Coordination and agility are hallmarks of movement mastery. Success in the dynamic sphere of sport is often determined by your ability to turn the off-season strength, endurance, and speed gains you’ve built into complex, improvised movements on the field of play. That requires a different approach to training, one that focuses on channeling these attributes into neurologically sophisticated movements.
The Scorpion Base Switch is an example of such a movement.
It transforms pressing strength into elastic buoyancy. It conditions the vestibular system through constant rotation, which means you get used to rapid changes in orientation. And it opens the sides of the body by using gravity to lower the leg.
We often use this movement with grapplers because it conditions them to immediately right themselves and exert forward pressure when tossed over by a foot in the hip. They learn to quickly rotate around themselves and press down, removing further openings and reorienting in a new position, such as side guard.
You don’t have to be a grappler to practice it – anyone can benefit.
Remember to train both sides. Begin with continuous reps on one side, and then increase the challenge by working one side and then the other in a seamless flow.
If you own our Bodyweight Exercise Revolution program, you can substitute the Scorpion Base Switch anytime regular Base Switches are called for.
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi there
I’m very new to your website; I clicked on a link from Brad Pilon’s blog to get here…. Loved reading your story and really like your approach to exercise and life, so I signed up for your newsletters.
Anyhoo – I’m really keen to get started on your BodyWeightCoach programme; but which one????? I was going to purchase your “Bodyweight Blueprint for fat loss” but now that I’ve read todays email I really like the sound of “follow-along workout videos (just plug and play)” from the Forge programme.
Before I came across your system I was looking for a variety of resistance/strength training DVDs to buy because I love plug and play.
I have about 15kilos to lose and want to get lean and sculpt my body. Could you tell me which programme would suit me better please??
….and do I also need a mat? I notice a lot of the exercises are done on the floor…
Really really keen to hear from yoooooooou…
Cheers
Keen to get leeeeeeeeeeeeean
.-= Ange´s last blog -> Improve Your Coordination and Agility with Bodyweight Exercise =-.
Hi Ange,
Thanks for the kind words!
From the sounds of it, you may be most happy in our Inside Access club. You get a new workout every month. And each workout includes the plug & play follow along videos.
We do use a lot of floor based exercises. You can do them on the grass outdoors when the whether is fine. And for indoor training we suggest the fairly inexpensive “puzzle” type mats that you can find in most hardware stores or even at Walmart.
You can register for Inside Access by using the “Buy Cool Stuff” tab at the top of this page…
Cheers,
Adam
Great, thanks Adam!
Just one question before I sign up…. when I join the programme does it start at a beginners level?? I ask because the moves look really difficult; so miss “un-co” here will need to build up to those moves?
.-= Ange´s last blog -> Improve Your Coordination and Agility with Bodyweight Exercise =-.
Hey Ange,
There’s a permanent “intro” workout posted on the site that you can use to get into the beat. Also, there’s a forum post associated with each monthly workout so we can help you tailor the program for your needs. Shouldn’t be a problem…
Cheers,
Adam
Fan-tab-u-lus!! I think I’ve got that one; the Free 42 pager??
Good, good I’ll get going with that workout till payday and then sign up for your INSIDE ACCESS on 21 July. Can’t wait!!!! .
.-= Ange´s last blog -> Improve Your Coordination and Agility with Bodyweight Exercise =-.
Help Adam…..I’ve been checking out a workout called Tacfit – then reading a message from Brad Pilon yesterday, from what I can gather it has been put together by you guys???? Now I’m offically confused… which one shall I do “Tacfit Recruit” or “Inside Access”??
Keen to hear from yoooooooou
Looks like a moving hybrid of a one legged downward dogg and a phase of the kurtich get ups. Thanks for the fresh ideas!
Hey Ryan or Adam, I just watched your video on the forearm scorpion. It certainly seems more fun to do than a traditional plank (I hope it’s more challenging as well!). Should I do it for time or reps and if for reps, which rep range would challenge me? I can easily hold a plank with my hands on a stability ball for over 3min.
Hi Clement,
All of the above…
It really depends on what your goal is and what the rest of your program looks like. You can also play with depth and speed of execution.
Generally, I’ve used this for my clients in timed sets mixed with other exercises.
Let us know what you come up with.
Cheers,
Adam
I just want to say that your program looks cool when you guys do it.
But is it possible to do them if you have a weak knee (ACL reconstruction
and meniscus repaired) and your overweight and out of shape (6’1″ 308lbs. about 31% body-fat)?
DW,
Of course. But just like ANY exercise program, you have to make sure you adapt it to your preconditions. A handy way to know which exercises to avoid is the Rate of Perceived Discomfort (RPD) scale. Anything that causes pain higher than a 3 on a scale of 1-10 should be modified or replaced with another alternative.
Cheers,
Adam
DW,
You can definitely work up to any of these movements if you keep an eye on your RPD as Adam wrote.
I blew my right knee out several times in my younger bad old days of martial arts. Torn ligaments, and cartilage ripped up so badly there were pieces floating around in there for years. Daily Intu-Flow practice and training the CST way helped me more than anything else I ever did.
Keep working at it and you’ll get there
Thanks guys, love it!!!!!!!
Scorpion is such a great stretch and quad press added is awsome. Thought I’d give it a try in a circle repeating one side only with the hands as the centre point. Similar idea to the scorpion wheel only this time with hands in centre not the heel.
Hey
Cool
This exercise I like a lot
I will start today
I will probably take a few weeks to become agile enough to get back to the starting position Diamond
Thanks
We are very gratufll for this aditions to the groun BER program. After buying it and testing the programs one falls in love soon but after many months one is wishing to have this kind of additions that can turn the programs anew.
Love the Scorpion!
Please more variations for us that already know the BER but do no want to fall out of love with it
By the way , what do you mean with Base Switch? Which of the excercise in the Stregth and Hypertrophy cykle ar base switch?
big thanks!!
hey i have to do an assignment on exercising and i have to do a fitness plan. the things i have to do it on are speed, agility and aerobic capacity and i cant find any exericses for any of those things. so i was wondering if you could help me. please.
thanks
Look for High Performance Sports Conditioning (Human Kinetics) at your library. You’ll find a chapter on each of those in that book.
Cheers,
Adam