MoveNat- From The Ground Up. Video Notes

https://www.movnat.com/our-journal/

https://www.movnat.com/category/our-journal/from-the-ground-up/

On Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user38136875

Here are my notes from the MovNat video series, “From The Ground Up”.

These are not workouts. They are instruction. I think they are the best place to start.

I can’t generally watch videos and practice, so I watch the videos, take notes, then try it. I’ve added screenshots when a written description wasn’t sufficient for me, but these notes aren’t intended to make sense if you didn’t just watch the video. Notes in italics are mine, generally relevant info from other videos.

The videos cover:

1: Ground Movements: Various sitting & kneeling movements. Hip & ankle mobility. Core and shoulder stability.

2: Crawling. On hands and knees, then on hands and feet. Contralateral - opposite side hands and feet move together. Start with one side short and one side long.

3: Balance. Practice counterbalancing, standing on one leg, and on a low 4 inch beam

4: Hip Hinge. Deadlift form, demonstrated with kettlebell. Initially cued from kneeling.

5: Climbing: Hanging foot pinch. The first step in the first progression for getting over a bar. Hang facing lengthwise along bar, and grab bar with your feet.

6: Depth Jump: basic landing technique, on toes, bent knees.

7: Sliding Swing Up: First method for getting up onto a bar.

8: Lapping, Waist Carry: Bring lifted load to lap, adjust grip, and carry

9: Balance Reverse: two methods - cross step reverse and pivot reverse, both from standing

10: Tripod Vault: Tripod transition on ground, then as slow vault step

11: Depth Jump Progressions: explains concept of “Volume, Intensity, Complexity” in MovNat.

12: Balancing Progressions: another example of “VIC” principle.

From the Ground Up #1 : Ground Movements

https://www.movnat.com/ground-movements/

Props: Floor.

1) Glute bridge

2) Rocking up to bent sit position. Rocking forward/back, w/ fixed angle of torso. (like half boat)

3) Dynamic table position (lifting up and down) prep for inverted crawl  --^

4) ^-- Side-bent sit reverses (aka “lateral sit”) (can be “posted” - straight arms down for support)

5) From “low tripod” stance to hand/knee position   --^

 6) rocking forward/back from hand/knee position

7) From deep kneeling, stretching each arm up (hand on sternum) ---^

8) From deep kneeling shifting hips left, right                   --->

9) Tall kneeling to medium kneeling (sitting on heels, feet tucked)

10) slowly from tall kneeling to tall half kneeling (90-90 lunge)

11) from tall kneeling, to tall half-kneeling, to standing

(slow, hands on hips, even weight distribution on feet)

From the Ground Up #2: Crawling

https://www.movnat.com/crawling/

Props: ground

1) hand-knee position (shoulder stability)

2) test contralateral stability on hands & knees:

Reach opposite arm forward and leg back, w/o collapsing lumbar or hip rotation.

3) contralateral knee-hand crawl,  without extraneous movement. hands and knees equal long steps

        To set up, make one side long, the other short. Bring knee on long side to wrist. (Toes tucked.)

        Move hand and knee at the same time.

4) Test contralateral stability on hands and feet. raise knees ~1inch. Raise opposite arm and leg.

5) contralateral foot/hand crawl. Keep knees low. Stay contralateral, hand and foot move together.

Bring knee right up to arm, don’t overreach with arms.

6) Inverted crawl - test shoulder mobility by scooting: butt, then both feet and hands. even steps.

7) contralateral inverted crawl. hips don’t have to be high.

From the Ground Up #3: Balance

https://www.movnat.com/balancing/

Props:         4” beam (a few inches off ground is good, for leg swing)

        [optional] Two medium-low targets (102ft high)

1) center of gravity awareness- hip width stance, hand on hips, shift COG to right or left foot.

2) simple balance: shift weight, heavy leg, empty leg. pick one straight leg up slightly forward

3) leg swing: lift slightly at hip, swing straight leg front/back

4) 4” beam walk (just slightly off ground) slow, nice leg swing.

5) counterbalancing: two low (1-2ft) targets just outside and in front of either foot.

stand on one leg, and while remaining primarily in frontal plane, touch one, then the other, counterbalancing with the free leg. (Standing on each leg, touch both left and right target)

6) repeat on 4” beam.  (targets can be real or imagined)

From the Ground Up #4: Hip Hinge
https://www.movnat.com/hip-hinge/

Props: 6” box, kettlebell.

• Hands and knees, hands on 6” box. Step foot to half kneeling.
• Rocking front/back in half kneeling, hands on box next to front foot. Neutral back, no rib flare.

• If tight, explore rocking left/right.

• Squat: step back foot up to the same position of front foot

• Shift back as far as you can, check alignment. Neutral spine.
• Stand, then back to squat, then back down to tall kneeling, one leg at a time
• Repeat sequence - stand, squat, kneel

• Kettlebell - shoulder width stance, kb directly between feet

• Squat down with same hinge, to post arms on kb
• Stand up w/o kb, then a few reps w/ kb.

From The Ground Up #5: Hanging Foot Pinch

https://www.movnat.com/hanging-foot-pinch/

PROPS: Bar - wide enough for foot pinch, 2-3ft clearance overhead, and high enough for dead hang.

• Dead hang: jump to bar. thumbless grip, active shoulders, no rib flare (open shoulders)
• Scap pulls: straight arms, draw scap down, push bar forward, bring straight legs forward
• Remedial scapular stabilization: half dog. Push hands down to engage core.
• Front hang: face longways down pole. thumbless grip. Open shoulders, no rib flare.

• Just hang. Keep facing longways. Build to 10s hang
• Scap pulls, x5 (legs lift, push bar forward, etc)
• If that is solid (smooth & controlled), progression is:

• knee tuck
• Foot pinch w/ swing momentum (bar between soles, not crossed ankles)
• Foot pinch w/o momentum

From The Ground Up #6: Depth Jump

https://www.movnat.com/ground-part-6-depth-jump/

Prerequisite: full deep knee bend (arms out forward), in and out with control.

Equipment : box/etc approx thigh high.

• Vertical jump to practice landing in shallow knee bend: on toes, but only halfway down

• Hold landing position until steady, then come up.

• Step up onto box, come to deep knee bend to lower center of gravity.

• Jump off box - no specific target.
• Just enough leg power to get off the obstacle. Land as before, in shallow knee bend.
• Swing arms forward as you jump, they swing back naturally, and push them forward on landing.
• (Can practice holding landing position for 2 seconds.)

From The Ground Up #7: Swinging Up

https://www.movnat.com/ground-part-7/

PROPS: Bar - ideally long, high, thick bar, with overhead clearance.

Foot Pinch. Leg hook: outside leg swings up and over the bar, until crook of knee is against bar.

Forearm hang (w/ leg support)

(lay hand over hand. Point of elbows can be slightly over the bar. Shoulders down away from ears.)

Sliding swing up: swing straight leg for momentum.

Finishing in the Vertical Press Up position-----------------^. Get down with good depth-jump landing.

From The Ground Up #8: Lapping Waist Carry

https://www.movnat.com/ground-part-8/

PROPS: a moderately bulky weight, like a large sandbag.

Components of the waist carry : hip hinge, lapping, grip, carry

Hip hinge - already covered.

Hinge down and grab whatever part of the weight seems reasonable. Stand.

Lapping - to adjust the weight and get an appropriate grip for carry. 

Bring feet slightly together, pull weight just above knees, sit back.

Adjust or snug the weight in if needed.

Grip - Reach down between legs and under the weight, reach over and use proper grip.

“Gable grip” = palm to palm, thumbs alongside fingers, not crossed

Stand (using good hip-hinge technique) pulling weight in tight to body.

Carry - Don’t lean back, don’t shrug shoulders up, don’t let arms hang loosely.

To release, hinge down to seated, adjust grip to edges, stand. Hip hinge down to release.

From The Ground Up #9: Balance Reverse

https://www.movnat.com/ground-part-9-balancing-reverse-2/

PROPS: 4” Beam, on ground or slightly elevated

Cross Reverse (more stable)

• Step center of foot sideways onto beam, about one foot-length in front of the other
• Pivot on the ball of the other foot, while turning to look in the direction you are headed.

Pivot reverse (faster, less stable)

• Lift onto toes (just high enough for heels to clear ground)
• Look behind you
• Swivel hips quickly and powerfully
• Look at the beam, settle

Pivot reverse in split squat (back heel elevated)

(Not in video, but can practice transition from split squat to crawling, or sitting)

From The Ground Up #10: Tripod Vault

https://www.movnat.com/ground-part-10-tripod-vault/

PROPS: wide bar/etc, about waist high (~3-4ft)

Tripod Transition (on ground)

• From a long sit position with one arm posted, bring opposite knee up

• Don’t round the back. Knee is straight up.
• Can practice on toe of opposite leg, as flat foot is rarely used to vault

• Turn hips and let straight leg follow, to come to a (one-handed) high hand/foot crawl position.
• Use hand to push back into a deep hip hinge, and stand up.
• (Can also be practiced on a beam, or as if on a beam, straight leg and butt stay off ground.)

Tripod Vault

• Vertical press up

• both hands on obstacle, press up to straight arms, shoulders away from ears.

• Bring one foot up to obstacle - if insufficient hip mobility, work on deep squat first
• Lift inside arm up, transfer other foot through, land on one foot in preparation to run.
• Practice with increasing speed

• Look at the bar as you run up to it.
• Slightly before hand and foot touch bar, as soon as you are confident they will connect, look ahead to where you will land.

From The Ground Up #11 Depth Jump Progressions: Volume, Intensity, Complexity

https://www.movnat.com/ground-part-11-depth-jump/

From The Ground Up #12 Balance Progressions: Volume, Intensity, Complexity

https://www.movnat.com/from-the-ground-up-part-12-balancing-progressions/

Both of these last two videos cover the foundational theory of MovNat progressions.

Volume - in general, increasing reps or sets

Intensity

- for depth jump, increasing height of box, or distance of target

- for balancing, add weight (waist carry), split squat walk instead of walk

Complexity

- for jumps, smaller target

- for balance, add obstacle such as hurdle (dowel to step over)

- for balance, use higher beam. (Mostly psychological.)

        - (Routine training in low risk controlled environment, but try riskier once solid.)

- different surface (more “technical”)

        - balance on 6” diameter pipe instead of 4x4 beam

- (unstable, irregular, unpredictable, uneven, novel, more/less friction)

Note:

Stepping up onto high surface like beam, easy way: step into deep squat / deep knee bend, then rise.

        - (Shift weight to top leg, then lift unweighted low leg. Easier: use hand, like vaulting. )

        - (Stepping straight up is quicker, but harder and less stable, especially under load.)