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.

OS/DVRT DYNAMIC STRENGTH: LET'S DO LUNGE!

By Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner

Lead OS Instructor, Master DVRT, MFF Coach, Master RKC

The first OS/DVRT: Dynamic Strength Workshop successfully went down last month. At Dynamic Strength we teach people how to build and load movement patterns using the Original Strength Resets and DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training. While there are no hard and fast rules on which resets work with what type of lifts, I’ve come up with ones that do help. Today, let's do lunge. 

Lunges doesn’t get the love they deserve. Yet lunging is not only a great exercise, it is a basic human movement pattern and tied directly to walking. I’ve also found that people find moves like reverse lunges and split squats incredibly challenging. Why do so many folks struggle with lunging? There could be a plethora of reasons.

We're going to focus on two of the big ones.

The first roadblock people hit with lunging is often balance. An individual may not have the reflexive strength and stability to actually step back on one foot and stand up again while maintaining balance. This is where our focus in Original Strength on the vestibular system comes into play. Our vestibular system (or VS) is responsible for posture, balance and coordination. In one way, the VS allows our mind to know where the body is in space and it keeps us upright and not falling every time we take a step or turn our head.

The next hurdle people hit in lunging is the body/mind connection of actually planting and driving off of the rear foot as well as the lead leg. The rear leg becomes a kickstand in a reverse lunge and less of a driving force. Without a healthy VS system and a competent amount of reflexive stability, it is easy to lose the ability to decelerate their body as the rear foot steps back. On the flip side, while the lead leg is the key player, we need push through the floor with that rear foot to come back to an upright standing position.

What resets do you think will help with these issues?

  

I'll pick SKIPPING! 

I’ve found that skipping helps strengthen the VS, tie the body together and bring a sense of joy that may offset any stress about lunging. Lunging teaches us to create and absorb force through our feet from the ground up. Skipping also ties our X together nicely and reinforces a strong mind/body connection. 

Once we build a foundation with the reverse lunge the Ultimate Sandbag is an excellent option to load it. The dimension and/or shifting load of the USB make it an ideal implement to enhance our reflexive strength. It’s these USB properties and the application of the DVRT system that make OS and DVRT a match made in heaven.

The next time you or someone you know is having trouble lunging. Have them skip for a bit and see what happens.

Want to learn more? Come to the OS/DVRT: DYNAMIC STRENGTH WORKSHOP during OS Recess Week on May 20!

Register here: OS/DVRT Dynamic Strength

We hope to see you there!

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, and a Master RKC . He is available for classes, semi-privates, instructor training and programming at MFF. Check out coachfury.com, facebook.com/coachfury Instagram@iamcoachfury and Twitter @coachfury for more info.

TWO NAMED THE FIRST OS LEAD INSTRUCTORS

by Dani Almeyda | Mar 8, 2016

Original Strength Systems, Fuquay-Varina, NC awards the title of OS Lead Instructor

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 – Ric Garcia and Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner have accepted the offer extended by Original Strength to become the first instructors to be called Lead Instructors. As Lead Instructors, Ric and Steve will play a pivotal role in the development of the OS Certified Coaches seeking to become OS Instructors.

“Ric and Steve have consistently demonstrated not only excellence in their presentations as instructors, but have also demonstrated tremendous heart. They serve and love. These two attributes are the only two requirements we ask of our instructors, along with knowing how to effectively communicate OS as it is intended. We see both of these standards (to love and to serve) shining through them in workshops, their work, their communications and in their smiles. Both have a way of teaching, coaching, and caring, we hope all of our instructors strive to achieve” said Tim Anderson, founder of Original Strength and echoed by Geoff Neupert, co-founder of Original Strength, Dani Almeyda, co-owner of Original Strength and John Usedom, co-owner of Original Strength.

An OS Lead Instructor must have several years of experience using the OS system and teaching it to others in addition to another year of leading at least four OS Pressing RESET Workshops. They must also be OSSA Certified, have participated in the development of OS materials, be active in the OS online community and be willing to mentor and coach other members of the OS Family.

OS is the simplest, easiest to use movement restoration system ever created. People continuously seek a simple and effective way to move better or build strength and OS shows a profoundly simple way to do both. If you want to see for yourself how simple it is to live your life better, get to an OS Pressing RESET Workshop or find an OS Certified Coach trained to administer the Original Strength Screen and Assessment (OSSA) at OriginalStrength.net.

Original Strength Systems, located in Fuquay-Varina, NC (Raleigh area) teaches people how to move the way their body was designed to move using the human developmental movement patterns. The company helps people restore their strength, allowing people of all ages and physical abilities to do whatever they do, better! Visit OriginalStrength.net to learn more or contact John Usedom (John at Original Strength.net)