Momentum-Based Training 02:33

"Hey you're using momentum, you're "cheating". This phrase may sound familiar to you and for good reason if the goal is to increase muscular strength and size. But from a movement perspective, what if "cheating" was actually the most efficient way to move? A major factor in movement efficiency is minimizing the energy and/or stress to get the job done. From the nervous system's perspective, this means utilizing the least amount of muscular energy possible. While muscles require energy (in its final form of ATP) to do work, our skin and fascia (intramuscular fascia, tendons, ligaments etc) DO NOT USE ATP, yet contribute heavily to movement due to their elastic properties. The nervous system looks for ways to take advantage of soft tissue elasticity to minimize the amount of muscular energy to accomplish a task. Many ViPR PRO® exercises are designed to enhance our ability to harness momentum with movement. This is an ideal strategy to master for many athletic endeavours as most athletic movement relies heavily on the athlete's ability to harness momentum. Every time you watch a golfer wind up to swing a golf club, a baseball player wind up to pitch a fastball, a dancer seamlessly transitions through many movements and postures; these are examples of athletes using momentum to generate high levels of power. The alternative would be trying to "muscle" our way through these movements which would result in poor accuracy and power. Take a look at the Swings and Flows in the next chapter for examples of how we can use ViPR PRO® for Momentum-based Training.