HFS Outline Phase 1. Conditioning

Hi Guys,

Thanks for reading. I've watched most of the DVD program now, here is a quick rundown of the system. As I mentioned in my video review yesterday the HFS is a 6 day a week program. It involves alternating 3 days of a maintenance routine with 3 days of a progress routine and 1 day of rest. It is split into 4 phases, the 2 main ones having a set and easily measurable goal which is good.

Before we start with the actual program, Paul covers in great detail a lot of the anatomy and physiology of the hips/hamstrings and legs. He really does have good knowledge in this area and demonstrates various flexions and extensions of the hip on both a Hip model and then himself and covers the muscles on a diagram. While the explanations and demonstrations are good, CGI would have been better but I guess the cost of producing this would have been prohibitive for the type of product it is.

Phase 1. Conditioning - no set goal apart from being able to perform the number of reps and sets of each exercise with control. Most of the Flexibility experts these days stress the importance of leg strength as a key factor in developing flexibility safely so this is expected. There is a mix of standard compound strength exercises like body weight squats and dead-lifts, calf raises plus some abductor and adductor raises and also the Hamstring work on the ES GOLD (Guided Oppositional Lengthening Device). There is no resistance inherent in the device, its just 2 sets of pulleys so all the resistance is provided by your opposite leg...it can be a bit tricky to get used to.

There are 2 routines offered, a beginner which you do for a week or two then an advanced. Typically the conditioning phase is done for 4 weeks. I'm generally well conditioned so started straight away with the advanced, while it wasn't easy it wasn't particularly challenging either but it is explained that this routine is used as a warm-up for the other phases so I'm guessing its not supposed to be a gut wrencher. I would assume that anyone that does regular lower body resistance training would find the advanced routine not too challenging. I'm still deciding how long to do the conditioning phase for seeing that its not too challenging for me.

A light stretching routine follows this.

Massage is again a big part of the program.

Next post I will cover off more of the actual program and hopefully this weekend I will get to do some filming of some of my favourite but easy Jujitsu and Hapkido techniques.

I plan on first posting some techniques that practitioners of any style can learn stuff that you don't necessarily have to have a padded floor to practice safely or know how to fall from.

Thanks