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To advertise, have content published or to contribute photography or written content to the magazine, please email us at: media@movermag.us
editor Mike Ruiz - mike@movermag.us
CONTRIBUTORS Ardour, Marlo Fisken
photography Ashley Streff (cover photo), Ardour, Sam Earp, Hannah Elisabeth Taylor, Sjana Elise Earp, Ellen Starrett
MOVER MAGAZINE 8108 SW 20th CT., Davie, FL 33324 www.movermag.us • www.movementcommunity.com @movermag /movermagazine
This magazine is meant to promote and increase awareness of the movement community and is for entertainment purposes only. This should not replace the advice of a health professional. Please consult your doctor before attempting any program, training, movement or exercise. While every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy in the magazine, MOVER Magazine can take no responsibility for errors, or the opinions and facts supplied by authors and advertisers. All opinions expressed by authors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher. Products and services advertised are also not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.
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CONTENTS ISSUE 05
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consistency Go after what matters more to you than anything in this world and commit to it no matter what comes your way.
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keep moving Watch Marlo Fisken in the debut of our Keep Moving video series where we showcase amazing movers in action.
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rod cooper From brewing beers to an ignited passion. Learn about how movement dramatically changed the life of Rod Cooper.
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jen esquer Jen Esquer, DPT, shares with us how the brain and nervous system plays a huge part in our movement practice. It’s time to dive deep.
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tom merrick from team ardour With his growing YouTube channel The Bodyweight Warrior, we’re excited to have Tom Merrick share some tips for better movement.
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Photograph by ardour •
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I’ve spent a great deal of time asking people from all different industries, backgrounds and disciplines a question that truly intrigues me, “What’s the number one thing that has contributed to your success?” The answer that comes up most frequently is consistency. I believe that there are no shortcuts, magic pill or quick fixes to attaining your biggest goals. Not that you can’t attain your goal in a short period of time but there is something of value in the journey towards accomplishing your goals. The journey is where you grow, learn and develop character, and the person you become throughout the journey is the real benefit of accomplishing your biggest goals. The harder and more difficult the journey, the more you benefit from seeing it through and consistency plays the biggest role in getting you there. There’s no secret to success. You go after what matters more to you than anything in this world and commit to it no matter what comes your way. Put in the work consistently and you will see the results.
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m a r l o
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Click the image above to watch the full video.
W W W . F L O W M O V E M E N T . N E T
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c o o p e r
Photograph by Sam Earp •
@SamEarp
the movement collective
Tell us a little about yourself. Hey guys! I am Rod, Founder of The Movement Collective and my passions (obsessions) are movement, health and happiness. Since discovering movement my life has changed dramatically and positively. Most people would assume to attain the skill set I currently have, I must have an extensive background in gymnastics, circus or another artistic discipline. But this is not the case. 2 years ago I was brewing beer for a living. To most guys this seems like the perfect job and it was for a time. However, I felt my life was missing something. I didn’t really have a purpose. At age 27 I quit my job in Australia, packed a bag, and moved to Vancouver Canada with the hopes of finding some sort of inspiration or life change. Instead I found movement and consequently so much more. I discovered Origins Parkour (an indoor parkour/movement gym) & Ido Portal (a movement expert & teacher). The combination of these two and the people I have met on the way, along with a change in my perspective would ultimately reshape my future and lead me down the path I am currently on. Don’t worry I still enjoy a craft beer or two. These days my focus is on creativity, personal development, finding ways to playfully incorporate movement into my daily life and encouraging others to do the same. I want to show how something as simple as human movement and play can dramatically transform your life, push boundaries and unlock a whole new world of unlimited potential and fun!
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P h o t o g r a p h s by H a n n a h e l i s a b e t h tay l o r •
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@ H a n n a h e l i s a b e t h tay l o r
How did you get started with movement? I am pretty sure it all started at age of 27 when my mate challenged me to go to Gymnastics with him to learn a back somersault. He had been going to an adult gym class and was desperate to learn to flip as a post goal celebration for football. I went along and actually nailed it in the first lesson. Safe to say he was pissed after that, but I would have to say it was because of my training at Origins Parkour in Vancouver and discovering Ido Portals work. These two factors set me on a path to want learn more and discover what my body was actually capable of. What is your background and experience? I have always been active my whole life but mostly just the standard gym routine. At the time I really enjoyed the weights and machines, getting in there working on different muscle groups trying to get massive haha (that never happened). This was from around age 19-25. I would always try and mix it up with variations and new ways to structure workouts to make it more exciting. After doing some research I found a small cross-training gym close by and gave it a go. I loved it at first but then the gym converted to a crossfit gym and it became too competitive so I decided to keep the things I enjoyed from crossfit which was the gymnastics elements, using these in the park which meant I didn’t need a gym at all. This was until I found a place called Origins when I was around 27. This facility had it all; tricking, parkour, weight lifting, hand balancer’s, circus performers, stuntmen, yogis etc. So much talent under one roof and this was the place that shaped my future and how I practice today. I am now 32, so I’ve been practicing for just under 5 years. What does your weekly training look like? For the classes I teach, I generally structure month-long programs but keep classes all very fun and playful rather than boring and repetitive. This way students can see progress within their own practice instead of classes being entirely random. I find it is a great way to encourage regular participation and helps create a healthy social space too.
For my own practice, I try and fit as much movement into everyday as I can. I am not currently on a specific program, so my personal practice is very random and varied day to day. I have a goal for the one arm handstand, so this is where I am currently investing most of my time. I guess this inconsistent approach won’t get me to some specific goals fast, but who cares if I am having fun in the process?! I will get there one day and I am sure and a huge believer in loving the journey. You can’t set to many unrealistic goals and always be unhappy until you achieve these skills, it’s about being happy and grateful for how far you have come and continuing to grow each day. The results will still come with this approach and it will be a much more enjoyable process. What has movement done for your life? The concept of the movement practice has changed my life dramatically. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing, or be where I am now without it. Movement has ignited a passion for life and creativity. Now, I’m always searching for new ways to move, finding limitations and then shifting them and helping others do the same. How important is play in a movement practice? Play is the heart of my practice and the reason I move every single day. It is why I have such a passion to move as it keeps it fun and sustainable. It’s all well and good to have a structured program to hit certain goals you might have but if you put yourself through hell just to achieve it, you will find that once you have reached it, you will be unhappy again until you reach your next goal. We all need to play, both as children and also in our adult lives as we tend to get stuck with the idea that we are grown up now and have to act a certain way. This idea has always seemed boring to me. I think we should all go to the park and beach and play with our friends just like we did when we were kids. Being weird and moving our bodies the way they are designed to move and not caring about what the onlookers are thinking! They will one day understand what we’re doing and wish they discovered it earlier.
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Photograph by Sjana Elise earp •
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@SjanaElise
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Play is about lettting go of any attachment to the outcome. Simply moving your body in space; it can be playing with another human, wrestling, pushing, rolling, dancing, improvising and trying to create new moves. This is the stuff that I love. There is nothing better than gathering a bunch of friends in the park right near the beach here in Newcastle, going trick for trick, standing around stretching, flipping, doing handstands what ever comes to mind at the time. Oh and of course some coffee afterwards is always a good option. You’re the founder of The Movement Collective, tell us how it got started? It all started when I was Living in Vancouver and I had the crazy idea that I could actually teach movement for a living. At the time, I was into personal development books and convinced myself I couldn’t fail and my ideas were bullet proof. With my passion to help others and also for movement it was never going to fail, I just knew it. I started up in early 2015 only teaching private sessions at first but the demand for the classes was building so I opened up a limited schedule in the beginning and slowly added more classes as the demand increased. For anyone starting up a gym I think this is good advice to limit the choices in the beginning and add more as you grow. We now have 18 classes total consisting of Foundation (beginner), Movement (intermediate/advanced), and Weight-lifting. The kids program is another major part of the business. Teaching healthy movement and play habits to the next generation is another thing we’re really passionate about and we’re excited to change the lives of many with this program.
What is your ultimate vision with The Movement Collective? We are currently looking for a new space so we can run multiple classes at once and to also give our members a high end facility. I have had plenty of requests for online coaching and courses so in 2017 I plan on setting something up for the people who can’t get into the gym in Newcastle. I see big things for TMC like multiple facilities in other states and eventually international, who knows. What has been the biggest contributor to your movement practice? My experience practicing at Origins Parkour in Vancouver would have to be the biggest contributor in my movement practice. This place was full of ninjas all willing to help each other out to improve their own skill set and others. I am trying to cultivate the same vibe at TMC and it seems to be working. Our members are amazing humans and I couldn’t be happier with the people this business has attracted. What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to become the best mover they can be? You need to become obsessed with it. I practice handstands and acrobatics most days, because I absolutely love it! Not because I have to. When you have this attitude, it’s hard not to move every single day and improvement comes organically. Leave us with a final thought. Find what ever you love and do that. Not tomorrow or next year, do it now. This applies to movement and anything in life. I have made it a point to wake up excited each day super motivated to help others and have as much fun as I can in the process.
Rod Cooper Gym Owner, Movement Teacher, Peter Pan Instagram: @rodjcooper & @the_movement_collective Facebook: www.facebook.com/NWCTMC/ www.themovementcollective.net
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Photographs by ellen starrett •
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jen esquer D O C T O R
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Who is Jen Esquer? I am a mover! Many people like to group me as a yogi because I love being upside down. I don’t mind this at all, but I personally don’t like to fit into one box. I love pilates, yoga, calisthenics, acroyoga, HIIT workouts, running (well, kind of), weight training, etc. I love trying new workouts and challenging my body. Yet, more than being a mover myself, I love to help others move better as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. What is your experience and background? Growing up as a gymnast, becoming a gymnastics coach and pilates instructor, I knew I needed more. So, I continued through school past my BS in Kinesiology and straight into physical therapy. I never doubted my journey and now that I am a physical therapist, I am only more inspired to learn more about the body and help as many people as I can. Though I was in college for 7+ years, I know there is always so much more to learn. It is what fuels me daily and I am incredibly grateful to have found my true passion.
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T H E R A P Y
How does being a DPT play into your movement practice? As a DPT, I continue to discover how I can improve my own movement patterns. I intent to strongly practice what I preach. I teach almost every person I treat about foam rolling, mobility and stretching prior to any corrective exercises or strength training. I believe these daily practices can help make people better at being human. Beyond wanting to lift heavy or run a marathon, my goal is to educate people on how to maintain basic movements to avoid injury and increase longevity. It saddens me when a mother can’t play with her children or a family member has to stay back on an active vacation away. Through therapy, my goal is to help humans be better at being more human. What are all the components that make up movement? Movement is made up from a combination of the body’s ability to adapt to its surroundings. It begins with the brain’s perception of the basic task, followed by the nervous system’s response to send signals
Photography by Ashley Streff •
@ashleystreff
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for the muscles to contract and move the skeletal system. Everything comes into play when movement is involved. Movement begins at the brain because the muscles will tighten and restrict movement, based on the brain’s perception of safety and stability. As we age, it is a normal process for our nerves to slow down in reflex responses. As a result, our balance becomes impaired. Now, when an older gentleman goes to bend down, it is not necessarily his tight hamstrings that might be holding him back, but it could be his brain restricting the extensibility of his 20
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hamstrings to relax and stretch to protect him from falling forward. How are all our muscles are connected? Muscles all have nerves running through them. Therefore, they’re connected not just by the connective tissues (or fascia), but also hugely by the nervous system! This becomes an important lesson when addressing the forward fold in everyday people. I have taught people how to touch their toes in minutes when they never thought they could, simply by changing the
way the brain interpreted the movement. Touching your toes involves way more than just hamstring length. When the body feels unsafe when falling toward the ground, it can have the tendency to stiffen up, thereby restricting motion forward. The remedy for this would be to increase muscles involved in stability (the core and adductors) or changing the surface to make the muscles have to stabilize more. When the added difficulties are removed, it should now make the brain feel safer and able to bend down further. Another limiting factor could be the
way in which someone reaches forward. Educating the body on how to anteriorly tilt to make sure there is bend coming from the hips rather than just the low back is a great remedy for this, as well as segmental rolling from the neck to the low back and allowing the brain to interrupt full flexion and avoid solely bending at one section of the back. What is myofascial release and how do we use it to benefit our mobility? Myofascial release is referred to as “releasing� or inhibiting the restriction of www.movermag.us
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the connective tissue that lies over the muscle tissue. We have fascia that lies over all of our muscles and as a result, a restriction in one area of the fascia, can cause problems in a different area of the body. This is why it’s important to understand the reasoning behind myofascial release. For example, you may feel back pain, but this does not necessarily mean you should be rolling out and releasing your low back muscles. In fact, I hardly ever prescribe this as a treatment. Instead, fascial tension could be building in the low back as a result of fascial restrictions along the legs, hips or maybe even the feet! Another important way I like to explain how fascia surrounds our entire body is with headaches. Though tension might be placed in the head, it could be a result of a tight posterior (back) fascial chain. So, stretching the hamstrings and rolling out the bottom of your foot may just be the answer in relieving your headache. When we think of movement, we think in physical terms but how does the brain and nervous system play into our movement practice? The brain also plays a major role in understanding how to sequence movement, or motor control. From a child to adult, we begin to wire the brain with movement patterns that become normal to us. Children involved in sports and activities tend to have better motor control as adults than children who were not. This is because the brain is constantly having to learn specific patterns in order to coordinate precise movement. The brain forms neural
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pathways that are more complex and often times very controlled. What is motor control and how do you improve it? Motor control is the ability of the brain to sequence or coordinate muscles to move the body in order to perform a motor skill. If you want to improve motor control and start owning your movement, you must start by training the brain. Constant learning of different skills and precise patterns helps to carve out new neural pathways from the brain to the body. The more the connections start to flow, the better awareness you can gain of how your body moves. You’ve said before “fix your feet, fix your movement”, how so? “Fix your feet, fix your movement.” We stand and walk on our feet all day long (unless you’re like me and like to hang out upside down throughout the day as well). Our feet provide feedback through the rest of the body. If your arches start to fall and you lose control or strength of the muscles that support the arch, it begins to affect the entire body as compensations occur up the chain of the body. For example, if you start standing or walking with more pronation (flat feet), it is possible to begin to develop rotation through the tibia, opposite rotation through the femur, leading to patellar tracking issues and often tilted pelvis’s. Now, the problem can also begin up the chain at the hips, but at least addressing our base of support and showing them more love on the daily can definitely help to avoid future injuries down the road. I highly
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suggest rolling the bottom of the foot with a lacrosse ball for a few minutes daily. Begin to explore how your feet and toes can move. Can you lift the arches, flatten the arches, raise only the big toe, spread all the toes apart? The more you begin to articulate and activate your feet, the better awareness the foot will have throughout your everyday life. Neurologically, how do you train your brain to obtain the motor control to be able to perform something like a handstand? When learning a handstand and flipping your world upside down, the brain needs time to adapt to gaining a new awareness of where the body is in space. Typically, the brain can gain awareness within 3 weeks of learning a new skill. Therefore, it is not necessarily about strength when learning new skills, but more about the brain understanding the movement in the early stages of learning. To teach this, I always teach crow pose to understand the weight distribution through the hands and headstands to understand the body awareness upside down. As a person progresses, starting with pike or downdog push-ups, they start to begin understanding alignment and body weight through the hands. Later, I progress to teaching a handstand with the belly to the wall. This forces the body to understand how to press through the entire hand, maintain body alignment and release the fear of falling over. What has been the biggest contributors to your movement success? The largest contributors to my movement success is purely the fact that I love movement. It is my stress release and without it, I would go crazy! I also love to constantly discover new challenges and change things up. I am constantly wanting
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to learn and explore new things within my body. Your body is capable of much more than you realize. Exploring different workouts or even dance classes (I picked up salsa) can begin to transform the body not only physically, but skillfully as well. What is a solid piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to move more efficiently? For anyone who comes and asks me how to move more efficiently, I highly suggest having a full body evaluation done by a professional therapist (preferably a Myodetox practitioner for a comprehensive overview of their body). Becoming educated about your own body is extremely powerful to begin to understand how to move forward and what you need to work on. What do you teach, and how does someone get in contact with you? I am currently not teaching classes or courses at the time. I have my online program for how to learn a handstand through MyQuest which is great. Yet, in my everyday life, I am working on bodies and educating people how they can heal themselves. I work as a physical therapist and accept personal clients often. The best way to connect and set up an appointment would be to email me personally at jenesquer@yahoo.com. Leave us with a final thought. Movement is the key to longevity.
Jen Esquer PT, DPT Instagram: @DocJenFit Facebook: facebook.com/docjenfit Website: Handstand Program
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tom merrick team ardour At Ardour we’re passionate about moving better. With a focus on comfort, range of motion and our signature understated design, we create clothing that is tested by movers and designed for you. To move better is to live better and to that end we have partnered with movers and educators from a range of disciplines to help spread our message. From gymnasts and freerunners in Europe, to dancers and educators in the US and Germany, our team not only excel in their chosen fields but also embody our ethos. Tom is a coach and YouTuber who regularly shares his extensive knowledge via his social media, YouTube channel and incisive training programs making him a must-follow influencer in the movement space. We’re thrilled to have Tom on Team Ardour and thoroughly recommend following him on your journey to move better.
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Photography by ardour •
@ardourofficial
Name: Tom Merrick Nickname: Bodyweight Warrior Title: Experimenter and Student From: Bournemouth, UK Height: 192cm Weight: 90kg Social media handles: IG - @TheBodyweightWarrior FB - /TheBodyweightWarrior YT - /VitalityAndAgilityTv Websites: https://www.youtube.com/c/ VitalityAndAgilityTV Favorite move: Front Lever Power move: Weighted Dips Years moving: 3 years bodyweight training with 2 years powerlifting/bodybuilding prior. Training frequency: 10-12 hours (6 sessions a week) Training duration: 1-2 hours Training split: Mon: Straight arm upper body Tue: Heavy legs + lower mobility Wed: Bent arm upper body Thu: Rest but usually short handstand + mobility work Fri: Straight arm upper body + lower mobility Sat: Bent arm upper body + light legs Sun: Rest, maybe yoga Everyday I do some form of handstands, mobility and general movement. Movement Philosophy: Never be afraid to try something new. I’m forever experimenting with new movements, mobility techniques, programming methods and ideas. That is the beauty of “movement”, it comes in many forms.
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How did you get started with movement? I started getting fat towards the end of school and like most teenagers I jumped in the gym to lift weights. Initially I was hooked but mostly out of vanity and followed a bodybuilding route which eventually led to a mix of powerlifting too. But, by just focusing on training, without thought of lifestyle and nutrition, I ended up making myself ill from overtraining and poor nutrition. I lost 8kg in bodyweight following the flu and was so weak that all I could do was bodyweight training. One thing led to another and I never went back. I think at this time I discovered Daniel Vadnal (FitnessFAQs) and Barstarzz. As I progressed and learnt more about bodyweight training I joined a gymnastics club and discovered Coach Sommer, Ido Portal, Ryan Hurst and many others which inspired me to experiment, explore and experience “movement” more deeply. What is your experience and background? I am a final year design student at Loughborough University but also studying with the CHEK institute as a holistic lifestyle coach and exercise coach. Design has been essential in my understanding of bodyweight training/movement. It’s the ability to take information, process it and construct it in a way that is useful. There is so much information out there about movement but a lot of people struggle to construct it into
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something they can apply. To quote Emmet Louis, “Knowledge is nice but applying it is better”. How did you get involved with Ardour? Ardour approached me on Instagram and asked me to ambassador their apparel. It’s rare to find companies focused on the movement space so I was excited to work with them, plus their design is on point. It’s been a pleasure to work with such genuine guys who are just passionate about this area and can’t wait to collaborate on future projects. The Bodyweight Warrior is your YouTube channel, tell us what it’s all about? Whatever hobby I’ve been involved in I’ve ended up teaching. It’s something that naturally comes to me and I find nothing more motivating than helping people, which is what I try to do. Authenticity and honesty is most important to me. I’m no master or guru but a student of movement, and will always be. I’m sharing my experience as well as presenting information in an accessible way for people to apply for themselves. You share a lot of tips on your channel. Can you share with us a tip for mobility? For me, the key to mobility, and training in general, is consistency. Find a routine that meets your goals and stick to it. It can be specific to
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certain movement patterns or general full body. A decent amount of volume, 2-3 times a week is plenty for most people to get started with. Give it a month and really stick to it and you will see progress. I’ll give you a personal example; I’ve always had terrible middle splits range of motion. I’ve always stretched and tried to mobilise it but my efforts were sporadic and never focused. Recently, I committed to making progress in this movement so I got a routine, stuck to it for 3 months and now I’m 5-10cm from full middle splits. What about tips for strength? As bodyweight movements are the main focus, I find that my actual body weight is hugely important for being “stronger” or performing harder movements. Bodyweight movements are always relative to the mover. I’m pretty tall and have long levers which already puts me at a disadvantage so gaining extra kilos just makes life harder. In this sense, maintaining a lean physique and working in a lower rep range helps maximise that strength to weight ratio. What about programming, what should we take into account when putting together a movement program? My main tips are focus and minimum effective dose. Firstly,
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what are your goals? Without goals it’s impossible to create a focused training program. 3-5 goals is plenty because having too many will mean no progress in all rather than good progress in some. Secondly, find the amount of volume and intensity that gives you enough stimulus to progress and build a solid base level of strength, mobility and structural integrity. I think there is a large issue with “junk” volume which just adds extra recovery time. Do what needs to be done then have fun and play, after all what do we train for! Can you share with us a beginner program for someone who is just starting out? In all honesty, I would give someone a copy of my Bodyweight Warrior e-Book, it’s the reason I made it. I wanted to create something that I could just give to somebody and they could get started straight away with none of the other bullshit. There are 3 basic workout layouts in the e-Book focused for beginners, skills development and finally mass gain. I also included example workouts for each to get people started. In my opinion, it’s a real solid start for anyone and gives the opportunity to get started, experiment and find a variation that suits them. Just search “The Bodyweight Warrior Program” into Google and it should pop up in the top of the search results.
What have you learned to be a game changer when it comes to improving your movement? Balancing play with programmed training. I’ve tried both ends of the spectrum here. Spending all my training time playing with no program vs only doing programmed practice. Neither is wrong because what matters is what you want to achieve and what you enjoy doing. However, I’ve noticed when I played all the time I generally moved better but had poor progress in strength, whilst when I purely trained, I made good strength progress but movements became less fluid and
more disjointed. Personally I need a mix of the two; a solid base of programmed strength training and mobility developing key movements patterns balanced with time to play, try new things and explore what my body is capable of. What this looks like in practical terms is usually the first 30 minutes of my sessions are spent playing, moving and exploring followed by 60-90 minutes of programmed strength and mobility work. Leave us with a final thought. Never be afraid to try anything new and never be afraid to discard anything that no longer serves you.
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@ardourofficial