In this installment, I’ve decided to take a break from the gym and share something that I think will be the next best thing in sports performance optimization. Being able to seek new ways to perform at your best is just as important as finding the best gym, and this is why I think it’s so important to share this with everyone.
Many of you may have read Dave’s love/hate affair with JL Holdsworth over the past few months. You may have heard a little about the work JL is doing over at The Spot Athletics, helping people set PRs and feel better than they have in years. You may have seen Dave hit a 90-pound squat PR, or if you follow my training at all, you may have seen me squat 640 pounds the other week, pain-free, after almost a year of not being able to squat over 500 without significant issues. Enter RPR, or Reflexive Performance Reset.
The sad fact that a lot of us have to come to terms with is that despite being athletes, we all move pretty terribly in general. As a result, over time we develop compensation patterns. If those compensations are not corrected, often times they can lead to either injury or nagging issues of pain during training. This is what happened in my case.
The idea behind RPR is to help “wake up” your body through a series of drills by helping you breathe correctly and move correctly. Through a series of strength tests you can soon identify these compensations that are impeding your ability to move correctly. You can then actually perform drills on yourself or have someone certified in RPR work on you to help you reset these compensations and move optimally.
JL Holdsworth brought this tool to my attention a few months ago after he visited with strength coach and Triphasic Training developer Cal Dietz. After working with JL for quite some time, I know he doesn’t buy into bullshit; if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t go in his toolbox. Hearing JL speak so passionately about it definitely piqued my interest.
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A few months ago, when I was down at NBS Fitness for a strongman competition, I had some RPR work done on me by Dr. Tyrel Detweiler. He is a chiropractor who has spent years working with athletes, including those at the University of Memphis. Dr. Detwieiler told me, “In my opinion, it is the single best tool to address compensatory motor patterns and allow the body to perform at its peak potential. I’ve used it on general population, strength athletes from novice to advanced, and college athletes, and all have had incredible success.”
In this video, Dr. Detweiler and I go over what RPR is, a little about its history, and how it has helped people, including myself. You will also see him performing some of the strength tests on me and working on my throughout the video. If you have any further questions about RPR, you can contact JL Holdsworth or visit the RPR website. According to Cal himself, RPR is, “The biggest secret in sports performance today” and I’d have to agree.
