A sledgehammer is great at doing it’s job, but there’s not else it can do. Are you going to put it on your desk like a paperweight? Didn’t think so. I like tools that allow you to use them within a broader system. In the movement world, this allows for nearly infinite exercise variations.
Think about barbells, dumbbells, suspension trainers; you can’t really run out of exercises, can you? A good coach should be able to train based on movement, with nearly any piece of equipment, nearly anywhere. That’s why I’m a huge fan of this line from Alwyn Cosgrove:
Give me a ValSlide, maybe a mini band, about eight square; I’ll break you.
The ValSlide is a plastic and foam disc invented by Valerie Waters that allow you to manipulate training intensity using friction. Here’s a good description from Val and Alwyn:
Alrighty, let’s try it out.
Yesterday I began following Brandon Lilly’s “Cube Method” and after squatting and deadlifting, it was time for my accessory work. My goal was to include posterior chain work, a single leg variation, and some anterior core work. When I finished deadlifting, the weight room was packed, but that’s fine. Alwyn’s challenge came to mind.
Using two ValSlides and a carpet square I set forth attacking my accessory work. Thee specific variations that I used were as follows:
- ValSlide Supine Hip Extended Leg Curl
- ValSlide Suitcase Reverse Lunge
- ValSlide Body Saw
- ValSlide Plank with Hip Abduction.
Those 4 exercises nicely hit the posterior chain and anterior core, and this operation was a go. Here’s a video of the 4 exercises:
The entire details of this training session are on my Fitocracy account, but I’ll tell you that I did 3 rounds with 8-10 reps per exercise. I’d recommend between 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps for most. Sure, there are times to use higher or lower numbers. If you’re looking for a quick circuit to include in your training, give this one a try. If you don’t have ValSlides, you can pick them up HERE.
Let me know how the ValSlide circuit goes!
Harold Gibbons 