Yang style Overhaul

Happy New Year everyone. I've begun a new training programme, after cutting the weight and getting myself in a place to move forward I've decided to focus on purely functional developments. It is a different way to train from that which is more commonly practised, let me explain. The Posterior Chain is the large group of muscles on the back of the body:

• Multifidus (spine support)
• Erector Spinae (back and spinal extension)
• Gluteal Muscles (hip extensors, femoral rotation)
• Hamstring Muscles (hip extension, knee flexion)
• Gastrocnemius or Calf (plantar flexes ankle, knee flexion)
• External Obliques (back and spine support, in tandem with anterior core)

As you can see from the list above, the posterior chain is pretty much the parts of the body vital to movement itself. The muscles across the front of the body are sometimes referred to as "Mirror Muscles": pectorals, abs, biceps when trained make your physique more pleasing to the eye and of course have a functionality too but much of our strength, power and balance originates from within the posterior chain. So the programme breaks from the traditional up/down split ie one day chest/back, one day legs etc and puts more emphasis on large compound movements while focusing on one aspect of development.

One day strength training
One day hypertrophy/muscular endurance
One day power training (that I find most fun)
One day speed agility training
One day general conditioning mostly through calisthenics

I'll be mixing this through with general boxing training and Tai Chi. Folk keep asking me when I post videos to the Breakthrough Facebook page to include videos of kicking technique. Truth be told my long term hip injury really limits me these days after finally being diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Any volume or intensity of kicking leaves me in a lot of pain for several days so I avoid it as much as possible. This programme works a lot on hip extension so I may find I improve in my mobility but as a realist I won't hold my breath!

What I also find interesting about this programme is the potential for improved energetics. The posterior chain is of course across the back so very much on the Yang surface. So we have the Large and Small Intestine, the gall bladder, the bladder, the kidney, the triple warmer meridians plus the governing vessels. These all respond to internal work but any degree of movement across them will activate them. The meridians are all going to be stretched, twisted manipulated etc throughout the normal exertions. Yang surfaces are traditionally though of as our energetic armour protecting our more sensitive meridians. GV 14 "The Great Hammer" is a vital point to the entire Yang Meridian system and a great place to improve health throughout the body in general. I look forward to "Yanging" it up! The programme is based around a 6 week training schedule, I'll keep you posted.