Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs)

This is an introduction video and mostly educational, but I want you to try some of the movements you see and learn about them. In the next Intro Video (#5) we will do this entire routine as a follow along class, but here we must learn about the movements first.

CARs is a potent training stimulus, and it's something I do every single day. I make my parents and my clients do it every single day as well. When done consistently, you reap the benefits.

In CARs we essentially pinpoint 1 joint at a time, and work it in full isolation. We take the joint to its outer range of motion at every (joint) position, and we add rotation. We utilize irradiation, and we work slow and controlled movements. We're always trying to push for a little bit more range of motion, but without any compensation elsewhere. We also do CARs in only pain-free ranges of motion. Never pushing through pain.

The goal is to take every joint through all of its active ranges of motion, on a daily basis. We do this for a few reasons.

1. Joint Integrity. To offer blood supply and nutrients to the joint capsule. This serves as an anti-inflammatory. Which is very critical to the health of our joints, and decreasing pain/tightness. Look at doing CARs the same way you look at flossing and brushing your teeth. Not exactly the most fun to do, but incredibly important for the integrity of the teeth (or CARs to the joints)

2. Maintaining our current ranges of motion. Our nervous system is highly adaptable. If we don't utilize certain ranges of motion consistently, our body will slowly strip them away from us. Leaving us stiff, tight, and more prone to injury and deterioration. We don't lose mobility just because we're aging. We lose mobility because we don't express our full ranges of motion in modern day life and exercise

3. Developing neurological control over your body, aka body control. When we utilize irradiation, and move our joint through space in a slow and controlled manner, we're teaching the nervous system about these ranges of motion. How to control them, and how to produce force in them. This is all very important for overall strength potential.

4. Self-Assessment. While doing CARs, assess and learn more about your body. What ranges of motion feel good, what ranges of motion feel restricted and not so good. The more you learn about your body, the more you will understand what your body needs, and how to address your specific limitations.

All in all, CARs are super beneficial, and we want to make this a consistent habit. It will be important to do your CARs with good intent and focus. Maintain tension, go slow and controlled, and always self-assess how your body feels. Remember to never to go into any range of motion that creates any pain, or a sharp pinching sensation. If you do feel pain in a specific area, shorten that range of motion a little bit, and bypass those painful areas while continuing through the rest of the motion. Never work through pain, always bypass it.

CARs #EveryDamnDay