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Knee ability zero the picture book

Picture book to help you fix your knees and develop them to be a menac...

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Nutrition & Biochemistry for Sport & Exercise (SPRT454)

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Students shared 17 documents in this course

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Leeds Beckett University

Academic year: 2019/2020

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Knee Ability Zero

THE PICTURE BOOK

{Author's Note: Go for it! Feel free to share this with anyone you know who could use it. My aim is for your ATG membership to be the best value you've ever received in fitness. The world kneeds these solutions, and those like you, who want full mastery and coaching, have been instrumental with your support. Rather than forcing you to remake all this on your own, think of my knowledge as your knowledge. Just as I've changed over a thousand lives, I hope you change a thousand more...}

INTRO

I can still remember being 4 years old and telling my best friend I was going to save up for a Michael Jordan rookie card. I worked odd jobs, saved every penny, and at age 6 I did it: I bought a Michael Jordan rookie card for one thousand dollars. I had no interest in toys: just Jordan.

First thing after waking up each day, I raced to the couch to turn on the TV, but not to watch cartoons...

(From the 1990 video "NBA Superstars")

An F-16 Fighting Falcon appears on the screen.

Michael Jordan enters the tunnel into the arena.

The F-16 approaches the runway, then Jordan steps onto the court.

The F-16 begins accelerating for takeoff, and Jordan begins dribbling down the court.

The F-16 gets faster. Jordan gets faster! F-16 - Jordan! Back and forth they go, till the F-16 lifts off and Jordan soars into the air for a dunk!

Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" begins to play, and slow motion highlights of Michael Jordan ensue.

Many hours a day I practiced these dunks on my Little Tike hoop in the garage. By age 9 I was waking up at 5am to do vertical jump programs before school. Thousands of nights I dreamed of dunking like Michael Jordan. Not once did I dream of lying half- naked on an operating table as doctors used markers to draw where they were going to cut me open.

Chronic knee pain secretly dominated my life starting at age 12. I remember during a fire drill at school, being worried that if a real fire broke out, I'd be the last one out,

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because unless I was warmed up, I couldn't even run, and I had to go up and down stairs very slowly to avoid the pain.

By 14 it was not so secret: my teammates and coaches nicknamed me "Old Man" because my knees were so stiff. I finished high school with scars on my knee, not even close to dunking a basketball, and with no college coaches interested in giving me a scholarship.

I recall the moment it hit home that my dream of being a basketball player had not succeeded. I had a real decision to make: What would I do with my life now? Would I choose a logical career and forget basketball, or would I devote my existence to figuring out how to bulletproof my knees?

I chose the latter, and began painting walls during the day to make money, while I studied and experimented with how to fix my knees.

A year went by with no results. In fact, I was certain I needed another surgery when a spark of truth finally presented itself...

"The athlete whose knees can go farthest and strongest over his or her toes is the most protected."

Everything I had been taught up to this point by dozens of trainers and physical therapists was very clear: NO KNEES OVER TOES - but when I read this statement, I immediately knew it was true.

I scrambled on the internet looking for examples of this, and the first video footage I found was from Australian Strength Coach Keegan Smith, a student of Charles Poliquin.

I became a student of Charles myself, and learned enough to get my knees to the point where I could play basketball with manageable pain. At age 21, I beat the odds and signed a college basketball scholarship with an up-and-coming coach named Jeremy Shulman. He was the only coach who gave me a shot, and I repaid him by becoming the starting point guard for his team and helping him win two straight conference championships. At age 23, I received a full-ride scholarship offer from Boston University. From unrecruited in high school, to Division 1 scholarship, local kids back home were reaching out to have me train them whenever I was in town: no one had ever heard of such a story, and people wanted to know how I had pulled it off.

Little did I know, the NCAA rule only allowed 5 years of eligibility to play sports after graduating high school, and my time was up. I assembled all my medical records, and Boston University appealed the ruling, but once again I was denied. It was suggested that I get a lawyer and fight the decision in time for the start of the season, but I knew it was meant to be: my purpose was to follow the clues I learned from Charles Poliquin, and see what I could achieve with knees over toes.

Fast forward to today, and at 29 years old I have the abilities I always dreamed of: I can DUNK, and not just a little bit: I've now trained many NBA players, and my style of on-court training involves playing against them one-on-one, followed by working on dunking ability.

It is still surreal for me, as a 6'1 guy who grew up unable to grab the rim, to teach 6'6"+ NBA players how to improve their dunks, and physically demonstrating the precise next dunk which would improve their game but which they cannot do yet, thanks to the system of knee training you are about to learn...

KNEE ABILITY ZERO

Knee Ability "Zero" is a program which requires zero weights, zero equipment, and zero special abilities to start. You can read, study the pictures, and follow right along! I will teach you how to perform each exercise with written explanation and visual demonstration. You will do the exercise, then come back to your book and read the "Why" behind the exercise. I will even give your exact sets, reps, and schedule , every step of the way through this book...

STEP 1: THE TIBIALIS RAISE

Your tibialis muscle is on the front of your lower leg. It acts both to flex your toes up, and to decelerate your foot when you walk, stop running, jump, etc., which you will see examples of when you get to the "Why" section for this exercise:

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To make the exercise easier, simply stand closer to the wall:

To make the exercise harder, stand farther from the wall:

Perform 25 consecutive reps, pausing 2 seconds at the top of each rep, and 2 seconds at the bottom of each rep, monitoring difficulty as you go. You may need to stand closer to the wall as your muscles burn out, or farther from the wall if you are feeling

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no challenge.

If you feel a significant burn by the end of the 25 reps, and no knee pain:

YOU JUST PUT MONEY IN THE BANK FOR YOUR BODY!

This is the beauty of Knee Ability: it is a program of pain-free ability, where our goal is never a win/lose situation, but rather degrees of winning only. Let's look at why that is...

WHY

You use your tibialis with every step you take:

When you play sports and decelerate or jump, you may put thousands of pounds of force into this muscle, and whatever force is not handled by the tibialis, goes directly up to your knee:

Look familiar? Yet no study has ever been done on strengthening this muscle. It's no surprise, though, considering 669% more money is spent studying acceleration than deceleration, leaving us with the unfortunate situation of sports injuries rising to epidemic levels, since the overwhelming majority of injuries - both chronic and acute - happen during deceleration mechanisms.

The tibialis is the decelerator of your foot, and your foot is your first point of contact, thus:

YOUR TIBIALIS IS YOUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST BOTH CHRONIC AND ACUTE LOWER BODY INJURIES.

So, why am I the first coach to bring the tibialis out of the shadows and into the spotlight in training? Well, I did not just go from "athlete" to "coach" - every step of the

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HOW

As soon as you finish your 25 Tibialis Raises, turn around, put your hands against the wall, and back up until your ankles are under enough stretch that your heels come slightly off the ground:

Without bending your knees or hips, raise up until your weight is on your big toes:

If this is too difficult, you can stand closer to the wall, or even use assistance:

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Perform 25 reps to the best of your ability, adjusting closer as necessary.

While the Tibialis Raise is likely to be very tough at first, the FHL Calf Raise is more likely to be easy, since the muscles involved are not quite as neglected as the tibialis. To perform one leg at a time, simply wrap the other leg around, which puts even more stretch into the ankle, and more difficulty into the flexor hallucis longus:

If 25 reps with two legs is easy, but with one leg is too difficult to perform without a break, simply stop at a number that challenges you, then match that number with your other leg, and return to your original leg, going back and forth until all 25 reps are complete. For example: 10 left leg, 10 right leg, 7 more left leg (total is at 17 now), 7 right leg, 5 left leg (total is at 22), 5 right leg, and finally 3 more each leg for a total of 25 each side.

WHY

In doing Knee Ability, you are going to be putting stimulus into your legs which may allow you to withstand more force at your knee joint. This is a great thing! However, this means you may unwittingly be putting more force into your feet, as a result. For example, let's say you can jump 20 inches high, and after a year of Knee Ability, you can jump 30 inches high. That is awesome, of course, but I do not want you to end up with foot pain, ankle pain, Achilles pain, or shin splints as a byproduct.

Additionally, your foot itself is the first line of defense for your knees when decelerating, as we saw with the tibialis raise, and in the case of the flexor hallucis longus, the same is true when landing:

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function! While Knee Ability For Life has the most known success stories for knees, it also has a multitude of success stories for what lies below!

Let's look at this final progression before directly addressing your knee movements themselves:

HOW

Stand about an arms length from the wall:

Now gradually reach your knees over your toes to a comfortable level. Ideally, this will be far enough that your heels actually lift slightly off the ground:

It is totally fine if you cannot bend your knees much at first, and you are still on the route to success no matter what level you start at, because strength "radiates" 15 degrees, meaning: if you get strong at one angle, you can recover back stronger not only at that angle, but also at another 15 degrees of bend! For example, a minimal bend such as this (below), would still be productive:

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Do not criticize your current level, and realize that wherever you fall short now, only means you could feel that much better by patiently progressing!

From your pain-free level of knee bend, simply flex your ankles up, without any motion other than your ankles. Your knees, hips, and shoulders should stay in a straight line:

Just like Tibialis and FHL Calf Raises, once it is easy to perform 25 consecutive reps with full ankle bend (to the point your heels come slightly off the ground at the bottom), you can begin rebuilding one leg at a time! This puts even more load into your ankle mobility, and into the strength of your knee to hold the position:

Like the Tibialis and FHL Calf Raises, if 25 in a row with two legs is easy, but with one leg is too difficult, simply count your reps on one leg until burnout, then match on the other leg, then switch back to the original leg, and so on, until you reach 25 on each side. 25 perfect single-leg reps is the your long-term goal.

WHY

I got lucky on this exercise, and unwittingly solved two problems at once:

Problem 1 was the need for a no-equipment solution for your Achilles. You have two calf muscles: a gastroc (think "belly" of the calf) and a soleus , which is lower and deeper:

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there are proven benefits for your joints just by holding a position still!

Before we go on, you should know that your body relies particularly heavily on your ability in the KOT Calf Raise when putting all your weight on your leg to push off in a sprint, as well as in the rear leg just before jump takeoff, and again upon landing:

Many Achilles and knee injuries happen in these actions, and the KOT Calf Raise scientifically works against these odds!

STEP 4: THE PATRICK STEP

We know for a fact that the farther and stronger your knees can go over your toes, the more protected you are - but how do you get there? The Patrick Step provides a safe and measurable route to put energy into this ability, without ever working through pain in the process!

HOW

Using the wall for balance (or assistance if needed), stand sideways:

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Now reach the inside foot forward, and slowly lower the heel to the floor:

Pause fully to ensure you don't bounce in order to get momentum, and raise back up:

Understand you are fully in control of how much you work your knee over your toes, by how far you reach the inside heel:

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So with the Patrick Step, we have a scalable way for you to put energy on these two qualities, without ever working through pain.

My final usage tips are:

1A. Always start on the non-dominant side, if you have one. Over time you may become balanced to the point that each side feels the same, but if you are aware of one side being more difficult, it is important to start on this side, paying careful attention to its ability, and then only matching this ability on the dominant side. If you started on the dominant side, you might go further than you can with the non- dominant side, resulting in the imbalance continuing, or perhaps working through pain in an effort to keep up.

1B. While not mandatory, you may even perform an additional set of 25 reps on the weaker side, giving your body a 2:1 ratio of weaker to stronger. However, do not continue this long-term, as we do not want to create an imbalance the other way around. Keep in mind that the stronger side will only be going as far as the weaker side could, so while it will be stimulated compared to not training at all, it will not be stimulated as hard as the weaker side, so the weaker side will be able to catch up. This weaker-stronger-weaker approach may simply accelerate the process.

Film yourself from a side angle to ensure your reps look the same on each side. My entire business prior to this book is built on actually watching the user's form video, and ensuring perfect form. Since this delivery method is different than using an app to observe and coach your form, I have to encourage you to take extra observation yourself, and make sure it looks the same. Understand the lack of balance is every bit as linked with knee pain and injuries as lack of strength is. In testing both plants and landings, 70% higher injury rate occurs in those with significant imbalance from one side to the other!

Do not worry, though, if you have an imbalance. Rather: look at this situation optimistically. Whatever you feel like now, you will feel that much better once you are balanced, and you will be even more athletic as a result!

When long jumpers were given an "unorthodox" training program of working on jumping off either leg - rather than just their "competition leg" - they gained 70% more increase than their counterparts!

Interesting that balancing your body leads to both 70% reduction of injury, and 70% increase of performance gain! I do not believe this 1:1 ratio is a coincidence, and as absolutely downright COCKY as this will sound: I am the only known case of a fully- grown adult going from less than a 20-inch vertical jump, to over a 40-inch jump. As the only person to consistently apply all the research we have covered so far, how could I not be shouting this from the rooftops. Even the Grinch would be delivering these services - he just might charge more than me!

STEP 5: THE ATG (ASS TO GRASS) SPLIT SQUAT

This is my personal favorite exercise, because I know if I only did this one exercise for the rest of my life, I would still live in the upper 1% of knee quality life.

Everything you have done to this point helps prepare your ankles and knees for the ATG Split Squat, but an added factor of hip flexor length enters the equation, so first understand that while I want you to eventually be able to perform this exercise on flat ground, you may have to initially use a step. Notice the difference in hip flexibility:

(more hip flexor length) (less hip flexor length)

(the hip flexors are in bright red)

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With continued Patrick Step to be able to handle your full weight, plus front foot elevation to compensate for flexibility limitation, the majority of people I have coached have successfully gotten into this exercise without pain. However, there is still one final option for regression, which is using something for assistance:

If front foot elevation plus assistance still do not allow you to get into this exercise pain-free, it is simply too much, too soon, and continued work on the previous four exercises, plus the accessory exercises (after Step 6) have gotten such trainees there in relatively short time.

HOW

The first step - no pun intended - is establishing how long your step is. People have varying leg lengths, and varying degrees of flexibility - fortunately, this is not something I have ever found the need to measure. You simply play with your foot distance until you have perfect form, and eventually it won't take any thinking about.

Too close of a step does not allow enough depth, and thus prevents full coverage:

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and with back knee NOT touching the floor.

Lower down slowly, fully pause in the bottom position, rise back up without altering posture, and repeat!

Perform 5 sets of 5 reps per side, back and forth, taking up to 30 seconds between sides if you feel you need a break.

WHY

Contrary to popular opinion, when doctors analyzed 168 studies on full knee bend, they determined that gradual progression of this ability leads to more stable knees, thicker knee tendons, better range of motion, and ultimately less chance of knee pain and injury.

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The problem with these studies, is that none were on bending one knee at a time , and in the real world, the overwhelming majority of us have imbalanced legs and knees, and thus receive negative ramifications from bilateral (two legs) squats: any difference between sides manifests when you squat with two legs, leaving the weaker knee vulnerable, or worse: causing you to favor the stronger knee, and thus make the imbalance even worse! Enter: the ATG Split Squat.

In addition to the studies on bilateral full-bend, there have also been studies on half - bend unilateral squats, which have proven to work just as well as half-rep bilateral squats for leg strength!

By combining these two well-researched areas, we realize the value of the ATG Split Squat, even though no studies have been done upon it!

The tighter the hip flexors, the more pulled forward we get. The modern lifestyle of excessive sitting does not help, and bilateral squats do not fix this, whereas ATG Split Squats do:

In fact, I maintain my splits from this exercise alone for the hip flexors, plus one stretch for the hamstrings (Elephant Walk: one of the Knee Ability accessory movements):

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Knee ability zero the picture book

Module: Nutrition & Biochemistry for Sport & Exercise (SPRT454)

17 Documents

Students shared 17 documents in this course

University: Leeds Beckett University

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2/1/2021 Knee Ability Zero Now Complete as a Picture-Book!

https://mailchi.mp/284f5262674e/knee-ability-for-life-july-6056807?e=[UNIQID] 1/49

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Knee Ability Zero

THE PICTURE BOOK

{Author's Note: Go for it! Feel free to share this with anyone you know who could

use it. My aim is for your ATG membership to be the best value you've

ever received in fitness. The world kneeds these solutions, and those like you,

who want full mastery and coaching, have been instrumental with your support.

Rather than forcing you to remake all this on your own, think of my knowledge as

your knowledge. Just as I've changed over a thousand lives, I hope you change

a thousand more...}

INTRO

I can still remember being 4 years old and telling my best friend I was going to save up

for a Michael Jordan rookie card. I worked odd jobs, saved every penny, and at age 6 I

did it: I bought a Michael Jordan rookie card for one thousand dollars. I had no interest

in toys: just Jordan.

First thing after waking up each day, I raced to the couch to turn on the TV, but not to

watch cartoons...

(From the 1990 video "NBA Superstars")

An F-16 Fighting Falcon appears on the screen.

Michael Jordan enters the tunnel into the arena.

The F-16 approaches the runway, then Jordan steps onto the court.

The F-16 begins accelerating for takeoff, and Jordan begins dribbling down the court.

The F-16 gets faster. Jordan gets faster! F-16 - Jordan! Back and forth they go, till the

F-16 lifts off and Jordan soars into the air for a dunk!

Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" begins to play, and slow motion highlights of Michael

Jordan ensue.

Many hours a day I practiced these dunks on my Little Tike hoop in the garage. By age

9 I was waking up at 5am to do vertical jump programs before school. Thousands of

nights I dreamed of dunking like Michael Jordan. Not once did I dream of lying half-

naked on an operating table as doctors used markers to draw where they were going to

cut me open.

Chronic knee pain secretly dominated my life starting at age 12. I remember during a

fire drill at school, being worried that if a real fire broke out, I'd be the last one out,

Subscribe Past Issues Translate