THE GUARDIAN STRONG
TRAINING SYSTEM
The human body is an incredible wonder, capable of reaching speeds of over 23 miles per hour, pulling jetliners, and even of reaching the summit of Mt. Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen.
But how do we accomplish these feats?
Certainly, much has to do with the DNA of the athlete performing each of them - but even an athlete with the greatest DNA needs great training.
​
In the last few decades, the medical, physical therapy, and strength & conditioning communities have made massive strides in identifying the best practices for maximizing the fitness training of not only elite athletes, but everyday athletes.
So whether your personal Mt. Everest is overcoming back pain, winning a high school championship, carrying your kids confidently, getting through a foot pursuit, or running a 5k, these best practices can be applied to your fitness journey.
Enter the Guardian Strong Training System. This system brings together the best practices and latest advances in functional training utilized by Olympic and professional athletes that is fully adapted to you - your background, your fitness levels, your goals, your available equipment, and your schedule.
Whether you're an Olympian or not isn't the question.
The question is: do you want to train like one?
​
Continue reading below to learn about the essential pillars that form the Guardian Strong Training System.
PILLAR 1 - FUNCTIONAL TRAINING
The first pillar of effective strength and conditioning is that training be functional. Functional training:
​
-
sees the body as an interconnected whole, understanding that no one part exists and moves in isolation
-
utilizes natural multi-joint movements as the majority of the training program (aside from certain corrective or rehabilitation exercises, which may be single-joint movements)
-
intentionally supports & enhances performance in one's sport, occupation, or activity through adhering to principles such as dynamic correspondence and metabolic specificity.
This sport could be professional basketball or the activity of keeping up with your kids.
​
Functional training sees the body as a kinetic chain - a link system, in which bones, muscles, and connective tissues are intertwined and work together to allow the body to move.
​
The body uses a myriad a multi-joint movements to carry out even the most basic tasks, and so for that reason the Guardian Strong Training System sees the body as a cohesive whole and utilizes functional, movement-based training to maximize both fitness and health.
PILLAR 2 - THE GRADUATION PRINCIPLE
The graduation principle holds that the body must go through progressive stages in training (in which it ‘graduates’ from one level of exercise to the next) in order to avoid injury and truly reap the benefits of more advanced training methods.
​
The human body must learn certain motor patterns in a more basic way before being able to benefit from more complex ones. This allows the body to progress through stages which will better ensure the following:
​
-
a reduction in likelihood of injury
-
increased levels of motor learning
-
improved neuromuscular performance
​
A simple example of this principle is progressing from a bilateral squat to a split squat before progressing to a rear-foot-elevated split squat. Injury risk can increase (and movement efficiency decrease) if one progresses too quickly without first establishing proper neuromuscular control. With correct "preconditioning", the nervous, muscular, cardiorespiratory, and skeletal systems set a foundation for movement & fitness success.
PILLAR 3 - CORE TRAINING
The core is the bedrock of power for the entire body and essentially every movement it makes. The core can be defined as the area from the hips to the diaphragm, wrapping all around the body. A strong core creates a strong connection, or link, in the system, while a weak one increases the risk of injury and decreases power output. Back injuries are a typical result of a weak or inactive core.
​
Since all athletic movement relies heavily on the core, it must be a stable base off of which to facilitate optimal power transfer to all areas of the body.
Strengthening the core and addressing core weakness is an important first step in any training program. Three main modes of core training are:
​
-
stabilization
-
anti-rotation/rotation
-
anti-extension
PILLAR 4 - METABOLIC SPECIFICITY
Metabolic Specificity refers to properly training the three main energy systems that the body uses to carry out work:
​
-
Creatine Phosphate System
-
Anaerobic Glycolytic System
-
Aerobic Oxidative System
​​
In order to improve performance, we must tax the energy systems which an athlete uses in his or her sport or activity in a manner specific to the sport or activity.
​
This largely has to do with conditioning and speed work, though resistance training should also adhere to this principle to be most effective. Athletes in various sports and activities may use any combination of these energy systems in order to perform.
In order to maximize the capabilities of each energy system, we must work them in different combinations while also giving adequate rest time in between bouts for energy levels to be replenished.
PILLAR 5 - MOVEMENT-BASED RESISTANCE TRAINING
Movement-Based Resistance Training is an integral pillar of effective training since the body works best as a cohesive whole, rather than as isolated parts. The neuromuscular system activates combinations of muscles to perform movements, rather than isolated muscles.
​
This type of resistance training is based upon the premise that equipping the body with the abilities to carry out functional movement patterns is more effective in producing strength and power gains than is isolation training.
Through movement based resistance training, the neuromuscular system will better learn to recruit maximal muscle fibers to produce movements with the greatest possible amount of power, strength, and efficiency. The primary movement patterns and exercise groups for resistance training are programmed in a balanced manner to enhance symmetry in the kinetic chain and to help prevent overuse injuries.
