So you are apprehensive about going to the next phase of The Movement Program…

First, I hear you. I get it.

While it might be challenging to contemplate whether or not to move forward, remember that the decision ultimately lies with you. You should know by now that I am a huge fan of listening to your body, and if your body is saying it’s not ready – listen. I’ve never found it beneficial to ignore your feelings and push through anything, so I trust your ability to feel what’s going on and make that judgment call.

That being said, there are 5 things I’d like you to consider before you make the call to move forward or not:

1. Strength could be your missing piece.

2. You may never feel entirely ready to do strength work.

3. Waiting for perfection before you begin strength work might lead to stagnation.

4. Emotional/mindset about fear of losing current results

5. How Phase 3 is built and how it’s a smooth integration with your current schedule

1. Strength could be your missing piece:

It is quite possible that incorporating strength work could be the missing piece for creating a stable foundation for your body. As you move into phase three, think of it not just as strength work but as a means of providing additional stimulus to your body to create a bigger change. If you've experienced positive changes so far, this progress will likely continue as you challenge yourself with new exercises and more challenging routines.

Listen to your body and move at a comfortable pace while also challenging your idea of what that comfort level might be. It's essential to balance giving yourself more time and stepping out of your comfort zone to explore new possibilities. The outcome will likely be one of two things: either you'll find that you need to return to phase two for more time, or you'll discover that phase three brings new, exciting benefits to your body and overall well-being.

2. You may never feel entirely ready to do strength work:

I waited years for the ‘green light’ to make things more challenging. I was waiting to be ‘pain-free’ before I made things harder. That green light never came...because I never got strong enough to move better. I got really good at relaxing tension and unwinding compensatory movement…but I never developed the strength to move better for more than an hour or so after my movement routine.

This is where the structure of the program comes in – by progressing through phases one and two, you have established a solid base that allows you to explore new challenges while still having the option to return to your comfort zone.

Unfortunately, no one-size-fits-all indicator determines when you're ready to progress. The absence of pain isn't necessarily a green light, as many people need to work through Phase 3 or even Phases 4 and 5 to become pain-free. I am actually surprised when/if people see big changes in the first two phases due to how we are just unwinding imbalance, which could produce great results, but ultimately developing strength is what makes the most significant change. Weakness plays a big role in movement problems. At the end of the day, muscles must be strong enough to pull yourself out of compensation and faulty motion, so it's essential to progress through the program to change movement patterns fully.

Remember, you're in control of your fitness journey, and only you can decide when it's time to move forward. At some point, whether it's this calendar year, next year, or the year after that, you'll need to face the challenges of the next phase at some point. If that point isn’t now, I understand and support you if you feel that. However, if not now, when? Your nervous system won't sit down with you to announce it's ready for the next challenge. Instead, it's a process of trial and error, venturing into the unknown and testing your body's limits.

This process involves alternating between the known, comfortable routines of Phase 1 and 2 and the unknown challenges of Phase 3. It's not an abrupt switch but rather a gradual exploration of new movements, followed by a return to familiar territory. The program's structure is designed to help you ease into the concepts of Phase 3, allowing you to maintain helpful routines while incorporating strength work.

3. Waiting for perfection in your physical condition might lead to stagnation:

If you wait for your movement problems to be completely resolved or your movement to be fully optimized, you may never move forward. Phases one and two provide a foundation for understanding your body and reconnecting your mind, body, and emotions. However, without the stimulus of strength work, you might find yourself treading water without making significant progress daily.

4. Emotional reasons:

Many people, especially those with a history of pain and injury, may feel apprehensive about introducing strength work into their routines. This fear is entirely real, normal, and completely understandable. It is essential to approach this phase at your own pace.

Additionally, it's crucial to acknowledge this process’s mental and emotional aspects.

You might feel apprehensive about altering your routine, especially if you've finally found something that works. It's natural to be afraid of disrupting your progress, as you don't want to derail yourself from the path that has brought you success. However, it's important to recognize that you have played a significant role in your own progress. You've learned how to increase your nervous system's bandwidth and navigate between sympathetic and parasympathetic states through your efforts.

You deserve ALL credit for your progress, and it's important to remember that you have the power to maintain it. If you experience a setback or a flare-up, you now have the knowledge and tools to get yourself back on track. This is not a random occurrence; it results from your active participation in your recovery.

It's natural to feel anxious about increasing the challenge level if you don’t feel 100% yet, but remember you have control over your progress. While setbacks may occur due to life events beyond your control, you know the path back to stability because you are learning how to do this yourself with this program. This newfound sense of security is something you can hold onto, even when facing challenges. As you continue on your fitness journey, remember that you are in control and have the ability to adapt and overcome any obstacles that may arise.

Program logic:

Phase 3 of The Movement Program is about building strength, coordination, and control. In this stage, we will introduce you to routines that simultaneously challenge multiple muscle groups and joints, utilizing compound motion. This will stimulate your nervous system, teaching you to recruit more muscles together, ultimately increasing your overall strength.

If you have completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 of our program, you have already established a solid foundation for movement and developed familiarity with specific exercises. Phase 3 will not discard the routines you have learned thus far; instead, it will build upon them by incorporating more challenging exercises.

In this phase, we will maintain your long and short routines from Phases 1 and 2 and gradually introduce more challenging movements to your existing practice. This ensures a smooth and seamless transition into harder work.

While the restorative work and rediscovery of simple motions are essential components of Phases 1 and 2, Phase 3 focuses on providing more stimulation to your nervous system. This added challenge is crucial for developing a more structurally sound body, building durability in your tissues, and ensuring you can navigate your daily activities with increased support and ease.

To conclude:

Remember, you have the power to decide when and how to progress in your journey to better health and fitness.

It’s okay to listen to your body… and it’s also okay to question what it’s saying.

As you progress through the phases of our program, remember that you are the only person who can truly understand what your body needs. We have designed the program to guide you through each stage, but it is ultimately up to you to listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

If you feel that you are not yet ready to move on to Phase 3, it is perfectly fine to spend more time in Phase 2. Trust your instincts and allow your body the time it needs to adapt to the increasing demands of the program.