Whatever you’re doing for your workouts right now, there’s a good chance you would benefit from the GMB method and our approach to movement.
Really quick, our method is as follows:
Identify the goals you actually care about.Assess your current abilities in light of those goals.
Address whatever’s holding you back using the most efficient approach.Apply your new abilities to daily life, higher level training goals, or really, whatever you want.Then repeat this process as your skills improve and your goals change over time!
When it comes to exercise, we’ve done it all from studying various martial arts, to weightlifting, to strength training, to yoga. And while all of those are great ways to exercise, nothing is perfect as a standalone.
No exercise plan or specific workout can cover all the bases. And if any method claims to cover everything, they’re wrong.
We understand that goals will vary and you will likely adapt and adjust your training over time. That’s great. But if your current workout is ideal, why are you reading this trying to figure out why what you’re doing could be improved?
First, we want you to know the following:
GMB programs are not intended to be a replacement for other methods of training. Our programs do work on their own, but can also be used as a complement to what you’re currently doing.
With GMB, you’ll build strength, flexibility, increase range of motion, and improve the way you move overall. Our training methods will complement and enhance whatever you’re currently doing when working out.
Results In The Real World
For instance, Fi was one of the first women in the UK to get involved in their active calisthenics community.
She was able to do tricks and skills others would struggle with. But she had some blindspots she couldn’t quite conquer on her own.
While she could mimic the movements she saw on YouTube and some of the other competitors doing, she had stopped progressing and needed some help.
She was able to use GMB’s Mobility and Vitamin programs to improve her flexibility, mobility, and ability to transition into movements easily.
Alissa is a bodybuilder who wanted to compete seriously as a fitness competitor.
And that meant she’d have to perform a 2-minute fitness routine mostly focused on hand balance and lots of strength during certain holds.
She first found us through our handstand tutorial, and then went on to use our programs to train for and finally build the arm and shoulder strength to do a full handstand.
It came as a surprise that all of her strength training didn’t prepare for how hard it would be to train properly for her first handstand.
When it comes to moving better, our programs will assist you with just about any type of exercise you’re doing.
Improve Your Workouts With Complementary Movements
No matter what you’re doing, it’s likely not enough in terms of being the perfect workout or set of exercises.
The reason for this is one type of exercise will tend to keep us stuck in certain movement patterns. And if we don’t reverse ourselves out of those patterns, the aches, pains, strains, and even injuries are bound to manifest.
Let’s look at resistance training. This can cover just about all disciplines, everything from powerlifting, bodybuilding, strength training, to Olympic Weightlifting.
When training with weights, you’re putting your body under loads above and beyond just using your body weight. So, proper form and being very stable under these conditions is of utmost importance so as to avoid injury.
As a result, you will often find yourself in these repetitive and rigid movement patterns, which over time, can cause pain, stiffness, and imbalance if you don’t address it.
For example, training with heavy loads through full ranges of motion can enhance your flexibility and mobility. But what if you don’t have the ability to do a full squat due to tight hips or hamstrings?
Or what if you lack flexibility in your upper back and it causes shoulder pain when doing overhead presses?
Over time, these movements will create stiffness, maybe some pain, and can set you up for being stuck in restricted movement patterns.
By the way, check out our guide on how to combine GMB programs with what you’re currently doing for best results.
Many people are lacking in practical mobility—you know that extra flexibility you need to do the movements you want? Luckily for you, we have just the thing. 👉 Download our 15-Minute Mobility Boost. You can do it before your workouts, or whenever you have some extra time throughout the day.
Reversing Out Of Rigid Movements
A great way to enhance your ability to move better would be through doing regular mobility work on your hips and shoulders to enhance your range of motion. This, in turn, would improve your performance with your standard weight training program, and will help you make more progress in the long term, all the while keeping your body robust and hopefully resistant to injury.
For example, with a tight upper back and shoulders, you could benefit from regular inversions on the floor. Practicing regular elevation and protraction will help increase shoulder health and strength.
If your glutes and hip flexors are tight and prevent you from a full squat, working on lateral hip movements like the Colt, Peacock squat, and 90-90s can open your hips and allow for better mobility over time.
With our programs, you can work on being diverse in your movement in unloaded patterns, which allows for adaptation to occur without a high risk of injury. For example, getting down into a full lunge position with only your bodyweight is going to be safer and will allow for more progression than trying to do it under a heavy load.
Let’s look at some other activities like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
A common complaint for those who specialize in the guard position is lower back pain. This is because your trunk is in a constant flexed state (imagine doing a prolonged floor crunch), and oftentimes twisted around.
And a way to reverse out of this is by doing the opposite and getting your trunk into an extended position more often. This can help strengthen your back muscles and create some balance with all the time spent in flexion.
This same type of thing happens with dancers, or people doing yoga. Spending too much time in a certain position without doing an opposing movement will create problems over time.
Thinking And Training Outside Of Repetitive Movement Patterns
An easy example here is running or cycling. These are practically the definition of repetitive strain that can show up as aches, pains, and injuries in time if some alternate work isn’t done.
One way to regain some balance is to spend some time away from these activities doing things you aren’t normally doing.
For instance, getting down on the floor and walking on all fours working on balance and strength in the upper body is a solid way to do something that complements normal routine.
Ryan does a lot of hiking, so the way he combats this repetitive movement is through his daily joint mobility routine:
But since he’s been practicing this routine over the years, he only needs 5-10 minutes of mobility work per day to keep himself limber and ready for anything he wants to do.
Another movement pattern you might consider is rotation. Not many typical workouts have this programmed in. Our Elements program gives you the foundation to rotate and twist gracefully, which carries over to more balance, better mobility, and coordination for anything you experience in daily life.
Plus, when you work on balancing out your movement patterns, you will naturally begin to improve your posture. And that can also lend to moving better all around.
Here’s GMB Trainer Eduardo Orihuela demonstrating some rotational movement exercises:
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What’s In Between You And Your Movement Goals?
The first step is to think about what you’re doing regularly, and then imagine where you’re limited. The best way to do this is through a self-assessment. This way you can actually learn where you’re limited instead of trial and error.
With our programs, you can remove all the guesswork when trying to figure everything out on your own. You go through your own assessment process to determine what movements need the most work. Then we walk you through how to make progress every workout.
Balance Out Your Workouts With Elements
With Elements, you’ll build a foundation of strength, flexibility, and control over 8 weeks, setting yourself up for a successful lifetime of staying fit and active.
Elements
Your Foundation for Physical Autonomy