Better Is Better

Dance Your Way To Better Fitness - Insight from a reader

I received the following note from Andrea as a follow up to the recent post about the Bollywood fitness dance class craze.  She is a dance instructor in Germany and she brings up some great points, so I thought you may be interested in reading the full text (with her permission).

I've not yet read the full article on Spiraldynamik, but I've printed it out and will be taking it with me.  I'm out the door shortly for a week of family vacation, and it will make for some good reading on one of the several planes I'll be on today (we booked using points!).  I've decided to go "unplugged" for the week, but I do hope you'll post your reflections to the comments section here.  I look forward to reading them when I get back.

Andrea, if I ever make it to Germany, we can trade Salsa lessons for FlowFit® training!

Hi Adam,

great post! I wanted to comment it directly but the system didn't accept my post.  Maybe it didn't like it or it is too long. 

I always enjoy reading your blogs, newsletter and whatever material you offer in the world wide web.
You were a Swing Dance teacher? I am impressed. I would take some lessons in Flow Fit and Swing from you but Berlin is too far away from Quebec. :-)

I work as a dance instructor. Swing is my favourite dance and I do Salsa, Tango, Ballroom Dancing. I want to learn Hip Hop, Ballroom gets boring.  

I would like  to share some thoutghts about the topic with you.  You are right - dance is great for coordination, timing, body awareness etc  - in one word: Flow quality. You can be a "successful" martial artist, weightlifter or football player without much flow, at least for a short time.
Not many athletes know the importance of flow quality. "Hey - I can do 50 kipping pull -ups. I have back pain but who cares? I am a strong guy!" Somebody should tell him that his midline stabilization sucks........ :-(

Dance is all about Flow quality.  That's why every athlete should take some dance classes.  You have to adress your issues with coordination deficits, bad alignment, SMA, residual tension, fear reactivity whether you like it or not. Bruce Lee was a good dancer. Gene Kelly was a good athlete (Ice hockey).
I actually do my Intu Flow with music sometimes and add some  variations so it looks like modern dance - but Intu Flow and  dance improvisation are the same  - in the underlying principles.
 
Fat loss? Well....uhm....I respectfully disagree.  For fat loss I'd prefer Tabata Squats,  sprint interval training or wrestling. RMax tacfit, weightlifting, crossfit WOD,  Alwyn Cosgroves programs  or Mike Mahler's Fat Loss- Kettlebell-program seems to me more effective than tango or swing.  Dance is more like moderate or low intensity , not high intensity.  There may be exceptions: breakdance or swing on a very high acrobatic level. I have never tried this so I can't tell from experience.
 
Quote:
"Flow, which in essence is the ability to get out of your own way and let your movement express itself freely."

Well said Adam. I agree. But unfortunately you can't express yourself freely if your coordination sucks or you suffer from SMA. Fred Astaire is great, Gene Kelly too, but watch the regular Joes in the world of social dancing. Bad alignment all over the place,  lordisis, kyphosis, no core stability, SMA , residual tension, tight shoulder girdle, tight hips etc etc.

Much worse than that: a lot of dance teachers don't adress this issues.  Probably  economic interests are stronger than ethics as a trainer. They don't want to lose their clients and they don't care whether their students improve or not as long as they pay for the classes.  Some dance students should hire a good physiotherapist, a mind-body therapist (in some cases a psychoanalyst....) and maybe a CST Coach first before   before wasting money on a dance teacher.    

I'm talking about motor ontogenesis. Some kids develop good coordination, some bad - depends on the conditions (parents, teachers, social restrictions).  And later in life more stress and trauma on the body  accumulates and even if you feel free when dancing and you have fun: bound flow in your body will imprison you.

CST is great for intelligent training.  As soon as my fitness level will allow it, I will attend Coach Sonnon's workshops in Germany.
My search for help in Germany led me to another system of "intelligent movement" to improve my flow and rehab my injuries. The name is "Spiraldynamik" . Swiss MD and Aikido Master  Dr. Christian Larsen, founded a resaearch group about 20 years ago. I'd recommend Larsen's Spiraldynamik-Clinic in Zurich for any injured athlete living in the area.

If you are interested, you can find a short article about Spiraldynamik (the only one in English).


Spiraldynamik Trainer already started to work in public schools in Switzerland  because the earlier in life you start correction the better the results.

So far my thougths about  flow and dance
Best regards
Andrea

Fat Loss Dance Moves - Can having fun on the dance floor can help you slim down?

Apparently the next big fitness craze is going to be Bollywood style “dancercise” classes. The craze is inspired by the closing scene from the Indian movie Slumdog Millionaire. Here’s a peak at the dance that’s causing all the commotion:

Now, you know this blog isn’t really big on the mainstream fitness trends and advice. But this caught my eye, not for the trend itself, but for the deeper idea of using dance, and other fun activities, to stay healthy and fit.

My wife and I used to do a lot of Swing Dancing. In fact, for a while there I was actually teaching it at a pretty high level. It’s performed to swing jazz music, mainly from the ‘30s, ‘40s and 50’s. And I can tell you that we would leave dance parties absolutely drenched in sweat. Dancing can be a great form of exercise for fat loss, coordination, timing and overall well being. For fun, here’s a look at one of the most famous (and acrobatic) Lindy Hop scenes of all time:

So that clip is a pretty extreme example, but you can see how vigorous it can be. Your fitness efforts don’t have to be confined to a gym. You can use any number of options to stay fit and healthy. The thing I like about dance is the addition of considerable skill to the movement mix.

Among the pivotal lessons I’ve learned from Circular Strength Training® is the importance of Flow, which in essence is the ability to get out of your own way and let your movement express itself freely. What could be better than dance for unlocking that inherent search for unfettered movement?

Once you get the basics down, dance allows you to

• Focus on the music and let your body do what it will (Flow)
• Spontaneously improvise movement grounded in the basics (Flow)
• String seemingly unrelated movements together into a coordinated Flow
• Benefit from the positive effects of listening to music

You don’t necessarily need an organized system of dance to take advantage of these elements. One of the coolest things we do around here is just put on some music and dance with the kid. But if you do want to launch into dance in a more organized fashion, you aren’t limited to your health club’s latest dancersise class.

• Figure out what music really turns your crank
• Find out what forms of dance are done to that music
• Search out schools in your area that offer that style of dance
• Ask if you can try a class for free to see if you like it
• Make sure you have a partner to practice with (if its a partner dance)
  Here are some suggestions to start the ball rolling: salsa, tango, swing, ballroom, hip hop, break dance, and much more (it all depends on your taste in music and movement)

It’s not for everyone, but if you like music, and you like to move, dance may just be another piece of your overall wellness plan.

The Key To Your Fitness Success – Gary Vaynerchuk’s Better Than Zero

What are the most common excuses for not exercising and eating well? The ones I hear the most go something like this:

• I don’t have time
• I travel too much
• I hate gyms
• I don’t like exercising
• I dine out with clients

I rarely hear anyone say they don’t know WHAT to do. People have a pretty good idea what they would need to do to improve their health and fitness. But excuses abound and nothing gets done.

However, I think one of the biggest problems is a question of scale. People think that health and fitness have to be all or nothing propositions. But in fact they can be entirely incremental. Start with one little thing. Everything counts.

I hold Gary Vaynerchuk, of Wine Library TV, in high regard.  No matter your opinion of his style, if you take heed of the content you'll discover rare gems of insight.  Listen to him explain his “Better Than Zero” philosophy. He’s talking about business and personal brand, but it is entirely applicable to your health and fitness:

Start Small, But Start Today

Whatever your current level of wellness practices may be, there is always something more you could be doing for yourself. Pick one thing and start today. If you don’t have any ideas, consider one –– and only one –– of following.

• Drink more water
• Eat protein with every meal
• Eat veggies with every meal
• Add five minutes of bodyweight exercise to your daily routine
• Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator
• Walk over to tell your coworker something instead of sending an email
• Stretch (or better yet do some Intu-Flow) every 30 minutes throughout your day
• Cut processed grains and sugar out of ONE meal in your day

Those ideas are off the top of my head. If one appeals to you, dig in. If not, use the list as inspiration to come up with your own ONE THING. Don’t try to change everything at once. For some people, going whole hog works (I tend to be one of them). But for most it just ends in overload and abandonment of the entire plan.

Instead, master one small thing. Make it a habit. Then add another. With each small thing –– no matter how insignificant you may find it –– remember that everything is “Better Than Zero."  The cumulative effect of many small things will end up in a torrent of habits which support a healthy lifestyle.

Salma Hayek & The Beauty of the Butt - Training the glutes is sexy

Salma Hayek and French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault got married over the weekend in Paris. I don’t know what other guys think about this, but I’ve long been of the opinion that Salma has one of the nicest butts in Hollywood. It’s not one of those emaciated rear ends we often see on the silver screen. She has a round, full and firm butt that bespeaks a balanced foundation of muscle mass.

For most of us, to get that full-bodied butt, you have to train for it. A visit to most gyms these days will reveal a regrettable trend. Most gym rats are ignoring their lower bodies entirely. And those that are training their legs are often neglecting their gluteals in favor of the more mirror friendly quadriceps.

Not only have well developed glutes –– both for females and males –– been shown scientifically to increase attractiveness and desirability, they are also crucial for injury prevention and high levels of sport performance. Well firing glutes provide tremendous power for running, jumping, pedaling, and pretty much any other movement you can think of. Proper glute function also supports the health of the knees and the low back.

One of the best exercises for the butt muscles is a well performed squat. To keep the focus on the glutes, follow these cues.

Execution of a good bodyweight squat:

• Keep weight balanced between mid-foot and heels
• Send the butt back first (breaking at the hips)
• Keep a slight arch in the low back
• Once the butt is sent backwards, begin dropping it towards the floor
• Knees stay lined up over your feet and track in the direction of your second toe
• Go as low as you can while maintaining your lower back arch and your weight on the heels
• Exhale and press through the heels to return to the start position

There are many ways to add weight, and challenge, to the squat. In the weight room, my favorite is the front squat. I find it provides the best benefit to risk ratio given the posture involved in the lift. It also provides excellent stimulation of the core, giving you extra bang for your buck.

Training at home, my favorite way to add challenge to the squat is to use one-legged variations. There are many levels and options for one-legged squats, but the ultimate test is the Pistol Squat. And when you get really good at it, you can add weight. This video features the Pistol Squat using the Bruiser Clubbell:

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So if you are looking for a well defined derrière, make sure you don’t neglect the gluteals. It’s the muscle mass that gives the beautiful shape to this defining body part.

Bruiser Clubbell Swipes 4x7 - 56 Days to 1000% Increase in Personal Best

Continuous Bruiser Swipes 4x7

A little over 56 days ago, I had worked myself up to being able to do a grand total of one Swipe with my Bruiser Clubbell®. For some reason, it’s one of those exercises that I could never work up the courage to tackle. Well, enough is enough I thought to myself.

So I made a plan. The pillar of the plan was Scott Sonon’s 4x7 protocol. It cycles through an intensity wave of No, Low, Moderate and High intensity over the course of four days, and repeats seven times. The secret sauce in this formula is the cycle of waving intensity which often allows you to hit a Personal Best (PB) on most of the High Intensity training days.

In this case, I managed PBs on every cycle over the course of two full 4x7 rotations. The end result, after 56 days, was a 1000% performance increase, taking my PB from a grand total of 1 to a new record of 10 consecutive Bruiser Swipes.

This is how it played out:

4x7 #1

1. 5 sets of 1/1 reps per arm
2. 5 sets of 2/2 reps per arm
3. 4 sets of 3/3 reps per arm
4. 5 sets of 3/3 reps per arm
5. 6 sets of 3/3 reps per arm
6. 4 sets of 4/4 reps per arm
7. 5 sets of 4/4 reps per arm

4x7 #2

1. 4 sets of 5/5 reps per arm
2. 5 sets of 5/5 reps per arm
3. 6 sets of 5/5 reps per arm
4. 7 sets of 5/5 reps per arm
5. 5 sets of 6/6 reps per arm
6. 6 sets of 6/6 reps per arm
7. Set of 10/10, 8/8, 6/6, 4/4, 2/2 reps per arm

The power of the 4x7 formula –– married here with a progression which echoes CST’s approach to the Density Cycle –– is a recipe for impressive results with minimal breakdown of the body’s tissues. Throughout the entire process, I never felt that my training was interfering with my daily life through fatigue or soreness. By making recovery a planned and integral part of your training, health-first outcomes are much more consistently attainable.

For more reading on the 4x7 phenomenon, you can check out this 4x7 Squidoo lens. It also provides examples of what activities can be used to achieve the various exercise intensities required of the program. Enjoy!

Tabata TacFit Style - High Intensity Metabolic Conditioning Session Sample

If you want bang for your buck, the approach that has become known as the Tabata protocol is hard to beat.  It's named after a Japanese researcher and speed skating coach who originally looked into this particular configuration of 20 seconds of high intensity effort followed by 10 seconds of rest for a total of 8 cycles.  My friend Rusty does a good job of covering the Tabata protocol over at Fitness Black Book.  Coach Scott Sonnon also makes use of this protocol as part of his comprehensive TacFit program.

This morning I put some clients through a challenging Tabata style session that I thought I would share with you.  If you're up for it...

Warm up with some Intu-Flow and a bit of FlowFit® or other active mobility based exercise to get yourself up to speed.  Then perform the following four exercises in this manner.

• 20 seconds of all out effort (8-10 Rate of Perceived Effort)
• 10 seconds rest (perform Vibration Drills for recovery)
• Repeat this cycle 8 times
• Rest 1-2 minutes before moving on to the next exercise

The whole thing is done in less than 20 minutes.  And believe me, it'll be plenty!

The following video demos represent only one of several different levels of sophistication that I offer my clients for each exercise.

Exercise 1: Dumbbell Push-Press

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Exercise 2: Kettlebell Two-handed Swing

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Exercise 3: CST Mountain Climber

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Exercise 4: CST Quad Squat

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My Top Three Clubbell® Exercises - Part one of three, The Clubbell® Side-Semi

Clubbell® Fundamentals

I’m a big believer in fundamentals. I think that building a strong foundation in the  basics will pay huge dividends when we move to more complex variations on a theme. And working with the Clubbell® is no exception. So my top three exercises are not necessarily the ones that I have the most fun with, they are the ones that have the power to teach the widest array of fundamental concepts. These concepts transfer seamlessly to more sophisticated Clubbell® exercises and reduce the time required to absorb and learn new material.

The Clubbell® Side-Semi

This is a two-handed exercise, meaning both hands are on one Clubbell®. It draws it’s name from the semi-circle shape scribed by the club head as it travels from one side to the other. This is often the first two-handed exercise that I teach my students and it forms an excellent base for all the others. It also addresses some very specific building blocks.

How to perform the Side-Semi

A picture is worth a thousand words–and a video is worth a thousand pictures–so I’d like to share this clip that I put together for one of my online students several months ago. Since I’m no longer running my online coaching programs due to demands on my time, I think it’s OK to start sharing these resources.

 

This tutorial was filmed using a twenty-five pounder. For two-handed work of this nature, I generally work with a Clubbell® which is fairly heavy for the student. If it is too light, the lessons we talked about earlier will be more difficult to acquire. If you aren’t yet familiar with the power of Clubbell training, I encourage you to check out some Clubbell® videos and tutorials then visit this Squidoo lens to find out more.

The 6 Degrees of Freedom: Yawing & Swaying

The concept of the 6 Degrees of Freedom is pivotal to the Circular Strength Training® system (CST), and takes us past the idea of moving in three dimensions to unlock uninhibited flow. I’ve covered this topic in detail using sandbag exercises as an example.

One of the main Degrees of Freedom inherent to the Side-Semi is rotation around the vertical axis, known as Yawing. The other is a side-to-side movement along the lateral axis, called Swaying.

Swaying, in this instance, also introduces the idea of “counter movement” which is fundamental to many Clubbell® exercises but also to sports performance. Essentially, it involves moving in the direction opposite to the force or resistance that is acting upon you. So as the Clubbell® travels in one direction, you are moving your mass in the opposite direction. This reduces the total distance travelled by the club head and increases your movement efficiency, something which has clear implications in many sports.

CST’s 7 Key Components of Structure

Biomechanics can get very complex and involved. But when boiled down to the essentials, can generally be parsed into 7 Key Components, which is another of the pivotal concepts of CST. The keys–covered in detail in Coach Sonnon’s Big Book of Clubbell® Training–are Spinal Alignment, Shoulder Pack, Arm Lock, Grip Confirmation, Core Activation, Hip Recruitment and Leg Drive.

Pretty much all human movement will tap into all of these points on some level, but the Side-Semi is particularly good at teaching Arm Lock, Shoulder Pack, Hip Recruitment and Spinal Alignment.

Because one hand is higher than the other on the shaft of the Clubbell®, it is challenging to keep the elbows completely locked out and still ensure that the shoulders stay pulled down away from the ears. These elements are important because we want to learn how to transfer force from the core into the Clubbell and also absorb and redirect energy from the Clubbell® through the core. Bent elbows and raised shoulders will cause wasted energy and will increase the chances of soft tissue injury. You can think of these points as force couples. If they don't maintain structural integrity, power is wasted.

Without proper Hip Recruitment, in the form of side snap, this exercise is impossible to perform. The execution of the Side-Semi hinges on the marriage of forces generated through the inertia of the Clubbell and the rotational forces generated from the snap of the hips, guiding the club through to the other side. Someone who is weak, inhibited or stiff in the hips will immediately discover a hole in their game which can then be addressed and overcome.

Finally, Spinal Alignment, in the form of a spine which is stretched long, allows proper rotation around the vertical axis (Yawing). This has obvious transfer to sports like golf which rely on this kind of structural integrity to deliver power through the golf club into the ball through rotational power. If the axis is crooked, energy leaks.

Benefits of the Clubbell® Side-Semi Exercise

Apart from reinforcing basic movement mechanics, which will be transferable to both daily activities and to sports, the Side-Semi confers other wellness benefits.

Traction: Because the weight of the Clubbell® is constantly pulling through the grip and away from the body, it confers certain benefits which are hard to reproduce with more conventional tools. Grip is enhanced due to having to constantly hold the weight back from flying off into space. And because the weight is constantly pulling outwards, your joints enjoy a certain “distraction” (pulling apart) which decompresses them and allows fluids to circulate, bringing in nutrition & lubrication while washing out toxins.

Torsion: Unlike a weight machine, or even free weights to some extent, the Clubbell® is a very open chained tool which is inherently somewhat unpredictable. That means there is a lot of torsion–twisting force–being created within the body. Because the Clubbell® doesn’t do all the stabilization work for you, your body, and especially your core, must learn and adapt physically to doing that work. That’s why the Clubbell® is so well known for building that wiry tensile strength and that hard bodied look. You’re not just training a muscle, your training every fiber–both muscle and connective tissue–along an entire chain of tension and contraction.

Torque: Like a rock let fly from a slingshot, a swinging Clubbell® creates exponentially more perceived resistance than its actual scale weight. This means that as you progress in strength, endurance, timing and coordination, you can add speed of execution to your means of progression. Swinging the weight faster will simultaneously progress each of the other attributes at the same time by increasing the perceived load, without changing the actual tool.

What if I don’t have a Clubbell?

I think everyone should have at least one. It’s one of the most versatile tools you’ll ever lay your hands on. But, if you don’t have one yet, you can use a bodyweight exercise that explores a few of the same principles. Try the CST Leg Swoop and try to apply the principles explored above to this versatile exercise. Have some fun with it and post your comments below.

And as usual, all questions, comments and anecdotes are welcome.

Cheers,
Adam

PS Don't forget to spread the word about the Intu-Flow Giveaway on Twitter!

Intu-Flow Giveaway Contest - I want to give you the gift of joint health and mobility (Free Intu-Flow Full Package)

Do you ever have moments or phases in your life where something crystallizes?  This was one of those weeks for me.  It started with a client at a facility I'm associated with.

We were just finishing our session with some Prasara Yoga when she pulled up short and looked at me.  I wondered what was going on.  Then she launched into a delightful account of how much better she was feeling since starting her training.  She was amazed at the liberating feelings that were awakening in her body, and she reveled in how much she looked forward to doing her Intu-Flow joint mobility movements every morning.

Of course, these moments with a client are always gratifying in and of themselves, but it came on the heels of this joint mobility article that I had just written, of several email questions I had received about joint health and of an interview I had just completed in which we talked a lot about the importance of joint health.  And that is when something came clear.  I need to use whatever means I have available to me to get the word out in 2009.  Everyone needs to discover Intu-Flow joint health and mobility.

"You are as old as your connective tissue"
        -Coach Scott Sonnon

Your joint health and mobility are the cornerstone for pain-free longevity, high-performance and even physique.  It's of direct importance in your overall wellness plan, and must be programed into your training just like any other developmental factor.  It's not something you can leave to chance. 

Systematic recovery is essential.  Scott Sonnon discovered that long ago, and he turned meager genetic talent into international championships and astounding movement ability.  He then took his findings and created an A-to-Z program of joint health and mobility called Intu-Flow.  This complete package walks you through recovery, sophistication and specificity in your range of motion development and your natural movement patterns.

That's why I want to give you (or someone close to you) a complete Intu-Flow Quick-Start Package including:

• 2 Mini-Clubbells,
• Intu-Flow 2 DVD set
• The Xtension DVD
• Wall charts of the Intu-Flow principles and exercises
• ($99.95 value before shipping - don't worry, I pay shipping too)

The Big Twitter Giveaway Contest Details

So here's the deal.  I'm going to give this Intu-Flow complete package away, but not until I reach 1000 followers on Twitter.  That may seem ambitious, considering I'm a little shy of 50 followers as I write this.  But with the number of people reading the blog and the newsletter, the goal of 1000 followers should be totally doable.

There is one more catch though, we have to hit 1000 before March 1^st,2009.  If there is no urgency, no deadline, there will be no action.  And I want you to get out there and spread the word, so I need to set a deadline.

Once we hit 1000 (and we will), I'll send out a notice to the newsletter and give a heads up here on the blog.  Then, in the day or so after reaching our milestone, I will post a question to my Twitter feed.  The first person to get back to me with the answer will be the winner.

Here's how to follow me:

• If you haven't signed up for a Twitter account, you can do it here
• Visit my Twitter page and click the "Follow" button
• Easy as that

Then what?

• Tell your friends, family & colleagues - give the gift of Flow
• Do you blog? Great place to share the news
• If you already Tweet, share it there
• Put a line in the signature of your emails

So, what's in it for me?

I have two reasons for this giveaway.  Firstly, everyone needs this information.  Whether your goal is simply to be able to get down on the floor comfortably to play with your kids or grand kids, or if you are looking to win a triathlon this year, joint health and mobility is key. 

My mission for 2009 is to touch as many people as possible with the health-first fitness message, and this is one step along that path.  The more followers I have on Twitter, the more the message will spread.  So, we're killing two birds with one stone.  One more person is going to get the gift of joint health.  Countless numbers are going to be exposed to the health-first paradigm.  Win-win...

My other motivation is to connect with you!  I know you are out there.  The statistics on Better's Better page views, and the subscriptions to the newsletter, are proof positive that you are watching.  But I want to hear from you and engage with you.  I know you have important and interesting things to say.  The emails I get from readers are always relevant and thought provoking.  But I want to draw you into a conversation with all the other people out there interested in "training better" and not just "training more."  I resisted Twitter for a very long time, but since taking the plunge I'm finding it to be a very interesting place to spur exchange and dialogue.

Please pitch in

So I'm asking humbly for your help.  Spread the word about this giveaway and help get the word out about health-first fitness.  Even if you get one friend into the act, who in turn gets one friend, and so on, we'll be there before you know it.  And I really want to give this Intu-Flow package away!

Cheers,
Adam

Growth Hormone And High Intensity Training - Brad Pilon on Growth Hormone, meal coposition & HIT

As regular readers will know, I'm fascinated with how hormonal balance affects health, vitality, performance and body composition.  I'm also captivated by how exercise, diet and careful supplementation can bring our hormonal profile into optimal balance for our goals.

Brad Pilon, author of Eat Stop Eat, puts out some great information about this sort of thing.  I wanted to share this video he posted on YouTube in which he discusses how the composition of a pre-training meal affects Growth Hormone release following a bout of High Intensity Training.  Very interesting stuff.  Take a listen.  If you have any questions, drop them into the comments and I'll ask Brad.

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Parkour Is Cool - Prasara Parkour Is Accessible

Parkour is getting a lot of attention lately.  It's a very raw and "primal" form of physical activity.  But it is probably somewhat intimidating or inaccessible for the average person.  Prasara Body-Flow Yoga presents all the same benefits (and then some), but is much more achievable for the average wellness buff.  Check out this old footage of Scott Sonnon, progenetor of Prasara, going through a freestyle flow:

Even this may seem a bit crazy when you first watch it, but what you have to understand is that Coach Sonnon has devised tools that infuse his entire system and are designed to take you step-by-step along the path of physical mastery, no matter what your starting point.  The place to start if you like Coach Sonnon's Prasara style Parkour is the Body-Flow DVD set.  Follow your Flow, it always knows...