I am a firm believer in the concept that we are our own science experiments. In life and also when it comes to health and fitness. Everyone has a different philosophy regarding health and fitness because we all have unique genetics, diets, lifestyles, and goals. Today I’ll be sharing with you my training philosophy and give you a little insight into why I train the way that I do.
First and foremost I think a background on what sparked my love for movement is necessary to understand the principles of the Travelsthenix System. I grew up playing sports like many other young boys, but the more I took it seriously, the more intense my training got. Eventually, I started working with a strength and conditioning coach by the name of Anthony Eggleton (Coach Ant) around the age of 16. After he saw me play in an AAU basketball game he noticed I had some talent but could develop my athleticism more with his tutelage.
Coach Ant's training system combined spirituality, meditation, weights, calisthenics, plyometrics, and his knowledge of martial arts. I can remember meditating before bench pressing, getting introduced to pull-ups, learning about eastern philosophies, and Coachch Ant recommending eastern herbs for pain and injuries. Coach Ant is legit ad has trained most of the great bay area athletes of my generation and later. Dame Lillard and many more.
Twenty years later I incorporate a lot of these things into my own training system, growing and learning new information along the way.
4 Pillars of Travelsthenix Training System
Calisthenics
Plyometrics
Weights
Mobility
Calisthenics is the base of the Travelsthenics training system. Before you can add weight to training, we must gain base level control of our own body weight. Relative strength (Bodyweight Strength) can solely be trained for years. There really is no plateau when it comes to creative ways to make bodyweight movements more difficult. From Muscle ups to handstand push-ups, to pistol squats to lever movements. There is always another level to reach.
Hannibal For King (Bent arm planche)
Plyometrics is another key component of my training style. Bodyweight or weighted explosive movements build fast twitch muscles to increase athleticism. My background is in athletics, so simply getting strong isn’t good enough. Running faster, moving quicker laterally, and jumping higher have to be a part of the equation. Using Box Jumps, lateral jumps, sprinting, and emulating sports movements will help accomplish this. The key is to make these movements more difficult while practicing them and they will be easier unweighted or in normal circumstances. Eg. Hill sprints vs Regular sprints.
Box Jumps
To fast-track strength and explosiveness we can add weight to all of these movements. With weighted calisthenics, plyometrics, or traditional weight lifting techniques. We have to use the most effective tools to get the job done. To neglect weights is to not optimize in my opinion.
When I started my calisthenics journey I was prideful about not using weights, but pride can be foolish in many cases and is so in the world of training. Another way we should try not to be prideful is with innovation and experimentation. I often adopt pieces of other athletes training systems like Knees Over Toes Guy. I’ve Added movements like the ATG Split squat into my training, along with the use of a slant bored to do knees over toes squats, even adding my own twist to them by doing slant bored pistol squats (Unweighted and weighted).
ATG Split Squat
Lastly, I want to touch on mobility. Probably the most underrated aspect of the health and fitness industry, because the health aspect requires us to be mobile. Mobility training not only increases our longevity, but also can assist us with athleticism. Many people marvel at how high an athlete can jump or how fast they can run, but when it comes to athletes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Barry sanders we don’t realize how mobile these athletes are. This allows them to perform at the highest levels with silky smooth movements, putting their bodies in positions that most people couldn't dream of being in. Fluid hips, mobile shoulders, and strong joints are all things that many of these athletes have in common.
Barry Sanders shifting laterally
When it comes to our training or athletic journey we all have different goals, which will incorporate different training styles unique to what we want to accomplish. My personal goal is to develop myself athletically over the next 3 years to become the best overall 40-year-old athlete. A lofty goal, but in my eyes it's attainable with hard work, consistency, and continued development of my multifaceted training style.
What are your training goals? Which form of training do you prefer?
If you need help on your journey, developing your own unique training system, book a free consultation with me today. With one on one coaching, I can help you start your journey of body mastery.
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