PED 025 – MOVEMENT ENHANCEMENT
MANANSALA
REVIEWER FOR PED 025 – MOVEMENT
ENHANCEMENT
PREPARED BY: MR. JASON J. MANANSALA
LESSON 1 – ACSM RISK STRATIFICATION, PAR-Q
AND BMI
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
- Physical education is a discipline
focused on fostering a variety of
physical abilities in students, which
enables them to engage in a diverse
range of physical activities with self-
assurance and enjoyment. Aside from
improving motor skills, physical
education provides numerous
advantages such as enhancing mental,
social, emotional, and cognitive
development.
ACSM Risk Stratification
- The ACSM risk stratification is a process
used by fitness professionals to assess a
client's health and fitness status before
designing an exercise program.
ACSM Risk Stratification Categories
Low risk - Physical activity/exercise program
may be pursued safely without the necessity of
medical examination and clearance that
individuals with moderate or high risk consult
with a healthcare provider before starting an
exercise program.
Moderate risk - Student is safe to begin light- or
moderate-intensity exercise (should undergo
further medical assessment before partaking in
vigorous-intensity exercise) Supervision by a
fitness professional during exercise is often
recommended (depends on the reason for
falling into this category).
Low risk - Students should undergo further
medical testing before starting an exercise
MR. JASON J.
program. Clinical supervision is recommended
during exercise and stress testing.
PAR-Q (Pre-Activity Readiness Questionnaire)
- The PAR-Q is a self-assessment tool
commonly used by fitness coaches or
trainers to evaluate the safety of
exercising based on a person's health
history, current symptoms, and risk
factors.
Body Mass Index (BMI
- Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of
body fat based on an individual's height
and weight. It is a simple calculation
that uses an individual's weight in
kilograms divided by the square of their
height in meters. The result is then
interpreted using standard ranges to
indicate whether an individual is
underweight, normal weight,
overweight, or obese.
FORMULA FOR BMI
LESSON 2 – CORE STABILITY, PROGRESSION
AND REGRESSION, CONTRALATERAL AND
IPSILARERAL EXERCISES
WHAT IS CORE?
The “core” is often mistaken for the visible
abdominal muscles, the rectus abdominus, the
“abs”, however, the muscles involved can be
described as a muscular ‘box’ and include the
abdominals in the front (rectus abdominus,
transversus abdominus (TA), multifidus (MF),
internal oblique), paraspinals and gluteals in the
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back, the diaphragm at the top, and the pelvic
floor on the bottom (Akuthota et al, 2004).
WHY IS THE CORE SO IMPORTANT?
The core muscles have two main functions:
1. to spare the spine from excessive load
2. to transfer force from the lower body to
the upper body and vice versa.
Having a strong, stable core helps us to prevent
injuries and allows us to perform at our best.
Injuries to the spine tend to come from a
combination of bending forward, side to side or
rotating excessively. Back injuries are not usually
linked to one specific incident (lifting something
heavy), but rather to a history or excessive load
with bad mechanics. In order to protect the
back, ideally we want to create 360 degrees of
stiffness around the spine as we move, run,
jump, throw, lift objects and transfer force
throughout our body. We do this when all of the
muscles in our hips, torso and shoulders work
together.
HOW DO WE BUILD CORE STABILITY?
There has been a strong movement away from
traditional core exercises – sit-ups, crunches,
side bends, etc. New research on the
effectiveness and safety of these exercises
shows that they may actually do more harm
than good.
Instead of creating large ranges of motion
through the trunk like these traditional exercises
do, most health professionals have shifted to
more functional exercises to enhance the
stability of the hips, torso, and shoulders. Here
are some basic exercises that train these key
areas and a few tips to keep in mind:
• Forward plank – keep a straight line
through the body, preventing the hips
from sagging toward the floor.
MR. JASON J. MANANSALA
• Side plank – maintain a straight line
from your head to your heels in order to
prevent side bending.
• Hip thrust – while lying on your back,
bend your knees to roughly 90 degrees
and press your feet firmly into the floor.
Squeeze the glute muscles to lift your
hips off the floor, getting your
shoulders, hips, and knees into a
straight line.
• Weighted carries – a great way to
practice transferring force through the
body. You can carry a weight in one or
both hands and simply walk for a
certain distance or time. The focus is on
staying long through the body and not
bending or twisting in any direction.
These carries can be done with the
weight by your side(s) or pressing the
weight overhead and reaching for the
sky!
BRACING
In fitness and exercise, "bracing" refers to the
act of contracting or stiffening the core muscles,
particularly the muscles of the abdomen, lower
back, and hips, in order to create stability and
support for the spine during movements.
Bracing is often used as a technique to prevent
injury and improve performance during
exercises that involve lifting, pushing, or pulling
heavy weights or objects. The goal of bracing is
to create a stable foundation for the body so
that force can be transferred efficiently and
safely, without excessive strain on the spine or
other joints.
WHY BRACE?
Bracing is done to provide stability and support
to the spine during exercises or movements that
involve force or impact. By engaging the core
muscles to create 360 degrees of stiffness
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around the spine, bracing helps to prevent
excessive movement or bending that can lead to
injury. It also helps to transfer force efficiently
through the body, allowing for better
performance in activities such as lifting weights,
running, or playing sports. In short, bracing is an
effective way to protect the spine and enhance
overall physical performance.
HOW TO BRACE?
Before trying it during exercise, try it laying
down on your back. What you’ll want to do:
1. Lay on your back, legs extended.
2. Take a deep breath and fill your
stomach with air.
3. Slightly bring your ribs down to your
pelvis
4. Squeeze your stomach as if you’re
preparing to be punched while also
tensing your lower back.
• You should feel the space between the
floor and your lower back decrease.
PROGRESSION
- the gradual increase in intensity,
difficulty, or complexity of an exercise
over time. This can be done by adding
weight, increasing the number of
repetitions or sets, decreasing rest
periods, or modifying the exercise to
make it more challenging. Progression is
important to continually challenge the
body and stimulate muscle growth,
strength gains, and endurance.
REGRESSION
- refers to the opposite process of
decreasing the intensity, difficulty, or
complexity of an exercise. This can be
done for several reasons, such as to
accommodate for an injury, to build a
MR. JASON J. MANANSALA
foundation of strength before advancing
to a more challenging exercise, or to
decrease the risk of injury.
If an exercise does not feel right to you, then
you need to know how to adapt it or whether
an alternative exercise might work better. Even
when you know your technique is correct, you
may still experience pain or discomfort, or the
exercise just might be too difficult or heavy for
you. Understanding the simple laws of exercise
progression (making it harder) and regression
(making it easier) will allow you to structure the
most effective training approach, not just for
your abdominals but for the rest of your body as
well. Understanding how to progress or regress
an exercise will also give you a deeper
understanding of the programs in part III. You’ll
be able to customize these programs according
to your body structure, training background,
and injury history. Knowing how to progress and
regress exercises will also enhance your training
experience and confidence to keep your
motivation at an all-time high. Five key variables
influence exercise progression and regression.
RESISTANCE (INTENSITY)
To make an exercise more difficult, you can
apply more resistance. To make an exercise
easier, you can use less resistance. Resistance
change can come in many formats from
changing the weight of a dumbbell or the
weight on a cable stack to more complex
methods such as altering your body position
and other leverage factors. It might sound
obvious, but making small changes in resistance
can have a huge impact on how an exercise feels
and the benefits you receive from it. If the
resistance is too high, then your attention might
shift away from technique and feeling it where
you should, to an externally driven goal like how
much weight you’re lifting or the number of
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reps you’re able to achieve with poor form.
Using a resistance that is too low will not elicit a
strong enough signal for your muscles to adapt
to and get stronger from. Progressing resistance
is important, but for the goal of aesthetics it
should not be at the expense of losing muscular
tension or performing reps without focus.
Finding the right balance in the resistance you
use is important.
RANGE OF MOTION
Each exercise you do has a maximum available
range of motion. We could go one step further
by stating that each exercise has a maximum
available pain-free range of motion. That is, just
because you see an exercise done in a certain
way and with a certain range of motion, it does
not mean that you should also be fitting yourself
into that same mold—especially if despite
having the range of motion available, the
position causes pain or discomfort. A barbell
deadlift is a good example. You might think you
need to deadlift from the floor because it’s
what’s accepted as being the correct full range
of motion. But, if your natural body structure
isn’t built for it or you have a history of back
pain, deadlifting directly off the floor could do
you more harm than good. More back or hip
pain might cause you to think that your core is
weak, when in reality all you needed to do was
accept that deadlifting from the floor wasn’t a
good fit to start off with. Next time, you might
try deadlifting one or two inches (2-5 cm) off
the floor to see whether it makes a difference
(reduced range of motion), and then throw
some extra core work on top for good measure.
Increasing or decreasing range of motion can
make exercises harder or easier as well as
prevent pain. There are also strength and
aesthetic benefits from spending more time in
certain ranges of motion, so don’t always
consider less range of motion to be easier and
therefore less effective. When viewing the
exercises in part II, these are shown using a full
MR. JASON J. MANANSALA
range of motion, but don’t be afraid to reduce
your range of motion if you need to for any
reason.
STABILITY
A typical path of progression often spoken
about is from stable to unstable exercises.
However, stating that something unstable is a
progression of a more stable version and
therefore a goal to aim for is inaccurate. While
increasing instability does make many exercises
more difficult, the question is whether the
progression is making the exercise harder in the
right way and according to your goals. In
chapter 2, we touched on the use of unstable
exercises and how adding instability can reduce
an exercise’s ability to target a muscle. With
increased stability, you can achieve higher
targeted-muscle output. So, although adding
instability could be seen as a way to add
progression to an exercise, you need to first
consider whether that is the path of progression
you should take. In the context of physique
enhancement and aesthetics, progressing from
a stable to unstable environment is rarely
useful.
SPEED
Advancing slower repetitions to faster ones isn’t
a progression pathway employed in this book.
Faster and more explosive repetitions are
usually reserved for performance-based training
and enhanced athleticism. For your abdominals
to receive the right signals to get stronger and
build new muscle tissue, they need to be
subjected to high levels of mechanical tension.
This requires placing high force through the
muscle tissues for longer durations than those
used in power-based exercises. When repetition
speed is high, it is usually at the expense of
placing higher force through these tissues for
periods long enough to elicit the adaptation you
want. Higher repetition speeds can also take
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you out of optimal alignment, keeping you from
getting the most from each repetition and
potentially increasing the likelihood of excessive
wear and tear or injury. The higher the
repetition speed, the better your muscles have
to be at absorbing the resistances you use as
well. While increasing repetition speed can be
seen as a progression, it is best reserved for
when your goal shifts to performance after
achieving your primary goal of aesthetics. If you
are new to an exercise, it makes sense to be
more cautious with repetition speed as you’re
learning the exercise. Even once you’re past the
learning stage, you should use a repetition
speed that still allows you to feel the exercise
working the target area. Any exercise in part II
that requires you to use a specific repetition
speed will be noted within the technical points
of each exercise.
BODY POSITION
Changing body position is a method of
progression that largely works through the
manipulation of the lever arm length. Changing
leverage factors can change how much
resistance you receive as a percentage of your
body weight. A simple example is to use a basic
front plank performed on your knees versus on
your toes. Because the lever arm is longer when
you’re on your toes, it is a more difficult position
to hold and requires your muscles to work
harder. In this case, you would select the plank
variation that best fits your current level of
strength. Another example is performing a basic
crunch. Having your arms straight and overhead
is harder than having your arms by your sides.
This again is an example of a simple change in
lever length that adjusts the difficulty of the
exercise based on changing the arm position
alone. Here, the weight of your arms taken
farther overhead increases the difficulty of the
crunch. Exercise biomechanics can be a complex
topic but having a few go-to tricks to make an
exercise easier or harder by changing your body
MR. JASON J. MANANSALA
position can serve you well. Changing body
position to manipulate leverage factors is a
continuing theme in part III. It’s also worth
noting that a change in placement of an
external weight, for example a dumbbell or
kettlebell, can change the difficulty of an
exercise. Progression or regression of exercises
using this technique will be covered as they
become applicable in part III.
LESSON 3: BIRD DOG AND DEAD BUG EXERCISE
BIRD DOG EXERCISE
- The bird dog is a bodyweight exercise
that strengthens the core—more
specifically, the abdominal muscles,
lower back, butt, and thighs. Since it
requires no equipment other than a
mat, it can easily be integrated into
almost any core strength training
routine.
BENEIFITS OF BIRD DOG EXERCISE
- The main target of the bird dog is the
erector spinae muscle.1 This long back
muscle extends the length of the spine
from the skull, neck, and ribs to the
vertebrae and sacrum of the hip. It is
responsible for extending, flexing, and
rotating the spine.
- Two abdominal muscles are particularly
challenged by bird dog exercises: the
rectus abdominis and the obliques.2
This move also involves the gluteus
maximus muscle of the buttocks (when
raising the leg) and the trapezius
muscles of the upper back and deltoids
of the shoulder (when raising the arm).
Other muscles get involved in stabilizing the
motion. These include:
1. The hamstrings on the back of the thigh
2. The other gluteal muscles (medius and
minimus)
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3. The piriformis and obturator externus of
the hip
4. The pectoralis and serratus muscles of
the chest
5. The triceps of the upper arm
HOW TO DO BIRD DOG EXERCISE
For this exercise, you’ll need an exercise mat.
Place a flat cushion or folded towel under your
knees for extra cushioning. You can use a mirror
to check your alignment.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Begin on all fours in the tabletop
position.
2. Place your knees under your hips and
your hands under your shoulders.
3. Maintain a neutral spine by engaging
your abdominal muscles.
4. Draw your shoulder blades together.
5. Raise your right arm and left leg,
keeping your shoulders and hips parallel
to the floor.
6. Lengthen the back of your neck and
tuck your chin into your chest to gaze
down at the floor.
7. Hold this position for a few seconds,
then lower back down to the starting
position.
8. Raise your left arm and right leg,
holding this position for a few seconds.
9. Return to the starting position. This is 1
round.
10. Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE BIRD DOG EXERCISE
1. ROCKING BACKWARD OR LOW BACK
STRETCH
- Do the rocking backward low back
stretch to alleviate tightness and pain in
the low back and hips. It helps loosen
up your body before more difficult
stretches.
2. BRIDGE POSE
MR. JASON J. MANANSALA
- This yoga pose can strengthen and
mobilize your low back. Keep your feet
in line with your hips with your toes
facing forward. After doing dynamic
spinal rolls, place a block under your
lower back. Hold this position for 3 to 5
minutes.
3. PELVIC TILTS
- The pelvic tilt exercise supports the low
back, glutes, and abdominals. Place a
cushion under your head or shoulders
for extra support. Keep your body
relaxed and use the movement to gently
massage your back.
4. DONKEY KICKS
- Donkey kicks help with your balance
and stability and strengthen your glutes,
abs, and hips. Distribute your weight
evenly, and don’t lift your leg higher
than your hip.
DEADBUG EXERCISE
- An effective method to enhance core
strength and stability is through the
dead bug exercise, which is widely
practiced.
- By doing this exercise, one can establish
a strong and secure base that
safeguards the spine, enabling easier
performance of daily and athletic
activities like lifting heavy items,
climbing hills, and throwing objects.
BENEFITS OF DEADBUG EXERCISES
- Improve core muscle groups to work
together to transfer movement
between your upper and lower body,
and they help stabilize the spine,
preventing your spine from moving in
ways it shouldn't.
- The dead bug is an excellent exercise for
promoting total core stability while
improving contra-lateral limb
engagement. This basically means the
PED 025 – MOVEMENT ENHANCEMENT MR. JASON J. MANANSALA

exercise helps teach you to effectively 4. PALM AGAINTS THE WALL

move opposing limbs in tandem while - Bring your arms overhead and press
keeping your core stable and your back your palms into the wall with your
protected. knees above your hips. This is great for
beginners.
HOW TO DO DEADBUG EXERCISES
LESSON 4: PLANK SERIES
1. Do this exercise on a padded mat. To
support your neck, place a folded towel PLANK EXERCISE
or flat cushion under your shoulders.
- The plank exercise is a bodyweight
2. Keep your hips and low back still
exercise that is performed in a prone
throughout the exercise. Perform the
position, where the individual holds a
movement slowly and with control.
position that mimics the "top" of a
Engage your core muscles and press
push-up, with the body held straight
your lower back into the floor.
and rigid like a plank.
3. Allow your shoulders and lower back to
- The individual should then engage their
fall heavy to the floor.
core muscles, glutes, and legs, and lift
4. Draw your shoulders down away from
their body off the ground, holding it in a
your ears. To get into the starting
straight line from head to heels. The
position, lift your hands so your elbows
goal is to maintain this position for as
are above your shoulders with your fists
long as possible while keeping the body
facing in toward each other.
stable and avoiding any sagging or
5. Lift your legs so your knees are directly
arching in the back.
over your hips.
- The plank exercise is an effective way to
6. On an exhale, slowly lower your right
strengthen the core muscles, improve
arm and left leg until they’re just above
posture, and develop overall body
the floor.
stability. There are also many variations
7. On an inhale, bring them back to the
of the plank exercise, such as side
starting position.
planks or plank jacks, that can add
8. Repeat on the opposite side.
variety and challenge to the workout.
9. This is 1 rep.
BENEFITS OF DOING PLANK EXERCISE
VARIATIONS OF DEADBUG EXERCISE
- Strengthening the core is a crucial
1. HEEL TAPS
component of any fitness routine, as it
- Keeping your knee bent, slowly lower
enhances stability and provides
one foot at a time and tap the floor with
aesthetic appeal. More importantly, it
your heels.
aids in stabilizing, balancing, and
2. LEG EXTENSIONS
powering the body during various
- Press one foot away from your body to
activities.
straighten your leg, hovering it above
- A strong core is much more than six-
the floor.
pack abs. We use our core muscles
3. LEG RAISES
unconsciously for several actions in a
- Straighten your legs so your feet are
day ranging from bending and lifting
facing the ceiling, then slowly lower
weight, for balance and even to
down one leg at a time.
managing our breathing. A weakened
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core can cause serious injury if ignored.
The plank position helps target the core
muscles and give them a good burn to
build muscle strength.
CORE MUSCLES GROUPS ENGAGED IN A PLANK
• TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS
• RECTUS ABDOMINIS
• OBLIQUE MUCLES
• GLUTEAL MUSCLES OR GLUTES
1. HEALTHY POSTURE
- The plank position engages all muscles
from your neck, shoulder and back up
to your pelvis, thighs, and legs.
Gradually, this results in a strong
posture giving you the confidence to
walk tall and proper.
2. BALANCE AND COORDINATION
- Planks hold the core muscles taut thus
teaching your muscle to endure. This
builds muscle stability and increases
body balance.
3. IMPROVES BODY ALIGNMENT AND
HELPS AVOID ILLNESS
- Planks help build strong abdominal
muscles which reduce the strain on your
back, shoulders, and neck. Planks and
regular exercise can prevent
degenerative muscle atrophy caused by
osteoarthritis too.
4. BUILD CORE STRENGTH
- If you’ve read this far, you have realized
that our core muscles do more than
look pretty! Plank and its variations like
a side plank, reverse plank, resistance
planks etc. can help build strength and
endurance.
5. IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY
- In Yoga, the plank position, called
Kumbhakasana and the side plank or
Vasisthasana are essential poses for
flexibility and core strength. They help
MR. JASON J. MANANSALA
improve flexibility in hips and thighs
when combined with other poses.
Abdominal muscles are essential for
performing a headstand or a handstand
and planks lead the way.
6. IMPROVES METABOLISM
- When we sit and work for long hours or
are not physically active in our life, our
metabolism tends to slow down. Doing
the plank position regularly improves
circulation, thus improving body
metabolism.
7. IMPROVES OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH
- Any and all exercises release endorphins
which help elevate our mood. However,
planks can be special mood lifters
because it engages the stress corners of
our body. Our shoulders, neck and back
usually tense up and have knots
because of strain and stress, both
mental or physiological. Contracting
these muscles literally squeezes the
tension out from major muscles where
the stress accumulates.
COMMON MISTAKES
Avoid these errors to get the most out of this
exercise and to avoid strain or injury.
A. Arching your back: If you arch your
back, you are not engaging your
abdominals sufficiently and you are
putting more of the weight onto your
arms. Check to be sure you are keeping
your shoulders down and wide.
B. Sagging your hips: Your hips will start
sinking once your abs have reached
their fatigue limit. That's a sign it's time
to end your plank. If it seems your hips
are sagging from the beginning, try
separating your feet a bit wider and
focus on engaging your abs.
PED 025 – MOVEMENT ENHANCEMENT MR. JASON J. MANANSALA

C. Tilting your head up: Your neck should

be in line with your body, not tilted up,
which could strain the neck. Keep your
gaze down at the floor.

SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS

- To ensure safety during planking,

individuals with shoulder injuries are
advised to refrain from performing the
exercise. If you experience any
discomfort in the shoulder region, it's
recommended to discontinue the
workout.
- For pregnant women, planking is
generally safe; however, it may cause
stress on the abdominal wall,
necessitating modification of the
exercise. Alternatives like side planks or
incline planks may be preferable. It's
advisable to consult with a doctor or
physical therapist to determine if
planking is an appropriate exercise.