program design with Twist Conditioning - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[Steelie]

I am a level 1 Twist Sport Conditioning Coach and have trained for about 5 years, I am continuing with Twist into level 2 and will into level 3. I am looking at one of the basic prog. designs of balance, push/pull, agility and core. Would you do all balance moves, all push/pull, all agility and then all core or would you cycle one of each per compound?

[rbd]

I would say it depends on your goals.

I think some of the balance stuff and some of the twist stuff is missing the point a little on balance training, especially there focus on the bosu trainer. It has its place, but some of the stuff I have seen being done on it is really missing the point. I think we have missed the point of what balance vs stability and our training goals. Research is showing this also if you look at some of the unstable tools and muscle recruitment. I was just at a conference with JC Santana and he was talking about this same thing and how is work has even been misinterpreted over the years and that most of the unstable devices and there applications are off base. Most balance stuff should be done on the ground where we operate - maybe just a little on this unstable stuff.

I guess if I am understanding your question you could use that type of format in circuit type training, but comes back to your clients goals and what you are trying to get out of the training session. I think you could also do it in compounds - if I am undertanding what you are thinking about compounds, as being exercises done back to back with some type of rest interval. It all comes back to can you rationalize every exercise and every program you are doing.

I hope this helps and opens this up for further discussion.

[Steelie]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I appreciate the information and I too agree that most balance stuff should be done on the ground as practical as possible. However, I was asking more for specifics on whether to group common exercises together before moving on, for example, starting with balance, then upper push/pull, followed by speed/agility, then core. So would I have my clients execute say 4 exercises/drills for balance, then 4 for push / pull, the 4 speed, then 4 core or balance(1), upper push and pull(1), 1 speed drill and 1 core exercise then progress each movement when we come back to it the second, 3rd and even 4th time in a circuit/compound such as that?

[rbd]

Sorry for the misunderstanding, but that is what happens in forums.

If I am undestanding what you are looking for it still would depend on your goals for the client. For example, you would not want to do fatigued speed work, unless they were at a point in your conditioning program were that might be warranted, so for most you would do that earlier in the training program. The grouping would depend on what you are looking to achieve with the client and your exercise session/program. I guess it all comes down to stepping back and can you rationalize everything you are doing in your program and is the program going to give you the desired result. So I guess the question is hard to answer because it really depends and to you need to do all 4 exercises for one biomotor ability before the other. I hope this isn't more confusing, but interesting topic.

[Christina]

Can someone explain Twist Conditioning? Thanks.

Christina

[Steelie]

I appreciate your response, and I understand what you've written as I also agree. I'm looking at a program of workouts 3 times per week (resistance) and 2 times/week of endurance, running, biking, swimming, etcc.. I was just hoping to find if for example we're training, balance, upper push/pull, speed, and core stability, would you circuit 1 exercise for each and do 4 compounds that way including one of each or would you bunch them in terms of all balance work, then move on to push/pull work, then speed, then core with "x" number of exercises for each?
Without really getting into what each is good for or how to design the program..I'm looking for an answer to the question of all balance exercises for the day then all push/pull for the day, all speed exercises for the day, then all core exercises for the day?

[rbd]

I am with you now. Personally I would do one each for a compound of 4 exercises over doing all of one quality for 4 then another quality for 4. You could do it both ways for different training goals, such as doing various metabolic protocols for upper body or lower body. Doing one each would allow you to do more of a circuit fashion, since it doesn't seem like you are overly focused on one biomotor ability and I have used these types of complexes very effectively over the years and client find it alot more fun. This way you are not overly fatiguing one quality, unless that is your training goal. I like using complexes to train a variety of things and get more work done in less time. I hope this adds to what you have already added.