FAT Tool Assessment

On February 18th I'm undergoing a one day course called FAT Tool which is run through the Poliquin Institute and invented by a guy called Dr. Mark Scappaticci.

FAT Tool stands for Fascial Abrasion Technique and is designed for Personal Trainers/Strength Coaches who want to complement their training knowledge with some soft tissue work. The tool itself is a unique design which is able to address all muscles whether they are long, short or close to a joint.



At the moment I have no soft tissue experience and with a lack of quality practitioners to refer to in the area I felt it was time to gain some expertise with this technique which is currently getting some amazing feedback from across the globe. I've seen prestigious coaches such as Jonathon Wong, Wolfgang Unsoeld, Mike Demeter, Andre Benoit, John Connor and Derek Woodske all being listed as using it and with Charles Poliquin endorsing it, it must be something special. I also believe that this is one of the first courses being run in Europe so feel it would put me again further ahead of most in the industry.

Laymans term - Increases range of motion and decreases pain and fascia restriction.

Taken from the www.fat-tool.com...

Fascial mobilisation using the FAT-Tool that specifically targets and loosens the fascia that surrounds and inter-connects muscle tissue that, when tight, can restrict range of motion and impair quality of movement.

This device can help with recovery after hard workouts and improve performance by optimising soft tissue mobility and increasing range of motion. The FAT-Tool has been reported to help improve motor-firing patterns by optimising soft tissue mechanics and stimulating specialised receptors within the skin and underlying fascia.

A small amount of warming balm is applied to the area being assessed and treated. The application of a thin layer allows for smoother movement of the FAT-Tool while at the same time, helps improve the friction between the tool and the skin.

I hope that this technique will help take me to the next level by being able to treat clients' pain immediately and also to be able to increase their range of motion a lot faster. The course isn't cheap but it's also impossible to put a price on quality information for a course that is clearly at the forefront of the industry.

I will be offering treatments at a reduced price from the 19th Feb until the 1st March 2012 so if you have any restrictions when in the gym or in daily life, have pain at all in your muscles and are looking for an immediate fix, this may be exactly what you're looking for.

Please email james@elite-bodyworks.com for more information or to book your first treatment today.

What's your marker for achievement?

I was inspired to write this post this morning when training one of my clients as she really made me realise how much huge accomplishments differ from person to person. You may be used to thinking about how a huge weight lifted or amount of reps completed is required to achieve respect from your trainer, fellow trainees or fellow gym go-ers but this morning has confirmed even more so in my mind that this is not the case.

At the start of January, this particular client (I won't say her name for fear of embarrassment) was new to the gym so to a degree you expect poor motor and recruitment patterns along with a certain degree of weakness. However you are not always faced with someone who has no control of their hip popping out and being unable to complete a bodyweight split squat without incorrect movement of their foot, knee, hip and torso. Also when using the overhead squat as an assessment technique she could not get more than a quarter of the way down without an uncontrollable hip shift.

For 2 months we have started with the basics, step ups, split squats, pull through etc to slowly start to strengthen limbs uni-laterally (we have no access to a leg curl otherwise I would have used that too). The PICP guidelines for re-hab are clear; slow tempo, moderate-high rep range and moderate rest period to ensure enough recovery to complete the subsequent sets with good form.

This morning she completed 3 set's of 8-10 reps with 10kg with a front foot elevated split squat before going on to complete 10 full range of motion bodyweight squats. Then completed her first full back squat and first full deadlift. With NO hip shifting. We've managed to increase her range of movement by 75%, simply by strengthening what was weak (everything) and stretching what was tight. Also she's reported that her hip has not popped out in the whole time we've been doing our sessions.

What we've competed is perhaps not as astounding as a female doing 13 chin ups or a guy doing a double bodyweight back squat but the look on her face when she completed this morning what was previously impossible made the feeling for me as good as anything else that I've achieved with my clients.

Too often I see trainers eager to jump ahead to maybe what could be considered to be more glamorous exercises and hammer on with poor form and incorrect technique, just so that they feel their client is doing what they believe to be empowering. Maybe there's also a feeling that doing structural work their client won't be able to lose body fat but again my client has proved this to not be the case. Over the notoriously tricky christmas period to now she has lost 6 lbs and over 3% body fat with only being able to train 2 times per week. With her increased strength we can now start to use exercises that create an increased metabolic demand which in theory suggests her body fat loss will now increase further.

Hopefully this post has made you realise that your marker for achievement does not necessarily have to be something as conventional as lifting a huge weight, doing none can be just as remarkable.

Group Sessions

Our group sessions are just about to roll over to a new block and I just wanted to give you an overview of the type of work we've done so far...

We started off with just our Monday sessions at 8 and 9pm but the demand grew so we also opened up sessions on a Wednesday at 8 and 9pm. Our original goal was to give our clients the chance to train an extra session a week with us at a fraction of the cost of a 1-on-1 session but soon it was clear that a lot more people were interested.

Our Monday sessions have now cycled through 3 different phases; arms, torso and fat loss. Our Wednesday session has just been geared at fat loss although we plan to cycle through different ways to achieve the same result; LEANNESS!

These sessions have a really good atmosphere, everyone working hard whilst having fun at the same time. Everyone goes home knowing they've worked hard and we always end up getting told how sore everyone is the next day.

Here is an example routine from our last fat loss phase...

A1 Front Squat (4 x 6, 50X0, 10)

A2 Back Squat (4 x 12, 30X0, 10)

A3 Prowler (4 x 1 min sprint, XXXX, 120)

B1 Trap Bar Deadlift (4 x 6, 41X0, 10)

B2 Rope Pull-Through (4 x 12, 30X0, 10)

B3 Kettlebell Swing (4 x 25, 1010, 120)

Very tough session that produces excellent results.

We have already had nearly everyone want to continue with their spot on the courses but we still have a few spots left on a Monday. Please contact James on james@elite-bodyworks.com to register your interest and to receive more details.