PUTTING OS/DVRT: DYNAMIC STRENGTH TO USE

by Steve "Coach Fury" Holiner
OS Lead Instructor, Master DVRT, MFF Coach, Master RKC

While the OS/DVRT: Dynamic Strength Workshop focuses on using the OS resets and the use of DVRT and Ultimate Sandbags, the training approach can apply to many things. One of the main goals in Dynamic Strength is to focus on building an amazing base of reflexive strength. In many forms of lifting, we focus on creating high tension tactics to lift and move things. These tension tactics have proven themselves to be worthy, but what if we lack a foundation of reflexive core, strength and stability? To physically thrive in life, I believe that our reflexive strength is more important than the high tension strategies.Why? Reflexive strength doesn't lie. It's not cheat. 

I may be able to press a kettlebell that I'm not truly ready for by generating a ton of feed forward tension. If my reflexive strength is on point, I won't need the same tension generation to press the same bell. It's not solely that I might be physically stronger, it's that a strong reflexive base will allow my body and mind to move more efficiently. Reflexive strength takes the brakes off. When we take the brakes off, we soar! 

One of the big takeaways from the attendees at the first Dynamic Strength Workshop was how to pair and program the resets with the DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training  System to create, enhance and enforce movement patterns. I personally think the next big surprise was the way I coached movements with using phrases like "get tight". Don't get me wrong, we generate tension, we just do it reflexively. Confused? Let me show you an example of Dynamic Strength training session that also involves a kettlebell to explain how I select exercises. Here's a session that I had posted on Instagram. Let's break this down into each exercise and why I chose it. 

BOTTOMS UP KETTLEBELL PRESSES: Bottoms up presses (BUP) are great for building healthy shoulders and an optimal overhead pressing groove. From a DS perspective, I love this press because you generate all the tension you need by squeezing the handle of the kettlebell. You MUST squeeze the crap out of it to keep the bell from tipping. The force needed for this grip, will automatically fire up your lats and abs. Keep driving your feet into the floor and the glutes will reflexively be turned on as well. All in all, we're building a solid press with a strong reflexive base. Big win with the BUP!

PISTOL SQUATS TO BOX: Good things happen when people spend some quality time on one leg. Balance is reflexive in nature and is directly tied into our vestibular system (VS). The coordination needed to maintain pelvic control, mobility, stability and balance is worth investing in. I like to use a box to manage how low people go. This allows them to stress less about depth and focus on moving. Pistols take patience. No rush here. 

Fury Industries own Kim "Coach Destroyer" Darmstadt working on pistols. 

L-SITS: Honestly, I had nearly forgotten how beneficial L-sits are. Heads up that a person will need a certain amount of strength going into these. The simplicity in cueing and bang for the buck are why L-sits are one of the most perfectly reflexive exercises. 

Coach Destroyer's putting our homemade parallettes to good use. 

Here's the cueing: Sit between the parallettes and grip them. Push down to extend your arms. pick your knees up, then extend your legs and hold. 

What do you feel? Oh, everything! These really nail the core and tie the entire body together. 

I placed these after the pistol squats because a person's core will light up and that will have direct carry over into the next set of pistols. The L-sit also helps people get used to pulling the legs up as in the bottom of the pistol. 

USB TALL KNEELING AROUND THE WORLDS: I seriously put these in every program I write. I placed these as the last exercise to act as a reset and a mobility drill. Tall kneeling around the worlds will open up your hips and shoulders and get your X firing up big time. The shifting of the sand within the USB and the midline crossing of the movement do a wonderful job of knitting the entire body together and is a great segue into a rest break.

My fellow MFF Coach, Mr. Wonderful Geoff Hemmingway shows us how it's done. 

Every session should have a purpose. I hope this break out not only shows where I came to it, but helps you create some cool new ideas of your own. I also hope that you can search for new ways to getting people stronger without adding plates or telling folks to "get tighter". There are so many different avenues we can use to approach training. I hope this article shed some light into how I chose mine. 

If you want learn more about OS/DVRT: Dynamic Strength, please join me at the second workshop. It will be held during OS Recess Week in Fuquay-Varina, NC on May 20th. It will be well worth you time. 

You can register here: OS/DVRT: DYNAMIC STRENGTH

Thanks for your time!

-Fury

Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner’s superhero headquarters is Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC. Fury’s an Original Strength Lead Instructor, Master DVRT, Master RKC and creator of the OS/DVRT: Dynamic Strength Course. He is available for classes, semi-privates, instructor training and programming at MFF. Fury offers personalized online training. Check out coachfury.com, facebook.com/coachfury Instagram@iamcoachfury and Twitter @coachfury for more info.