Mobility Made SIMPLE

Building and maintaining fantastic mobility and longevity

Mobility Made Simple has 2 workouts but you could also break this stuff up throughout your week:

Workout 1

1. Forward and Backward Hill/Treadmill, 4 x 10 seconds each

This is the first key realization for me.

I believe a HILL is the fundamental “cardio” machine.

Humans have naturally gone up and down hills regularly until modern times.

[For those who would like to see a live demo of this article, click here.]

Also, the biggest difference I’ve observed between students and teachers this past year as a volunteer is SPRINTING.

The students sprint.

The teachers don’t.

This is not the teachers’ fault.

There are 60 million treadmills in existence and I believe more of them should be HILL-style, without electricity to spin the belt for you.

When your strength is responsible for spinning the belt, you strengthen your backside muscles differently than the electric treadmills you see in gyms.

THESE ARE ALSO CHEAPER TO PRODUCE since you are delivering the energy to spin the belt.

To be clear: I designed my 1.0 treadmill as the world’s lowest-priced treadmill which allows resisted BACKWARD walking.

Resistance backward (via sleds) helped me get my knees off painkillers 15 years ago and set up my success as a coach.

Our 2.0 (not pictured for privacy reasons with our factory) is about twice the size and thus will cost twice as much.

It works perfectly. The first full batch with instructions and packaging etc. is estimated for October.

If you have any further questions on 1.0 vs. 2.0, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Conclusion: I think hills, forward and backward (backward safely strengthens the ability to go downhill), are more fundamental cardio machines than electric treadmills, bikes, and rowers, all of which have benefits but none of which come before the ability for humans to run up and down hills.

Last Note: I personally bought a fleet of my treadmills and fleets of the most well-known rowers and air bikes for the school. EVERY SINGLE ROWER AND AIR BIKE HAS BROKEN AT LEAST ONCE and the facilities director has given up on continual repairs for some of them. Meanwhile, my treadmills, which I ordered before the rowers and bikes, have continued to work with ZERO MAINTENANCE.

This has given me additional reason to see HILLS as even more fundamental than bikes and rowers.

Last Last Note: ACTUAL HILLS ARE FREE. It feels good to know I’ll spend the rest of my life marketing something that you can also access without paying me a dime!

USA weather is heading into the best months of the year for actual hills.

My advice on actual hills:

1. Ensure it’s not slippery.

2. Ensure there aren’t loose sticks/rocks etc.

3. When you go DOWN, go slower than normal. This reduces potential knee injury and increases strengthening in and around your knees. With real hills, think: “Fast up, down slow.”

[Continuing with the program…]

Optional Calf Raise to loosen up and strengthen ankle: 1-2 x Burnout

2A. Deep Lunge Progression, 2 x 10 per side

2B. Deep Lunge Progression to the Side, 2 x 10 per side

2C. Deep, Slow Back Extension, 2 x Burnout

This is the next big observation for me.

What if you patiently get strong and flexible forward, laterally, and through your backside?

What if you got good at all 5 exercises pictured so far?

Could you build and maintain fantastic mobility and longevity with those 5? This is the simplest training in my 18 years of coaching people.

The information above summarizes the most important observations from my last year of work.

Reminder: Each of these last 3 exercises can be progressed from very gentle levels.

[I think we need elevated platforms with a slight slant on top, but this is just a bonus. Almost anything sturdy - such as a stairwell - can reduce the level of strength and flexibility demand. My first ATG USA podium batch won’t take long since they’re made right here in the USA and don’t have to ship across the ocean.]

[Continuing with the program…]

Optional Hex Squat (or any other squat you like) to further strengthen your legs 1-5 x 5-10

Here’s my last commentary for this article:

HOW STRONG do you get?

Upon the 5 fundamentals shown above, this is now a huge personal variable.

The simplest I’ve found so far for my goals (basketball, jumping, knee protection) is using a hex bar - which reduces the chances of lower back injury - PLUS a slanted podium to allow for smooth, full squats. This has been an immediate winner for my top basketball trainees.

However, my MOTHER will not do these hex squats.

She DOES work on the 5 exercises pictured prior, though! (And she’s a badass 72-year-old! I’ll get more footage of her soon.)

From my kids to my parents to my own body, the 5 exercises above give me a coaching foundation for life.

[Now I’ll finish listing the program…]

Optional Pigeon Pose 1 x 45 seconds - folks who sit on the floor don’t tend to need this one as much. Folks like me who went many years without floor-sitting tend to feel good with a bit of love here.

Optional Upper Circuit:

Bodyweight Row, 1 x Burnout

Full Push-up, 1 x Burnout

Face Pull, 1 x 10-20

Workout 2

1. Forward and Backward Hill/Treadmill, 4 x 10 seconds each

Optional Calf Raise to loosen up and strengthen ankle: 1-2 x Burnout

2A. ATG Lunge Progression, 2 x 10 per side

2B. Cossack Squat Progression, 2 x 10 per side

2C. Back Extension, at least 2 x Burnout

Optional Ham Curl for extra knee and speed support, 1-2 x 10-20

Optional QL for extra lower back protection, 1-2 x 10-20

Optional Pigeon Pose, 1 x 45 seconds

Optional Upper Circuit:

Pull-up, 1-2 x Burnout

Full Shoulder Press, 1-2 x 8-12

Face Pull, 1-2 x 10-20

I think we’re still EARLY in the game of making fantastic mobility SIMPLE for virtually everyone to apply.

I will keep improving both the tools and my ability to explain them.

Yours in Solutions,

Ben

For form-coaching: https://www.atgonlinecoaching. com

For the equipment shown: https://www.atgequipment.com

To see if there’s an in-person coach near you: https://map.atgforcoaches.com