My coach, Scott Sonnon, posted a very cool video on youtube that I would like to share with you today. It’s just a quick demonstration of him performing his daily personal practice. Most of the movements are considered joint mobility exercises.

(*Note: If you haven’t caught all of the posts in the joint mobility series here at FatBurningBlog, click on the title of this post and scroll down to see a list of the other posts we have put up - but make sure to watch the video in this post first!)

One philosophy that Sonnon and I share is that a beautiful physique comes as a by-product of abundant health. Sonnon seeks health first, and you can tell in this video that this route naturally produces a lean, powerful body that reminds me of a Greek sculpture.

Let me tell you up front that the bottom line when it comes to joint mobility and fat loss is that having a full range of motion at each joint is paramount to fat loss success. I can’t say enough about the benefits I have experienced using this type of training, and I sincerely hope that you are inspired to try it out and realize first-hand how powerful joint mobility truly is.

Along with the joint mobility exercises, you’ll also see Sonnon performing some vibration techniques, some of which I use in my own training. I do get a lot of funny looks when doing these in my yard or at the local YMCA, but the benefits are unquestionable - and I’ll take better health if it only costs some smirks and chuckles from my wife and strangers. I just mention it so that you don’t confuse them with some third-world Shaman ritual - these vibration techniques are not religious by nature, only scientifically-based strategies for relieving tension and stress. Sure, they look a little funny, but they are super effective!

Sonnon FREE TO MOVE Joint Mobility

I wanted to post this because I’d like you to see how truly amazing a daily personal practice can become with consistency. Scott is the creator of this program, and has been using it daily for over a decade himself - so it makes sense that he is a master of his own movement. He is one of my greatest inspirations, and I hope that his movement mastery grabs your attention as it does mine.

I want to encourage you that you can achieve any manner of mastery if you put your mind and effort into it daily. The last thing I want is for you to assume that these movements are unreachable for you. You can move with grace and fluidity, flow! But it must start with a daily personal practice. The exercises in the video are considered advanced versions of the beginner levels. There is nothing outlandish about these movements when you understand that they are just the next level of sophistication - just the next logical step that anyone will reach with practice. Almost all of the exercises in this video are taught extensively in Scott’s joint mobility DVD program Intu-Flow.

You can read my review of Intu-Flow by clicking here.

Or visit Scott’s site directly at http://www.rmaxi.com/products/ifcomplete.htm

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. If you have ANY questions about joint mobility, Intu-Flow, or Sonnon, please let me know using the comment feature below. I would be happy to help!

There has been quite a bit of buzz surrounding joint mobility programs lately, and it’s easy to get a little confused for those who want to apply this to their fat loss goals. This mini-article will help to explain some of the finer points of joint mobility training, so that you know how to best utilize this for your fat burning program. Read on for some common myths about joint mobility.

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I promised you a video progression on intermediate foot and ankle joint mobility exercises to keep you healthy and help you with your fat loss goals, so here it is. If you haven’t tried practicing the beginner versions yet, please reference this video article here: Beginner Level Ankle Joint Mobility

If you are ready for a more challenging variation to get a little deeper into the soft-tissues, and give your joints a full washing - to prepare you for fat burning activities, then check out this new clip:

Intermediate Ankle Joint Mobility Preview

My recommendations are to do this as an ankle warmup prior to walking, jogging, or bicycling. This is also a great progression to use when you will be doing squatting or lunging activities, or any lower body intensive training at all. It can also be done as part of a morning wake-up to start your body “fresh” for the day. And it is especially useful after training, as a cooldown, to decompress the joints and restore nutrition to those areas which will aid in your recovery. The most important thing is that you actually do it - a little bit of practice everyday will go a long way.

Keep in mind that the intermediate level isn’t necessarily better than the beginner level. In fact, you can receive full benefits from the exercises in the beginner routine if you need to recover any of your range of motion. The intermediate version is a means of sophisticating the movement to allow you to increase your coordination. It is not something to seek after as a goal, but something that you should allow to happen as a by-product of your consistent practice of the beginner level movements. You will eventually notice that your body wants more movement - almost as if your movement is ready and waiting to “grow.” It’s an intuitive process, which is why it is imperative that you are entirely focused on each joint mobility exercise you are doing - completely in the moment with no distractions. This is how training for fat loss should be anyway - an active process that you are consciously aware of.

Try out the exercises and let us know if you need any help!

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. The beginner and intermediate levels are just the beginning. Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow program is a four-level complete system for movement health including advanced and mastery level exercises respectively: http://www.rmaxi.com/products/intu-flow.html

Mobility is super-important when it comes to our ankle joints and our fat burning goals. Having healthy ankles means that you will be protected from twisted ankles, sprains, and unsafe movement patterns that will lead to accumulated stress over time - which means you can keep your fat loss training program going.

Our bodies are incredibly efficient at adapting to proper and improper movement patterns, but this isn’t always a good thing. When our feet and ankles lack their full range of motion, that needed mobility is obtained from other areas of the body - places like the knees, hips, and lower back. The downside to this is that eventually, those areas will become injured from repetitive misuse. Our spine should not have to compensate for what the ankles are lacking in. Regardless, healthy ankle mobility is a must when our goal is fat loss, so we can keep walking, running, and strength training. Here is a sample video for you to begin recovering your foot and ankle range of motion:

Beginner Level Ankle Joint Mobility Preview

Having healthy feet and ankles is so important for those with fat loss goals, that I’m going to make an intermediate level video so you can progress safely. Stay tuned for the next episode!

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. If you have enjoyed this joint mobility information, feel free to check out Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow program here: http://www.rmaxi.com/products/intu-flow.html

You can try this quick joint mobility routine sitting right here at the computer. This is a great way to decompress the joints in your neck and wash them with lubrication after you have been sitting for extended periods of time. It’s low-tech, but with a high payoff!

The one thing to keep in mind is not to move into pain. A little bit of discomfort is ok, but pain should be avoided. If you’ve never done something like this before, be especially careful on the lateral exercises. Try it out:

Let us know how you like this video and if you have any questions about how to perform each exercise. Comments are welcome!

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. For more information about joint mobility training, I recommend Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow program here: http://www.rmaxi.com/products/intu-flow.html

One of my first exposures to joint mobility exercises was an enlightening experience, but it certainly didn’t go the way I expected or wanted. All throughout the class, after being taught each exercise, my body still did not know what to do. I would think to myself, “I can’t move my neck like that,” and at the time I really couldn’t. I had a plethora of pre-conditions, one of which is called Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) - what happens when certain muscles forget how to contract properly (or at all). It really frustrated me seeing someone else being able to enjoy the freedom of movement that I couldn’t even mimick - the coach being 54 years old at the time. When the coach was tilting, I was twisting; when he was bending, I was rolling. I was even used as a class example of what NOT to do!

The beginner level exercises were excruciating. I was aghast at how something that looks so easy and is at a beginner-level could be so challenging for me. I was accustomed to performing well at fitness or athletic activities. Well, joint mobility broke me down. And I don’t even want to bring up the intermediate exercises - bad memories. Thankfully, we didn’t advance any further than the intermediate level. I already looked pretty goofy by actually trying to keep up with the rest of the class.

The only way I can describe that experience was that it was like wearing a straight jacket around my entire body, all wrapped up in agony and immobility.

While I had used joint mobility exercises in pieces, here and there, I had never taken an entire class before. It was a humbling experience, and I knew that I had to work on restoring my range of motion. Little did I know that I was about to unlock a door to movement mastery and lifelong benefits.

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If you have been following along with the fat burning blog for awhile, you have probably heard Kyle and I mention joint mobility a few times. This little-known, yet quickly emerging method of exercise is starting to take a prominent place in some of today’s fitness programs, and it is very important for those who have fat loss goals. There have been several joint mobility programs that have been developed over the past few years, and there is a good reason why - these exercises work! I have seen joint mobility exercises prescribed as a method of rehabilitation, prehabilitation, workout warmup, and athletic enhancement. It has even been referred to as the fountain of youth. This brief article will explain what joint mobility is, why it’s important for your fat loss goals, how you can get started using it today.

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