control yourself with dr andreo spina

In this episode of Control Yourself, Dr. Andreo Spina sits down with Mike Fitch, founder of Animal Flow, for a deep conversation on the art and science of movement education. They discuss how systems evolve over time, what it means to teach with integrity, and how to balance creativity with structure when designing training for humans—not just athletes. Topics include movement variability, joint health, programming, and redefining what “longevity” in training really means. It’s a candid exchange between two educators who’ve spent their careers refining how people move, think, and teach. 🎥 Watch the full conversation on YouTube👉 Learn more or get certified: www.functionalrangesystems.com👉 Find Animal Flow classes worldwide: www.animalflow.com

In this episode, I explore training to failure by analyzing the scientific literature through the lens of first principles physiology. Given the inconsistencies in research, this approach enhances our understanding and helps optimize training programs for hypertrophy and other musculoskeletal outcomes. We explore: * Conflicting research findings on training to failure vs. training with reps in reserve * Differentiating training for hypertrophy vs. strength training * The role of momentary muscular failure vs. technical failure * How beginners vs. experienced lifters should approach training to failure * The concept of muscular strength deficit and neurological access * Why exercise selection and tissue specificity matter * Avoiding the trap of volume overload and injuries You’ll learn how training to failure fits within broader adaptation principles and discover that not all failure is equal, ultimately guiding you to make informed decisions in your training approach. This episode will also touch upon: * Load application that respects capacity and promotes adaptation * Programming that recognizes the difference between skill acquisition and tissue development * The intelligent use of intensity as a biological input, not a motivational tool * Muscular strength deficit: The gap between neural access and anatomical potential * Patterned movement constraint: The neurological consequence of repetitive movement in the same vector * Motor unit recruitment zones: Understanding spatial limitations in patterned hypertrophy work * Stimulate / retrain / de-train framework: Intensity mapped onto recovery and adaptive bandwidth * Adaptive currency: The finite biological resource for generating structural change #FunctionalRangeConditioning #ControlYourselfPodcast #ExerciseScience #TrainingToFailure #TissueAdaptation #FRSInternalStrength #LoadApplication #JointCapacity #NeuromechanicalTraining #StrengthDeficit (edit and add ours as you see fit)

📝 Are you training for mobility, or just stretching aimlessly? In this episode of the Control Yourself Podcast, I am joined by Alex Nichols, manual therapist, strength coach and FRS instructor to break down the science behind mobility, strength, and injury prevention.⁣⁣📝 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:⁣✅ Why stretching alone won’t improve mobility⁣✅ How effective, joint specific assessments reveal hidden limitations⁣✅ The difference between flexibility, mobility, and usable range of motion⁣✅ Why movement compensations can hide dysfunctions⁣✅ How force inputs shape tissue and why passive treatments aren’t enough⁣✅ The truth about “tight” muscles and what they actually need⁣⁣If you’re a coach, therapist, or athlete, this episode will give you actionable insights to level up your training.⁣⁣👀👂& Subscribe on YouTube NOW- youtube.com/DrAndreoSpina⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#ControlYourselfWithDrAndreoSpina⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#ControlYourselfPodcast⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#DrAndreoSpinaPodcast⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#ControlYourself⁣⁣⁣⁣🔻🔻🔻⁣⁣⁣#FunctionalRangeSystems⁣⁣⁣#FunctionalRangeConditioning⁣⁣⁣#FunctionalRangeRelease⁣#FunctionalRangeAssessment⁣#Kinstretch⁣#FRSinternalStrengthModel ⁣

In this episode, I sat down with @hunterfitness for what was supposed to be a series of short, Q&A posts. However, once we got going, we just kept going. As a result, we are releasing this as a full podcast! Some of the topics we discuss: Sport specific training, recent case studies, and training program alterations Programming for general population and moving well for life The difference between effort and intensity and how it changes client training Training for longevity Athletic injury force profiles and athletic training force profiles - matching one to another Rehab of muscle injuries . . . And many more. Hope you enjoy the chat. Also available on YouTube: youtube.com/DrAndreoSpina⁣⁣

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Michael Chivers to discuss our ongoing development of the FRS Spine Practitioner course. We touch upon back pain epidemiology, historic approaches to spine training, the shortcomings of spinal literature, the evolution of the bipedal spine, spinal anatomy and neurophysiology physiology, and other topics. This episode, as will the upcoming course, provides vital information for manual practitioners and the S&C community alike who are tasked with the ongoing care of spinal pain and function? You can also watch this episode on YouTube. https://youtu.be/5NhxW5vjWpU

In this episode Dr. Spina sits down with Dr. John Saratsiotis Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Biochemist, and lead FRS instructor to discuss a controversial topic in the world of manual therapy and injury management, namely the topic of soft tissue Fibrosis. What is it? How does it form? How does it affect force transmission and the many misconceptions surrounding both its existence following injury as well as soft tissue management. We also cover related concepts including tissue directionality in the fascial system, the evolution of tissue healing in humans, what pain is and the role manual therapy plays in its management, and selection of appropriate therapeutic outcome measures. Complete with scientific references, this talk is a deep dive into the cellular understanding of fibrosis and how it effects human performance making it an important listen for Strength & Conditioning specialists and Manual Therapists alike. To get the most out of this episode, watch it on YouTube where we reference illustrations and scientific sources.

In this episode I sit down with FRS Instructor Josh Halbert for a philosophical discussion about the concept of “exercise”. We discuss the merits of using an evolutionary perspective to view exercise, modern approaches to physical training, inherent problems with current approaches, and how to reframe intentions and results through training. Other topics include: The influence of memetic selection on exercise creation The history of sports science Complex system emergence Strength programming for trained vs untrained populations What it means to send physiological signals for sport specific results And multiple other topics Disclaimer: This podcast does not provide medical advice and it is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For more information or to seek out an FRS provider in your area, please visit our website.

In this episode Dr. Spina sits down with FRS Master Instructor Hunter Cook to discuss case study of a retired professional baseball pitcher. Though an FRS lens, Hunter and Dre discuss how this athlete’s training was managed over time with reference videos and photos of his progress. Topics covered in the conversation include: The pathophysiological effects of pitching over time The pitfalls of kinetic chain assessment Shoulder dynamics in pitching Establishing active to passive ratios The importance of neurological-biological afferent and efferent communication The relationship between motor learning, skill acquisition and tissue quality Creation and maintenance of cortical action maps Cultivation of musculoskeletal longevity And many more… Whether you are manual therapist, S&C coach or athlete, this episode highlights the intricacies of improving and/or reversing deleterious effects of decades of performing at the highest levels of human athletics. Disclaimer: This podcast does not provide medical advice and it is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For more information or to seek out an FRS provider in your area, please visit our website.

Volume has largely been viewed as an endlessly positive quality to pursue in current strength and conditioning protocols. However, “more” doesn’t alway equal “better”. In this episode, Dr. Spina sits down with FRS Instructors John Quint and Dr. Michael Chivers to discuss programming and volume issues in training. What are the downsides of pursuing volume? Moreover, what is missing from standard-model training programs? Topics include: What is strength? How to elicit specific endocrine responses towards building this strength. Training inputs and how they can be defined and categorized. Programming and the importance of intensity. Blind-spots in current approaches to clinical rehabilitation. Disclaimer: This podcast does not provide medical advice and it is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For more information or to seek out an FRS provider in your area, please visit our website.

In this episode Dr. Spina discusses the management of low back pain and what may be missing from your treatment and/or rehabilitation strategy. Topics include the evolutionary anatomy of the spine, the importance of re-establishing segmental spinal motion, the misunderstandings regarding neutral spine, the need for specificity in treatment and training inputs, and more. Whether you are a therapist, S&C coach, or patient, this podcast will shed light on some of the most common issues in dealing with both acute and chronic low back pain cases, as well as provide ideas to improve long term clinical outcomes. Disclaimer: This podcast does not provide medical advice and it is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For more information or to seek out an FRS provider in your area, please visit our website.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Spina sits down for a conversation with conditioning specialist and Functional Range Systems Instructor Josh Halbert about a number of topics including his experience managing and training professional athletes, consciousness and its evolutionary basis, the physiology of meditation and its role in pain management, regular meditative practice, free will and managing motivation, flow state and creativity, building body awareness and control, managing training risk, the over prescription of weight lifting for athletic development, how to bullet-proof your athletes, and many more. Follow:Josh Halbert @GetChimpy @learnmobilityDr. Andreo Spina @DrAndreoSpina For information on upcoming seminars visit us at www.FunctionalAnatomySeminars.com

For over 20 years, Don has coached actors, athletes, musicians, and business executives pushing them to function at their fullest potential. In 2005, he opened his NYC Gym, Drive 495. He has developed a reputation for training some of the biggest names in Hollywood for the big screen. Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Liev Schreiber, Sebastian Stan, Anne Hathaway, Zachary Levi, Drew Powell, Hugh Jackman, & David Harbour are among his roster of clients who have trained with him at Drive 495. Derek is an International Sport Performance Consultant that has been working with athletes all ages and abilities in speed, strength and power sports since 1988. His coaching career started in Track and Field, providing instruction to sprinters of all ages eventually working with collegiate sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers. His career evolved rapidly working closely with some of the top performers in the world as a coach and a consultant – including Olympic medalists, world record holders, Canadian National team athletes, and professional athletes from numerous sports. He also serves as a performance consultant to numerous professional teams in the NFL, NBA, MLS and NHL, as well as major NCAA Division 1 programs throughout North America, specializing in speed development, strategic performance planning, return-to-competition protocols and neuromuscular electrical stimulation programming. In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Don and Derek across a variety of topics including: ‘Mobility’ vs internal training and how we define it within Functional Range Systems. The approach to my own personal health and fitness. Spine and joint health, as it relates to mobility, stability, & articular health. Movement and movement screening to maximize health and minimize the potential for injury The importance of addressing and managing pain on both a physical and psychological level. iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/d-d-fitness-radio-podcast/id1331724217 iHeart Radio – https://www.iheart.com/podcast/dd-fitness-radio-28797988/ Spreaker.com – https://www.spreaker.com/show/d-and-d-fitness-radios-show Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5Py2SSPA4mntNwYRm0Opri You can reach both Don and Derek at the following locations: Don Saladino: http://www.DonSaladino.com Twitter and Instagram - @DonSaladino YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/donsaladino