The following is a summary of Juan Carlos Santana’s 4 pillars of human performance. These
are the principles that JCS and IHP uses to train the highest level athletes in the world and interestingly, they are transferable
to ALL people.
Enjoy:
1. Locomotion and Standing
Ground based force production are the essence of human movement
- Training should cover various standing positions and challenge all planes of motion.
- Your training should cover single leg training that tie into the human gait cycle.
- Your training should involve counter rotation of the hips and shoulders, since locomotion is made possible by this rotational
movement.
2. Level Changes
Use a variety of progressions to raise and lower your center of gravity
Lower Body
- Training must include squatting, lunging, stepping and climbing.
- Training should provide symmetrical (stances that are aligned i.e. squat) and asymmetrical (stances that are not aligned
i.e. staggered squat stance or one foot in front of the other) stances and loading.
Using the Trunk
- Training must include flexion (bending forward) and extension (bending backwards)
- Do the above in all planes of motion (lateral, sagittal, rotation flexion/extension movements.)
Using Combinations
- Your training must reflect upper and lower body combinations use to efficiently lower and raise the body's center of mass.
3. Push/Pull
- If you bring your wrist towards you that's a pulling movement if you take your wrist away from you that's a pushing movement.
Example: The first part of throwing is Pulling i.e. the wrist is coming towards the body; the 2nd phase of throwing is pushing
because the wrist is moving away from the body.
4. Rotation force production & changes in direction
- The most important of the pillars Life and sport are about rotation, most people get injured in rotation. Why, well there
are many reasons why but here's a simple one; most people engage in programs that are dominated by traditional body building
sagittal plane isolated exercises (exercises dominated by forward & backward moving exercises).
- Responsible for the most explosive movement humans perform.
- The serape effect: Your training must engage the musculature consistent with its orientation (how the muscle functions)
basically Train 'hips & shoulders' synergistically.
Putting it all together
Train movements not muscles!
Here's an example of a program using IHP's 4 pillars. Focus: hypertrophy, 1a/1b means superset or do them together.
1a. Reebok Coreboard Squat with Rotation
1b. 180 - Alt Arm Cable Twist
2a. 1-Arm Swiss Ball Dumbbell Bench press
2b. Anterior reach (progress to a single leg)
3a. Close Grip Pull down
3b. Single Leg T-Pushup
4a. Dips
4b. Wood chop (top to bottom)
Conclusion:
By understanding and now utilizing this cutting edge information you have in your hands the tools to achieve your lifetime
fitness goals.
