Effectively Preparing Clients for Today’s

Functional Exercise Approaches

Presented by Carl Weston, CHEK Faculty
Session Sponsored by CHEK Institute

What is Functional Exercise?

Definition: Any exercise that improves your ability to perform Activities of Daily Living,
work, and/or your chosen sport or recreational activities.

Base of Support / Center of Gravity

As conditioning improves, individuals should be able to maintain their center of gravity
over progressively less base of support.

Optimal Function Maintains Optimal Structure

The CHEK Success Formula

What does your client need?

4 Doctors & 6 Foundation Principles:

Yin: Nutrition, hydration, sleep
Yang: Breathing, thinking and movement.

• FLEXIBILITY: Restores both structural, and energetic balance; increases strength

quickly in most people due to enhanced motor unit activation.
• STABILITY: Ensures joint stability and optimal energy flow/attenuation. Begins with
stretching and joint mobilization!
• STRENGTH: Increases contractility/tension/work capacity; damaging to those with
structural imbalances!
• POWER: Work capacity relative to time. High intensity/speed training. Dangerous to
those without previous stages of development effectively completed!

4 Doctors
Dr. Happiness – Your dream, goal or objective
Dr. Diet
Dr. Quiet
Dr. Movement

What is your dream?

• 4 Doctor core values are essential to guide/manage one’s use of energy/resources.
• Without a specific goal and core values to guide self-awareness, exercise tactics
often reflect one’s lack of self-management and self-awareness, which invites injury
in functional exercise environments!

© CHEK Institute, 2001-2019

1
 Effectively Preparing Clients for Today’s Functional Exercise Approaches
Carl Weston

6 Foundation Principles
Nutrition, Hydration, Sleep – Breathing, Thinking, Movement

How much distress is being created by poor 4 Doctor self-management?

What is your/client’s capacity/need for exercise?

Breathing
The average person breathes 25,900 times daily.

Breathing Basics: Work-In Criteria:

• Inhale through nose 1. No elevation of respiratory rate.
• First 2/3rds belly expansion 2. No elevation of heart rate.
• Last 1/3rd chest expansion 3. Can do on full stomach.
• 3 planes of expansion: 4. Tongue stays moist.
– Longitudinally
– Anterior-posterior
– Laterally (lower ribs)

How’s Your Breathing?

P= P= P=
SYMPTOM SYMPTOM SYMPTOM
1 1 1

Feelings of Vivid dreams or

Fatigue
panic/loss of control nightmares
Gastric
Muscle aches/pains ‘Electric shock’ feeling
reflux/nausea

Sighing & yawning Pins and needles Foggy head

Poor concentration Bad breath Temperature changes

Headaches Bloating Irritable cough
Insomnia Flatulence Racing heart
Chest moves before
Chest pain/tightness Anxiety
tummy on inhalation
Dizziness Eye strain Shortness of breath

Breathing and Movement

• Try throwing a ball while inhaling!
• Try various pushing exercises and experiment with inhaling vs. exhaling while
applying force.
• Try picking up a heavy object and compare inhalation vs. exhalation for stability and
efficiency.
© CHEK Institute, 2001-2019
2
 Effectively Preparing Clients for Today’s Functional Exercise Approaches
Carl Weston

Physiological Load Assessment

Anatomy of Exercise Prescription

Exercise and Stress

Catabolic vs. Anabolic

Posture, Exercise and Energy Distribution

How Stressed Are You??

Ref: How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! by Paul Chek

© CHEK Institute, 2001-2019

3
 Effectively Preparing Clients for Today’s Functional Exercise Approaches
Carl Weston

Red = Caution! Work-In: No elevation or HR, RR,

tongue moist, comfortable to do on full stomach

Yellow = Exercise intensity should not exceed what

allows normal breathing while performing
movement; 16-30 reps/set.

Green = Can freely choose catabolic exercises based

on individual needs, abilities and conditioning level

Flexibility and Structural Balance – Tuning

The body “IS” the brain & mind Is embodied!

LENGTHEN TO STRENGTHEN!

Posture and Stability

• Static posture
• Dynamic posture
• Inner unit isolation & activation
• Inner/outer unit integration
© CHEK Institute, 2001-2019
4
 Effectively Preparing Clients for Today’s Functional Exercise Approaches
Carl Weston

Definitions of Posture
• The position of the limbs or carriage of the body as a whole -
Stedman’s Medical Electronic Dictionary
• Ideal posture is the position from which the musculoskeletal
system functions most efficiently - Moshe Feldenkrais

Poor Postural Alignment Reduces:

• Functional stability
• Movement efficiency
– Rotation!
• Joint health
• Muscle balance
– Muscle health
• Circulation: blood, lymph, axoplasmic flow, and chi
• Visceral function; peristalsis often becomes aberrant
• Respiratory exchange
• Cognitive performance
• Athlete performance and longevity!

Static Stability (posture)

“The position from which movement begins and ends”

The Overhead Squat Test

Dynamic Stability
The maintenance of an optimal instantaneous axis of rotation in
any space-time combination.

Static/tonic & dynamic/phasic postural interaction

Posture and Rotation

Rotation is the primary movement of the spine; flexion, extension and side-bending are all
functionally linked to rotation.

RC Factor

You can’t fire a cannon from a canoe

• Static and dynamic stability are prerequisites to success and consistency in most
any exercise or sports environment.
• Static and dynamic postural stability provide the foundation for developing
strength, power, and biomotor abilities.

Central Generation of Stabilization

© CHEK Institute, 2001-2019

5
 Effectively Preparing Clients for Today’s Functional Exercise Approaches
Carl Weston

Isolation to Integration

Rhythmic Stabilization Force Generation

Functionally Integrated Stability Training Rating Core Demand

- C.R.A.C Training

Integrated Strength Development

Infant Development

Biomotor Co-dependence – Needs Analysis

• Strength • Balance
• Endurance • Agility
• Flexibility • Speed
• Coordination • Power

Exercise Selection

General Motor Programs

• Throwing: Lunge-Twist-Push
• Golf: Twist-Bend-Gait

Primal Pattern® Movements – Descending Ascending

THIRD SECOND FIRST PRIMAL FIRST SECOND THIRD

DESCENT DESCENT DESCENT PATTERN ASCENT ASCENT ASCENT
SB Wall Squat Squat: 2 pole Squat – 1 pole SQUAT 1 leg squat Balance board Squat on Swiss
support support squat Ball
Smith Lunge with 2 Lunge with LUNGE Walking lunge Jumping lunge Wobble board
Machine lunge arm support pole - single lunge
arm hold Bend one leg Bend on move Bend and
Bend from Bend from Support by BEND generate/receive
seated knees spotter force

Progressing Rotational Strength

L/R Integration - Integrated Strengthening

© CHEK Institute, 2001-2019

6
 Effectively Preparing Clients for Today’s Functional Exercise Approaches
Carl Weston

Sport Specific/Power Development

• Any movement that can be completed within < 1 second is considered power
training.
• Forces to not rise exponentially when lifting weighted objects!
• Eccentric loading precautions.
• Power training should integrate the upper extremity with the stronger legs and
torso
• The tail should not wag the dog!

Core Conditioning

L/R Integration - Integrated Power Training

FIND THE EDGE…! - Sport Specific & Neurological Development

Conclusion
• There is a science to effectively developing any individual’s athleticism.
• The body cannot be more functional on the outside than it is on the inside!
• Without skillful assessment and progression, short-term gains frequently become
long-term pains!
• CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coaches, CHEK Practitioners, Golf Biomechanics, and Tennis
Biomechanic’s programs offer you all the assessment, corrective, and performance
development skills you need to work with anyone from the elderly to the world’s
greatest athletes!

Key References
1. Chek, Paul. Movement That Matters. Vista, CA: A CHEK Institute Publication, 1999.
2. Chek, Paul. Advanced Program Design, (Correspondence Course). Vista, CA: A CHEK
Institute Publication, 1998.
3. Chek, Paul. How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! San Diego, CA: A CHEK Institute
Publication, 2004.
4. Chek, Paul. The Golf Biomechanic’s Manual: Whole in One Golf Conditioning, 3rd edition.
San Diego, CA: A CHEK Institute Publication, 2008.
5. Brandon, Leigh and Chek, Paul. The Tennis Biomechanic’s Manual: The Grand Slam
Approach to Conditioning. San Diego, CA: A CHEK Institute Publication, 2015.

www.chekinstitute.com [email protected]

GIFT FOR CANFITPRO VANCOUVER ATTENDEES

Get your 7-part video series, Movement as Medicine
Scan the QR code
or Register at www.chekinstitute.com/MAM

© CHEK Institute, 2001-2019

7