https://youtu.be/792VD_6vrFg

Wall sits are one of the simplest and most underused tools in knee rehab and early quad loading.

In this video, I break down:

• Why isometric wall sits are powerful for patellar tendon and anterior knee pain
• How to reintroduce quad loading safely after irritation or injury
• Bilateral wall sit setup and coaching cues
• Unilateral setup and coaching cues

Wall sits are one of the simplest and most underused tools in knee rehab and early quad loading.In this video, I break down:• Why isometric wall sits are pow...

02/20/2026

Great week for some of the ladies.

- my two favorite models 😍
- 55 lb DB Split Squats (A little inter-group competition)
- Lateral Squats
- Loaded 1.5 Rep Hip Bridges
- Roller Bridge Marches
- Bench Support Rows
- :10/:20 Intervals
- MBSC house fitness models

02/14/2026

Quality Nordic leg curls are hard to come by.

Most of the videos you see show athletes cranking into extreme lumbar and pelvic extension just to survive the rep, compensating for limited trunk and hamstring strength.

And if you’re a bigger guy like me your chances of performing clean, full-range Nordics are slim at best.

Traditional Nordic curls are great in theory. But in practice, most people can’t do them well or at all.

At MBSC, we’ve had a lot more success using:

• Nordic iso holds
• Eccentric-only drops
• Assisted Nordics

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with these iso Nordic hinges, and I really like them as a more practical option.

1️⃣ Find the furthest position you can control without losing torso alignment
2️⃣ Maintain ISO tension through the knees.
3️⃣ From there, hinge at the hips without losing trunk or pelvic position

You still challenge the hamstrings hard and develop posterior chain strength. But you do it in a way most people can actually execute well.

02/12/2026

Although we most commonly program hang cleans and loaded jumps, hang sn**ches can be an effective tool for vertical force and power development.

They’re especially useful when hang cleans become limiting due to mobility or pain.

Hang cleans are often constrained by wrist and elbow mobility limitations that typically don’t show up with the sn**ch.

I also find hang sn**ches valuable for athletes who experience low-back discomfort with hang cleans.

Hang sn**ches can produce comparable peak impulse to hang cleans despite significantly lighter loads. In practice, this matters particularly for smaller, powerful athletes who may struggle to control heavier clean loads on the way down, often reporting back irritation as a result.

Hang sn**ches allow us to achieve high bar velocities and meaningful force output without excessive loading, making them a smart option when we want power without unnecessary stress.

Like anything else, they’re not magic. Just another tool in the power toolbox, alongside cleans, jump variations, swings, and dumbbell sn**ches.

02/04/2026

“We’re in the life-changing business” takes on real meaning when you recognize the lasting impact of teaching kids how to exercise reaches far beyond sports.

Not only do you create an environment that builds character and self-confidence, you also lay the foundation for lifelong health habits.

Research shows that kids who participate in regular exercise aren’t just stronger in the moment, they’re far more likely to remain physically active and healthy later in life than their inactive peers.

Structured training helps develop critical reserves of muscle and bone that matter long after youth sports are over. The bone mass built in childhood and adolescence becomes our reserve for the second half of life. Strength training during youth, especially for girls, is one of the most powerful long-term investments we can make in skeletal health. Exercise that begins at young an age can help bend the aging curve later in life.

Kids are moving less than they ever have. As screen time rises and physical education declines, strength, fitness, and overall activity levels drop along with psychological well being. That’s why we now see many kids in our middle school program who aren’t here for sports at all, but simply because they need structured movement.

Some of our staff were once “MBSC kids.” They trained here, developed a positive relationship with exercise, and went on to turn it into a career.

NCAA once had a commercial that said “There are over 400,000 student-athletes, but almost all of them will go pro in something other than sports.”

That’s why training kids matters. We’re not just helping them perform, we’re helping them build confidence, resilience, and a relationship with exercise that can support them for the rest of their lives.

01/30/2026

Here’s a simple circuit I’ve been using with a few clients lately.

🔹Kettlebell Swing × 10
🔹Goblet Carry × turf
🔹Goblet Squat × 5
🔹Goblet Carry × turf

I did swings first and did the squats in between to extend the continuous goblet hold. If you want to make it easier, swap the order and do the swings second to break up the hold.

If you’re feeling ambitious, just squat twice.

This was with a 40 kg kettlebell, and I barely held the goblet carry together on the final round.

Adjust reps, load, and distance as needed.

🫡

01/27/2026

The ½-kneeling one-arm cable pulldown is probably my most frequently used pulling exercise.

At baseline, it’s a great tool for building lat and upper-back strength. But I find it most valuable in shoulder pain, rehab, and return-to-load scenarios, when overhead work is still limited.

This exercise can often be performed pain-free when chin-ups, or overhead pressing are still uncomfortable, making it an excellent first step before progressing back to full overhead loading.

What I like most is that it allows for natural scapular and humeral movement throughout the pull to load protraction and internal rotation

That makes it a great option for shoulder-dominant athletes who need freedom of motion at the scapulothoracic and glenohumeral joints, or who don’t tolerate end-range chin-ups particularly well.

Also, having the ANCOREX doesn’t hurt. 😉

movement-as-medicine.com

01/16/2026

I got a lot of messages after posting dumbbell sn**ches on my story, so I figured I’d share a quick reel.

Dumbbell sn**ches are one of my favorite power exercises because of their utility and simplicity.

They’re an excellent option for youth athletes since they’re relatively easy to teach, simple to coach in large group settings, and don’t require complex equipment. All you need is a single dumbbell.

They’re also a great solution when space or equipment is limited, or when athletes are traveling.

And when hang cleans or loaded jumps aren’t appropriate due to injury or tolerance limitations, dumbbell sn**ches provide an effective alternative for developing lower-body power and full-body coordination.

Simple Coaching Cues:

🔺Start in an athletic position, similar to the hang clean setup except with the dumbbell positioned between the knees.
🔺Jump and shrug, then think about throwing the dumbbell through the ceiling.
🔺Catch with the arm locked out overhead and hold for two seconds to reinforce a strong catch position.

12/31/2025

New Year. Same rules still apply.
Fundamentals are timeless.

Happy New Year and Good Luck. 🥂

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12/24/2025

Conditioning doesn’t need to be complicated.

It doesn’t take long reading about conditioning online before your head starts to spin.

For most general population clients, coaches often overcomplicate both the physiology and the application. (The same can be true for competitive athletes, but that’s a post for another day.)

You don’t need expensive or complicated testing to get healthier or perform better. At most, a simple heart-rate chest strap is plenty.

For gen pop, accumulating time in any intensity zone improves cardiovascular health. You don’t need a complicated protocol to improve your conditioning.

The better questions are:

➡️ What can they do? (injuries, fitness level)
➡️ What will they actually do? (time, access, preferences)

The simplest approach is to organize conditioning into three buckets:

🪣 Easy
• Low-intensity steady state
• Tempos

🪣 Moderate
• Extensive intervals

🪣 Hard
• High-intensity or sprint intervals
• Time Trials

From a time management stand point its helpful to work short, higher-intensity intervals into the end of strength sessions. Use steady state and extensive intervals on off days through modes you enjoy or recreational sports.

Adjust the balance week to week based on energy levels, life stress, and personal goals.

Gradually build both intensity and total volume.

Aim to reach the minimum recommended cardiovascular exercise guidelines, but remember: even amounts below those targets are associated with meaningful benefits, including roughly a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality.

Progress comes from consistently “doing”, not over thinking.