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Off-Topic Main (strength) Goal for 2018: I want to seriously improve my posture.

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Hello everyone.

I do not want to chase any particular feats this year, but I would like to grow a little stronger while seriously impoving my posture.

My posture has been seriously degraded from years of sitting in my younger years (used to be a gamer, shame,) and I would like to make a point to change it for the better

I am 6'1 , 154 pounds, and I'm at 9% bodyfat last time I had it checked a couple of months ago (using a machine at the college). As I am quite skinny I would like to not be skinny with bad posture

What are some ways of improving my posture that I might not be utilizing quite enough?
 
What are some ways of improving my posture that I might not be utilizing quite enough?
Learning the turkish get-up worked wonders for my posture. I sit for a living (software development) too.

Learn it as outlined in Pavel's book Simple and Sinister. Start with a shoe balanced on the end of your fist.
 
Happy New Year @Jak Nieuwenhuis !

If you don't have a destination, how will you know when you get there?

Goal setting is one way to do it.. It helps to make it definitive and obtainable and time sensitive objectives.
Such as this example.....
" I can now properly swing a 16kg kettlebell for 50 reps in 10 minutes. My objective is that on July 4th 2018 I will be able to swing 100 reps with the 16# kettlebell with proper form"

Also having a clear cut plan.
Such as this example.....
" I will dedicate 1 hour 3 times a week to practicing my skills and improving my strength which will have a byproduct of improved posture."

Are you able to share with us why you think your posture is bad and what you hope to accomplish?

Carl in Dover
 
What are some ways of improving my posture that I might not be utilizing quite enough?

Original strength rocking and crawling.

Mace swings.

I do not want to chase any particular feats this year, but I would like to grow a little stronger

If you don't have a destination, how will you know when you get there?

Goal setting is one way to do it.. It helps to make it definitive and obtainable and time sensitive objectives.

I've been trying to move away from definitive and time sensitive objectives (at least in terms of performance goals).

Also having a clear cut plan.
My goal setting is mainly focused on what I will DO, not what I want to accomplish. Of course, there has to be an underlying goal to inform the practice, but after I decide on the practice, I try to detach from the original goal and just focus on the PRACTICE as the goal.

A big influence on this mindset is the book Mastery by George Leonard. A few relevant ideas from the book:

Mastery is…
The process where what was difficult becomes easier
A journey
Being goalless
Practicing for the sake of practice itself
Practicing, even when you seem to be getting nowhere
Appreciating and even enjoying the plateau, as much as you do the progress
 
The best thing you can do is strengthen your core muscles. Weak core equals bad posture. Pretty much all the basic KB movements will help in that regard. Breathing is important too. Breath from the diaphragm and not the chest. Other than that try to be conscious of your posture as much as possible and correct it when you realize your slumping.

Personally I don’t think perfect posture 100% of the time is realistic or even necessary. There’s plenty of times when sitting up perfectly straight for extended periods of time actually aggravates my back and leaning back feels good. The main thing you want to avoid is the “slump” and that takes a conscious effort for me.
 
The best thing you can do is strengthen your core muscles. Weak core equals bad posture. Pretty much all the basic KB movements will help in that regard. Breathing is important too. Breath from the diaphragm and not the chest. Other than that try to be conscious of your posture as much as possible and correct it when you realize your slumping.

Personally I don’t think perfect posture 100% of the time is realistic or even necessary. There’s plenty of times when sitting up perfectly straight for extended periods of time actually aggravates my back and leaning back feels good. The main thing you want to avoid is the “slump” and that takes a conscious effort for me.

Thank you for the practical advice about breathing. Gonna try to do that way more.

Avoiding the slump is about conscious effort for me as well.

Learning the turkish get-up worked wonders for my posture. I sit for a living (software development) too.

Learn it as outlined in Pavel's book Simple and Sinister. Start with a shoe balanced on the end of your fist.

Thank you I was planning on doing a good number of TGU since they seem to tie me together quite nicely

Happy New Year @Jak Nieuwenhuis !

Are you able to share with us why you think your posture is bad and what you hope to accomplish?

Carl in Dover

My I have rounded (slightly forward) shoulders and am quite slumped much of the time. what I hope to accomplish is walking around with a confident and healthy looking gait, rather than slumped forward
 
What has been your program thus far that hasn't provided sufficient help for your posture?

-S-

Steve. My weekly base is always GTG with OAPU, pullups twice to 3 times a week, and a swing session at least 3 times a week. though lately I've been switching out for snatching at times. Basically NW without pistols

I will play around on rings besides that once or twice a week..

I feel that the OAPU have been helping a lot because of the cross pattern (sometimes my back creaks and I stand up straighter afterward as well)
 
Hello,

@Jak Nieuwenhuis
First off, happy new year !

Regarding your goal (posture improvement), I think you already have what it takes ;) I noticed great posture improvement when I started training using full tension technique.

Considering what I "tested": I noticed very fast improvement when I was after Simple. Indeed, I first knew StrongFirst and Pavel's work with this program. In this regard, TNW is also excellent. I have a straighter back for instance.

I also incorporated 20 / 25 minutes of daily stretching. I am strongly influenced by I. Portal and S. Sonnon. This includes Trifecta + splits.

Breathing, as mentioned, also plays a significant role. Indeed, abdominal breathing (WH or whatever) obliges you to get a straight back position. After some time, abdominal breathing starts to be "automatic", so you are always in a straight back position

I gained 2 cm doing this ! I "jumped" from 1.83m to 1.85m only with posture adjustment.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I have rounded (slightly forward) shoulders and am quite slumped much of the time. what I hope to accomplish is walking around with a confident and healthy looking gait, rather than slumped forward

My suggestion would be to do some light to moderate farmer's carries with ideal posture. Al C. prescribed to me in my SFG prep program 4 x 90-sec, "heavy." In other words, use whatever weight you can hold for 90 seconds straight while walking with shoulders back, chest open, crown of the head up, etc. Rest 2 min or so and repeat for 4 carries total. 2x/wk is good. It's a nice addition to any training session, especially when you need a cool-down, as it's not super hard. It's just really good for posture and grip.

The other thing is practice regular walking with ideal posture. Take short breaks from work and walk mindfully at an easy pace with the posture you want to build. Pay attention to which parts of your body feel like this is difficult to maintain, and see if that gets easier over time.
 
(sometimes my back creaks and I stand up straighter afterward as well)

Just asking........you have been checked by the Doctor and are cleared for excersises I hope? Just in case something more serious might be going on, or physical therapy recommended.

Carl in Dover
 
+1 @Hasbro about breathing.

I have noticed lately that if you sit and slump, it's impossible to breathe with your belly. You are forced to breathe to your chest. So diaphragmatic breathing becomes impossible. Then, if you straighten your posture while seating, diaphragmatic breathing becomes possible again.
 
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I'll recommend breathing exercises as well. Seated breath meditation in any sort of kneeling or Burmese leg position works well for me (I cannot do a lotus position for any length of time). You posture should be "Like a general on his horse".

Poor posture is caused by a lack of attention, and this can be corrected by paying attention..but is difficult to remember to pay attention sometimes. By making the assumption of good posture and breathing part of a formal practice, it will be a lot easier to "feel" when you slump. Even a few minutes of this will help.
 
I
Original strength rocking and crawling.

Mace swings.

I've been trying to move away from definitive and time sensitive objectives (at least in terms of performance goals).

My goal setting is mainly focused on what I will DO, not what I want to accomplish. Of course, there has to be an underlying goal to inform the practice, but after I decide on the practice, I try to detach from the original goal and just focus on the PRACTICE as the goal.

A big influence on this mindset is the book Mastery by George Leonard. A few relevant ideas from the book:

Mastery is…
The process where what was difficult becomes easier
A journey
Being goalless
Practicing for the sake of practice itself
Practicing, even when you seem to be getting nowhere
Appreciating and even enjoying the plateau, as much as you do the progress
I have that book, must read it before I go back to work.
 
My posture is pretty good( I think ) due to OS and various kb exercises over the years, but I've found the Bent Press has taken it to another level.
 
I would just like to thank everyone who posted on this thread and would like to say that after 2 weeks of practicing Original Strength resets on a daily basis, my posture has improved significantly

cross crawling is especially helpful, even done while walking.
 
Hello,

@Jak Nieuwenhuis
First off, happy new year !

Regarding your goal (posture improvement), I think you already have what it takes ;) I noticed great posture improvement when I started training using full tension technique.

Considering what I "tested": I noticed very fast improvement when I was after Simple. Indeed, I first knew StrongFirst and Pavel's work with this program. In this regard, TNW is also excellent. I have a straighter back for instance.

I also incorporated 20 / 25 minutes of daily stretching. I am strongly influenced by I. Portal and S. Sonnon. This includes Trifecta + splits.

Breathing, as mentioned, also plays a significant role. Indeed, abdominal breathing (WH or whatever) obliges you to get a straight back position. After some time, abdominal breathing starts to be "automatic", so you are always in a straight back position

I gained 2 cm doing this ! I "jumped" from 1.83m to 1.85m only with posture adjustment.

Kind regards,

Pet'

Thank you pet Ill try to do some basic static stretching for at least 20 minutes a day and see if this improves my posture / takes away from the stiffness of HTT
 
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