TruFit Program Guide by TruFit

GETTRUFIT.COM

TRUFIT

UNIVERSAL TRAINER/ UNIT STRATEGY GUIDE

速 UNCLASSIFIED | TruFit

TruFit Lifestyle Welcome to TruFit, where we are setting the stage for a new fitness revolution. The advanced training methods of fitness professionals have given us the opportunity to work out and instruct others like never before. These new functional workouts carry over to the things you do and help you do them better. With TruFit and the UNIT, you prepare your body for the challenges and highlights of an active lifestyle and help set the example for those around you. Getting TruFit means you get active and inspire others around you to join in. But TruFit is not just focused on working out alone. TruFit is how your fitness and outdoor lifestyles come together. You workout to get outside and you get outside to go workout. Outdoor fitness is training to support a greater goal. This is about you being able to take care of yourself with strength, stability, control and confidence no matter what the game or situation. TruFit workouts are smarter workouts. You develop everything. Strength, balance, flexibility, speed, coordination and most of all attitudes. TruFit is about doing, TruFit is about teaching. Our goal is to reshape fitness into something people are attracted to, not intimidated by. By performing and sharing the exercises in the guidebook, you not only improve your own health and future, you help build the foundation for a youth fitness revolution.

Discover your Tru Potential

©2013 TruFit LLC Albuquerque, NM All rights reserved. TruFit™, Load Transfer Training™, The UNIT™, and the TF logo are trademarks of TruFit, LLC No portion of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise without written permission of TruFit, LLC. For further information contact info@gettrufit.com Notice of Liability: The information in this guide is distributed 'as is' and without warranty. Careful attention and preparation has gone into the production of this guidebook. TruFit, LLC shall not have any liability to any persons or entity with respect to damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly from instructions contained in this guide. Material in this guidebook is for informational purposes only. As each individual is unique, you should use proper discretion, in consultation with a health care practitioner, before practicing any advice, exercise or technique described in this guidebook. Do Not Allow any child under the age of 14 to perform these exercises without adult supervision. Do Not Use any component of the UNIT™ for climbing, rappelling, or in any other ways not described in this manual. www.GetTruFit.com

PICTURES Top: Young man performing a QUAD Pike Top Middle: TruFit Ambassador Kim performing QUAD Pushups Bottom Middle: Orange UNIT handles Bottom: QUAD Supergirl

TABLE OF CONTENTS: SECTION ONE 67891011121314151617181920212223-

SECTION THREE

QUICK GUIDE

104- TRAINING PROGRAMS EXPLAINED Section 2 105- LEVEL 1 WORKOUT 106- LEVEL 2 WORKOUT 107- LEVEL 3 WORKOUT 108- LEVEL 4 WORKOUT 109- CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING IDEAS 110- FLEXIBILITY 111- ASSESSMENTS IDEAS 112- ASSESSMENT SUBJECTIVE INFOMATION FORM 113- SAMPLE TRUFIT TRAINER EXAM 114- EXERCISE CONVERSIONS 115- JOINT MUSCLE BREAKDOWN 116- OUTDOOR SPORTS 117- TRADITIONAL SPORTS 118- AN ARMY OF US 119- HOMEWORK 120- TIPS FOR TEACHING OTHERS 121- TEACHERS & PARENTS 122- NUTRITION 123-129- APPENDIX 130-131- INDEX

se TRUFIT Section 2 & BENEFITS TRAINING

SECTION TWO

Exercise difficultly is labeled L1 (easy) to L4 (extremely difficult). All users should start with Level 1 exercises and progress when they feel comfortable

COREpg24-37 se Section 2 24- FOOT PLANK L1 24242424252627272829293031323334353637-

ELBOW PLANK L1 PROGRESSIVE PLANK L1 SIDE PLANK L2 HANDLE PLANK L2 KNEE INS L2 SIDE BEND L2 HIP BRIDGE L2 BRIDGE CYCLE L2 PIKE S L2 SIT UP TWIST L1 V UPS L2 OVERHEAD ROTATIONAL REACH L2 L-SIT L3 FRONT LEVER L3 RUSSIAN DANCE L2 WINDSHEILD WIPERS L3 SPIDER CRAWL L2 REVERSE FALL BACK L2 ROLLOUT AB EXTENSION L2

UPPER BODY PUSHING pg38-49 3839404142434344454546474849-

SAFETY PAGE EXERCISE SCIENCE- muscles EXERCISE SCIENCE- movement TRAINING MODALITIES TRAINING MODALITIES TRUFIT TRAINING EXPLAINED THE TRUTH THE BASICS UNIT SETUP MOUNTING OPTIONS & SURFACES BODY POSITIONS POUSTURE QUAD SAFETY NOT RECOMENDED PROGRAM DESIGN PROGRAM DESIGN

CHEST PRESS L1 PUSHUPS L2 LOAD TRANSFER PUSHUP L3 STANDING FLY L2 TRICEP EXTENSION L2 DIPS L3 LOW DIPS L2 FOOT PLANK PUSHUP L2 SWIMMERS BUTTERFLY L2 SWIMMERS FREESTYLE L2 SINGLE ARM PUSHUP L2 OFFSET HANDLE PRESS L2 SOLO HALO L3 SOLO FLOOR PRESS L3

NOTES TRUFIT PLEDGE

UPPERBODY PULLING pg50-64 505152535455565758596061626364-

INCLINE ROW L1 HORIZONTAL ROW L2 LOAD TRANSFER ROW L2 UPRIGHT PULL TO OVHD L2 REVERSE FLY L2 ROW TO OVERHEAD REACH L3 CROSS ROWS L2 OFFSET ROWS L2 BICEP CURLS L1 PULLUPS L3 SHOULDER PRESS DOWN L2 OVERHEAD EXTENSION L2 OVERHEAD ROTATIONS L2 REVERSE SWIMMER L3 SQUAT ROWS L1

LOWER BODY pg65- 80 65666768697071727374757677787980-

ASSISTED SQUAT L1 SINGLE LEG SQUAT L2 SUSPENDED FOOT SIDE LUNGE L2 SIDE LUNGE SQUAT L2 REVERSE LUNGE L2 LUNGE PRESS L2 TRANSVERSE LUNGE L2 SPLIT SQUAT L1 SUSPENDED REVERSE LUNGE L3 SUPER LUNGE L3 FRONT KICK SQUAT L2 SIDE KICK SQUAT L2 ONE FOOT HOP L1 SQUAT HANDLE DROP L2 QUADRICEP DOMINATE SQUATS L2 TRANSVERSE SIDE STEP L2

QUAD -CAUTION- pg 81-103 81- PLANK L4 82- PUSHUP L4 83- LOAD TRANSFER PUSHUP L4 84- FLY L4 85- SKYDIVER L4 86- SUPERMAN - L4 87- MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS L4 88- KNEE TUCKS L4 89- PIKES L4 90- PRONE HIP ABDUCTION L4 91- DIVE BOMBERS L4 92- OVERHEAD EXTENSION L4 93- SINGLE ARM EXTENSION L4 94- QUAD SAFETY L4 95- ROWS L4 96- TRIPOD ROW L4 97- SQUATS L4 98- L SITS L4 99- AIR SPLITS L4 100- LOW DIPS L4 101- AIR BICYCLE L4 102- L SIT ADDUCTION L4 103- TRIPOD HALO L4 104- RING LADDER L4

CORE LOWER BODY

UPPER BODY PULLING

UPPER BODY PRESSING

The QUAD

TOP LEFT: CORE- PLANK KNEE IN TOP RIGHT: LOWER BODY- SPLIT SQUAT MIDDLE: UPPER PULLING- INCLINE ROW (do not use for climbing) BOTTOM LEFT: UPPER PRESSING- SINGLE ARM PUSHUP BOTTOM RIGHT: QUAD- SUPERMAN

QUICK GUIDE

GETTING STARTED 1] ANCHOR UNIT STRAPS TO SECURE OVERHEAD BAR OR ANCHOR POINT 2] ADJUST EACH ANCHOR STRAP TO DESIRED LENGTH 3] CLIP HANDLE TO ANCHOR STRAP OR BODY WEIGHT RING VIA CARABINER 4] REVIEW EXERCISE AND POSITION BODY APPROPRIATELY 5] PERFORM EXERCISES FOR DESIRED AMOUNT OF TIME OR REPITITIONS

GETTING TRUFIT = OUTDOOR FITNESS 1] EXERCISE DAILY TO SUPPORT YOUR ACTIVE LIFESTYLE 2] STUDY DIFFERENT TRAINING STYLES AND DISCOVER UNKNOWN BENEFITS WITHIN YOUR PERSONAL PROGRAM 3] DEVELOP AND PRACTICE SMART NUTRITION PRINCIPLES 4] EXPLORE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF AND DEVELOP NEW SKILLS 5] EXPLORE AND WORK TO KEEP THE EARTH, OCEANS AND EACH OTHER HEALTHY.

TRAINING AND BENEFITS

The UNIT is designed to work with a large population of individuals and promotes creativity and proper technique when fitness training. The UNIT works with gravity. By adjusting your body position, you create the resistance necessary for many different exercises. This style of training is often referred to as body leverage training and is an effective style of training for all ages and experience levels. Special attention should be given early on in training to the substantial weight increases and decreases based off the position of your body relative to the ground and the anchor. A small step forward or bend of the knee can adjust the resistance or difficulty instantly and helps you avoid overloading a joint or muscle group allowing for safe continued exercise. UNIT Training is designed to develop your entire kinetic chain, or the network of muscles, tendons and ligaments that work together to produce movement. By training the body as a team you essentially prepare every player on your squad to work together and efficiently. This approach to physical training helps to prevent injury and create a well tuned human body. Body leverage training is a form of functional training and ideally works to prepare you for daily activity. Exercises are progressive and promote a variety of benefits from increased joint stability to increased muscular strength and coordination. Because UNIT Training is preformed in an unstable environment, each limb and joint have the opportunity to work independently and cooperatively to perform exercise. As you become comfortable and develop the necessary joint stability, you will be able to progress to more difficult angles and increase the resistance or challenge while still being able to regress almost at any movement. By combining the benefits of functional body leverage training with the UNIT, you can create a foundation of skill, strength and flexibility that will last a lifetime. Start using the UNIT and performing exercises in their easiest form and progress as you see fit while paying attention to any aches, pains and needs for rest.

BENEFITS: ⃝ PROGRESSIVE FROM ANY FITNESS LEVEL ⃝ EXERCISE OPTIONS RANGE FROM SIMPLE TO EXTREMEMLY DIFFICULT ⃝ QUICK SETUP AND ADJUSTMENT PROVIDES SAFE WORKOUT FOR ALL AGES ⃝ PROVIDES AND EXCELLENT PLATFORM FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS TO DISCOVER NEW ABILITIES ⃝ PORTABLE AND USEFUL IN A VARIETY OF OUTDOOR AND INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS ⃝ PROVIDES A NEW ALTERNATIVE TO OLD SCHOOL METHODS OF "PUMPING IRON" ⃝ IMPROVES PERFORMANCE LEVEL AND BUILDS CONFIDENCE ⃝ EXERCISES CARRY OVER TO A GENERAL EVERYDAY PREPAREDNESS ⃝ INTERGRATED MOVEMENT PATTERNS CAN HELP PREVENT INJURY ⃝ PERFORM QUICK ASSESMENTS ON AGILITY, STABILITY, STRENGTH, FLEXIBILTY

SAFETY AND DANGERS DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT

skip this page use any component of the UNIT for climbing, rappelling, mountaineering, rescue or in any way not described allow anyone under the age of 14 to operate the UNIT without adult supervision forget to test your anchor point to ensure it supports the exercises you wish to perform secure the UNIT to rough or abrasive surfaces to avoid unnecessary wear on the webbing leave unattended if youth under the age of 14 are present attempt difficult exercises without first becoming comfortable with an easier version perform full bodyweight exercises if inexperienced or on any weak anchor setups use without first consulting your health care professional force any exercise on youth (TruFit is about show and tell) move like a robot use on a slippery or loose surface perform exercises to a point of complete failure assume any exercise is easy before trying it (popular exercises can often be more difficult on the UNIT) forget that nutrition is just as important as any exercise leave the UNIT outside and exposed to thieves, abuse or the elements hesitate to contact us for more information forget to register your product online at www.GetTruFit.com

DANGER CHOKING HAZARD - PINCH HAZARD - OVERTRAINING - FALL THROUGH POSTURE - QUAD TRAINING + (NOT STRETCHING, WARMING UP OR COOLING DOWN) CHOKING- due to the large handle opening, the ability exists for a pet or child to position their neck inside the handle opening and create an airway obstruction. It is recommended that the handles be clipped into the Body Weight Rings when not in use so that they are positioned out of the way of fast traffic through doorways and under jungle gyms.

PINCHING- the ability exist for the carabiner gate to pinch the hand between the thumb and index finger when very young children are attempting to clip or unclip the handle. Adult supervisor is required and if the situation does happen, the carabiner gate should be pushed open.

OVERTRAINING- overtraining can refer to performing too many repetitions of one exercise or exercising too long without proper rest. Either situation promotes injury and should be avoided. Overtraining can also mean attempting exercises over your ability level. This happens when individuals do not exercise or have not exercised for an extended period of time and over estimate their ability when first attempting an exercise.

FALL THROUGH- when performing exercises in the prone position, or facing downward, the potential for joint failure at the shoulder and elbow exists. This would appear as if the user is "falling through" with their arms extending awkwardly behind them. Common exercises that present a high risk of fall through are Flat Pushups, Horizontal Flys, Iron Crosses, ALL Prone QUAD exercises, Dips, Planks and Horizontal Extensions. Always have a spotter present when performing exercises like these and instruct users, especially youth, to lower down slowly and control every exercise.

POSTURE- always read instructions and use visual cues to correct posture deviations. Exercising with poor posture can promote injury. Improper movement patterns and exercises should be discontinued or avoided if they cannot be preformed correctly. Use a spotter to provide instant feedback during exercises and take turns looking for cues explained later in this guide.

QUAD TRAINING- Do not attempt any exercises in a QUAD setup until thoroughly confident in your ability to support your entire body weight. QUAD training is not for beginners and should only be performed in the company of expert users.

EXERCISE SCIENCE MUSCLES A-Z ANATOMY

A) DELTIODS B) BICEPS C) FOREARM FLEXORS D) WRIST E) OBLIQUES F) HIP FLEXORS G) QUADRICEP MUSCLES H) ACL ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT I) PERONALS J) ANKLE K) FOOT COMPLEX

L) NECK/ UPPER TRAPIZIUS M) RHOMBOIDS/LOWER TRAPS N) ROTATOR CUFF COMPLEX O) TRICEPS P) ELBOW Q) FOREARM EXTENSORS R) GLUTE MEDIAS S) GLUTES T) ILLIOTIBIAL BAND (IT BAND) U) HAMSTRING MUSCLES V) PCL POSTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT W) GASTROCNEMIUS X) SOLEUS Y) ACHILLES TENDON Z) CALCANUES

MUSCLE CROSS SECTIONS

Rep range results for muscles 1-5 reps produces Strength gains if loads are close to maximum effort 6-15 reps produces hypertrophy gains if loads are manageable through reps 8-12 16+ reps produces muscular endurance and coordination throughout the body

UNDERSTANDING MUSCLES

To understand your muscles is to understand your movements

These images are here to get you thinking. Look at how complex you are. You have to understand how these muscles works if you want to train effectively. note: look at how the abdominal muscles in the picture above run in all kinds of different angles... now what does that mean to you and how does that effect your exercise selection. selection?

MUSCLES are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth. Their function is to produce force and cause motion. Muscles can cause voluntary movement like moving your arm or involuntary movement like the beating of your heart. Physical Training commonly focused on skeletal muscle development or the muscles that move our bones or joints. Muscles connect to bone via tendons which carry forces and compress forces around joints. Ligaments connect bone to bone and produce joints that then work with our muscular system to produce movement. This entire system of muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments is what comprises our Kinetic Chain and should be viewed as a complimentary and connected system. Essentially every muscle in your body is connected to the network and works together to assist in movement and oppose resistance.

Many people think a muscle is designed to produce force or produce movement. Although muscles and their connecting systems do work together to promote action in a joint, this is not the muscles only propose. Muscles can be decelerators working to resist change in the system. The muscles of your anterior core, or your abs, are designed to prevent forces from folding you over backward, whereas the muscles in your posterior core, or lower back are designed to keep you from flopping over forwards. Imagine this delicate balance taking place even as you read this. Are you leaning more forward or sitting up straight? If you are leaning forward, then the muscles in the lower back will be stretched and essentially attempting to pull you back up straight. This action happens all over our body and at almost every joint. As your bicep contracts, your tricep extends and provides the stretch necessary for proper elbow stability. In muscle action you will have a primary mover or agonist, an antagonist and a synergist. The primary mover in that bicep curl would be the bicep muscles which perform the contraction, or shortening of the muscles. The antagonist would be the tricep muscle system as it lengthens to oppose the action of the bicep. The synergist in this movement would be the shoulder and forearm systems as they provide stability to the arm and assist in the overall movement of bringing the hand closer to the midline of the body or towards the shoulder as in a traditional bicep curl. Think about your joints and try to figure out what muscles are doing what during movement. This knowledge of muscle function and anatomy will help you train properly and understand information in this manual better.

EXERCISE SCIENCE MOVEMENT

UNDERSTANDING MOVEMENT Your body is an amazing organism and is capable of almost anything you can think of. Understanding how your body moves will help you develop a better sense of ability and help you to train effectively and prevent injury.

This isn't a stable world. We live in a dynamic environment that requires efficient movement and stability throughout the entire kinetic chain. UNIT Training works the body in all three planes of motion and provides a safer alternative than traditional "sit down" exercise that eliminate necessary muscles and isolate resistance.

CHEST PRESS, SAGITTAL PLANE

SIDE SUSPENDED LUNGE, FRONTAL PLANE

SINGLE ARM SQUAT PULL, TRANSVERSE PLANE

"Nobody sits down to perform a task in real life, so why perform exercises sitting down? Exercise on your feet and prepare yourself for life."

Starting off, you will find that most exercises you perform on the UNIT will be in the Sagittal Plane and are directed forwards and backwards like the Pushup or Reverse Lunge. Once comfortable, try exploring the Frontal Plane by performing exercises that take you sideways and the Transverse Plane by rotating during movement. By focusing your workout on all three planes of motion, you develop a solid foundation that promotes action in real life.

SOMETHING'S WRONG...!?!?

- INJURY AWARNESS

Pain is not weakness leaving the body. Pain is your body's way of telling you something. The body is intelligent and wants you to survive in a comfortable environment. Your body seeks out good feelings and avoids negative ones in an attempt to keep you happy and healthy. This communication system often gets overlooked as just a minor annoyance and generally people push through the pain. Don't push through the pain. Explore the pain. Listen to it and try to understand what it's telling you. Maybe you need to take a break from training or need to look into training styles that fits your goals and condition. Whatever it may be, Don't train through pain. If something is hurt, it is not going to get any better if you beat it up further. Rest is the key to developing a well tuned body. Think of pain as a "check engine light". When the light comes on you need to pay attention. Driving further will only cost you more in the end.

Always seek medical advice in any situation where you experience pain and do not recommend programs and You'll never hear, "Hey I can lift that heavy object up high for you, just let me take a seat exercises to individuals in pain if you are not a qualified medical professional. before I perform any movement".

TRAINING STYLES

Back in the day, proper fitness was required for survival. Running, lifting, climbing, just plain old working hard. Early humans did not have to focus on additional physical training because fitness was worked into their everyday lives. Today things are much different. We live in a world built around convenience and now need to seek out adventure and activity. Our playgrounds are growing smaller while our TV's are getting bigger and it is our responsibility now to explore every option we have towards getting in shape and performing your best. Below are descriptions of different training styles, or Modalities, to help get you thinking about ways to train with the UNIT and other cool fitness devices.

STABILITY TRAINING- This is the style to start with for

INTERVAL/ CIRCUIT TRAINING- Intervals are when you

anybody new to exercise or for those looking to fine tune their body. Stability training is any training that challenges the body to stabilize through a joint or series of joints. This could be as simple as walking or as difficult as catching a ball while standing on a Slackline. UNIT Training is stability training because the muscles around your joints have to control the imbalance so you can perform the exercise. Stability training is key in early development because it teaches our neuromuscular system to accelerate and decelerate force efficiently and effectively as we move through life. TruFit's recommendation of starting each exercise in its easiest form is rooted here. Because these exercises build the joint stability necessary for more difficult movements, it is encouraged that all users begin easy and progress to hard.

perform an exercise or series of exercises in succession with a determined rest period between sets. Running and walking or performing 1 minute Mountain Climbers with 30 seconds rest would be examples of intervals. Circuit Training has you work in multiple stations with a training period and rest period, although the exercises may be different. The effect of this "On then Off" style is ideal for high volume, quick workouts and for people looking to create a high metabolic boost. High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, could be done in either straight intervals or in a circuit fashion with multiple stations. Remember that often with interval and circuit training the goal is time combined with volume or distance. Look to decrease the time while increasing the work performed.

REACTIVE TRAINING- This style of training

BODY WEIGHT TRAINING- When you perform an exercise

hones in on your ability to focus and make quick decisions, either consciously or subconsciously. Reactive Training can be done on the ground with quick movements followed by quick action. Imagine jumping 180째 degrees and then catching a ball being thrown at you. Repeat this process and you are training your reaction time. Everything in life involves reaction for you to understand and develop a skill. From riding a bike to riding a surf board, reaction is the key factor in many successful and unsuccessful attempts. By practicing and training your body to react without thought is the goal. Both Slacklining and UNIT training have huge reactive components and will help you perform tasks and focus on skill better than ever before.

that uses only your own body weight for the resistance you are body weight training. This could include thousands of exercises and hundreds of different devices to hang, hook and attach yourself to. Some common BW exercises would be Pushups and Squats but really anything done with your body for the goal of self improvement could fall into this category. Set a goal to master the more common body weight exercises and set a foundation for movement throughout all planes and training modalities. Exercises to master include: Pushups, Pull ups, Squats, Lunges, Controlling Falls, Jumping, Walking, Running and Single Leg Balance.

NON-TRADITIONAL TRAINING- This style of training

STRENGTH TRAINING- This is the style of training dedicated to

takes you away from general pumping iron and allows you to create challenges in a variety of ways. Core training with a slosh pipe or playing tag with a foam roller can be fun and provides a great workout for your entire body. The idea is to change things up and have a big bag of tricks you can pull out when you need a good workout. Other examples of nontraditional running would include, paddle boarding in an ocean, river or lake for cardio and core training, passing on the terrain park lift and walking up after each run for a leg workout, or going for a walk while carrying a heavier load than comfortable to train your entire body. Some UNIT exercises would fall into the traditional categories while others would clearly be nontraditional. Nontraditional training is ideal for outdoor and traditional sport athletes and will help you push through training plateaus and boredom like no other.

making you stronger. This doesn't mean you have to lift ridiculously heavy weights or wear tight shirts and baggy jeans, but it does mean you're going to do work. You can't get stronger by not challenging your current strength level. Much of strength comes from better communication between the brain and muscles while the brawn comes from the actual muscles and muscle groups. Strength can be increased by placing a load on a muscle group for an extended period of time and then trying to either increase the time or the load. Weight increases are common to avoid the more endurance based approach but ideally we are looking for the muscles to be tensioned for time. It is during this time adaptations take place in the body resulting in increased strength once the muscle or muscle group has recovered. Heavy loads close to your one rep maximum should only be attempted if comfortable with the exercise and your own abilities. Also increase rest periods both during your actual training session and afterwards before the next workout to ensure your muscles and mind are ready to perform again.

TRAINING STYLES

FLEXIBILITY TRAINING- This is much more than just simple stretching. Flexibility Training is any training that is designed to increase range of motion of a joint. Ideally this is usable range of motion that can then help to assist you in day to day activity and in sport. Stretching exercises can often be categorized into two major groups. Static stretching is where you position your body or a limb in such a way that a continuous and gradual pull is placed on a muscle or muscle groups. Static stretches are generally held for a period of time anywhere from 5-30 seconds and help to relax the muscles and increase blood flow to the area. Static stretching before physical activity is common but there is much debate that the long duration stretches reduce muscle readiness and cause fatigue prior to activity. Dynamic Stretching are exercises and movements that prepare the body for activity and increase usable range of motion at the joints. Dynamic stretches are done through movement and appear often in forms of yoga, athletic training and rehabilitation. Stretching with the UNIT can be both static and dynamic, it all depends on you. Both styles of stretching are covered in the Flexibility Exercise section.

POWER TRAINING- This style of training is designed to increase muscle fiber recruitment and rate of force production. Power training is done in quick burst with loads that challenge but do not over task the body. Power is increased by performing exercises that require fast movement typically by a large muscle group working together. Imagine throwing an 8 pound medicine ball into a wall 5 times as fast and as hard as you can. These throws would require a large amount of energy and recruitment from the central nervous system. Through continued practice and feedback from the brain and body, you would become more powerful, more efficient and would be able to throw the ball harder, faster and further than before. Power training requires extended rest periods and low volume loads to perform properly. Increase resistance slowly and never go heavy or risk injury to the kinetic chain. Use power training techniques with the UNIT like Power Lunges and Suspended kicks to increase your ability to produce and stabilize quick movement.

Stability Ball Chest Fly

Horizontal Tricep Extension Indoor Rock Climbing

Explosive power off the Wall

UNIT Shoulder & Hip Flexor Stretch

TRUFIT TRAINING

TruFit Training incorporates multiple training modalities to achieve the goal of functional readiness for everyday life and sport. TruFit Training starts when you set a personal goal of achievement. This could be anything. Deciding to train for and learn a new activity is the first step in a long line of big accomplishments. TruFit promotes developing skills and healthy habits rather than 6 packs and ripped bodies. Those come standard in a lifestyle that keeps you engaged and challenged while exploring new capabilities every step of the way. TruFit also promotes smart training and encourages people to look long term in matters of training progression, rehabilitation and injury prevention. Always remember the future when training and think about preparing for situations you may encounter. This focus is recommended to keep you training smarter and not overdoing any exercise just for the sake of a big number. TruFit Training is designed to last forever. The exercises you perform now with the UNIT you could be doing forever. That is the idea. If along the way an injury, long rest period or unforeseen circumstance comes up and takes you out of the game, don't worry. The smarter you are the longer you will be able to enjoy all that you are capable of doing. UNIT Training will help you along the way by supporting your exercise needs and keeping you ready for what you want to do.

Figure 4 stretch

Runners performing a dynamic warm up before an adventure race

Now that you understand the body a little better and have an idea of what you are training for, you can choose the right assessment, or tests, to discover your starting point and next step. For most people this will be deciding what exercises can help your progress your sport skill and prevent injury as you start training. There is no point in getting in shape if you can't do anything with it. That is why with TruFit we encourage you to speak with a health care practitioner or medical professional, talk to nutrition experts or take a class that teaches fitness and health principals. By doing this you will find out things about yourself and can take the right steps to correct or reinforce what you are doing right or wrong. Imagine you decided you wanted to run an endurance race in one year and started training by walking hills, running long distances and training your entire body to take on an all day challenge. Now imagine that you have an imbalance in your right hip because you have slouched to that side during many years of sitting in class, cars and on living room couches. So now you are out running and things are starting to hurt. Not muscle soreness, but pain. Pain that hurts sometimes when you are not doing anything. You keep running though because you think it will get better as you run more and you want to be ready for the race coming up. Then one day as you are heading down a trail, you hear a pop from you knee and you feel incredible pain. Oh no, this is bad. And anybody who has had a non contact knee injury would agree that if they could go back and perform exercises that would've prevented this they would have. The only problem is how do you know what's wrong if nothing hurts now. If you do assessments and talk to somebody about movement and the way you move, you could be figuring it out and working to correct the imbalance before it's too late. As humans we have a somewhat standard movement pattern and if you deviate from this pattern over and over again, as this runner would be doing with every step, the body breaks down where it is the easiest to break. This often happens in the joints and can be avoided with an ounce of prevention and by taking a few minutes to test out yourself. TruFit provides online assistance as well as Ambassadors to help connect you with the right person or ideas for your situation. Look in the appendix for our testing and assessment pages and discover something about yourself that matters today.

THE TRUTH

Youth

Adults

50% of all 12-21 year olds do not participate in any vigorous activity. 59% of adults do not participate in any vigorous activity. Youth should be engaged in at least one hour of physical activity per day. Adults should participate in at least 5 hours of physical activity per week. Children should focus on cardiovascular and strength training at least 3 times per week. Adults should focus on cardiovascular and strength training at least 5 times per week. The average youth watches over 1500 hours of television per year. The average adult watches 4 hours of television per day. The average number of schools with a daily physical education class is 4.6%. The average adult has little or no formal education on proper exercise and nutrition. The top children's advertisements on TV are junk food and fast food commercials. Adults account for 95% of all the food purchased for children. The rate of youth diabetes and obesity is rising at an alarming rate without any signs of slowing. Many adults fail to educate their children about proper exercise and nutritional principals. Youth often make decisions off impulses and are influenced by what they see and what they know. Adults often make decisions based off price, convenience and satisfaction. Many overweight and obese individuals are trapped and unable to ask for the right assistance in helping themselves or their families. Many children with overweight, obese or inactive parents will develop issues with healthcare, physical challenges and emotional challenges related to obesity. This can all change if we stop caring so much about what others think and start thinking about our future and our children's future.

Think this was his idea...

Positive Influence? You decide.

THE BASICS

Getting started with TruFit and the UNIT is easy and it takes little time to go from a beginner to experienced user. It is important to remember that this is a process and everybody has to start somewhere. Begin your workouts practicing exercises in their easiest form to develop proper movement patterns. Once you have established a solid foundation, you can become more creative and challenge yourself by expanding outside the box.

ALL ABOUT ANGLES

CHEST PRESS- ACUTE ANGLE

INCLINE ROW- OBTUSE ANGLE

RUSSIAN DANCE- RIGHT ANGLE

QUAD PUSHUP- STRAIGHT ANGLE

Understanding how the UNIT works is a little bit like a Science mixed with Geometry class. By combining gravity and your body weight you create the ability to perform exercises and stretches that normally would be difficult or impossible for some. Lesser angles result in increased difficultly while standing up more at an upright angle will decrease the difficultly of the exercise. Exercises where you are positioned between the straps can be adjusted by repositioning the feet or base of support. By increasing the distance between your feet you can effectively complete an exercise by making it easier. (wide stance make exercises more balanced) Most adults will understand the UNIT's Training concepts in a short amount of time. It is important you progress properly to avoid overtraining and injury. Youth generally have little trouble learning the standard body positions with the UNIT and should always be supervised when exercising to ensure a safe workout.

UNIT SETUP

16 ANCHORING To setup the UNIT you first need to find a structure that can support the exercises you want to do. Once you have selected a anchor point, simply loop the strap over the bar and pass the long length back through the top loop. Pull the anchor strap through the loop and pull tight around the bar. Repeat with the other strap and connect the handles via the body weight ring or at the end of the long strap. Extensions may be required for "out of reach" anchor points. Remember to attach the UNIT at a point to where the buckle is reachable for adjustment and that you will be able to take it down when finished using.

Loop anchor strap over the bar

Common anchor structures are Monkey Bars, Pull up Bars, Gym Racks and Cable Stations, Rafters, Beams, virtually any strong overhead fixture can work as an attachment point.

Pull webbing down through loop

Clip into ring for Full Bodyweight exercises Clip handle to strap via carabiner

BUCKLE ADJUSTMENTRaise the handle by pulling down on the front strap. (Picture left)

Lower the handle by releasing the buckle and pulling down on the back strap. (Picture right) -Locking buckle works automatically when force is applied on the back strap. Release tension on the strap before making height adjustments.

ANCHORING AND SURFACES

Hanging out at the beach

UNIT hooked up to a gym cable station station

SURFACES SAND RUBBER GRASS PARK GROUND COVER WOOD FLOOR CONCRETE CARPET HOME FLOOR SLACKLINE

ANCHORING

Single Arm Row at the park

MONKEY BARS PULL UP BARS PLAYGROUND STRUCTURES SQUAT RACKS CABLE STATIONS RAFTERS & BEAMS ROOF RACKS DOOR FRAMES ANCHOR BOLTS ROOF RACKS OTHER SOLID STRUCTURES

Solo Halo in a training studio

Use caution when exercising over hard floors and slippery surfaces. Use Offset Stances, Close Feet and Single Leg options for exercises to increase or decrease resistance. Toes in the sand

Heels in the sand

The UNIT can also be attached to a doorframe by passing the rings over the door so that the handles hang down in front of the door. Remember to lock the Deadbolt and only perform exercises with the door in a closed position and so it cannot open in your direction. Many exercises are possible with this doorway setup and it will provide you with a great workout in almost any room without having to attach another anchor point. Horizontal and full body weight exercises are not recommended when working off a door and be sure not to let the handles go and hit the door when finishing an exercise.

BODY POSITIONS

I J

GET CREATIVE

MULTIPLE OPTIONS A) LAYING DOWN, heels in straps (HIP BRIDGE) B) PRONE, feet in large foot strap (PUSHUPS) C) QUAD PRONE, feet in small foot strap, hands on handles (SUPERMAN) D) STANDING, centered between handles (RUSSIAN DANCE) E) STANDING FORWARD, back foot suspended (SUSPENDED REVERSE LUNGE) F) SEATED facing anchor, using handles (SIT UPS) G) STANDING, handles overhead (PULLUPS) H) STANDING facing, slightly inclined (INCLINE ROWS) I) QUAD SUPINE, feet in foot or heel strap, hands on handles (QUAD ROWS) J) PRONE, more horizontal, using handles (HORIZONTAL CHEST FLY) K) FACING AWAY INCLINE, one or two handles (SOLO HALO, CHEST PRESS)

POSTURE

A C A

A) HEAD IN A NEUTRAL POSITION Often when people exercise in a prone or supine position they have a tendency to drop their head forward or down. Try to keep your head level by looking out instead of down or by looking straight up when laying flat. This works the muscles of the neck and upper back properly and helps to promote correct posture in this region. Always remember to lead your movement with your eyes.

B) BODY FLAT AND STRAIGHT This would include keeping the head level but also refers to the core, more specifically the hips. During exercises that are prone or supine, people tend to drop their hips when fatigued or if lacking proper core strength. Ensure you keep your hips in line with the rest of the body by squeezing your stomach muscles during prone movement and sticking your butt up more during supine exercises when the back arches downward.

C) KNEES FOLLOWING TOES

ALWAYS USE A SPOTTER WITH BEGINNERS AND INDIVIDUALS TRAINING WITH THE QUAD UNIT. DISCONTINUE USE IF PROPER FORM CANNOT BE MAINTAINED.

This is a general rule for lower body exercises and recommends that when performing movements that load the knee, hip and ankle complex, that the middle joint, or the knee, tracks with direction of the toes. This idea is designed to get you thinking about the direction your knees move during movement and prevent unwanted sheer or strain on the knee. Imagine your foot turning outward as you lunged and fell forward. If the knee goes straight while the foot goes left, you increase your chance of injury by twisting your knee while loading it with weight. Ideally, once you have developed good movement patterns, you can start to train with less focus on knee and foot position and concentrate on advanced movement where the knee performs in a variety of loaded positions similar to real life.

Every exercise performed on the UNIT has an ideal posture that goes along with it. Written in the exercise descriptions are cues and insights into what to look for as a spotter or trainer and ways to instruct others so that they know better when working out. Many people do not know if they are using good form and it is important to notify individuals if they are increasing their risk of injury or instructing others improperly. Posture checks and assessments are a great tool in looking for and distinguishing imbalances and old injuries. These checks are not intended to provide medical diagnosis or to treat existing medical conditions. Always strive to use your best form possible. Doing an exercise without a focus on posture is not worth the effort or risk involved.

QUAD SAFETY

20 QUAD = 4 HANDLES FULL SUSPENSION MODE USE CAUTION

Prone with 4 independent anchor points-top picture Supine with 2 anchor points and 4 handles

Provide assistance when using the foot straps

CRASH PAD IN USE DURING QUAD TRAINING

QUAD UNIT RULES 1) Always have a spotter present when performing quad exercises 2) Position handle height so that user can kneel down to discontinue 3) Spotters should assist user in and out of foot straps 4) Use the heel strap as a toe strap to prevent slippage from the foot 5) Focus on core control and shoulder stability 6) Do not attempt if inexperienced or unsure 7) Use a crash pad or fall protection if possible 8) Double check anchor structure & confirm body weight support 9) Experienced supervision required, adult supervision required, 10) Not intended for youth

QUAD SETUP OPTIONS 4X4- 4 INDEPENDANT ANCHOR STRAPS HANGING FROM 4 EQUADISTANT ANCHOR POINTS 4X1- 4 INDEPENDANT ANCHOR STRAPS HANGING FROM A SINGLE ANCHOR POINT. 2 LEFT SIDE, 2 RIGHT SIDE 2X4- 2 INDEPENDANT ANCHOR STRAPS WITH 4 HANDLES. 2 CLIPPED INTO RINGS AND 2 WITH THE ANCHOR STRAPS.

TRAINERS PAGE

DO NOT skip this page. DO NOT use any component of the UNIT for climbing, rappelling, mountaineering or in any other way not described in this manual. DO NOT allow anybody under age 14 to operate the system without adult supervision. DO NOT forget to check your anchor structure to ensure it can support full body weight. DO NOT secure the UNIT to rough or abrasive surfaces which can cause wear and can increase the risk of injury. DO NOT leave children under the age of 14 unattended. DO NOT attempt difficult exercises without first becoming comfortable with the more easier versions. DO NOT perform full body weight exercises on weak or uncertain anchor structures. DO NOT begin a new exercise program without first talking with your health care provider. DO NOT force exercises or repetitions on youth. TruFit Training is show and tell. DO NOT move like a robot. TruFit Training is done through all planes of motion. DO NOT exercise using a slippery surface. Be sure to keep floor dry if sweating causes a hazard. DO NOT work out to failure. The idea is to stimulate not annihilate. DO NOT assume an exercise is easy because you have done something like it before. Example- flat pushups are really hard. DO NOT forget that nutrition is more important than exercise. Fuel up for fun. DO NOT leave the UNIT outside exposed to the elements, abuse or thieves. DO NOT hesitate to contact TruFit for more information. info@gettrufit.com DO NOT forget to register your product to activate your warranty. www.gettrufit.com/registration

Fried Appetizers have become a big problem

Eat smartly and enjoy the rewards of your efforts

Good TruFit Training is all about Show and Tell

DO NOT FORGET TO GO ONLINE & REGISTER NOW

PROGRAM DESIGN: INTRO There are an unlimited amount of exercise combinations and possibilities with the UNIT. This section is designed to help you make sense of it all and put together great programs that support your active lifestyle. Explore all the different styles of training and look to be creative in your workouts once comfortable with the basic and beginner exercises. Reps- number of complete movements performed in a sequence. Set- a group of repetitions performed continuously. Generally from 1-25 depending on the exercise. Super set- two exercises performed back to back with very little rest between. Complex- a group of exercises performed without removing your hold on the resistance. Tempo- speed at which an exercise is performed. 2,2,2 would be 2 seconds eccentric, 2 isometric, and 2 seconds concentric. Tempos should be played with to discover the different effects Aerobic- exercise that utilizes oxygen for energy, long term exercise Anaerobic- exercise that utilizes stored fuel for energy, (ATP-CP, Glycolysis), short term exercise BASIC FOUNDATION- develop core control, joint stability, exercise familiarity, muscular strength, muscular endurance PLANK, CHEST PRESS, INCLINE ROW, SQUAT, LUNGE, DIP, SQUAT ROW It is a good idea to practice and become comfortable with the exercises above. These exercises will set you up for more complex exercises in the future and will give you a stable foundation to fall back on. Most of the exercises performed with the UNIT have a similar free weight or fixed weight counterpart; this carryover to other traditional exercises will help you in situations where you are not training with the UNIT. A more complete list of exercises and their carryover to traditional exercises is listed in the appendix.

EXERCISE / WORKOUT TIME The number of repetitions or time spent performing an exercise depends on your current skill level and overall goal. Beginners should aim for workouts ranging from 10-45 minutes in length with exercise sets ranging from 10-25 repetitions. Experienced users may perform workouts 10-60 minutes in duration with exercise sets ranging from 1-50 reps depending on the exercise difficultly and goal. Example: Beginner Super Set- Incline Chest Press + Incline Rows / 2 sets 20 reps / easy / goal_ endurance

Experienced User Giant Set- Horizontal Pushups, Horizontal Rows, Power Lunges / 3 sets 10 reps / difficult / goal_ strength

REST Rest between exercises is just as important as rest after activity. The reason you rest between exercise sets is to allow your CNS and muscular systems to recover and prepare for future activity. Aim for shorter rest periods if you are looking to increase the cardiovascular demand on your body with longer rest periods reserved for the time between more difficult exercises. Ideal rest periods between easy and medium difficulty exercises and exercise sets are 30-120 seconds. Rest periods between more difficult exercises should be longer and more complete ranging from 60-300 seconds (5mins). Rest between whole workouts by listening to your body and taking the time it tells you to take. You want to be recovered before you train a muscle or muscle group again or that system will not be able to perform at full potential. Resting 24-72 hours usually is sufficient but sometimes more time is required if performing high intensity workouts. In many cases you can train daily with the UNIT depending on your exercise selection, nutritional program and rest periods.

SAMPLE 30 DAY PROGRAM 5 training days per week / 45 min - 1 hour sessions / 8 rest days M-T-W-T-F (on) S-S (off) or M-W-F-S-S (on) T-T (off) DAY

1) Upper body 2) Lower body 3) Core 4) Upper Body 5) Lower Body

Perform 6-10 Exercises for 10-25 repetitions each with 2-3 sets per exercise. Perform 1-2 lower body exercises on the upper body days and vise versa.

PROGRAM DESIGN:

STABILITY- beginner to expert users, rehabilitation, corrective exercise, plateau busting Perform mostly easy to difficult exercises focusing on joint control and balancing the movement. Should incorporate some strength components to build joint stability. Exercise rep ranges from 12-25 with loads light enough to complete each set. Example exercises- chest press, planks, split squats, one foot hop

STRENGTH- intermediate to expert users, rehabilitation post stability, foundation development Perform medium to extreme exercises focusing on correct form and efficient movement. Exercises should not exceed 20 repetitions. Heavier loads and lower rep counts with a greater number of sets will help build strength and will keep you from over exerting during any one set. Look to increase the load and time on your muscles group while under tension. Example exercisessuspended floor press, L-sit, squat handle drop

FLEXIBILITY- beginner to expert users, rehabilitation, performance enhancement Perform dynamic stretches prior to activity to engage the muscles and activate the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Hold positions for very short periods of time and attempt to move fluidly from one position to another. Perform static stretches, or stretches with sustained muscle extension, after workouts or at any time that you need a good stretch. Example exercisesanterior chest/ hip stretch, rotational reaches, lunges

POWER- intermediate to expert users, performance enhancement To increase power and agility focus on quick bursts of action that require a large muscular effort. Power training should be done only when you are well rested and able to perform at a high intensity. Power development reps usually last anywhere from 1 to 3 seconds with generally no more than 20 reps per set. Example exercises- super lunge, solo floor press, mountain climbers

ENDURANCE- intermediate to expert users, rehabilitation, performance enhancement To increase endurance, perform exercises with lighter loads but with higher repetition counts. This could be in the form of Isometric endurance by increasing the duration you are able to hold with an exercise like a Plank or Half Squat. Repetition endurance can be achieved through adjusting resistance properly and performing multiple repetitions of an exercise. Example examples- load transfer chest presses, Russian dance, squat rows

REMEMBER YOUR GOALS Set goals often and make them reachable so that you can reassess where you are in life when you hit these milestones. TruFit Training is designed to support your goals no matter what they are. Be sure to learn about the different training methods and suggestions for each outdoor and traditional sport in the appendix.

USE TIME WISELY Everybody wants to have more time. Use yours wisely and plan workouts that are smart and effective. Plan 2-6 week routines with exercises you can practice and progress from. As you develop more skill you can change your goals and continue your progression in both fitness and in sports.

KEEP IT WELL ROUNDED Avoid boring routines and repeating the same exercises over and over again by mastering the Basic foundational exercises first. Once comfortable with the Plank, Pushup, Row, Squat, Lunge, Dip and Combo Squat Row, you should look to take them outside their basic parameters. Add in new challenging exercises and look to progress favorites through increased resistance, rotation or greater control. This will help keep you ready for life and free from plateaus and boredom.

ONLINE PROGRAM SAMPLE

PLANKS

Lvl 1-3 CORE

A) SUSPENDED FOOT PLANK L1- kneel in front of open loop handle strap and place feet through large loop. Position the hands so that when upright, your feet are directly underneath the anchor point. Push up with your arms and lift your hips so that your body is parallel to the ground. Attempt to hold this position always keeping your head and hips in a neutral position. You might feel like you are sticking your butt up in the air when you actually are very much flat. Look for a sagging back when spotting others and discontinue if you experience any pain in the shoulders or lower back.

B) ELBOW PLANK L1- similar to the foot plank, you position your body with the feet through the large handle loop and elbows on the ground. Try not to cave in your shoulders blades by maintaining a stable push through the arm pits and upper back. Both the Elbow and Suspended Foot Planks can be regressed to ground or with only one foot suspended.

A- Suspended Foot Plank L1

C) PROGRESSIVE PLANK L1- this is the ideal plank for beginners who have yet to feel how the stomach tightens up when going prone, or face down. Take the handles while standing and walk forward until the straps go tight. With straight arms, take small steps backwards controlling the descent by pushing back into the ground with your feet. During this "walking down" phase there will come a point in time when your stomach tightens up on its own. This is what you are looking for and is where you can begin to hold the plank. Over time this position will get lower until you are doing the Hand Plank(E) in the flat position. To discontinue, simply walk up out of the incline while maintain a tight press into the handles.

D) SIDE PLANK L2- this is a more difficult static hold that will challenge your core and shoulder stability. Take one handle and position your body so that the anchor strap runs along your shoulders when pressing down into the handle. The handle ideally should be under the anchor point but this can be done progressively too. With your feet out to the side, lift your hips and press into the handle. It is recommended to look up at your anchor point and reach for the strap with the other hand to help stabilize and support the hold. You can increase the challenge by abducting at the hips, as pictured or by lowering and raising the hips in a rep style fashion.

B- Elbow Plank L1

E) HANDLE PLANK L2- the goal with all the planks is to develop the core and shoulder strength to perform the handle plank. This one exercise sets a foundation for a multitude of exercises in the future. Ideally you want to maintain a neutral head with your back flat and shoulders tight. Squeeze your arm pits and engage those muscles to stabilize the shaking in the upper body. Again you may feel like you are sticking your butt in the air but you actually will be flat. Hold this position with a big smile for time and kneel down or walk forward to rest. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your shoulders or lower back. Progressive Plank L1

E- Handle Plank L2 Side Plank L2

-D

-C

KNEE INS

Lvl 2-4 CORE

A- Handle Plank Knee In L2

C- Tripod Knee Driver L4 B- Foot Plank Knee In L2

TAKE YOUR PLANKS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Handle Plank Knee Ins L2 (A)

Foot Plank Knee Ins L 2 (B)

Take the static Plank to the next level by performing Knee In maneuvers once in the standard hold. This adds a dynamic component to the isometric Plank exercise and can be performed with either a quick or slow tempo. In both, the Handle Plank Knee Ins L2 (A) and the Foot Plank Knee Ins L2 (B) you can bring the knees in straight forward or up and out to the side. These two Knee In options are great for athletes that need both mobility while maintaining core control during movement. Additionally they help to further increase the shoulder stability developed with Level 1&2 Planks. Perform 550 Knee Ins depending on your goals, experience and endurance. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your lower back or shoulders. In both situations, kneel down while ending the exercise.

Tripod Knee Driver L4 (C)This exercise is one of the more difficult progressions to the Plank series. (QUAD EXERCISE!) Place one foot inside the smaller foot strap so that it fits tightly around your shoe (recommended). Once the single foot is secure, lift up into the Plank position with the other 2 handles. Control any instability by tighten the arms and stomach. Perform reps by exploding off your "grounded" foot while driving your suspended knee forward. Attempt to complete the knee drive before the other foot hits the ground. Switch legs after completing desired number of drivers on one side.

SIDE BEND

Lvl 2 CORE

Side Bend L2 The Side Bend is a great core exercise that incorporates the hips, abdominals, back and shoulders. This Frontal Plane exercise can be done with the feet either together or positioned slightly apart to decrease the resistance. Stand sideways and away from the anchor point with one handle positioned over your head. The strap should be tight as you step in just slightly to produce a lean on the body. From here, relax in the upper back and allow your body to lean further while controlling the gravity push with your core and shoulders. Pull your body back to upright by lifting your arms overhead and straightening out in the oblique's. Perform 5-25 repetitions facing each direction. Be sure to control the lowering half of the exercise and do not allow yourself to drop sideways too quickly. Discontinue by standing up straight.

Side Bend L2 in the starting position

CHALLENGE YOUR CORE IN THE FRONTAL PLANE.

GREAT FOR OBLIQUES AND SPINAL STABILIZES

Side Bend L2 in the stretched position

HIP BRIDGE/ BRIDGE CYCLE

Lvl 2 CORE

Hip Bridge L2 The Hip Bridge builds posterior core strength and helps to balance out anterior lean or a posture that promotes forward lean. This can be caused from things like sitting for extended periods of time, training only the abdominals or working over a desk. The Hip Bridge can be done for repetitions or for extended periods of time to build core endurance. Position yourself so you are sitting down facing the anchor straps and handles. Move the handles to the side and place your heels inside the smaller foot strap. This will hold your heel with better stability than just using the large loop. Once your feet are secure, lay down on your back and position your body so that your feet are directly under the anchor point. Now push down into your heels and lift your hips up of the ground. Try to keep everything straight from your shoulders to your knees. Lower down, rest and repeat for reps or hold for 5-60 seconds. The Bridge Cycle will have you assume the regular bridge position but then have you extend one foot out while still maintaining the press down with the other foot. TOP: Hip Bridge L2 BOTTOM: Bridge Cycle L2 with a single leg extended

The Hip Bridge should be discontinued if you experience any pain in your shoulders or lower back. Regression of this exercise would simply have you perform it on the ground without use of the UNIT.

PIKES

Lvl 2 CORE

Pike L2, use caution not to go over your shoulders

Pikes L2 Pikes are performed on the UNIT to increase abdominal strength while challenging your shoulder stability and core control. With your feet through the small foot strap, position the body so that your feet are underneath the anchor point when straight out behind you. Push yourself up into the Pushup position or Foot Plank position. From here, pull your hips up into the air while bringing your feet closer to your arms. Try to keep your legs straight and hinge at the hips only. This Flexion will be difficult to maintain due to the pull of gravity wanting your legs to go back. Descend carefully and with control. Use your abdominals to stretch out and slow the movement while taking it easy on the shoulders. Perform reps or attempt to hold in the up position for time. Discontinue by kneeling down. Do not perform if you feel any pain in your shoulders or lower back.

SIT UPS / V-UPS

Lvl 1 CORE

Sit up L1 with a rotation and reach towards the anchor strap

Sit up Twist L1 Traditional Sit ups where you curl your body straight up towards the knees are over glamorized and can lead to issues if not balanced out correctly. This is why we recommend the Twist Up instead of the traditional Situp. You can do traditional Sit ups too with assistance from the handles but once you've got it, try using only one handle and rotating towards the anchor strap as you raise up. This twist up with the handle allows you to focus as much attention into your core as needed while you support the movement with your other arm. Lower down slowly and switch directions after you've completed your reps. Be sure to reach out when in the up and down positions. This will help stretch your core and load it for each consecutive repetition.

V-Ups L2 Perform this abdominal exercise by positioning the body away from the anchor with both handles and straps tight. Lift up with your legs while you raise your upper body up stabilizing with the handles. Here you can hold the position or lower down and repeat the full movement or you can stay in the up position and lower only the legs challenging your core even more. Try holding for 5-30 seconds or performing 5-20 repetitions.

V up L2 using both handles to support the static hold at the top

OVERHEAD ROTATION REACH

Lvl 2 CORE

Overhead Rotational Reach L2 Build rotational strength and coordination with this dynamic core exercise. Stand with two handles back from the anchor as if you were going to perform an incline row. With your elbows bent and resistance in the arms, rotate to the left while extending your right arm overhead. Always try to keep tension on the straps, both when extending and returning to the home position. The slight lean backwards will help to promote a tight core while you rotate and punch up from side to side. Repeat consecutive reps on one side or alternate each repetition with left to right overhead extensions.

Midway through the Overhead Rotational Reach L2

Full extension up on the toes with tension on both straps

Allow yourself to come up on your toes and drive your stability into the ground. This rotation from the toes up helps to promote proper movement patterns and connects the body from head to toe.

L-SIT

Lvl 3 CORE

Stiff Arm L-Sit L3 Perform this difficult core exercise by placing the handles at a height that allows you to lift your body off the ground with straight arms. Once you can lock out at the top portion, lift your legs up in front by bending at the hips. Attempt to keep the legs straight and bring them up to a height so that your body makes a right angle. Try to hold your legs out straight and lower as slowly as possible when complete with the rep. Bending the knees will decrease the resistance and is recommended if the straight leg position is impossible at the moment.

Straight Arm L-Sit L3

Pullup Style L-Sit L3 This L-Sit is performed with the handles in a position so that you can pull up and lift your body off the ground. Once you are in the air, try to lift your legs out in front of you keeping the knees straight as best you can. You should try to maintain the top portion of the Pullup while lifting and holding your legs up and out. Try to hold for time or perform repetitions with a smooth paced tempo.

Pullup L-Sit L3

Get Creative Look for ways to increase the resistance of your L-Sit. Use Bikes, Snowboards, Wakeboards, Ski Boots and other action sport equipment to challenge yourself while keeping you in your right mind.

FRONT LEVER

Lvl 3 CORE

Front Lever L2 using the Full Body Weight Ring

Front Lever L3 The Front Lever is extremely difficult and tasking on the Core and Shoulders. Don't attempt unless extremely confident in your upper body physical ability. Begin with the handles high enough so that you can lift your body off the ground. Perform a Pullup and maintain the up position by keeping your arms tucked in close. Once here, slowly begin to push your arms out and away with your palms turning out and arms going straight. As your body lowers down through the arms, lift your hips and legs up and out to extend your body horizontally. Hold this position for time, reversing the movement to complete the rep. You can also get into the Front Lever position by rolling over into a backwards summersault and reversing the movement halfway. This will put your body in position to tighten up and decelerate the legs falling down. Discontinue if you experience any pain in the shoulders or elbows.

RUSSIAN DANCE

Lvl 2 CORE

Russian Dance L2 This one is fun, and difficult. Perform the Russian Dance with the handles around mid-leg to hip height. This will allow you to stand between the straps and lower your body down using both your arms and legs. Ideally you will be performing small Tricep Dips while exploding up off of one foot. The alternating nature of these explosive hops gives this exercise the appearance of some traditional Russian Dances. Similarly, this exercise is challenging and requires good coordination between the upper and lower body. Use the Russian Dance as a good total body Cardiovascular exercise. Because this exercise uses so many muscles to perform, the body must increase heart rate and respiratory rate to keep up with the workload. Perform 10-50 Russian Dance hops focusing on a balance between the arm work and leg work. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your elbows, shoulders or knees.

TOP: Lower portion with left leg extended, chest and triceps and right leg loaded MIDDLE: Exploding up with effort from both the upper and lower body BOTTOM: Landing in the bottom position with right leg extended

-AWESOME DYNAMIC EXERCISE -TOTAL BODY TRAINING

WINDSHEILD WIPERS

Lvl 3 CORE

Windshield Wipers L3 Here is another difficult and dynamic core exercise that has you holding yourself off the ground while rotating through the core. Position one handle or both handles so that you can hang with your feet off the ground. Hold the Row or Pullup position and extend your legs out in front of your body. Then twist your body to the left or right and allow your legs to follow. Pause the momentum at about the 90 degree zone and try to reverse the movement by bringing your legs around to the other side. Discontinue if you have pain in your elbows or shoulders. Perform 2-20 Windshield Wipers while maintaining a strong hold in the Pullup position.

Single handle Windshield Wiper L3 Dual handle Windshield Wipers L3

SPIDER CRAWL

Lvl 2 CORE

Spider Crawl L2 This exercise is similar to the Foot Plank or Foot Plank Knee In except with the Spider Crawl you perform a pushup maneuver while bringing a knee in towards the same side elbow. Perform 10-40 Spider Crawls focusing on smooth and controlled movement. Both the Pushup and the Knee In should be steady allowing the core to stabilize the movement.

Spider Crawl L2 in the top Foot Plank position

Spider Crawl L2 in the bottom Pushup/ Knee In position

This is a good exercise to challenge the entire body and see how well you can combine movements and exercises. Just like the Spider Crawl, there are endless combinations of movements you can put together to create some awesome and effective exercises. Practice each movement independently and then try putting it all together to complete the exercise. Discontinue if you feel pain in your elbows, shoulders or lower back.

REVERSE FALL BACK

Lvl 2 CORE

SNEAKY HARD

WATCH OUT FOR THIS ONE!

Trying to keep yourself from falling is harder than it looks with the Reverse Fall Back L2

Reverse Fall Back L2 Perform this exercise by standing up and facing the anchor with the straps tight. Place your hands through the handles or hold onto the handles with a pronated or overhand grip. Step forward so that you have some resistance now trying to push you down. With your arms straight, press into the handles and raise your body back up. This will be harder than it looks and should be held for time or done in reps where you come up and down from the backward lean. Remember to keep your arms and legs straight and step out of the exercise if it becomes too difficult.

ROLLOUT / AB EXTENSIONS

Lvl2-3 CORE

Horizontal extended Rollout L3 on toes

Fully extended Rollout L2 at an angle on knees

Rollouts and Ab Extensions L2-3 Similar to the old Ab wheels of the past, this Ab Rollout is extremely difficult and should only be attempted when confident in your shoulders, core strength and stability. Position your body either on your knees or in an incline position on the toes. The lower you are, the greater the resistance, so it is recommended to start this exercise on the knees when attempting for the first time. Once in position, extend your arms overhead so that they are parallel with the back. Hold this position anywhere from 2-20 seconds allowing you to step out or stand up when fatigued or complete. Discontinue or do not attempt if shoulder weakness or pain is present.

Fully extended Rollout L2 at an angle on toes

CHEST PRESS

Lvl 1 Upper Body Pressing

Performing the Incline Chest Press L1 with a staggered stance off a closed door

Chest Presses L1 on the Playground. Stepping forward increases the core demand and balance

The Chest Press is one of the foundational exercises that progress into a variety of pressing movements. You should learn and be able to perform the Chest Press before moving on to more difficult exercises like Pushups and Load Transfer presses. Furthermore, the Chest Press is the ideal exercise for teaching beginner's correct form and for developing muscle memory of this movement pattern. Encourage youth and deconditioned users to perform this exercise prior to attempting any horizontal pressing exercise.

Chest Press L1 Begin the Chest Press by taking the handles and walking forward so that your body is in an incline position to the ground. You should be leaning forward slightly using the UNIT to support your body weight. Lower down by bending at the elbows until your shoulder, ear and elbow are lined up or close to it. (SEE Position) From here, reverse the movement and press yourself back up to the starting position. Keep your body straight by tightening the same muscles you use for Planks. A staggered stance or having a foot forward can also assist in decelerating the forward fall and can help to push you back up if needed. Perform 5-50 Chest Press pushups practicing good form maintaining a steady tempo. Adjust the effort between the Triceps and Chest by performing a tucked elbow style press for the Tri's and a wide, elbows out press to work more of the chest.

Performing Tucked style presses with your elbows inside will really work the Triceps

PUSHUPS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pressing

A new challenge to an old favorite Pushups have been popular as a common method of testing ones upper body strength. Pushups with the UNIT increase the challenge over traditional ground based pushups and should only be performed if comfortable with UNIT Chest Presses and ground based Pushups.

DO NOT OVERESTIMATE YOUR PUSHUP ABILITY!

Prefect Horizontal Pushup L2, with the head neutral and the hips level

Pushups L2 Position your body so that you are horizontal with the handles about 4-12 inches off the ground. Extend your feet out behind you and tighten your core as if you were performing a static plank. Maintain this flat body position while you bend the elbows and lower down. Pause when your upper body reaches the Shoulder, Ear and Elbow position and then push back up. Perform Pushups with a slow tempo and discontinue if you experience pain in your elbows or shoulders. Step out of the horizontal position or walk yourself back upright using the handles to support you. Perform 5-50 Pushups regressing to the Chest Press if hip or neck alignment cannot be maintained.

Tip: Lifting a leg off the ground while in the Pushup position increases the demand on the core

LOAD TRANSFER PUSHUPS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pressing

Load Transfer Training This style of training uses unilateral dominance to perform certain exercises on one side of the body more than the other. Transferring comes from shifting the load or resistance across the body and applying the more dominate force now on the other side. Load Transfer Training applies to many tasks and activities that we do today. Perform Load Transfer exercises once comfortable with the standard, non transfer version.

Load Transfer Press L2 Perform the Load Transfer Chest Press by positioning the body in the incline press position. Once comfortable with the traditional Chest Press movement, you can increase the challenge by adding in the transfer on each repetition. Lower down into a tucked style Pushup with one arm while extending the other arm to support the movement. You can adjust the amount of resistance placed into each arm and dominate the exercise with whichever side you choose. Ideally your power arm will be the arm tucked against your side and the supporting arm will be extended out. Bring both arms together as you push back to the starting position. Pause, then lower down again, this time switching the extended arm and the tucked arm. Perform 10 -50 Load Transfer presses and get creative with where you extend the non-dominate arm. This will give you some usable flexibility and encourages teamwork throughout the upper body. Use caution if attempting the more difficult Load Transfer Pushup in the horizontal position. This can be extremely dangerous to your shoulders and should be avoided until mastering Horizontal UNIT Pushups.

The Load Transfer Chest Press L2 going right to left across the body

CHEST FLY

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pressing

The Chest Fly is an exercise that requires you to be in the forward incline position. Different from the Pushup, the Chest Fly uses little effort from the Triceps and dominates the movement through the chest and shoulders. It is recommended that beginners use a staggered stance to assist in the forward deceleration. The Chest Fly can become very difficult once the arms are fully extended so having a leg in front can keep you from injuring your shoulder or falling forward. Try combining Chest Fly's with standard Pushups, alternating after each repetition. This helps develop the chest and tricep muscle groups in conjunction with the shoulders and encourages varying movement patterns which is more like real life and sports.

Chest Fly L2, with a forward step for support

Chest Fly L2 Position your body similar to an incline Chest Press, only use less resistance than you would for the Chest Press. Stagger your feet so that one foot can load in the front to help control the movement. Open your arms wide and allow yourself to lower down towards the ground. Pause when your hands are out and even with your shoulder height. Reverse by "squeeze pressing" the arms back together, thus lifting the body back into the standing position. Perform 5-50 Incline Chest Flys increasing the resistance very slightly as you improve.

Chest Fly performed on a Stability Ball

TRICEP EXTENSION

Lvl 2-3

Upper Body Pressing

Tricep Extensions L2 performed in the recommended Incline position This exercise can also be made easier by having one foot in front of the other for support.

Tricep Extensions can be an effective exercise for strengthening the upper arm and shoulder. They can also be dangerous. Tricep Extensions, regardless of the equipment used, pose a higher risk of injury to the elbow and shoulder due to the amount of force being directed into the elbow joint. Triceps Extensions with the UNIT are to be performed in the Incline position and ideally with a staggered stance to prevent overload failure. Additionally you can use the Single Arm Tricep Extensions as part of a Load Transfer Chest Press to combine the effects of these two exercises.

Tricep Extension L2-3 Position your body away from the anchor with the straps tight as if you were going to perform an Incline Chest Press. A staggered stance is recommended to prevent overload on the joints during the movement. With your arms above your head, allow the elbows to bend behind you slowing down your decent. Your front foot can also help to control decent. Pause when your Triceps are stretched with your hands near your head. Press back to reverse the movement, lifting your body back to the upright position. Your front foot should assist in this upward movement. Perform reps with a very slow and controlled tempo. Moving too fast during this exercise can cause injury in the elbow or shoulder. Moving slow can create strength and joint stability.

This is position is extremely difficult and should never be attempted unless you are very confident in your elbow and shoulder strength. Other great Tricep focused options include close grip Pushups and Low Supported Dips.

Staggered Stance (previous page) is not pictured but is recommended for first time users to experience the exercise with less potential for injury. Stand with one foot slightly in front of the other so that you can support your weight on that forward foot.

DIPS

Lvl 2-3 Upper Body Pressing

Low Dips L2 Low Dips L2-3 are similar to common bench dips and allow you to use your legs to assist with the movement

Dips are a great upper body strength exercise that when performed with the UNIT requires a large amount of stability from the shoulders and elbows. Low Dips L2, should be attempted first with your feet on the ground as pictured above. You can adjust the position of the feet to provide more or less assistance for the arms. Position the handles so that you are supported between them and can sit down without touching the ground. Lower down by bending the elbows back and sitting into the imaginary chair. Pause midway with your elbows forming a right angle. Then push down into the handles and lift your body back up to the starting position. This exercise is similar to traditional chair or bench dips and can be performed for 5-50 repetitions depending on endurance strength and goal.

Full Body Weight Dips L3, are a true test of upper body strength and stability. Full Body Weight Dips are extremely difficult with the UNIT and should only be performed if comfortable with traditional fixed full body weight Dips. The ring style Dips add a huge stability component to this common exercise and if not perform correctly can lead to injury in the elbow and shoulder. Performing the eccentric or lowering down portion can be effective at building the proper strength necessary to reverse and complete the movement. Try positioning the handles so you can jump up and simply try to lower down slowly, eventually stepping out and repeating the movement. This will help you build the strength and control you need to perform this Level 3 full body weight exercise. Try 1-20 Dips and use a spotter in addition to a soft surface for landing.

Full Body Weight Dips L3 are serious business. Practice eccentrically (lowering) and then work on completing the full ROM

FOOT PLANK PUSHUPS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pressing

Foot Plank Pushups L2 This exercise needs very little explanation. The Foot Plank Pushups is simply performing ground Pushups with your feet suspended behind you. Set the handles about 12 inches off the ground and place your foot through the large handle opening. Position your body so that your feet are directly under the anchor point and move up into a Pushup or Plank position. Lower down slowly controlling any sway or instability with your core muscles. Perform reps and practice double knee tucks and single knee drivers in between Pushup reps to challenge the body while somewhat resting your arms. Remember to keep your head neutral and lift the hips if they're dropping down the core

Foot Plank Pushup L2, starting position

Foot Plank Pushup L2, bottom position with elbows tucked for greater Tricep recruitment

SWIMMERS BUTTERFLY/ FREESTYLE

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pressing

Two Arm Butterfly Swimmers L2, in the incline position with feet together to increase difficultly

Staggered stance recommended for beginners Overhead position for the Freestyle Swimmer L2

Swimmers L2 Prepare yourself to paddle with these Swimmers. Perform both in the Incline facing away position. From here you can adjust the resistance so that you are able to make big sweeping arm circles that look similar to a swimmer performing a Butterfly stroke. pictured above. Two hand Butterflys start from the Chest Press position and have you perform an overhead bear hug that wraps around back to the start. The Freestyle Swimmer has you stabilize the movement with one fixed arm overhead while the other arm sweeps down and around. Alternate sides or perform consecutive reps on the same side. A staggered stance is ideal for first timer with either swimmer style exercise. A push with the front foot helps to prevent overload and injury if you are at too great of an angle.

Freestyle Swimmer L2 alternate stabilizing arm in the overhead position after completing a full movement pattern on the opposite side

SINGLE ARM PUSHUPS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pressing

Single arm Pushups are impossible for many people if performed flat on the ground. But by using the UNIT, you are now able to position yourself at the proper angle to so that the resistance and instability is manageable and you can perform repetitions of this difficult exercise.

Single Arm Pushups L2 Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart and position your body so that you are in an Incline Chest Press Position. Take only one handle and while bracing your core, perform Pushups similar to single arm Chest Presses. Here again, a staggered stance can help decrease the instability by having the opposite foot from the loaded arm in front of the body just slightly. Make sure to keep your head up and try to prevent unwanted hip drop when in the bottom position. One hand behind the back sometimes helps to provide a physical cue that you need to keep the body straight. Perform 1-10 reps on each side adjusting your stance to accommodate fatigue. Single Arm Pushups L2 with a hand behind the back to cue good posture

Broken Arm? No problem when you can do Single Arm Pushups, L2

OFFSET HANDLE PRESS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pressing

Offset Handle Press L2, has you set one handle slightly higher to increase upper body ROM

Offset Handle Press L2, performed in a horizontal body position

Offset Handle Press L2 The Offset Handle Press is a unique way to increase ROM and flexible strength throughout the upper body. By positioning one handle slightly higher than the other you put your body in a position that makes it stabilize and control the imbalance throughout the upper back and chest. Core rotation appears during this movement as well due to the offset of the handles and will require your control. Perform 10-20 per side switching directions so that you alternate the power arm. (higher arm) Discontinue if you feel any pain in your shoulders, elbows or lower back. Regression of this exercise moves it up to the Incline Press position or Incline with staggered stance.

SOLO HALO

Lvl 3 Upper Body Pressing

Solo Halo L3 Perform this exercise by taking a single handle and walking forward to the Incline Pressing position. Extend your arms overhead with both hands on the handle and brace your core. From here, rotate down in a pendulum motion bringing the handle down towards one side. You should maintain a slight forward lean and tension on the strap throughout the entire movement. Return the handle overhead and then alternate towards the opposite side. Allow this movement to be controlled from head to toe and use your stability on the ground to maintain a strong rotational crunch. Perform 10-50 Solo Halos counting each time you reach over your head.

Solo Halo L3 goes from one side overhead to the other

Try to produce a strong oblique crunch when bringing the handle around your head and to the side

SOLO FLOOR PRESS

Lvl 3 Upper Body Pressing

The Solo Floor Press L3 is great for building strength and stability throughout the upper body

Solo Floor Press L3 The Solo Floor Press incorporates only one handle and provides you an excellent strength benefit to one side while increasing stability on the other. Position your body in a Horizontal Pushup position but only grab one handle to support yourself. With that handle 4-6 inches off the ground and your other hand on the ground, perform a pushup by lowering down slowly. Pause at the bottom and press into both the ground and the handle to reverse the movement. At a certain point you will leave the ground with the non handle arm and will have finished the movement in a stabilized hold. Lower down slowly and repeat the semi single arm Pushup. Discontinue if you experience pain in the elbow or shoulder. Perform 10-20 reps per side focusing on stabilizing as much as you do pressing.

INCLINE ROW

Lvl 1 Upper Body Pulling

Safety First. Do not attempt. Proper climbing protection was used for this picture

The Incline Row L1 is all about show and tell

The Incline Row is another foundational exercise that should precede all other upper body pulling exercises. Perform the Incline row as a warm up or as a main exercise to train your back, arms, shoulders and core muscles. This is the ideal exercise to learn proper form for pulling exercises as it teaches you in a standing position and requires engagement of the core muscles to maintain alignment. This teamwork between your hips and upper body will be needed in future exercises that pose a greater core demand and challenge your posture. Remember to keep your hips level and head looking up and forward, (neutral position). Many people tend to hunch forward and shrug the shoulders when performing rows. Try to bring your shoulders down and back by pulling the shoulder blades together. Additionally you can select or adjust dominance by bringing the elbows in tucked for less shoulder recruitment or by raising your elbows out to your side for greater shoulder recruitment. This can be helpful if you want to perform rows but need to rest your shoulders and it gives you an idea just how important slight differences in movement can be. Incline Row L1 off a door that opens away

Incline Row L1 Position your body so you are facing your anchor point and walk backwards until the straps and your arms go tight. From here, lean back and take a small step forward to increase the angle. You should be leaning back and holding the handles for support. A staggered stance with one foot behind the other will make this easier. From this hanging back position, simply pull your body forward by bringing the elbows back. Again you can pull back to your sides or you can pull up high and recruit from your shoulders more. Pause at the top position with tension always maintained on the straps. Reverse the movement by lowering down slowly until your arms are fully extended. Repeat the row and explore the different elbow positions to feel different effects between your arms, shoulders and back. Perform 10-50 reps with a smooth tempo and constant tension.

HORIZONTAL ROW

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

The Horizontal Row is harder than it looks. The Horizontal Row is in essence a Body Weight Pull Up and requires a tremendous effort from your upper body and core muscle groups.

Horizontal Row L2 Adjust the handles so that you can position your body underneath the anchor with your arms extended while still off the ground. You want to aim for a flat or horizontal body position so that when you pull up, you go mostly straight up and then lower straight down. Allow yourself to walk backwards and regress this to an easier Incline Row if needed. Again, you can pull up with your elbows out to the side or you can keep them tucked next to your body depending on where you want to focus. Lower down with control and allow your back to stretch before repeating the next repetition. Make the exercise more difficult by lifting and extending a leg out or by holding the top position in an isometric hold. Isometric holds build strength in the muscles. If you cannot perform a lot of Rows or Pull, ups work on holding yourself in the up position or midway and soon you'll have the strength you need to complete reps.

Adjust your foot position to assist with the Horizontal Row L2. Bent knees allow for greater stability while having your legs straight out will create greater resistance.

LOAD TRANSFER ROWS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

The Load Transfer Row takes what you developed with the Incline Row to the next level. Load Transfer training has you shift the resistance across your body during the exercise. In this picture below, the primary exercise is a single arm tucked row. The other arm can perform a more assisting role and should have less resistance to deal with. As you return to the start position, reverse the role and have the primary side assist the other side with the transfer of force. Load Transfer Rows are ideal for athletes and people who move and shift weight around. The coordination developed between sides and teamwork built throughout the body will help you in many other areas including future fitness and performance training.

Load Transfer Row L2 with a Reverse Fly for the assisting motion

Load Transfer Rows L2 Step back with the handles as if you were performing an Incline Row. Assume the same degree of difficulty and perform a couple of standard Incline rows to prepare the muscles and body. After 2 or 3 reps, start to perform the more dominate Row on one side while assisting with a reverse fly, overhead reach, downward reach or bicep curl with the other arm. This movement should assist the Row and then can be repeated on the other side during the next repetition. Perform 10-50 Load Transfer Rows and be sure to explore the different ways you can reach out and assist the movement.

Load Transfer Row L2 as part of a Single Leg Squat Combination

UPRIGHT PULL TO OVERHEAD

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

Upright Pull to Overhead Extension L2 Perform this exercise with either a single handle or with two handles. Stand back in an Incline Row position with your arms extended and straps tight. Pull your body up by pulling your elbows back and bringing your hands in towards your neck. Pause in this High Pull position and then extend your arms overhead while maintaining a tight core and strong shoulders. Hold the overhead position for a moment and then reverse the movement by lowering your hands down in front of your face and extending them out to lower yourself back down. Repeat the movement 1030 times, developing a smooth rhythm through the transition. This is an excellent combination exercise that engages your shoulders in different capacities and requires strong core control to maintain the proper hip position. Discontinue if you experience any pain in the shoulder or elbow and speak with a medical professional. A staggered stance can also help to exit this exercise by having one foot behind the other for increased support.

TOP: Upright Pull to Overhead L2 in the start position MIDDLE: Pulling into the neck with a High Pull movement BOTTOM: Extending arms overhead while maintaining a tight midsection

Combine movements to achieve greater results!

REVERSE FLY

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

Reverse Fly L2 with the elbows slightly bent

Reverse Fly L2 Stand back from the anchor as you would an Incline Row with the straps tight and your body straight. Lift your body up towards the anchor by using your back and shoulders to extend your arms out. A slight bend from the elbow is okay. This Reverse Fly movement will train your upper back and shoulders greater than the traditional row in which you bend your elbows. Perform the Reverse Fly with a slight angle or staggered stance to avoid overload on the shoulders. Lower down by having the stretch across your back help slow the falling back. Repeat for 5-50 repetitions. The Reverse Fly is great to combine with the Incline Row in a Load Transfer fashion. Have the Reverse Fly arm assist the row and work on keeping the elbow mostly straight throughout the movement. Reverse Fly L2 keeping the hips and core muscles mostly straight throughout the movement

ROW TO OVERHEAD REACH

Lvl 3

Upper Body Pulling

Row to Overhead Rotational Reach L3 Perform this exercise by stepping back into the Incline Row position. Perform a standard row and hold your body at the top point with an isometric hold. From here take one arm and reach out across and overhead your body similar to a punch. Use the other arm to support this movement and lower back down slowly. Repeat on the other side after coming back into the fully extended Incline Row start position. Perform 2040 alternating reps.

TOP: Row to Overhead Reach L3 in the rowing position BOTTOM: Fully extended up on toes with supporting arm tucked and extended arm reaching

The Row to Overhead Reach is a great way to pair a Sagittal Plane exercise with a Transverse Plane exercise. The regular Row is only a front to back movement that lacks core rotation and increased Range of motion. By performing this overhead reach, you engage more muscles from your head to your toes. This movement will help to develop the communication necessary throughout the body to perform tasks in any and all planes of motion and can help prevent injury when these movements do happen in real life.

Overhead reach L3 in the extended position. Notice the drive through the legs and toes.

CROSS ROWS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

Cross Row L2 stretches out your back and gets muscles involved for movement

Cross Rows L2 The Cross Row takes advantage of using Dual Anchor points to create an amazing stretched base exercise across your back. This stretch helps to produce movement and assists in the upward pulling motion. Take the handles as if you were performing a Traditional Incline Row. Switch handles so that the straps cross each other forming an X. Pull your body forward using a row or fly maneuver and pause at the top. Reverse the movement by bringing your arms back together in front of the body. The additional stretch you feel during the cross row comes from your rhomboid muscles being stretch out further than traditional rows. This pulling across your back helps to promote concentric movement just as pulled rubber bands would want to snap back before relaxing. The dual anchors' being crossed, pulls your back apart greater than if your arms were parallel with the straps. Perform 5-50 Cross Rows using an incline staggered stance for support. Cross Row L2 using a Reverse Fly as the primary exercise

OFFSET ROWS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

Offset Rows L2 Take advantage of the opportunity to lengthen one anchor strap longer than the other and perform Offset Rows with the UNIT. Set one handle about 3-6 inches shorter than the other. This will produce a greater stretch on one side of the body (left arm in picture) and will allow to you transfer the resistance during the exercise. The extended arm will always have tension and will be used throughout the movement, whereas the longer arm will not be utilized as much during the upper portion of the exercise. Try both, keeping tension on the long strap and releasing tension on the long strap while practicing this movement. The short strap arm will always be under some form on tension and thus will support the other side when unloaded. A staggered stance will help to regress this exercise if needed in the beginning. Switch sides performing 10-20 repetitions per side. Also try the Offset Row with Rotation. By releasing tension on the long strap you can turn into your power arm and rotate in that direction. This adds a nice component of hip rotation and teaches good teamwork throughout your entire body. Lower down slowly re-tensioning on the long strap as you descend back down.

ABOVE: Offset Row L2 in the start position BELOW: Offset Row L2 in the top Row position with tension on both straps

Offset Row L2 with Rotation in the top position. Notice the slack in the longer strap

BICEP CURLS

Lvl 1 Upper Body Pulling

Bicep Curls L1 Perform Bicep Curls in a similar position to the Incline Row. The big difference and the reason this is a Bicep Curl and not a Row, is the position of your elbows. To make a Row a Bicep Curl, simply lift your elbows up out in front of your body. (pictured) This will work to transfer the resistance normally handled by your back to your arms and shoulders. Keep your elbows up high and curl your hands in towards your shoulders raising your body up as you do. A staggered stance can help here to decelerate and support the movement. Pause at the top and then slowly lower down using your Biceps to help control the decent. Repeat repetitions or try holding the Bicep Curl in the halfway or up position for time. This isometric hold will require a good effort from the Biceps and builds strength by increasing time under tension. Bicep Curl L1 requires keeping the elbow up on the curling arm

Use the Bicep Curl to support Load Transfer Pulling exercises like the Rows, Flys and Extensions. (pictured)

Load Transfer Bicep Curl L2 with Reverse Fly as support

PULLUPS

Lvl 3 Upper Body Pulling

Pullups L3 Pullups are a big goal in the Upper Body Pulling progression and have the highest muscular demand of almost all prior exercises covered. Pullups require the UNIT handles at a height that allows you to hang from your arms without touching the ground. From this hanging position, pull your body up towards your hands using the muscles of your arms, shoulders and back. Maintain a tight core and do not forget to breathe. The UNIT handles allow for some flexibility in hand position from a neutral or palms facing grip (pictured left) to a pronated grip (pictured right). A supinated or underhand grip is possible too with all three hand positions allowing for variety. Hold yourself in the top position and then lower down slowly to the full hang or half hang position to repeat. Both full extension and partial extensions are recommended during your training of the Pullup. Perform 1-20 Pullups varying grip position as you go.

Holding the top position of the Pullup builds strength in the arms, back, shoulders and core.

Pullups L3, in the Top and bottom positions

Isometric Hold and Eccentrics/ Negatives Sure Pullups are hard, but the best way to get better at them is by doing them. So what do you do if you can't? You simply hold on. Performing a hang or slowly lowering yourself from the Pullup top position is the best way to become better at the full movement. Position the handles so you can easily get up into the top holding position. This could be by jumping or just due to handle height. From this top position try to lower down as slow as you possibly can. During this eccentric movement or muscle lengthening, you should try to pause or even reverse the movement without exerting too much overall strength. You want to avoid injury and be able to do more. So do them slow and soon you will have the ability to stop and pull up for multiple reps.

SHOULDER PRESS DOWN

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

Shoulder Press Down L2 Perform the Shoulder Press Down in the Incline Row position with the straps tight and arms out straight. The idea of this exercise is to lift the body up using the upper back and shoulders. A staggered or wide stance can help provide a greater base of support and can make the exercise easier. From the start position with your arms extended out, push down into the handles keeping your elbows straight. This lift will require you also to keep your hips level and head straight, especially on the decent. After lifting your body up, pause and then lower down until your arms are out in front again. Perform 5-25 Shoulder Press Downs focusing on a slow and controlled return to start. Discontinue if you feel any pain in your shoulders.

Standing tall but with constant tension during Shoulder Press Down L2

Pair the Shoulder Press down with an Incline row to work the shoulders, back and arms in a Load Transfer fashion. Remember to watch out for shrugging and try to lead the motion down into your shoulder blades when you press down.

Lifting the body up during a Shoulder Press Down L2

OVERHEAD EXTENSION

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

Overhead Extension L2 Train your shoulders and upper back with this overhead extension from the Incline Row position. Using one or two handles, lift your body up from an extended arm Incline Row position to a more upright standing position. Pause with your arms overhead and then slowly lower down returning to the starting position. Repeat using a staggered stance if necessary to maintain proper form. Your hips should stay inline and your head should be in the neutral position always looking up and forward. If using two handles you can pair this overhead extension with a Reverse Fly or regular Row. This can allow for less resistance to travel through the shoulder and is a smart progression than just simply starting off with two arms going overhead. Discontinue if you feel any pain in the shoulders.

Lifting the handle overhead while keeping the body straight and shoulders strong during the Overhead Extension L2

OVERHEAD ROTATIONS

Lvl 2 Upper Body Pulling

Overhead Rotations L2 Overhead Rotations should only be attempted once comfortable with the Incline Overhead Extension. Walk back with the straps and lift your body up by bringing both arms overhead. You should only have a slight lean or use a staggered stance to assist in adjusting the difficultly. With your arms overhead and body lifted up, make small circles going clockwise or counter clockwise. These small rotations should be controlled with a strong effort from the shoulders and core. Do not attempt this exercise in the horizontal position or in a steep incline. Use Overhead rotations to stimulate the shoulder muscles with movement while they hold the body up with Isometric strength. Perform 5-10 rotations in each direction and allow your body to relax by lowering down into the Incline Row position.

Overhead Rotations L2 should use a staggered stance or only have a slight lean backwards to reduce load on the shoulder.

Overhead Rotations L2 can be performed with the arms going clockwise or counter-clockwise.

REVERSE SWIMMERS

Lvl 3 Upper Body Pulling

Reverse Swimmer L3 in the start position

Reverse Swimmer L3 in the Fly position

Reverse Swimmers L3 Perform Reverse Swimmers once comfortable with your Incline Load Transfer exercises, especially Reverse Flys and Overhead Extensions. Stand back from your anchor as if you were going to do easy Rows. From here, pull yourself up by pulling your arms back into a Fly position. Then raise your arms up overhead while still maintaining tension on the straps. Pause overhead and then return to the starting position with your arms extended out in front. This exercise will resemble a butterfly stroke and should be performed with a steady tempo and constant tension throughout. The Reverse Swimmer is a difficult combination movement that requires practice in several other movements before attempting. You should be confident in the reverse fly and overhead extension before trying the Reverse Swimmer. Discontinue if you feel any plan in the shoulders during this exercises. Perform 5-20 Reverse Swimmers using a staggered stance if necessary. Reverse Swimmer L3 during the overhead extension movement

SQUAT ROWS

Lvl 1 Upper Body Pulling/Combo

Squat Row L1 in the top position with elbow pulled back

Squat Rows L1 Squat Row L1 in the bottom position with one arm used for support

Squat Rows are often the first major combination exercise people do and incorporate muscles from all over the body. It is a good idea to first be comfortable with the Incline Row and able to Squat pain free. Stand back from the anchor with either one or two hands holding one or two handles. With a small lean backwards and arms slightly bent, sit down towards the ground using the UNIT to support you. Pause in the bottom position and pull yourself back up while coming up out of the squat. If performing with a single arm you can switch hands on every pull or repeat to the same side for repetitions. Perform 10-50 reps and work on making this a smooth one piece exercise instead of the two part movement it actually is. Also be sure to not to come up on your toes when squatting down by keeping your feet in front of you. Use the Squat Row as a great Cardiovascular warm up or mid-session heart rate booster.

Use Squat Rows L1 as a great Total Body Cardiovascular Workout.

ASSISTED SQUATS

Lvl 1 Lower Body

Assisted Squats L1 Perform Assisted Squats by walking back away from the anchor with one or two handles. Lean back on the straps so that they are tight and position your feet slightly in front of your body. From here, sit down towards the ground by lowering in the hips and butt first, then allowing your knees to bend naturally without unwanted stress. Pause at the bottom with your arms stretched out and then push pull yourself back up using your arms and legs together. Repeat for as many repetitions as necessary until you are comfortable with body weight non-assisted squats.

ABOVE: Assisted Squat L1 in the top leaning back position BELOW: Halfway down during the Assisted Squat L1 with arms extended out

Assisted Squats are designed to regress your natural squat so that you can learn the proper movement patterns of sitting back and down into a squat. Some people during the squat exercise come up on their toes and have trouble keeping balanced. Use the Assisted Squat to help correct this and teach the body how to lower down properly. The next step after the Assisted Squat would be Full Body Weight Squats without assistance or Box/Chair squats which provide slight assistance.

SINGLE LEG SQUAT

Lvl 2 Lower Body

This Single Leg Squat is an excellent leg builder in terms of strength and stability. Perform this exercise with a slow tempo keeping control throughout the movement. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your knee, lower back or shoulders. Perform 5-20 per leg alternating legs each rep if desired.

This Single Leg Squat L2 is all about show and tell

Single Leg Squats L2 This exercise requires you to be very confident in your squatting ability and knee stability. The Single Leg Squat is often impossible to perform for numerous repetitions but by using the same assistance as you did with Assisted Squats, you can repeat the movement over and over now on the same leg. Take a stance similar to if you were starting the Assisted Squat, but this time center one leg out in front and lift the other leg off the ground. Lower down towards the ground by moving down into the hip of the grounded foot. The other foot should extend out in front and remain off the ground throughout the movement. Again, pause at the bottom or at however far down you feel comfortable, then push pull your way back up to standing and repeat.

Single Leg Squat L2 with two handles down in the bottom position. Push/ Pull your way back up keeping the knee inline while pushing through the heel.

SUSPENDED SIDE LUNGE

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Standing tall and balanced in the top position of the Suspended Side Lunge L2

Suspended Side Lunge L2 Perform the Suspended Side Lunge using the large loop opening. Place your foot through the strap and position your body so that you are out and away perpendicular to the anchor. You might need to use the other handle and hold onto it for support. Once you are stable and standing out to the side, lower down by sitting back into the grounded leg. If this is difficult, adjust your foot position so you have a wider or toe out stance. Lower down only as far as you feel comfortable and try to maintain your balance and hip stability over everything else. Perform 5-20 Suspended Side lunges and develop leg strength and core stability in the Frontal Plane.

Remaining balanced in the bottom position of the Suspended Side Lunge L2

SIDE LUNGE SQUAT

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Side Lunge Squat L2 Here is another lunge movement that is performed in the frontal plane or side to side. Stand back from the anchor as if you were performing an Assisted Squat. From here instead of squatting down, you will take a big step sideways and then squat down in the direction of your step. Use your arms to assist in the descent and during the return. Pause at the bottom allowing your hips to load and stretch. Then return upright and repeat towards the other side. Bringing the knee up and in during the start of the movement will help to load the core and develop abdominal strength as well and stability. Perform 5-20 Side Lunge Squats per side alternating every repetition or repeating on the same side for reps.

Side Lunge Squat L2 in the top position with knee and hip flexed and arms supporting

Side Lunge Squat L2 in the bottom position with the left leg straight and feeling the majority of the stretch

REVERSE LUNGE

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Holding on and stepping back during a Reverse Lunge L2

The Prefect Exercise to build Single Leg Balance and Strength

Using a single handle to perform a Reverse Lunge L2

Reverse Lunge L2 This is a great exercise to develop single leg strength and stability as well as building teamwork between the upper and lower body. Stand back from the anchor with one or two handles similar to if you were performing an Assisted Squat. This time though, you will step backwards with one leg while your arm extends out and helps control the movement. Find the ground with your back foot or allow it to hover and not touch the ground at all. By using the arms you can stabilize this exercise and then stand up and return to the start position. Perform 5-50 Reverse Lunges repeating on the same side or alternating on every repetition.

LUNGE PRESS

Lvl 2 Lower Body/Combo

Lunge Press L2 This exercise combines the movements of a forward stepping lunge with the Chest Press from earlier on in this manual. Position your body so that you are in the Incline Chest Press position. Lift one leg off the ground and proceed to fall forward using your arms to control the descent. At the bottom position your front leg should touch the ground and help stabilize before pushing back. Allow it to hover and increase the demand on your core and upper body. Push off with you front leg after completing the forward step. Perform 5-50 Lunge Presses alternating the forward leg on every rep or by repeating the movement and instability on the same side. Discontinue if you feel any pain in your shoulders or knee during this exercise.

The Lunge Press L2 resembles a forward step where the front leg can use the ground to help decelerate the momentum.

TRANSVERSE LUNGE

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Transverse Lunge L2 The Transverse Lunge is a progression of the Reverse Lunge and should only be attempted once comfortable with the Reverse Lunge and your own knee stability. Standing back as if you were going to do an Incline Row, take a large step back and across behind the body. Different from the Reverse lunge where your leg just goes straight back, the Transverse Lunge has you drive your foot and knee behind the other leg touching the ground if needed for stability. This movement places a great deal of rotation on the core and front knee and should be performed with caution especially in regards to the knee. Discontinue if you experience any pain in the knee and try to perform this exercise while paying special attention to the direction and force being placed on the front knee.

ABOVE: Standing tall in the start position of the Transverse Lunge L2 Below: Stepping back and across without touching the ground

Notice all the different joint angles during the Transverse Lunge L2 movement. Be sure to perform slowly and with your attention directed to the front knee.

SPLIT SQUAT

Lvl 1 Lower Body

Split Squat L1 The Split Squat is another good combination exercise that has you using both upper and lower body muscles to perform. Stand between the handles with the handles about mid leg height. Take one big step forward with one leg and take one big step backwards with the other. Your arms should be somewhat supporting your body weight in addition to your legs. Perform each rep by lowering your back knee towards the ground while your arms support the descent and tempo. You should lower down slowly and pause at the bottom. Reverse the movement by pushing down into your arms and standing up with your legs. This will feel like a lunge style dip in which your Chest and Triceps can be just as involved as your legs and core. Perform 5-50 Split Squat Dips switching your stance so that both legs get a chance to be the back leg. Split Squat L1 in the top position with handles about hip height

Split Squat L1 in the bottom position with little to no stress on the front knee

The Split Squat is an excellent exercise for individuals looking to train their Upper and Lower Body at the same time. This exercise allows for easy load distribution so that the user can adjust the resistance in certain joints and muscle groups.

SUSPENDED REVERSE LUNGE

Lvl 3 Lower Body

Suspended Reverse Lunge L3 Perform this exercise only when comfortable with the Reverse Lunge and Transverse Lunge. Place your foot through the large handle opening with the handle off to the side. Use the other handle and strap to support yourself if necessary for balance. Hop yourself forward so that the suspended foot is out in front of the anchor point. This will create a pull backwards as you lower down and perform the Lunge maneuver. Allow your front knee to bend naturally as the back leg swings backwards under the anchor. Pause and reverse the movement by pushing down into the front leg and standing up tall again. Allow the other handle to support this movement in any way necessary. Perform 5-25 Suspended Lunges on each side and discontinue if you feel any pain in your knee or lower back.

Suspended Reverse Lunge L3 with one foot suspended behind while the other hand holds on for support

SUPER LUNGE

Lvl 3 Lower Body

Above: Super Lunge L3 in the loaded bottom position and then Below: during an explosive hop

Super Lunge L3 The Super Lunge is an explosive movement that requires you to be proficient in the Suspended Reverse Lunge before attempting. The Super Lunge has your foot placed through the large foot strap or small foot strap while standing out in front of the anchor. The other UNIT handle can be used for support if needed. Lower into the Suspended Reverse Lunge down position. You should feel a good stretch in the hip flexors of the back leg and strong stability coming from the core muscles to keep you upright. From the bottom position, push down hard through the front leg and lift your body off the ground using the momentum to propel your body up. This explosive movement will then reverse itself and bring you back to the ground where you must land with your forefoot and then repeat the full movement or rest in the suspended back leg standing position. Do not attempt if uncomfortable launching yourself off the ground with only a single leg to land on.

-Develop Amazing Explosive Leg Strength -Ankle Stability -Learn to Decelerate

FRONT KICK WITH SQUAT

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Front Kick Squat L2 in the bottom hips loaded position

Front Kick Squat L2 in the middle or single knee tuck portion

Front Kick with Squat L2 Practicing throwing effective Front Kicks by using the UNIT handles to support and stabilize the movement. Start by squatting down from the Assisted Squat position. Power up out of the squat and lift your knee up and in towards your chest. Once stable on the grounded foot, extend your other foot out in a quick and powerful pushing motion. Hold this kick for only a moment before returning the knee back in and then down to the home position. Repeat on the same side or alternate sides after every kick. Remember to take your time with these kicks especially in the beginning. Discontinue if you feel any pain in your knees or lower back and be careful not to kick your spotter if close by.

Extending the foot out during a Front Kick Squat L2 in the top stabilized position

SIDE KICK WITH SQUAT

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Load the Hips and Prepare yourself to throw powerful kicks with stability

Side Kick with Squat L2 in the squatting position with toes pointed slightly out for increased hip ROM

Side Kick in the top extended leg position. Notice how the arms help stabilize for the left leg.

Side Kick with Squat L2 Practice throwing Side Kicks while supporting your body with the UNIT handles. From a traditional Assisted Squat position, squat down to load the posterior chain muscles and prepare to kick. As you stand up from the squat, lean into one side of the body bringing your knee up towards your chest. Once stabilized on the single leg, extend your kicking leg outward while turning your hips inward as if you were throwing a side kick. Stabilize the movement and then return your leg to the chest and then back to the ground. Repeat the Squat Side Kick on the same side or switch sides to produce double the kicking power.

ONE FOOT HOP

Lvl 1 Lower Body

One Foot Hop L1 loading in the single leg down position

Exploding off the ground during a One Foot Hop L1

One Foot Hop L1 The One Foot Hop is just like it sounds. Start by taking the UNIT handles and walking back as if you were going to do an Assisted Squat. Position one foot slightly in front of the body and lift the other foot off the ground. Lean back and support yourself with your arms before you start jumping on the grounded foot. Try to stay up on the toes and forefoot throughout the movement. Continue jumping for time or reps and then switch sides repeating this on the other foot. The idea from this one foot hop is to develop ankle and knee strength and stability while still being supported by the handles. Discontinue if you experience any discomfort or pain in the knee or ankle.

One Foot Hop L1 loading and exploding

SQUAT HANDLE DROP

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Squat Handle Drop L2 This exercise is a great isometric leg builder and helps to develop strength and stability in the posterior chain. Perform this exercise once comfortable with Assisted Squats and Body Weight Squats. Walk back with the handles and assume the bottom position of the Assisted Squat exercise. You should be holding on with the straps tight, then try to shift the resistance so that you can release the tension and support yourself. From this Squat hold position, push the handles away into a swinging motion and try to maintain the half squat position until the handles come back to you. Grab the handles at the right moment and pause or miss them and try to wait it out one more time. If the handles aren't getting back to you, try pushing them away harder and maybe lean forward slightly to reach them without falling over. If spotting a person performing this exercise for the first time, stay behind them and help to prevent any backwards fall after they release the handles.

Top: Squat Handle Drop L2 in the bottom holding position

Middle: Holding the Squat halfway after pushing the handles away

Bottom: Reaching out to end the isometric Squat hold

A Fun and Challenging way to build awesome leg strength

QUAD DOMINATE SQUATS

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Quadricep Dominate Squats L2 These squats focus on the front of the upper leg more than the glutes and should be performed in addition to regular assisted squats and body weight squats. Take the handles and walk forward bringing the straps tight with your hands at your sides. Support the movement by keeping the upper body stable through this side tucked hand position. Angle your body so that you can come up on your toes. Be careful not to have your feet slide out by keeping tension with the ground and not performing over slippery surfaces. Once you are angled and on your toes, lower down by bending at the hip and knee. Keep up on your toes and drive your feet into the ground to reverse the movement. Because of the body position, your quadriceps will have to provide more effort and have fewer muscles to team up with. Discontinue if you feel any pain in your knees or lower back and simply stand up out of the exercise when complete.

QUAD Dominated Squat L2 in the bottom position with arms tucked to his sides

QUAD Dominated Squat L2 in the top position with arms still tucked to his sides. Notice how the heels always stay up during this exercise.

TRANSVERSE SIDE STEP

Lvl 2 Lower Body

Full Body Dynamic Warm Up/ Exercise

Transverse Side Step L2 in the start position

Lunging out while turning away during the Transverse Side Step L2

Transverse Side Step L2 Perform this dynamic exercise with a single handle from the Incline Row/Assisted Squat position. Stand facing the anchor holding the strap tight with the arm bent slightly. From here, take a large step away from the anchor allowing your body to rotate away so that you are now facing away from the anchor. Let your knees bends and lower down as you extend your arm out and help stabilize the movement. Return to the top by pulling yourself back up with your arm and pushing off the ground with your legs. Stabilize at the top and repeat on the same side or switch hands on the handle and reverse in the other direction. Perform 10-50 Transverse Side Steps or set a time and see how many you can do within those limits. Discontinue if you experience any pain in the knees, back or elbows.

Transverse Side Step L2 returning to the starting position

QUAD PLANK

Lvl 4 Total Body

Welcome to QUAD Training. This style of exercise is extremely dangerous and quite possibility one of the most difficult methods of physical training ever. Always use caution and a spotter when performing QUAD exercises and don't not ever attempt if unfamiliar with the UNIT and safe operating procedures. This is where you start... Actually you started long ago when you were practicing Planks, Pushups and other UNIT exercises in two handle mode. Now it's time to take it up, literally, and see how strong and stable you really are. Time for a reality check? It happens, but don't get discouraged. QUAD Training can be difficult even if it may look like a user is doing an easy exercise. Large amounts of Shoulder and Core strength are required as well as experience in the exercises you wish to perform. (example: You should be a "Pushup Master" with 2 handles before ever attempting 1 QUAD Pushup) Keep this in mind and keep yourself safe with QUAD Training. In most scenarios you can kneel down or sit down out of any exercise. Do Not attempt exercises at any height where you cannot easily remove yourself from the system. A knowledgeable spotter is required at all times when anyone is exercising in QUAD mode. Do not Attempt if you have any pre-existing conditions that would be aggravated or could be made worse through QUAD Training. Do not train to a point of failure with any QUAD exercise. Taking an exercise this far is dangerous to your body and increases your risk for joint failure especially in the elbows, hips and shoulders.

QUAD Plank L4 in the top position with back flat and head looking straight

QUAD Pike L4 Begin the QUAD Pike by setting up 4 handles at an equal height, about 6-12 inches off the ground. Kneel down in between the handles and choose 2 for your hands and 2 back handles for your feet. Slide the handle aside and place you foot in the smaller foot strap so that it fits tightly around your foot. Repeat with the other foot while still kneeling or have your spotter help and put your foot in the strap. Once the feet are secure, take the front handles and lift your body off the ground by pulling the hips up and pushing down into the handles. This will bring you into the standard straight arm Plank position and is where you want to start off your QUAD Training. Ideally you want to control any swinging or swaying and maintain a strong, flat body position throughout the static hold. Keep yourself in this locked out top position for time remembering to bring the hips up at the sign of the low back sagging. It should feel like you are sticking your hips in the air but in actuality you'll be flat. Hold for 30 seconds before moving on to any other QUAD exercise. Kneel down when complete.

QUAD Plank L4 will increase static core strength and shoulder stability

QUAD PUSHUPS

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Pushups L4 in the top QUAD Plank position

Challenge your Upper Body Strength and Stability with the QUAD PUSHUP!

QUAD Pushups L4 in the bottom position with elbows outside for greater chest and shoulder recruitment

QUAD Pushup L4 The QUAD Pushup is an extreme progression of the traditional Pushup or Horizontal UNIT Pushups. This exercise utilizes all of your body weight as the resistance and provides you no stable support to react against. This makes the movement extremely difficult to stabilize and requires you to develop the proper shoulder, elbow and hip stability using other exercises covered earlier in this manual. Use your spotter to help control any sway or swing and remember to kneel down out of the exercise when complete. QUAD Pushups can be performed with the elbows flared out, as pictured, or with your elbows tucked inside to recruit more effort from the Triceps and less from the shoulders. Lower down very slowly, pause, and then return up with the same control and tempo as you used during the descent. Aim for the SEE position or Shoulder, Ear and Elbow alignment when at the bottom position. Avoid sets to failure and kneel out of the exercise if you go past the point where you cannot safely reverse the movement.

QUAD LOAD TRANSFER

Lvl 4 Total Body

NEXT LEVEL LOAD TRANSFER TRAINING!

QUAD Load Transfer L4 in the bottom position with one elbow tucked and the other arm extended

QUAD Load Transfer L4 Perform QUAD Load Transfers while in the Plank and Pushup QUAD positions. Once into the QUAD system, lower down as if you're planning on doing a tucked elbow Pushup with one arm and an Extension out with the other arm. Apply most of the effort from the tucked elbow side as it will be stronger due to its close proximity to the body. The extended arm should only support the movement to the best of its abilities. Because of this arm being extended out and your feet in a suspended state, it is important to remember to dominate the movement on the tucked side or kneel out if and when this becomes too difficult. Do not use this Load Transfer style exercise for any form of rehabilitation or injury recovery. Alternate sides or perform multiple repetitions on the same side until complete. Discontinue if you feel any pain in your shoulders, elbows, or lower back during this exercise.

QUAD Load Transfer L4 in the bottom position with one elbow tucked and the other arm extended

QUAD CHEST FLYS

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Chest Fly L4 in the top QUAD Plank position

QUAD Chest Fly L4 in the bottom position with the arms extended

QUAD Chest Flys L4 Perform this exercise only when comfortable with QUAD Pushups and Horizontal Chest Flys. Start from the QUAD Plank position with your feet secure in the small foot straps. Lower down by spreading your arms apart and bending slightly in the elbows if needed. Once you have reached a comfortable level, pause and reverse the exercise by bringing your arms back in together. This can be extremely difficult for the shoulders and should not be attempted if you have any preexisting shoulder conditions or legitimate worries. Holding the bottom position can also be very effective for strengthening the upper body and should only be attempted with you remembering that you can kneel down at any moment during this exercise. Do not allow yourself to fall out of the lower position but rather kneel down and return to the starting point or discontinue.

QUAD SKYDIVER

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Skydiver L4 EXTREME CAUTION: Do Not Attempt unless 100% confident in your strength and joint stability.

QUAD Skydiver L4 in the recommended upper Pike position

QUAD Skydiver L4 with both arms and legs extended

The Skydiver is one of the hardest exercises to be performed when prone with the QUAD. From the Plank position, it is recommended to perform a Full Pike prior to extending out with your arms and legs. From the Pike or Plank position, lower your body down by abducting your legs and extending your arms out and slightly up. You should feel like you are making a Y with your arms and a V with your legs. Continue as far down as you feel comfortable remembering you can kneel down at any time to end the exercise. If able, pause in the bottom position and then raise your body back up by pulling your arms and legs back into the Plank or Pike position. Discontinue at any signs of weakness or pain. This is not an exercise to play around with and should never be attempted without an experienced spotter assisting the exercise.

QUAD SUPERMAN

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Superman/Supergirl L4 The QUAD Superman is a fun challenge while setup in the QUAD. You must be familiar and comfortable performing QUAD Load Transfer Pushups prior to attempting the QUAD Superman exercise. From the QUAD Plank position, lower down with one elbow tucked while the other arm extends out. Simultaneously bring in the knee opposite the extended arm. This position will resemble a familiar action hero flying through the sky. Reverse the movement by pushing down into your dominate tucked arm and returning your leg back to the start position. From here repeat on the same side or alternate the sides by extending the other arm and driving in the other knee forward this time. Remember you can kneel out of this position at any time and should discontinue at the first sign of pain or weakness.

QUAD Superman Side L4 side view with left arm and left leg extended

QUAD Supergirl Side L4 front view. Notice how easy it would be for her to kneel out of this exercise

QUAD MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

Lvl 4 Total Body

Performing QUAD Mountain Climbers L4 looking focused and steady

Alternate legs with a controlled tempo using your arms and core muscles to help stabilize

QUAD Mountain Climbers L4 QUAD Mtn Climbers are a fun and challenging new way to perform this popular dynamic exercise. QUAD Mtn Climbers are great for developing Upper Body and Core stability while training movement with the lower body. You must be proficient with QUAD Planks before attempting these Mtn Climbers. The body position you learned there will now be more important as you attempt to drive your knees forwards and backwards. Once you are stable and in the Plank position, bend your elbows slightly and push down into the handles. Take one knee and bring it in while extending the other leg out to help stabilize. Repeating this knee drive and alternating legs will complete the exercise. Be sure to maintain a steady tempo and try not to swing or sway during the movement. In the beginning you can use a spotter to help keep your position and remember that you can kneel out of the exercise at any time if you feel the resistance or time under tension has become too great.

KNEE TUCK

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Knee Tuck L4 Perform the Knee Tuck only once comfortable with the QUAD Plank for time. The Knee Tuck has you assume the traditional QUAD Plank position with your arms straight and legs out behind you. Once stable, bend the elbows and lower the upper body while bringing both knees in towards the chest. Hold this tucked position for time or perform reps by extended the legs back out and repeating. Return to the QUAD Plank position between reps and remember you can always kneel down out of this exercise if it becomes too difficult. Use a spotter to help control any swinging or sway and discontinue if you experience any pain in your shoulders, elbow or lower back.

ABOVE: QUAD Knee Tuck L4 with the back straight, arms bent and knees tucked BOTTOM: Holding a Knee Tuck for time can develop some serious core strength.

QUAD PIKE

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Pike L4 Perform QUAD Pikes once proficient with QUAD Planks. This exercise requires a strong effort from your core and shoulders and should be controlled using a smooth, slow tempo. From the QUAD Plank position, bring your feet in towards your hands while simultaneously pulling your arms back towards your legs. Both the elbows and knees should remain mostly straight. Try to hold in the up position or continue using a slow extension back out with your feet and arms. Be careful not to perform an overhead extension when coming out of the pike. Often the momentum will want to bring your arms out overhead and you must tighten your core and shoulders to keep this from happening especially if you are not comfortable with QUAD Overhead Extensions. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your shoulder or lower back and remember you can kneel out of this exercise at any time.

QUAD Pike L4 is the starting QUAD Plank position

QUAD Pike L4 is the top Pike position, hold for time or extend out to repeat

QUAD PRONE HIP ABDUCTION

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Prone Hip Abduction L4 in the Abducted Plank position, legs apart

QUAD Prone Hip Abduction L4 This is a great exercise for working the abdominals and glutes with the QUAD. By now you should understand the importance of the QUAD Plank and should not be performing any of these QUAD exercises if you have not mastered the QUAD Plank. Perform this Hip Abduction by keeping your core and shoulders steady while spreading your feet apart. Hold this position and then return your legs slowly back to the start. Repeat for repetitions or hold the abduction for time while maintaining proper Plank position. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your shoulders or lower back and remember to kneel down if this exercise becomes too difficult.

QUAD Prone Hip Abduction L4 in the starting Plank position

QUAD DIVE BOMBERS

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Dive Bombers L4

Spotter Assistance Required! Do Not perform if you are not 100% confident in your ability to perform this exercise. Exceptional Shoulder Stability and Strength is required.

QUAD Dive Bombers L4 in the up position after feet have been clipped in by the spotter This exercise requires a ton of strength to pause and reverse all while keeping body straight.

Perform these Dive Bombers by having your spotter clip your foot straps into the Body Weight Rings. Additionally, your spotter should help to control swing or sway and should never leave your side while performing this exercise. Once in the "up" position lower down slowly by bending at the elbows. Pause at the SEE position and then reverse the movement by pushing back down into the handles. Keep your elbows straight in the up position to rest. Discontinue by telling your spotter and having them lift your legs out one by one. Your spotter can help with support during this exercise by lifting on your legs or assisting at the core but you will be 100% responsible for the Upper Body strength and stability. Do not perform unless completely comfortable with QUAD Pushups and Planks. You cannot kneel out of this exercise! A spotter is mandatory!

QUAD OVERHEAD EXTENSION

Lvl 4 Total Body

ABOVE: The first ever photographed Overhead Extension L4 off a cable cross station BOTTOM: A good single arm overhead extension with a spotter watching

QUAD Overhead Extension L4 QUAD Overhead Extension while in a prone QUAD setup is extremely difficult. Only perform if 100% comfortable performing Horizontal Rollouts with the UNIT in 2 Handle mode. (pg 37) Once in the QUAD Plank position, extend your arms out overhead in a slow and controlled motion. This exercise requires an extreme amount of resistance to be handled by the shoulder and should not be attempted if you have any preexisting shoulder conditions. Return to the starting position by pulling your arms back underneath and pausing in the Plank position. Single Arm Extensions should be preformed similar to the QUAD Load Transfer Pushup. Remember, you can kneel out of this exercise if it becomes too difficult for the shoulders. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your shoulders or low back. Always maintain proper Plank position through the torso. (Head straight, back flat)

QUAD SAFETY

Lvl 4 DO NOT SKIP

-Do Not Attempt any QUAD exercise without first being comfortable with the original two handle version. Most QUAD exercises have numerous regressions out of the QUAD setup. Remember to take your time when progressing with your exercise selection.

-Always use a spotter when attempting QUAD exercises. Even movements that seem easy or simple can become extremely difficult when your stabilizer muscles start giving out. Try regressing exercises on the spot by performing an easier version after you complete your QUAD exercise set.

-Height is irrelevant when QUAD training. Do Not set up your QUAD kit at a point off the ground that you cannot kneel, step or sit down out of.

-Use fall protection or practice QUAD exercises over soft surfaces. Think about when you are finished with an exercise and the energy you will have then. You don't want to risk it and fall on a hard surface potentially injuring yourself. Use Crash Pads, mattresses, cardboard boxes, Sand or something else that will give a little if you do fall on it.

-Know your Limits! Do not perform any exercise you are not comfortable with or do not think you have the proper experience to do. If you feel this way you are correct and shouldn't try what you're thinking

Safety first, here you see a Fall Pad, a spotter, the right handle height and a guy knowing his limits

QUAD ROWS

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Rows L4 in the up position with elbows pulled back

QUAD Rows L4 Perform the QUAD Row in the Supine position with 2 Handles clipped into the Body Weight Ring above. Step into the foot strap by moving the handle aside and placing your foot in the big opening. You can also sit down and place your feet in the smaller foot strap to support your foot better during the exercise. Once your feet are secure, lift your body up by pulling on the handles above. Pull yourself up as high as you can and try to control any swinging or sway you may experience by keeping your core tight and body straight. Be sure not to sag your hips and do not lean forward with your neck and head. Hold yourself in the top position for time to build upper body strength or perform reps to build muscle, endurance and stability. Discontinue by lowering down with your arms and sitting down or by performing a Pullup hold and lifting your feet out of the straps. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your elbows or shoulders.

ABOVE : QUAD Rows L4 in the down position with arm extended Bottom: QUAD Rows L4 in the top position with elbows a little more flared out

TRIPOD ROW

Lvl 4 Total Body

Tripod Rows L4 Tripod Rows use a single handle while in the Supine QUAD position and should be attempted only after practicing the 2 handle QUAD Row. Position a handle so that it is in between the 2 foot straps and place your feet in the large strap opening with the handles moved aside. Hold onto the single handle with two hands and pull yourself up by pulling your elbows back. Hold in the top position and then lower down slowly to repeat or rest. Be sure to keep your body straight during the exercise and keep your head and hips inline. Perform single arm Tripod Rows by releasing your grip with one arm while holding on with the other. Lower down slowly and then pull yourself up using the single arm. Switch or repeat for reps on the same side. Can be regressed out of QUAD mode if too difficult.

Tripod Row L4 using one hand on one handle. Match hands or grab the other handle to continue

Tripod Row L4 using two hands on one handle similar to a close grip row

QUAD SQUATS

Lvl 4 Total Body

Horizontal QUAD Squats L4 in the tucked and extended positions

QUAD Squats L4 Here are two versions of QUAD Squats, the Horizontal Squat and the Vertical QUAD Squat. Perform the Horizontal Squat by laying out supine or face up in the QUAD set. Your feet can use either the large foot strap or small strap with your arms holding on to handles clipped above in the rings. With your feet secure and hands holding on, lower down so that your knees and hips are flexed and you feel a stretch in your shoulders and upper back. Pause in this "squat" position and then return out to the horizontal hang with legs extended. Use a spotter to assist with foot placement and swinging if needed. Perform reps or hold in the lower position to help stretch and promote flexion in the posterior chain. For a more difficult version that challenges your stability and leg strength, try the Vertical QUAD Squat L4 by standing upright in the foot straps. Lower down while supporting your body with the other handles and try to sit back into this squat as much as possible. You will be required to control the instability in your legs and should attempt to keep the knees steady and tracking in the same direction of the toe. Lower down as far as comfortable and pause before reversing the movement. You can use your arms to assist in the upward movement and should maintain a neutral head in relation to the body, as pictured. Discontinue either QUAD Squat by lowering back and sitting down or by pulling up hard with your arms and lifting your legs out. A spotter is always recommended for QUAD exercises and can be utilized as well to help with swinging and sway.

Vertical QUAD Squats L4 in the bottom position with arms supporting

QUAD L-SIT

Lvl 4 Total Body

Holding on in the Pullup position during a QUAD L-Sit L4

A Great New Option for this Challenging Core Exercise

QUAD L-Sit L4 Perform the QUAD L-Sit while in the supine QUAD Horizontal Row Position. Position you body so that you are in the Pullup position with your hands holding onto the handles overhead. You can try to maintain the Pullup hold or relax your arms into a straight hang. With your legs out in front, release the tension on the leg straps so that your core muscles are now supporting the legs. It is recommended to use the smaller foot strap to provide a more secure hold on the foot when going in and out of tension. Hold the L-Sit on your own for time allowing your legs and core to rest in between leg lifts. Sit down completely when finished and discontinue if you experience any pain in the shoulders, elbows or lower back. Once comfortable with this supported L-Sit, try the 2 handle version covered earlier in the CORE section. A spotter is required and can assist by lifting on the legs or by helping to place and remove the feet from the foot strap.

QUAD AIR SPLITS

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Air Splits L4 Splits are fun when supported in the air with the QUAD. Clip 2 handles into the overhead rings and stand up in the larger foot strap. From here you can lower down slowly using your arms to help control the decent. Allow your hips to stretch by turning slightly one direction and increasing the range of motion. Reverse the movement by pulling up with your arms and back while your legs bring themselves together. Repeat the movement to the other direction if you are using a "hip turn" and work on holding the bottom position for time to build strength in the upper body while developing flexibility throughout the hips.

QUAD Air Splits L4 using the handles to help control the descent and stretch

QUAD LOW DIPS

Lvl 4 Total Body

QUAD Low Dips L4 in the up position with arms straight

QUAD Low Dips L4 in the bottom position with elbows bent

QUAD Low Dips L4 QUAD Low Dips are an advanced version of the UNIT Low Dip and common bench dip. This exercise is performed in the supine QUAD setup but with your upper body vertical and flexed at the hips. Place your feet in the large or small foot straps with the handles no more than 12 inches off the ground. Position the handles for your hands slightly higher so that you can lower down without sitting on the ground. Perform the exercise by pushing yourself up into a straight arm position. Control any sway or swing with a tight stomach or by using a spotter. Perform reps using the chest, shoulders and triceps to lower down and raise yourself up. Discontinue if you experience any pain in your shoulders or elbows by sitting down on the ground.

QUAD AIR BICYCLE

Lvl 4 Total Body

100

ABOVE: QUAD Air Bicycle L4 with right leg extended BELOW: QUAD Air Bicycle L4 with left leg extended

QUAD Air Bicycle L4 Attempt this exercise only after becoming familiar with the QUAD Low Dip. From the upper starting position, draw in one leg while extending the other out for support. At the same time you will perform a small Tricep Dip similar to the Russian Dance. Alternate sides by pressing up slightly with the arms and switching the leg position before lowering back down. Be sure to use a smooth and controllable tempo to avoid an increased risk of shoulder or elbow injury. It is important to remember this exercise is two movements combined that equally affect one another. Moving too fast can be hazardous to your health. Discontinue by sitting down on the ground and always have a spotter when performing QUAD exercises.

QUAD L-SIT ADDUCTION

Lvl 4 Total Body

101

QUAD L-Sit Adduction L4 with the legs together or adducted

QUAD L-Sit Adduction L4 This exercise is similar to the QUAD Low Dips and Air Runner previously discussed. The L-Sit Adduction/Abduction has you sitting in a hip flexed, supine QUAD position. From here you can remain static in the upper body by keeping the arms straight or you can perform the same Tricep dip that is common in exercises like the Russian Dance and Air Runner. Spread your feet apart or Abduct your legs slowly holding the "V" position for a moment before returning your legs together to the start position. The return is called adduction because you are bringing your legs closer to the midline of the body as opposed to the abduction which took them away. Repeat this Abduction/Adduction movement and discontinue if you feel any pain in your shoulders or elbows. Remember you can always sit down out of this exercise at any time if it becomes too difficult and use a spotter to assist if necessary. QUAD L-Sit Adduction L4 with the legs apart or abducted

TRIPOD HALO

Lvl 4 Total Body

102

Tucking the Tripod Halo L4 down towards the left side

Tripod Halo L4 during the overhead extension part of the movement

Tripod Halo L4 Perform the Tripod Halo only when confident in your ability to perform QUAD Overhead Extensions and grounded Solo Halos. This exercise is extremely difficult and should only be attempted with a spotter present to assist if needed. With your feet in the small foot straps, position your body so that you can lift yourself up into a single handle two hand plank position. This will require the long strap to be more dominate on one side of the body at the start. From here, extend both arms out overhead and then return them back around on the other side of the body/head. Repeat this to the alternating side, keeping your hips level and core tight. Use a side tuck or oblique crunch maneuver similar to the standing Solo Halo to help stabilize and direct resistance into the core. Discontinue by kneeling down at any sign of weakness or pain.

Tucking the Tripod Halo L4 down towards the right side after coming around the head

RING LADDER

Lvl 4 Total Body

103

Ring Ladder L4 starting position from a sit start

Ring Ladder L4 This exercise is different from all other QUAD exercises and has you setup each handle at various heights so you can climb your way to the top. Use 3 or 4 handles and start with two hands on the lowest handle. Lift yourself off the ground and stabilize before reaching out to the next handle up. Continue to climb up by matching your hands on each handle before moving upward. Pause at the top and then attempt to descend down using an incredible amount of strength to decelerate each drop down. Do not attempt or discontinue if you have any pain in your elbows or shoulders.

Ring Ladder L4 transferring to the next handle

TRAINING PROGRAMS

104

The following pages include Level 1-4 Training programs. It is recommended to start with Level 1 exercises and progress forward as you master movements and develop better awareness and understand of your ability.

When designing training programs there are several key factors to think about. - Who is this training program for? - What is their age? Ability? - What is there experience with exercise? With UNIT exercises? - Do they have any injuries, imbalances or disorders that affect the way they exercise? - Have you done an assessment on posture and movement? - Are they showing excitement or worry about the idea of exercising? - Do they have a doctor's prescription or recommendation for exercise? - Where is the exercise being performed? What other requirements come with the location? - Are you comfortable moving forward with the workout? - Have you read this entire book and understand the potential risk involved? - Am I certified, licensed or qualified to be providing assistance?

Based on your answers to the questions above you should know if you are ready to move forward with your own program or start helping someone with their program. It is recommended that you further educate yourself in the science of exercise and learn about the human body. Because everybody is different and has different needs and different lifestyles, it is impossible to design a one size fits all program. This is why the material in this manual is written- to help you understand your needs and design exercise and workout plans that suit your specific goals.

Tips for designing training programs: 1) Know your level and start there. Progress as exercises become easy and only move up one level at a time. 2) Develop programs that last 1-6 weeks. Allow for exercise proficiency without overtraining or becoming bored with the same routine. 3) Design in Rest Periods to ensure your body can recover properly. The more strenuous the exercises the longer the rest periods need to be. Always ensure you are properly rested before any major event where your physical skill is tested. UNIT Training can compliment a resting program through low resistance and no resistance exercises combining numerous stretching and mobility training options. 4) Develop several preferred warmups to do before exercising and master them. Ideally your warmups should be 5-15 minutes in length and should help to prepare the body to perform and do extraordinary work. Common ideas for a warm-up include jogging or bike riding, paddling, rope jumping, a dynamic stretch routine, jumping jacks, 8 count body builders, tag, Kettlebell exercises, a ViPR routine, dancing, snow shoeing, playing with kids or dog, light DB routine, stair climbing, low grade Bouldering, Climbing ropes, Playground Obstacle Course, Medicine Ball routine, low resistance UNIT exercises and Slacklining. 5) Choose between 2-10 exercises for developing your program. Try to cover all your angles and plan exercises that allow for rest in other areas of the body during the workout session. (Example- You wouldn't want to develop a program that had 10 exercises only for your Chest, Shoulders and Triceps. If you wanted to actually develop those areas, choose exercises that focus on those muscles and combine them with exercises that train the antagonist or opposing muscle groups, in this case the Upper Back and Biceps. Additionally you would want to include a few lower body and total body exercises into the mix so that your Shoulders and Arms can rest while the body is still going. 6) Do not do all Upper Body or Lower Body workouts. If you do all Upper Body workouts you will over train your shoulders and they will not develop the way you want them to. Shoulders need rest to get better and support the arm. By performing mostly Upper Body exercises you increase the workload of the Shoulders and do not give them a chance to recover. Similarly, the knees and hip are at risk if an abundance of lower body work is in the program. 7) Use supersets and extended sets to boost metabolic conditioning. By combining several exercises together with very little rest between, you challenge your cardiovascular system by increasing the demand for oxygen from the body. Later, this can help by producing a greater thermic effect on the body and burning more calories after the workout. This is similar to circuit and interval training. 8) Stop at the first sign of pain or loss of form. Do not worry so much about what you can't do today but think about what you want to be able to do in the future. It is never worth it to train through pain or with bad form. Don't do something you will end up regretting, stop now, rest, learn what to do next, and then move forward with all your options in front of you.

TRAINING PROGRAMS

105

TRAINING PROGRAMS

106

TRAINING PROGRAMS

107

TRAINING PROGRAMS

108

CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING IDEAS

109

There are a lot of people who look at Cardiovascular Training as a way to lose weight. They see it as good way to burn bad calories and spend countless hours sometimes beating themselves up to get these calorie burning results. But that is not 100% correct. TruFit looks at Cardiovascular Training as what it actually is, "the training of your Heart and Lung Systems". It would take an entire book to explain why these two are so important but they are. Your heart pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body at a very fast rate. As you get moving your heart has to work harder to supply the body with more oxygen so that it can perform more work. If your heart can't keep up or if your lungs are weak, you will soon slow down. TruFit makes this our goal with Cardiovascular Training, â&#x20AC;&#x153;to never have to slow downâ&#x20AC;?. At TruFit our lives are Cardio. We can get it anywhere and at almost any time. Often it only requires you. Think about your body today with the idea that you are going to need more cardio capacity tomorrow. It might be a big set of waves or a rush to beat bad weather but whatever the case may be, you are going to need your heart and lungs to be able to go hard. Try out some of the ideas below to get your Cardiovascular system ready to go. With this attitude, weight loss and calorie burn come naturally.

Stand up Paddleboarding- the best way to get on the water and explore. SUP gives you a great workout. Dig in hard to really get the body going. Mountain Biking- the downhill will pay for the uphill and you get a great interval session mixed in with the dirt and rocks. Hiking- tread lightly and step out into your backyard. Trails can provide an easy or extreme workout, just bring water and let someone know where you go. Trail Running- move a little quicker down those trails and now we're talking. Keep it up for a while and you'll become an endurance athlete. Kettlebell Training- develop strength and coordination with a huge cardio bonus through learning the Kettlebell basics and keeping with it. Jump Rope Training- become a jump rope master perfecting the single jump and double under. Thousands of little explosive hops have to do something. Tag- run around like crazy, tag somebody and tell them "Your it". Then run away as fast as you can so they can't catch you. Repeat. Hills- find hills of all sizes and see how far you can run up them. If you have to stop, keep going slowly but try to beat that spot next time. UNIT complex- perform 5-10 exercises in a row with very little rest in between. Focus on large muscle groups and upper/lower body splits. Paddling- different from SUP, this requires you to kneel or lay down. Get outside or find calm water to do paddle sprints and endurance trips. Endurance Races- sign up and start training for an endurance race that focuses on one or two disciplines and go far with your new cardio capabilities. Adventure Races- sign up and start training for a multi discipline adventure race. Often done in teams, it's a fun way to get yourself going with others. Light pole to Light pole- go out in your neighborhood and jog to the closest light pole, then walk to the next, then sprint to the next. Repeat. Balloon Party- get a bunch of balloons and try to keep as many up in the air as you can. Draw exercises on some and do them if those hit the ground. Treadmill Complex- walk, run, skip, sprint, incline, backwards, walk, run, repeat. Swimming- develop this skill while practicing in a pool, lake, ocean or other body of water. Dancing- either in the club or your bedroom, dancing is a great cardio workout and provides an outstanding carryover to other movements. ViPR complex- learn the hundreds of possible exercises that you can do with a ViPR and get a bonus cardio session every time you try. Snow shoeing- strap on your snowshoes and head out on a white adventure. Leading the pack can be tough so fall back and take turns trailblazing. Personal Mountain Lift- walk up the sides of your favorite runs next time you go out and shred, especially small terrain parks and individual obstacles.

What goes up must come down

Enjoy the challenges and rewards of an active lifestyle

FLEXIBILITY TRAINING IDEAS

110

Stretching Out with the UNIT There are multiple stretching options using the UNIT. By positioning your body, you can allow gravity to push and pull you into some effective stretches. Flexibility training for corrective measures should be discussed with a medical professional and is not covered in this manual.

Top: Anterior Chest Stretch Bottom: Hip Flexor Stretch with anterior core, shoulder and chest recruitment

Anterior Stretching- walk forward with the handles and allow your arms to stretch your Chest, Shoulders and Biceps. By taking a large step forward, you can incorporate a hip flexor stretch while maintaining balance. Allow yourself your move into positions that feel good. (Side bends and twists, stepping forward, stepping sideways). Explore you options and learn more about your muscular system to ensure you properly stretch what you need to be stretching.

Posterior Stretching Walking backwards from your anchor with the handles will help you to position your body so that you can effectively stretch you posterior chain. Sitting back will help to stretch your back and shoulders while shifting and side lunging will open up the hips and allow for a variety of dynamic and static stretches.

Static Stretch- holding the stretched position for an extended period of time Dynamic- stretching through movement to warm up and prepare your ROM

TOP: Figure 4 stretch squat is great for the hips Middle: Posterior Chain Hip Back Shoulder Side Lunge Stretch Bottom: Single Leg Hamstring stretch with added stability

ASSESMENTS

111

There are an endless amount of testing and assessment possibilities that depend on you and your goals. Below are some ideas and procedures for carrying out different assessments. Each assessment should be researched further to ensure 100% understanding of the methods and testing practices. Like any exercise, an assessment should be discontinued if any pain, dizziness or other unusual condition occurs during the assessment.

Walking and Running Times

Paddle Speed and Distance

Test how far and fast you can run.

Test how far you can paddle and how fast you can get from one point to another.

- 400M - 1200M - 5000M - 10000M

________________ ________________ ________________ ________________

- SUP for distance - SUP for speed - Paddleboard for distance - Paddleboard for speed

UNIT BASICS - Pushups or Chest Press - Rows or Incline Rows - BW Squats or SL Squats - Plank time

QUAD UNIT BASICS __________ __________ __________ __________

UPPER BODY Strength and Grip Test - Dead hang from a bar for time ___________ (hang with straight arms from a bar or UNIT handles) - Pullups Supinated Grip (underhand) ____________ - Pullups Pronated Grip (overhand) ____________ - Pullups or Hang (Towel Grip) ____________

BIKE RIDE - 5K - 10K - 50K - BMX track time - Mountain Bike Climb Time and Grade

_________ _________ _________ _________ _________

JUMP ROPE TEST - Can you do jump rope? ________ - Can you do two swing unders in one jump?________ - Can you perform over 500 jumps at once? ________

- QUAD Plank - QUAD Pushup - QUAD Row

_________ _________ _________

TOTAL BODY Strength and Grip Test - Deadlift (attention on form and weight) - Carry for Distance

__________ __________

(carry Dumbbells, Buckets of water, Sandbags or other object or objects that provide resistance. Walk with resistance on both sides, one side, on your shoulders, against your chest and over your head.) (be careful with Overhead Carries for distance as they can be deadly if not performed properly) It is good to know how far you can walk with external resistance especially if you go into the outdoors with people about your same weight or heavier.

3 Minute Step Test

HR _______

Setup a step about 12-18 inches off the ground and step up and down repeatedly for 3 minutes straight. Rest for 30 seconds once complete and then test your pulse to see how quickly you recovery to your normal heart rate. Steps should be with a steady tempo but not rushed. The number of steps is irrelevant.

Body Weight Tests - Davies Test- Lookup instructions - Box Jump Height - BW Wall Sitting for time - Single Leg Reaching (reach slowly with your hand or opposite foot going in various directions and see what makes you imbalanced) -Depth Jump (jump off a short box or step and try to remain balanced on your toes when landing)

ASSESMENTS

112

NAME ________________________________________

DATE ______________________

AGE __________________________________________ OCCUPATION __________________________________ SEX ______________ GOALS ______________________________________________________________________________________ INJURIES_____________________________________________________________________________________ CURRENT WEIGHT ____________________________ CURRENT CONDITION LEVEL ________________________ RESTING HR _____________ MAX HR _________________ BLOOD PRESSURE __________________________________ MEDICATIONS ________________________________________________________________________________ PAST EXPERIENCE _____________________________________________________________________________ Fill in the Blanks with your selected Assessments and scores. Retest occasionally to look for improvement or lack of progression.

TEST

RESULTS

__________________________ _______________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________

Assessments should be performed with a trained professional and talked about afterwards so that both parties involved understand the results. Use Assessments to determine exercise suitability for potential users. Do not make medical recommendations or prescriptions based off assessment testing and results. In the event of unusual results, notify a doctor who specializes in those areas.

SAMPLE TRAINER EXAM Name____________________________ Date_____________________ Most answers can be found either by reading the text and thinking or by looking up through other resources. Either way you need to know this.

Anaerobic exercise produces energy from ATP-CP and glucose. a) True b) False

Muscles connect to Bones via ligaments. a) True b) False

How many calories per gram of Protein__, Carbohydrates__, Fat__, Alcohol__

What is the synergist of the Chest/ Pec Major in a standing chest press? a) Rhomboids b) Adductor Longus c) Triceps d) Clavicle

Normal Blood pressure is a) 80/120 b) 70/140 c) 120/80 d) 140/70

Which exercise would NOT be recommended in a youth program? a) Plyometric Jumps b) Planks c) Barbell Bench Press d) Reverse Lunge

Which exercise would produce the greatest strength gains for the abdominals? a) Crunches b) Assisted Squats c) Hip Bridge d) Plank

A knee that dramatically turns inward during a Squat could be due to weakness in which muscle? a) Adductor Shortest b) Supraspinatus c) Gluteus Medius d) Infraspinatus

Which answer best describes the Kinetic Chain? a) A chain of tissue that helps stabilize joints during kinetic movement b) refers to the spinal column as a chain of segments from C1-S1 c) lifting chains commonly found in gyms d) the interconnection of movement, force and stability throughout the body

Answer Key found in the appendix

113

EXERCISE CONVERSIONS

COREPROGRESSIVE PLANK--- Incline Plank HANDLE PLANK--- Flipped Half Dome Ball Plank FOOT PLANK--- Feet on a Stability Ball Plank SIDE PLANK--- Side Plank on Half Dome Ball FOOT PLANK MATRIX--- Elbow, Hand to Side plank matrix ROLL OUTS (STANDING/KNEELING) --- Ab wheel rollouts SIDE BEND--- Standing weighted side bend HIP BRIDGE--- Hip Bridge in Half Dome or Stability Ball BRIDGE CYCLE--- Single leg bridge switch on Half Dome Ball HANDLE PIKE--- Stability Ball Pike, feet on top SIT UP ROTATION--- Situp with reach V UPS--- Grounded V-ups OVERHEAD ROTATIONAL REACH--- Cable/tubing OVHD reach L-SIT--- Dip style or Pullup style L-sit FLOOR TUCK--- Stability Ball Knee ins RUSSIAN DANCE--- Explosive Squats with a single leg extension FRONT LEVER--- Ground Front Lever WINDSHEILD WIPERS--- Pullup bar windshield wipers SPIDER CRAWL--- Flipped dome pushup with a single knee in REVERSE FALL BACK--- Push style reaction game

UPPER BODY PUSHING CHEST PRESS--- Stability Ball Chest Press PUSHUP--- Flipped Half Dome ball Pushups, top down LOAD TRANSFER PUSHUP--- Single arm chest press + SA Fly STATIC TRANSFERS--- Dumbbell transfers from Chest Press STANDING FLY--- Stability Ball Fly TRICEP EXTENSION--- Stability Ball DB Tricep Extension LOW DIPS--- Bench Dips DIPS--- Fixed Dips FOOT PLANK PUSHUP--- Pushup with feet on Stability Ball SWIMMERS BUTTERFLY--- Cable cross Arm Circle Fly's SWIMMERS FREESTYLE--- Cable cross Single Arm Circle Flys SINGLE ARM PUSHUP--- Incline Single Arm Pushups OFFSET HANDLE PRESS--- Uneven Dumbbell Chest Press DIVE BOMBERS--- Ground Dive Bombers SOLO HALO--- Witches Pot SOLO FLOOR PRESS--- Single Arm Floor Press

UPPERBODY PULLING INCLINE ROW--- Fixed bar Incline Row HORIZONTAL ROW--- Fixed bar Horizontal Row LOAD TRANSFER ROW--- Dumbbell or Cable Row with Fly combo STATIC TRANSFERS--- Dumbbell/ Cable Rows that transition each other REVERSE FLY--- Stability Ball Reverse Fly dumbbells or cables ROW TO OVERHEAD REACH--- Cable Row to Overhead Reach CROSS ROWS--- Tubing or Cable X Rows OFFSET ROWS--- Dumbbell or Cable row with two different weights BICEP CURLS--- Dumbbell or Cable Bicep Curls REVERSE CURLS--- Barbell or W bar Reverse Curls LOAD TRANSFER CURL--- Cable Row + Cable Bicep curl switch every rep PULL UP--- Pull ups SHOULDER PRESSDOWN--- Cable or Tubing Lat Pressdown OVERHEAD EXTENSION--- Stability Ball Dumbbell Overhead extensions OVERHEAD ROTATIONS--- Standing overhead arm circles REVERSE SWIMMER--- Stability Ball Reverse Fly Arm Circles SQUAT ROWS--- Cable Squat Row

114

Try it these conversions to your Favorite UNIT or QUAD exercises next time you are in the gym or stranded without your TruFit gear.

LOWER BODY ASSISTED SQUAT--- Stability Ball Wall Squat SINGLE LEG SQUAT--- Single Leg standing bench squat SIDE LUNGE SQUAT--- Standing Side Lunge Squat SUSPENDED FOOT SIDE LUNGE--- Slackline Side Lunge REVERSE LUNGE--- Standing Reverse Lunge LUNGE PRESS--- Cable Lunge with Chest Press TRANSVERSE LUNGE--- Standing Transverse Lunge SPLIT SQUAT--- Free Standing or supported Split Squat SUSPENDED REVERSE LUNGE--- Slackline Bulgarian Split Squat SUPER LUNGE--- Standing reverse lunge with explosive hop FRONT KICK SQUAT--- Standing Squat into Front Kick SIDE KICK SQUAT--- Standing Squat into Side Kick ONE FOOT HOP--- Jumping on one foot SQUAT HANDLE DROP--- Body Weight Squat Hold QUADRICEP DOMINATE SQUAT--- Sissy Squats

QUAD PLANK--- Plank on SB and Half Dome Ball PUSHUP--- Pushup on SB and Half Dome Ball LOAD TRANSFER PUSHUP--- none FLY--- none SKYDIVER--- none SINGLE ARM EXTENSION--- none SUPERMAN--- none MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS--- Flipped Half Dome Mountain Climbers KNEE TUCKS--- Flipped Half Dome + SB Knee Tucks PIKES--- Flipped Half Dome + SB Pikes PRONE HIP ABDUCTION--- none DIVE BOMBERS--- none OVERHEAD EXTENSION--- none QUAD SAFETY ROWS--- Bungee Supported Horizontal Pullup bar Rows TRIPOD ROW--- Close Grip Bungee Supported Pullup Bar Rows L SITS--- Floor Hand Stand L-Sit L SIT AIR RUNNER--- none LOW DIPS--- Bench Dips with feet on SB AIR SQUAT--- Flipped Half Dome Ball Squats REVERSE LEVER--- Pullup bar Reverse Lever L SIT ADDUCTION--- none TRIPOD HALO--- Witches Pots RING LADDER--- Monkey Bars

JOINT / MUSCLE BREAKDOWN

115

QUAD PLANK--- everything PUSHUP--- everything extra shoulders LOAD TRANSFER PUSHUP--- everything FLY--- everything SKYDIVER--- everything SINGLE ARM EXTENSION--- everything extra shoulders SUPERMAN--- everything MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS--- everything KNEE TUCKS--- everything PIKES--- everything PRONE HIP ABDUCTION--- everything plus hip DIVE BOMBERS--- everything extra shoulders OVERHEAD EXTENSION--- everything QUAD SAFETY ROWS--- everything TRIPOD ROW--- everything plus more obliques L SITS--- everything extra abs L SIT AIR RUNNER--- everything LOW DIPS--- everything AIR SQUAT--- everything L SIT ADDUCTION--- everything TRIPOD HALO--- everything RING LADDER--- everything

UPPERBODY PULLING INCLINE ROW--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip HORIZONTAL ROW--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip LOAD TRANSFER ROW--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip STATIC TRANSFERS--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip REVERSE FLY--- Upper Back, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbow ROW TO OVERHEAD REACH--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip CROSS ROWS--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip OFFSET ROWS--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip BICEP CURLS--- Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip REVERSE CURLS--- Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip LOAD TRANSFER CURL--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders Elbows, Hip PULL UP--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip SHOULDER PRESSDOWN--- Upper Back, Core, Shoulders, Hip OVERHEAD EXTENSION--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip OVERHEAD ROTATIONS--- Upper Back, Core, Shoulders, Hip REVERSE SWIMMER--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Shoulders Elbows, Hip SQUAT ROWS--- Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Shoulders Elbows, Hip

UPPER BODY PUSHING CHEST PRESS--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows PUSHUP--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows LOAD TRANSFER PUSHUP--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows STATIC TRANSFERS--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows STANDING FLY--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip TRICEP EXTENSION--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows LOW DIPS--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows DIPS--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Elbows FOOT PLANK PUSHUP--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows SWIMMERS BUTTERFLY--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows SWIMMERS FREESTYLE--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows SINGLE ARM PUSHUP--- Chest, Tricep, Core, Shoulders, Hip OFFSET HANDLE PRESS--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows DIVE BOMBERS--- Anterior Deltoid, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows, Wrist SOLO HALO--- Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows SOLO FLOOR PRESS--- Chest, Triceps, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows

LOWER BODY ASSISTED SQUAT--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Hip, Knees, Ankles SINGLE LEG SQUAT--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Upper Back, Biceps, Core, Hip, Knee, Ankle, Shoulders SIDE LUNGE SQUAT--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Hip, Knee, Ankle, Shoulders SUSPENDED FOOT SIDE LUNGE--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Knees, Hip, Ankle REVERSE LUNGE--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Knees, Ankles LUNGE PRESS--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Chest, Triceps, Hip, Ankles, Shoulders, Knees TRANSVERSE LUNGE--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Upper Back, Biceps, Hip, Ankles, Shoulders, Knees SPLIT SQUAT--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Chest, Triceps, Hip, Ankles, Shoulders, Knees SUSPENDED REVERSE LUNGE--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Hip, Ankles, Shoulders, Knees SUPER LUNGE--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Hip, Ankles, Shoulders, Knees and Toes FRONT KICK SQUAT--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Hip, Ankles, Knees SIDE KICK SQUAT--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Hip, Ankles, Knees ONE FOOT HOP--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves, Core, Hip, Knee, Ankle, Toes SQUAT HANDLE DROP--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Hip, Ankles, Shoulders, Knees QUADRICEP DOMINATE SQUAT--- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Hip, Ankles, Shoulders, Knees

COREPROGRESSIVE PLANK--- Core, Shoulders, Hip HANDLE PLANK--- Core, Shoulders, Hip FOOT PLANK--- Core, Shoulders, Hip SIDE PLANK--- Core, Shoulder, Hip, Elbows, Wrists FOOT PLANK MATRIX--- Core, Shoulder, Hip, Elbows, Wrists ROLL OUTS (STANDING/KNEELING)--- Core, Shoulders, Hip SIDE BEND--- Core extra Oblique's, Shoulders, Elbows HIP BRIDGE--- Core Lower Back, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip BRIDGE CYCLE--- Core Lower Back, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip, Knees PIKE--- Core, Shoulders, Hip SIT UP ROTATION--- Core extra abs, Shoulders, Hips V UPS--- Core extra abs, Shoulders, Hips OVERHEAD ROTATIONAL REACH--- Upper Back, Core, Shoulders, Hip, Ankle, Elbow L-SIT--- Core, Shoulders, Hip FLOOR TUCK--- Core extra abs, Shoulders, Hips RUSSIAN DANCE--- Core, Triceps, Shoulders, Elbows, Hip, Knees, Ankle FRONT LEVER--- Core, Glutes, Shoulders, Hips WINDSHEILD WIPERS--- Core, Upper Back, Biceps, Shoulders, Hip, Elbows SPIDER CRAWL--- Core, Chest, Triceps, Shoulders, Hip, Knee REVERSE FALL BACK--- Core extra abs, Shoulders, Hip

OUTDOOR SPORTS

116

Hiking & Trail Running Get out of the house and get out on the trails. Who knows where they will lead you? Hiking and Trail Running will expose you to places in nature that you can't get to by car. This will help you learn your limits while developing a foundation for outdoor exploring and an appreciation for the earth. Be sure to tell somebody where you are going. Learn to read topo maps, pack smart and bring a friend.

Slacklining Do yourself a favor and learn to walk a Slackline. Whether it is to improve your balance and awareness, strengthen stabilizer muscles throughout the body or to develop the ultimate in Hyper Focus. Start low and ask for help in the beginning. As you get better you will see how this new skill has improved everything else you do.

Mountain Bike & BMX If you don't know how to ride a bike, you have got to get on it. Tell anybody and they will help you. Now if you can ride, get out and try out your abilities on a Mountain bike or BMX bike. Although very different in terms of skill and preparation, both BMX and Mountain Biking will help prepare you to handle challenges coming at you quickly. The spilt decision thinking, physical skill and endurance displayed, will set you up for a fun life on two wheels.

Rock Climbing Rock Climbing is becoming more wide spread and popular than ever before. Climbing with a group of friends can be a fun and challenging way to experience the outdoors. Climbing involves education more than anything and expert experience rules on the rock. Start with some shoes and a chalk bag and talk to local climbers about how and where you can improve your skill in this sport.

Paddle Sports Get out on the water by participating in sports like Surfing, Stand up Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Canoeing or Lay down Paddleboarding. These sports connect you with the water and provide an ideal way to stay in shape no matter age or experience. Find a teacher and listen to what they say about water safety and paddling skill. It's been said our bodies are mostly water so use paddle sports and find out what you're really made of.

Snow Sports When the water freezes things get fun. Try out Snow Sports like Snowboarding, Skiing and Snowshoeing to get your winter adrenaline going. Start off with a helpful teacher and hit the slopes or trails once they're covered in white. Learn to read the snow and take your time progressing into more difficult terrain. When snow shoeing, be sure to tell somebody where you are going and pay attention to the weather before you. leave.

Skateboarding Did you know there's another fun way to get around on 4 wheels that doesn't require gas or produce emissions? Whether you prefer street style, vert ramps or long boards, there is very little to compare with the feeling of perpetual motion. Start within your comfort level and progress carefully through the stages of development. Help show others and save yourself miles by enjoying the ride to wherever you're going.

Highlining in Joshua Tree, California (do not attempt, trained professional)

Surfing in Mexico

OUTDOOR SPORTS

Young Skier going off a big jump in Taos, NM

Hiking in the Jemez River TOP Getting ready to climb MIDDLE TruFit BMX rider catching some air BOTTOM

TOP: Running an obstacle during an Adventure Race BOTTOM: Longboarding with the Kahuna Stick in California

117

TRADITIONAL SPORTS FĂştbol / Soccer Prepare for the world's most played game by performing exercises that challenge your body in all planes of motion. Practice deceleration drills where you teach the body to slow down quickly and learn to change direction with precision and accurate foot placement. Focus on a wide range of core exercises that keep you on your feet. Try Slacklining and one leg UNIT exercises to improve hip, knee and ankle stability.

Football Incorporate UNIT Training into your Football program and see the benefits of training with multiple training styles. Work on static and movement based Core exercises and challenge yourself to rotate and do work. Isometric holds go great with ballistic movements and can prepare your body to hold strong and move quickly. Try Slosh Pipe carries for distance, UNIT LT Pushups, Rows and SL Squats and Slacklining.

Basketball Basketball is a very dynamic and unpredictable sport. Use UNIT training to help develop coordination throughout the body and build endurance in the legs and shoulders. Many of the slow paced UNIT exercises will help to compliment the fast paced action of a game especially when it comes to protecting a joint during movement or upon landing. Try exercises like the Transverse Lunge, Super Lunge and One Foot Hop.

Baseball / Softball Help prepare for Baseball and Softball with UNIT Training that focuses on strong core rotations, static holds and ballistic movements. Baseball requires special explosive strength and focus to play well. Use total body exercises with the UNIT and create challenging games where a ball is in play. Try suspended foot lunges and catch the ball at the bottom portion or try catching and tossing a ball while standing on a Slackline.

Hockey Train for Hockey with the UNIT and develop amazing leg strength and core power. Focus on isometric holds that build strength and joint stability and then try movement based exercises where you change direction and decelerate joint action. Look at Side lunging and Transverse Lunges to help prepare the knees and use "Squat Holds" to build strength in the legs. Also try Overhead and Side rotation reaching, Single arm rows and Pushups.

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a game that involves many different aspects of sport. Train similarly with the UNIT and work on power, solid core rotations and hyper focus exercises and also incorporate movement. Suspended lunges can be combined with throwing the ball at the top and catching down low. Also try the Transverse side step and Super Lunge to develop core strength with rotational movement.

Rugby Prepare for this aggressive sport by UNIT Training that challenges your usable Range of Motion and increases your joint and core strength. Isometric holds combined with ballistic movements help to stimulate your body similar to a match and can give you the advantage over the undertrained players. Perform Pushups and Row Holds with Squat handle drops and Core rotations with overhead extension style exercises.

Swimming Swimming is an excellent form of exercise and is an important skill to have. Swimmers should look at UNIT Training as a way to compliment their time in the water. Whether for stretching or low resistance training, UNIT exercises can improve your joints and muscles to help propel you through the water. Try the Butterfly Swimmer and Freestyle Swimmer as a way to challenge your body and train similar to your sport.

Track and Field Track and Field covers a vast range of events and disciplines. You must be in top shape to compete and should use UNIT training to keep yourself prepared and ready to go. Try to design a well rounded program that covers isometrics, explosive power, core rotation, strength building and flexibility training. Be sure not to over train during the season and use UNIT training to support your general conditioning.

Golf Improve your golf game with UNIT exercises that open up the body and increase range of motion and rotational power. Golf is a great example of kinetic energy and shows us how the body is truly connected from head to toe. Any misalignment in the body will show when you strike the ball, so practice exercises that improve your posture during movement. Think, Transverse Side Steps, Overhead rotational reaches and Flexibility.

118

TRADITIONAL SPORTS

119 Contact sports like Lacrosse, Football, Rugby and Hockey require tremendous core control and stability to withstand taking hits while moving forward.

Dynamic non contact sports like Futbol/ Soccer and Basketball require proficient training in deceleration and direction change to help prevent joint breakdown during movements.

Traditional Sports provide a fun and dynamic way to get in shape while learning how to work together as a team with your peers. This ability to work as a team will help you not only on the court or field but as you go through life and face new challenges. Sports like Baseball, Golf, Track and Swimming require you to be at the ready at all times. Use reactive techniques to prepare yourself for these explosive movements

AN ARMY OF US

120 Join Us and start Fighting Now

If there is a hidden agenda for everything then here is the real secret behind TruFit. TruFit's mission is to educate and inspire youth and families into living healthy, active lifestyles. With all the negative influences out there, it seems impossible to combat the epidemics of inactivity and childhood obesity. Fast foods and junk foods are getting people hooked and TV programs attempt to keep them watching in suspense all night. From the start of the day to the end of the night, it appears many people have decided just to sit down and watch life go by.

But not TruFit. Our mission is to activate people by providing the education and attitude to change their life. Unfortunately, physical education is not what it should be and the current picture shows us that most youth, adults and boomers do not truly understand what to do about it. Many adults default their children's health education to the school or youth coach even though those programs are underdeveloped with coaches often under prepared. Schools are still rewarding kids with pizza parties and candy for reading books and working hard. We have literally taught ourselves over the last 30 years to reward ourselves for everything we do and to think we are the smart ones when receiving a good deal. This was probably not your decision. This was some corporation's idea to get rich a long time ago and now we are the ones suffering. The entire world is getting fatter and lazier while at the same time being rewarded by $1 burgers and video games that are challenging and progressive. This shows us that by giving small rewards to people, you can almost get them addicted to a game or restaurant. Toys in kids meals and unlocking perks as you level up your game character does nothing for you as a person but does everything for them as a business. This is why we need your help. To fight back against the system that has put us in this situation. To help others who have been gobbled up by marketing tricks and smart psychology. To expose our lives for what they can actually be; Fun, Exciting, Challenging and Rewarding. This is why we created TruFit the way we did. Our goal was to expose the benefits that a healthy lifestyle provides and to help educate youth and adults on how they can break away from the fake world and join us in the active real world... This is why we need your help. TruFit does not view our competitors as enemies. We view them as a network much like the U.N. We are all here to help create a better world, and to do that means working together as a massive Army instead of as individual teams. This is why we designed the UNIT to support almost any user with any background. The UNIT is one of our weapons in the fight against obesity and it starts working when you become familiar with the exercises and the lifestyle TruFit promotes. As a member of this Army you must work hard to turn others away from the negative influences that surround them. You must speak up when you know that you know better. Even if the other person doesn't want to hear it, they will appreciate that fact that you care enough to speak up. So Speak Up, Stand Up and Fight back against the unfairness that created this overweight and under motivated population. By joining us in this fight, you not only help yourself live a healthy, active life; you become the example to all those around you and can influence them just as the fast food and TV marketers do. Pay special attention to the words used in commercials and the images they put up. This is all done with your money in mind and not necessarily your health or happiness. Once you know what to look for, you'll know how to fight back. Join us on this lifelong battle and take yourself out of the crowd and become part of the solution. We are not an Army of One; TruFit is an Army of US. Let's fight together and change our world back into one we can all enjoy and appreciate. Let's learn from each other and encourage those we meet to join us and break away from the garbage. Let's reward our youth with adventures and activity and see what happens next to them. Obesity can't survive on our side of the fence. It doesn't stand a chance. Now join us and recruit others to knock down the barriers and take action when it comes to reshaping the future. Who are you within the TruFit Army?

RecruitsRecruits are new members in the TruFit Army. Recruits should spend most of their time learning the information in this guidebook and testing their own skills and abilities in preparation for combat.

SergeantsSoldiers have a basic understanding of TruFit principals and have the experience to show others and encourage them into TruFit training.

OfficersOfficers are Certified Personal Trainers and Health Professionals who have learned advance training concepts and techniques. They can teach individuals, sergeants and recruits proper form and progressive measures. Officers work together with a Team and should continually aware of their local situations and opportunities.

CaptainsCaptains are medical professionals and graduate level coaches and trainers. Captains hold the highest authority in exercise prescription and diagnose client needs. Refer to your Captains as a resource to tap into the highest level of education and to prepare yourself and others for an exciting life that is always improving.

Join us at www.GetTruFit.com/TruFit-Army

HOMEWORK

121

FEED YOUR BRAIN AND YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU Take learning to the next level by getting online and hitting the books to increase your knowledge base. The more you know the better prepared you will be for yourself and for helping others. Below are some general recommendations to review and look into further.

1) Explore the various Personal Training and Health Education certifications. These certs can not only prepare you to help others but they set you up with the knowledge you need to pursue an active lifestyle. There are several great certification companies out there with fundamental education programs to get you going. Advanced courses will take you to the next level of fitness education. - Faster Global www.FasterGlobal.com - PTA Global www.PTAGlobal.com - National Academy of Sports Medicine www.NAMS.org - National Strength and Conditioning Association www.NSCA.org - International Sport Science Association www.issaonline.edu - American Council on Exercise www.acefitness.org

2) Look up human anatomy. Read about connective tissue, the organs and their functions, the bones and joints, the brain and nervous systems and more. Become an expert on yourself and understand why you are the way you are. Once you feel like you know about the body you can start exploring ideas about movement and challenge yourself in new ways. Even briefly reading through an anatomy text book will explain many answers to questions you might not know you currently have. 3) Similar to the Anatomy study, you must look at and pickup material that explains proper nutrition and eating habits. Understanding how your body uses the food you eat is important to understanding how you can perform in sports and in life. Again look for a used high school or college level text book that covers nutrition and read it. Also look up questions you may have online and discover the answers you may have been looking for. 4) Visit a health club or gym during a busy time and look at everybody. Pay attention to what most of the people are doing and then pay attention to the trainers and ultra fit people in the gym. Compare and make mental notes about exercises you want to try out and exercises you want to avoid in the future. Talk to a fitness professional if you have any questions. 5) Visit a park and clean it up before using it for a workout session. 6) Develop an exercise routine that is unique to you and send it in to us at TruFit so we can share your great ideas with others. 7) Look up assessment procedures and practices and try out different ways to test your overall abilities. 8) Make a sweet video of yourself or your friends and family doing something amazing that represents the TruFit lifestyle and send it in.

Da Vinci's Foot diagrams teach us a lot. Pass on what you learn just like Leonardo

TIPS FOR TEACHING OTHERS

122

Get Low When speaking to youth or people relatively shorter than you, try to get down to their level. They can't grow up to meet you face to face in conversation so why not squat down or take a knee when instructing and speaking with youth. It will help to make your audience more receptive to your message instead of seeing you as a Giant person who just says grown up things. Further, lower your voice. If there is one thing everybody hates in the world it its being yelled at. Don't start your session with a loud tone that doesn't necessarily work the way we intend. Often our message gets clouded in the loudness and the interpretation will be heard as dictative instead of directed or helpful. Try to hear the language and tone of voice of your audience and speak in a way that they can actually hear what you are saying.

Show and Tell and Teach This is an important rule to remember when teaching somebody exercises. If you cannot demonstrate you cannot teach effectively, unless you have someone demonstrate for you; but then maybe they should be the teacher? Being able to show your audience you can do what you want them to do will help motivate them into following through with your recommendation. Often when people are told what to do, their natural response is to question the person giving the order. By showing someone how to do an exercise, you don't order them to do it, you invite them to join you in the skill. This can be much more apparent in younger generations who see actions as speaking louder than words. Show and explain. Point out common mistakes so that others can decrease their risk of injury or embarrassment. Teach by example and practice with a mindset that you will use these skills to help others develop.

Ask Questions and Listen If you want to find out how to help somebody, you are going to have to ask them yourself. People do not like to ask for help. They feel they are bugging you or think you are already busy and won't have the time. Whatever the reason people use, they simply don't like to ask a lot of questions. So that becomes your job. One amazing thing about asking a question is that generally people always reply with an answer in some way or another. People will speak up if asked but won't offer up without the instigation. Use this to your advantage and ask people about things that will help you understand their goals and experience. How do you find out if somebody had an injury 5 years ago that never healed properly? You need to ask. Ask and you shall receive knowledge that you can choose to use or not use. The important part is listening to the important information and that will be different for everybody. The learning process starts with you, asking and paying attention.

Try to relate Nobody is the same. Every person in the world has a unique perspective that is shaped by their experiences and influences. If you want to help someone, you have to have an open mind and also understand that the person you are dealing with might not. Communicating with people can be much more effective if cultural, religious and demographic differences do not conflict with the instruction. As the instructor, you have the best ability to learn from your students and then transfer that knowledge back around to them. Think about the reasons why this person may be sitting with you talking about exercise. If you think about the last thing they thought before walking in your door, you'll finally start to connect to your students in a much different way and see how despite all our differences, when it comes to delivering education, the effort must prevail.

Over Prepare It is important when instructing others to understand and prepare for the session. This could include scouting locations for training, bringing water and fruit to an outdoor workout, cleaning a space so that it is safe and acceptable for use, bringing fall protection, sunscreen, hair ties and a special place for jewelry. Regardless of the situation, it can be made better if things are thought out first. Take away any excuse by having back up plans to the back up plans and remember to design a program that is flexible around your students.

TEACHERS PARENTS

123

When it comes to Scholastic Programming, TruFit provides options for both Teachers and Parents to get involved. This approach helps to reinforce the message both at home and when in the classroom. TruFit is a lifestyle that starts when you set the example. Parents, Teachers, Peers and Television have a greater influence than any other factor when growing up. Unfortunately there is so much marketing spent on creating young consumers that there is not much we can do about TV right now, but we can help the other 3 with getting on board. Positive reinforcement rules here. You cannot expect youth to be receptive if you point out their negatives and try to act like you're so special. Humble yourself for their sake and learn how to communicate effectively so that the message isn't harsh but honest and helpful. As education professionals and concerned parents, it is our responsibility to even the odds in our children's future and help them understand health mistakes some people have made along the way. Don't hide behind the common ignorance of health and fitness education, but embrace the challenge set for you and work hard to prepare yourself and every child for the real life challenges ahead.

TEACHERS

PARENTS

It is up to us. To help kids succeed in the classroom, we must focus on their physical and mental health just as much as we teach them concepts and procedures. Obviously what most of us did for PE didn't work back then, and currently we are cutting PE back completely. What are we thinking? Do we really want kids to grow up not knowing how to make food choices and understanding how to exercise? Do we think if they are intelligent in Language, Math, Science and History that they won't care that they've gained 30 pounds since college and can't seem to lose it? It was all good for them until recently, with those high metabolisms and all that activity. But not anymore. Now it's too late. Now they have responsibilities and in-grained influences. All those commercials and good deals just keep on coming, so who can resist?

It is up to us. To fight back against the marketing that influences unhealthy behavior. To educate our kids into becoming thinkers and understanding what is right and wrong. To empower them to make choices and learn from their mistakes.

We can. Right now it's time to look at yourself maybe in a way you never have before. You are the physical education teacher. You are the nutritional example. You are because you are the one who they will remember. Think of it as a collateral duty to help educate and inspire youth into staying in shape. People remember their favorite teachers often forever throughout their lives. Think how awesome your reach can be when your students see you and hear you're living the active lifestyle. Bring healthy food to the classroom and have it on display. Reward youth with privilege instead of sugar and pizza. Talk about how much fun your weekends are and encourage everybody to try new activities just like you. If you do this they will see it. They will talk about it. And they will think about it. That's a start and if we keep it up we will all see a big difference in the future of our education system.

Not all Parents are created equal. Not all children have both parents and some kids out there have nobody. It's a pretty messed up situation for a lot of youth out there and often we adults are caught thinking only about ourselves. We pull into drive thru windows and buy candy or sodas to help quiet our environment. We justify reasons that we truly don't believe in just to create one more happy experience. We make purchases based on TV marketing that our kids saw and feel like we got a good deal. Who doesn't feel good about putting a smile on a kids face? Making sure your kids are happy is the most important thing to a parent. So make sure they are happy 20 years from now by educating them and setting the example for them to live by. If you are a healthy parent and make all the right moves, keep it up but please share your message. If you are a parent and you know you can do better, do it now. This section isn't meant to call anybody out but to let you know that we have to start as soon as possible. Within 2 years, almost anybody who is sedentary and overweight can be considered active and in shape by their peers and their children. The starting point isn't the focus. It is the goal line that you cannot see yet. It is trips with your kids that you'll never forget and experiences that will truly last a lifetime. This isn't like going to an amusement park. This is like a changing your Kids Life park, and you are the host. Team up with your kids, their teachers and their peers. Get involved in any way you can and look for others to help you out along the way. There are a lot of other parents in similar situations and if we work together this obesity situation can never happen again.

NUTRITION

124 5 SIMPLE RULES- to start with

1. Stop drinking calories. If you’re looking to lose weight, the quickest ways to cut calories comes from sugary drinks. Sodas, fruit juices, milk, beer, liquor, even coffee could all be cut from your daily routines if you decided to. Some people stopped reading after coffee, but this is referring to calories. Many things we drink are loaded with worthless calories. A large soda today could count as a meal! You must think about what you’re drinking, especially at meal time. Don’t drown your food with liquid candy. Water is what we need. It’s free or cheap. Go get a glass right now.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables. People don't eat a lot of veggies and fruit is often second to last. This has to change. Just go to the store, buy them and eat them. Fruits are a pre-wrapped, portable and an inexpensive way to get some simple sugar into your system. Have you seen someone’s blood sugar drop? You don’t run out and get a cheeseburger. Real sugar runs the system. We use it. Fruit won’t make you fat so you should make it the focus of your snacks. Buy it, freeze it, and toss it in a bag; whatever you do make it easy. Veggies follow suit. Figure out what you like, prepare it, and eat it. You can even change your taste buds to enjoy veggies if you like. It might not happen every time, but if you have them and you see them you just might eat them.

3. Protein with every meal. We all know protein is important, although some people still think protein and picture a body builder or remember those gross tasting powders. But protein does build our body. Many proteins are called “essential” for a reason, we need them. Protein can be found everywhere. Meat, fish, chicken and turkey all apply here but you should think lean. There's a big difference between a Rib eye and a Sirloin. Protein also comes from dairy products like yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk. These provide us with plenty of lean protein options to fill the day. Protein also has a unique benefit in which its digestion requires more calories than that of carbs or fat. So eating protein with every meal will boost the amount of calories you burn each day. More protein, more burn. Add more muscle to the equation and you become a calorie burning machine.

4. Don’t be hungry, and don’t get full. When you’re hungry it doesn’t mean you’re burning fat, quite the opposite; and that feeling of “Full” actually comes about 10-15 minutes late. Learn this rule as eating every 2-4 hours and ask yourself, “Am I hungry?” “Should I stop?” “When was the last time I ate?” By thinking these questions, you can follow the rules and drop the bad weight. You must fuel your body before your body asks for it. If your stomach is growling, feed it. A good rule when eating out is that you’re getting two meals. Half now and half later, minus the fries. Take advantage of the fact you "can" take it home. Put this rule together with Rule 5 and you’ll soon see a lean, healthy, ready for action body.

5. Do not combine Bad Carbs and Fat together. Carbs are a source of fuel. Fat is a source of fuel. The body is smart and efficient. It will see the carbs as the fuel it may or may not need, and will use them or store them for later. It will see the fat as a fuel it may or may not need, and will use it or store for later. We want to burn fat not add to it. Give your body one fuel and give it only one option – to burn. If you follow Rule #3, then you’ll have your protein, follow rule #2 and you'll have your good carbs and fiber. So look at your meals. See protein, good. See carbs? Okay. See fat? See both? Then take one away. Lose the bread, the sauce, maybe the cheese or the chips. It doesn't have to be every time, but this time. Follow these rules and the weight loss will follow. This is only to get your thinking and is not written to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Speak with a licensed nutritionist about your diet and learn about all the ways you can eat healthy and stay TruFit

APPENDIX

125

Abduction- refers to movement that moves a limb further from the midline of the body. Adduction- refers to movement that moves a limb closer to the midline of the body. Adjustable Locking Buckle- A key component in rock climbing, mountaineering and rescue, the adjustable locking buckle provides a quick adjustment of straps for a variety of applications. The adjustable locking buckle automatically locks when a force is exerted on the anterior strap. This provides support and safety for users when performing exercises and tasks that require a static or dynamic movement. Aerobic- with oxygen, exercise that utilizes oxygen to produce energy for the muscles for sustained periods of time. Endurance based exercises that conditions the slow twitch muscles and cardiovascular system. Agonist- A muscle or muscle group that is primarily responsible for a specific joint movement when contracting. Anaerobic- without oxygen, exercise that utilizes the anaerobic energy system uses ATP-CP or Anaerobic Glycolysis to produce energy for the muscles. Anaerobic exercise is non-endurance exercise and generally last no longer than 30 seconds to 2 minutes before the aerobic system has taken over. Trains fast twitch muscles. Antagonist- A muscle or muscle group that counteracts or opposes the agonist or prime mover. Anterior- refers to the front of the human body ex: quadriceps are on the anterior side of the body. Beast Mode- going really hard to complete and exercise, set or entire workout. Body Leverage Training- refers a style of functional resistance training in which the user positions or leverages their body against gravity to produce the desired resistance for exercise. BLT often focuses on core and stabilizing muscles too and is a progressive form of training meaning that as a user develops greater ability and skill, the difficultly can be easily increased or decreased to accommodate the new level of training. Body Weight Ring- is the ring on the top portion of the UNIversal Trainer apparatus and is designed to support the user's full body weight for exercises like Dips, Pullups and Levers. Do not use the Body Weight Ring for climbing, rappelling or in any way s not describe in this manual. Boot Camp- The first stop in any enlisted military person's career. Bootcamps are designed to bring large groups of individuals all from different backgrounds and teach them how to effectively work as a team. This is done through education, physical training and tasks that develop each individual into a key component of the overall team. Fitness Bootcamps are similar in that they are designed to bring a large group of people together to educate them and prepare them to work individually and as a team. Fitness Bootcamps are not designed to be militant in nature even though the name would suggest otherwise. Look for boot camps that are run by certified trainers and focus more on education and teamwork than pushups and yelling. CNS- Central Nervous System is responsible for all action and movement in the body from pumping blood through the heart to jumping and landing on one foot. The CNS is the driver in the human body and consists of the brain and spinal cord. It controls everything and can be manipulated through a variety of exercises and tasks. If fatigued, the CNS cannot effectively communicate with the rest of the body and simple tasks can increase in difficulty or be impossible to complete. Proper rest of the CNS is important if you want to train and perform at high levels. Carabiner- A key component in rock climbing, mountaineering and rescue. The carabiner provides a quick, safe attachment to a wall anchor, climbing harness, individual or alpine team. Carabiners used in fitness applications are often of a lower quality than those used as described above and should be given special attention for defects if using with any amount of resistance. Cardiovascular Training- Exercise that focuses on conditioning the heart and lungs. Cardiovascular training is any activity that increases heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. Examples include running, surfing, weight training & HIIT. Cardiovascular training can focus on building the endurance and overall capacity of the heart and lungs to do work or can assist in weight loss through manipulating intensity and rest periods. Center of Gravity- Point at which the body's mass and weight are equally distributed in all directions.

APPENDIX

126

Circuit Training- A style of training in which you utilize multiple stations or exercises in succession during your workout. Circuit Training promotes that you select a number of exercises, ideally 3-10, and perform each exercise for the desired number of repetitions before moving to the next exercise in order. This style of training can produce a large cardiovascular demand due to the generally fast paced tempo of moving from one exercise to another. Circuit training can also be utilized for strength training and provides the opportunity for a muscle group to recover while still challenging your central nervous system and cardiovascular system. Closed Chain exercise- Exercise where your hands or feet are fixed and joint movement is predictable. example- Pushup Complex- in this case refers to performing a series of exercises without removing your grip from the device. example: Plank followed by Pushups followed by Mountain Climbers followed by Chest Press all done without ever letting go of the handles. Concentric- the phase of exercise referring to the shortening of a muscle. For example, the "up" phase of a bicep curl is a concentric movement. CORE- the group of muscles that connect your upper body and lower body and are responsible for stabilizing and protecting your spinal cord and internal organs. Your core muscles allow you to walk upright and control rotation of the midsection while assisting all the other muscles of the body in movement. Deceleration- Begins immediately after the movement phase when the velocity of the body progressively decreases over a certain range of motion. Distal- refers to a point further away from the midline of the body ex: wrist is distal to elbow Dynamic- meaning with movement. Dynamic stretches are movements designed to prepare joints and muscles for activity. A walking lunge with an overhead reach would be a dynamic movement. Dynamic- refers to action through movement. Many exercises are dynamic while having static characteristics in other regions of the body. A Pushup would be dynamic for the upper body while remaining static throughout the core and legs. Eccentric- the phase of exercise referring to the lengthening of a muscle. For example, the "lowering" phase of a bicep curl. Endurance Training- Endurance Training can benefit the cardiovascular system, muscular system and central nervous system. Endurance training generally requires the user to perform a task for a sustained duration with the goal of increasing the duration of the task. This occurs in the muscles by utilizing high volume loads and performing exercises to develop efficiency throughout the muscle group. Muscles over time can develop the strength and stability to handle tasks and perform movement for longer periods of time before reaching failure. Cardiovascular endurance training works to develop your oxygen system and allows you to utilize more oxygen during sustained periods of time. This is important because your muscles use oxygen to help produce energy and fuel the system for movement. Central Nervous system endurance requires a large demand be placed on the brain for an extended period. Examples would include Slacklining, playing chess or incorporating reaction training into your program. Eversion- opposite of inversion, refers to the foot turning outwards during movement. Extension- The opposite of Flexion is extension, or straightening. Extension increases the joint angle. example- elbow opening as you move your hand away from your shoulder. Flexibility Training- style of training that focuses on soft tissue elasticity and how it affects a joint, muscle group or the entire kinetic chain. Flexibility training can incorporate dynamic stretches in addition to static stretches, myofascial release, PNF stretching or other methods for effectiveness. Flexibility training is an important part of any solid training plan. Flexion- In anatomy, flexion is a position that is made possible by the joint angle decreasing. example- elbow bending as you move your hand closer to your shoulder. Foot Strap- the UNIT's patented design includes a foot strap that allows for the section to be hidden inside the handle when not in use. Force- The result of Mass times Acceleration Frontal Plane- An imaginary plane passing longitudinally through of the body from side to side that separates the body into front and back portions.

APPENDIX

127

Functional Training- style of training that promotes movement and awareness. Functional training blends concepts from other styles to develop plans that create a well rounded approach to fitness training. Gait- refers to the way an individual walks or takes steps. Examining gait can provide good feedback on the kinetic chain from above the foot. Giant Set- performing three exercises in a row similar to the Super Set. Girth Hitch- a method of securing the anchor slings by passing a loop over a bar and then pulling the webbing back through the loop. This is a strong a secure method of anchoring the UNIT. (Always double check your anchor structure) Gym- A facility designed to promote weight training. Gyms are generally smaller in size to a health club and often provide a smaller selection of training options. Gyms focus more on the training experience and less on amenities but can be a great resource for the educated member. Health Club- A facility designed to promote fitness training usually providing multiple amenities such as locker rooms, swimming pools, racquet courts and child care. Health clubs can be a good option for family fitness with numerous options for educated members. High Intensity Interval Training- or HIIT, is a training modality that incorporates quick bursts of activity mixed with periods of rest. HIIT is generally done for the metabolic effect it puts on the body as it is ideal for many forms of fat loss. Example would be sprinting for 10 seconds and resting for 50 second and repeating. This method is also an effective format for cardiovascular resistance programs. Inversion- refers to the foot turning inwards during movement. Example: the foot rolls on the outside during a step and the bottom of your foot faces inward that is inversion. Isometric- the phase of exercise referring to a period with no shortening or lengthening of the muscle producing force. Example: pausing the bicep curl half for 10 seconds would be and isometric contraction. Kilo Newton- is a measurement of force an object can withstand before breaking. 1 Kn is equal to approximately 225 pounds or 175 pounds falling 10 feet. Kinetic Chain- refers to the human body as a complete chain in regards to movement. Every muscle is connected to each other through a complex network of muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. Maximal Effort- during exercise, exerting the greatest force or enduring the longest duration possible. This is not recommended for beginners or youth performing exercise or for people recovering from injury or long periods of rest. Medial- refers to a point close to the midline of the body ex: elbow is medial to the wrist Medical Practitioner- An individual who practices health care as a doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor or other medical professional. It is recommended you talk with a health care provider prior to engaging in a new fitness program to ensure you are in proper condition and cleared for activity. Movement phase- also known as the acceleration, action or motion phase. When all force is directed towards an equal goal. Open Chain exercise- Exercise where your hands or feet are not fixed and able to move independently without recruiting other muscles. examplebicep curl Outdoor Fitness- the idea that the exercises you perform are done so to support your outdoor lifestyle and activities. Outdoor Fitness emphasizes more on skill development and natural movement rather than purely aesthetics.

Overtraining- this can refer to performing too many repetitions of one exercise or performing exercise without the proper rest periods between. Overtraining can lead to overuse joint injuries and soft tissue damage. Overtraining can also refer to performing an exercise with too heavy of a load. This can be dangerous to the user and poses a high risk of injury and should be avoided.

APPENDIX

128

Personal Trainer- An individual with expert knowledge of the human body, movement, training modalities, assessment procedures and safety. Should also be viewed as educators, motivators and as an excellent resource to learn and develop ideas from. Plyometric- or Plyo's, are a type of exercise designed to produce fast and powerful movements. Plyometric exercises exert maximal muscular force in the shortest amount of time using dynamic muscular lengthening and shorten cycles. PNS- Peripheral Nervous System is the network of nerves outside that of the brain and spinal cord. The PNS main function is to communicate information to the CNS. This can be in the form of feedback from an outside source such as when lifting an object. Your PNS communicates with your CNS and asks it for directions. Your CNS will then instruct your PNS to complete the movement. Posterior- refers to the back of the human body ex: hamstrings are on the posterior side of the body. Pronation- similar to inversion in reference to the foot, Pronation also refers to the wrist or forearm facing downward or "palms down". Prone- position of the body in which you are "facing down". Proprioception- refers to one's own, individual sense of relative position of neighboring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement. Subconscious understanding of your body's position in space relative to movement. QUAD- refers to the UNIT when being used in full suspension mode. It incorporates two UNIT straps and handle sets. Extreme Caution should always be used with QUAD training and a spotter is always recommended while in use. Range of Motion- As used in the medical and fitness communities, range of motion refers to the distance and direction a joint can move between the flexed position and the extended position. Reaction Training- Style of training that focuses on the Central Nervous System and how effectively it can communicate to the rest of the body. Reaction training uses thought and movements to achieve a task. This style of training is important to focus on as is promotes healthy brain function and increases your ability to react quickly in real life situations. Examples include Slacklining, Racquetball, Kettlebell flipping & Trail Running. Recovery Phase- Analysis phase used after deceleration to regain balance and position before the next movement. Resistance Training- style of physical training that focuses on muscular development through repetitive movement of a load by a muscle or muscle group. Resistance can come in the form of free weights, body weight, elastic tubing, grocery bags and more. Rotator Cuff- Group of muscles that maintain dynamic stability of the glenohumeral joint. Consists of the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor. Sagittal Plane- is a vertical plane which passes from front to rear dividing the body into right and left halves. Stability Training- style of training the focuses on joint and total body stability in movement and while static. Stability training should be a foundational component of any training program as it develops joint control and proprioception that will benefit other training modalities. Stance Phase- Analysis phase that allows the body to assume an efficient position before the next movement. Static- meaning no movement. If reference to stretching, performing stretches in which you hold or gradually increase the pull. In exercise referring to pausing or holding an exercise for a period of time. A Plank would be a static exercise. Static- refers to action with no movement. An example of a static exercise would be a Plank or Wall Sit in which the body is still exerting effort but no movement is visible. Strength Training- style of training that focuses on increasing work output from a muscle or muscle group. Strength training requires heavier loads than generally comfortable and requires longer rest periods for recovery. A good foundation in stability training is required before focusing too heavily on strength training.

APPENDIX

129

Stretch shortening- refers to the unloading of a muscle or muscular system immediately before performing a muscular contraction with that muscle or muscle group. Super Set- refers to two exercises being performed in succession to each other. These exercises can be complimentary, opposing or to provide relief. ex: Pushup followed by Tricep Dip or Pushup followed by Row or Pushup followed by Squat. All supersets will provide different effects. Supination- similar to Eversion in reference to the foot, Supination also refers to the wrist or forearm facing up or "palms up". Supine- position of the body in which you are "facing up". Synergist- Muscles that help refine movement by assisting the agonist. Transverse Plane- is an imaginary plane that divides the body into superior and inferior parts. (top and bottom). The Transverse Plane often referrers to rotational movements in which the body travels through multiple planes at once. example: shoveling snow TruFit Ambassador- Ambassadors are Personal Trainers, Coaches, Athletes, Outdoor Enthusiasts', Parents, Teachers and Students who work together to support and pass on the TruFit lifestyle and training ideas. UNIT Anchors- use UNIT anchors when attaching the UNIT to an overhead bar that is generally out of reach. Toss one end over the bar and then clip both ends into the overhead carabiner. Attaching the UNIT strap to the carabiner, you are now able to work out and remove your extension when complete. UNIT- the UNIversal Trainer is a body weight training system that incorporates rock climbing grade components to provide a safe multi-functional training experience. The UNIT supports numerous styles of training and abilities from rehabilitation to extreme sport conditioning.

TEST

130

TEST

131

NOTES _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

PROGRAM SHEET PROGRAM NAME ______________________________________ GOAL ________________________________________________ DATE ________________________________________________ Warm up- time / exercises

1. _________ _____________________________________________ 2. _________ _____________________________________________ 3. _________ _____________________________________________ 4. _________ _____________________________________________ 5. _________ _____________________________________________ 6. _________ _____________________________________________ 7. _________ _____________________________________________ 8. _________ _____________________________________________ 9. _________ _____________________________________________ 10. _________ _____________________________________________

Cardiovascular Training time/ exercise

_______________________________________________________________________________

KEY TAKEAWAYSYour body is amazing and works together piece by piece to create the strength, stability and movement you enjoy every day. Understanding the body and nutrition at an above average level will help you prepare for a life filled with challenges and rewards. We need to move more in all directions. UNIT Training is different for every user and special attention should be taken prior to use to ensure proper safety measures being followed. QUAD Training can be dangerous if not familiar with your abilities and UNIT Training. If knowledge is power, then you can be the most powerful person to those around you. Set the example and help others who want to join the party.

Everybody can use a helping hand.

TRUFIT PLEDGE

I will exercise and train properly to ensure my body is prepared for whatever I decide to do. I will eat in a way that maintains a healthy weight while keeping my body energized for activity. I will respect and help others in achieving an active lifestyle. I view my knowledge and experience as a resource in re-shaping their world. I will respect the natural world and will do my part to protect and clean up the earth and the oceans. I will listen to myself and to avoid negative influences that suggest I damage or destroy my body. I will explore the earth and within myself to discover my capabilities and true potential. I will believe in my abilities and disregard anybody who doesn't. I will always move forward towards my goals looking back only to learn and smile at my accomplishments.

TruFit Trainer Course Instructional Manual www.GetTruFit.com