Capoeira at Flux

Spotlight on Coach Jen and capoeira.
Did you know that Flux School of Human Movement is a satellite school of Capoeira Los Angeles?

Classes are Mondays at 6:30pm and Saturdays at noon.

 

join the movement revolution at Flux!

Flux Coaching Team - Spotlight #3: Featuring Coach Dallas McPherson

When I came to Flux School of Human Movement with my spouse Chelsey back in 2011 we had no idea of the world that we were about to enter. Initially I was drawn to Flux to learn Olympic style weightlifting and to take my deluded crossfitting to the next level. What I discovered took my training to another level through Coach Darci Anderson’s innovative programming and by introducing me to Ido Portal and the world of Movement.

I’ve always been drawn to the pursuit of movement. I just hadn’t realized it yet. I’ve trained several martial arts in South Korea and China, competed in amateur kickboxing out of Muringsung Muay Thai Camp, and practiced yoga at home. I’m certainly no stranger to the gym or training, in the past I’ve spun my wheels in the gym seeing some gains but no real results. I had no idea what it took to become strong, until I found Flux. What began with WODing and weightlifting led to gymnastics, movement and mobility (MoMo).

I joined the coaching team in 2012 shortly after we moved to the new location on 13th Ave. I brought with me my athletic background, experience as a classroom teacher, coaching experience as a former coach of the Pile of Bones Roller Derby League and my time as a bootcamp instructor. Shortly thereafter Coaches Darci and Jane along with myself and fellow fluxers Don and Ryan attended Ido Portal’s Movement Camp in Berlin. There we spent ten long days training under Ido Portal and Odelia Goldschmidt, bouldering with Sean Milligan of Flowstate, swimming and breath control with Vic Verdier of Movnat, and attending lectures from Dr. Andreo Spina’s Functional Anatomy Seminars. The experiences we had sparked the fire of evolution in Flux and brought the MoMo class to life through the addition of floreio as a part of our training.

Since then I have had the privilege of training with and under Odelia Goldschmidt on two separate occasions when she visited us in late 2012 and spring 2013. I also became a mobility specialist after Flux hosted a Functional Range Conditioning certification from Dr Spina. My passion for bouldering and rock climbing fueled a lot of hard climbing and a competition where I placed second in the recreational category. This led to my desire to design Flux’s Outdoor Bouldering Wall and add in the climbing class to share my new found passion with others. I also had the pleasure of shadowing Sean Milligan in routesetting when he came to us delivering a Flowstate seminar in September 2013.

These days I am working extensively on handbalancing, gymnastics, movement and mobility and a little bit of lifting. I have been coached by our head coach Darci to reach the level I am at now and I have spent around 250-300 hours under her watchful eye. I achieved my first muscle-up with her coaching and was able to turn the sloppy beginner reps into crisp multiples.

Flux is the one of the best parts of my day. Even after a long day in the classroom, coaching the wonderful members of the Flux community is a treat. My infant son often accompanies me to the gym and he feels right as home among all of the members. We are truly privileged to be a part of this community and we can’t wait until he can join the Flux Monkey’s Class.

Flux Coaching Team - Spotlight #2: Featuring Coach Luke Rossmo

Flux has been one of the most important things to happen in my life. It has afforded me a spring board to dive into the world of movement. Since the beginning of my coaching career the acquisition and application of ‘movement knowledge’ has become a leading focus in my life. What follows is an account of my journey so far.

When I think of movement I think of Odelia Goldschmidt. She is an inspiring mover whom I have had the great privilege of working with on two occasions now. The first time she came we spent about two weeks together moving. Moving in this sense encompasses acrobatics, mobility, gymnastics, floreio and capoeira. The breadth of material was vast and looking back now it seems overwhelming to think of what was covered in our time together. Luckily, Odelia is a gifted teacher. We slowly and methodically unboxed the world of movement. We would always begin with the simplest and most basic progression. This was important because while the basics often seem relatively simple or even easy, this is rarely the case! Further, movement is the sum of different working parts and so to move well and efficiently we must have a strong grasp on each and every part. This lesson has proved valuable to my own practice as well and especially in the way I begin to teach a movement. The progressions, both with strength development (pulling or pushing, etc.) and also with ‘movement’ also always seem to take one to the precipice of current limitations, but the exciting thing is that what you have done thus far is always opening a door to something in the future.

The second time Odelia came to Flux I was even more fortunate. I got to spend 2-3 hours a day in private training with her (alongside Coach Darci and Coach Mieka) and another 2-3 hours in the evening with a larger group of Flux athletes. This went on for two weeks. During this time we added layers to the foundations set in previous sessions and were also subjected to new material. Some highlights of my training include learning to back and front tuck. I was also able to achieve my first high bridge rotation. I estimate that I have spent 150 hours with Odelia and in that time I have learned how to systematically and safely teach different ‘movements' and movement patterns. 

The Bulgarian method of weightlifting is the system that Darci Anderson uses to train her athletes. To understand this system and its benefits Darci sought out the best. Darci has spent several years developing a friendship and mentorship with Coach Alex Varbanov, who holds 10 world records and an Olympic medal in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. Learning under Coach Alex has been a unique and exciting opportunity. This summer I will travel to Bulgaria for a 2-week training camp supported by the Flux Coaching Education Initiative. We will be training 6-hours a day and on top of that there will be daily lectures on the science behind Olympic Weightlifting.

Another individual I’ve had the great pleasure to learn from is Dr. Andreo (Dre) Spina. Dr. Spina, who works with several Major League Baseball Teams, has developed a system used to acquire and strengthen ranges of motion. I attended his FRC (functional range conditioning) certification and it has proved invaluable.  I continue to spend many hours  bolstering my knowledge of the system and its practical applications.

Charles Poliquin is highly regarded in strength and conditioning circles and I have begun education through the Poliquin International Certification Program. I have completed the level 1 theory and technical components. Each component requires the completion of a test. To complete the first two tests many hours of study were required. Thus far the information has given me a working understanding of how to best select which set, rep, tempo and rest combinations are best for producing desired results. I look forward to completing the practical component next week (February 14) in Rhode Island.

The things that I have mentioned above have very little value if the concepts and movements are not practiced and explored. I get great joy watching and practicing movement. Movement here encompasses everything expressed above. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by like-minded people at Flux. I spend between 6-10 hours being coached and mentored in lifting by Coach Darci Anderson every week. I often spend several other hours a week playing with movement and hand balancing under her guidance. I estimate my time training under Flux Principal Coach and Owner Darci around 400 hours in the past year. This does not include time spent coaching alongside Darci, which adds many more hundreds of hours in my study of the art of coaching.

I also get to play with other coaches at Flux. I spend many hours a month in ‘movement play’ with Coach Mieka, Dallas, Sandi and others. Each coach as an athlete brings a wealth of personal experience, tips, advice, cues and energy. Being part of this experienced Flux team that thrives from the exploration of movement, ideas, and play is an incredible experience.  Having so much feedback and the opportunity to explore movement has been integral to my personal coaching career. 

I am eager to continue on this journey of knowledge, exploration and play at Flux - School of Human Movement!

Flux Coaching Team - Spotlight #1: Featuring the Spectacular Coach Mieka Boehmer

Flux Coaching = Expert Coaching!

Introduction to our New Coaching Profile Series

As you are all aware, education is critical to the elite level of coaching you receive at Flux - School of Human Movement.  Where else will you find full time coaches with highly specialized knowledge in the fields of: movement, mobility, gymnastics, capoeira, olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, and bouldering? At Flux - School of Human Movement we have all of this in house!

What should you look for in a coach? Does your gym support education initiatives for your coach beyond CrossFit "certs"?

Has your coach taken any courses outside of CrossFit certifications? Does your coach make an effort to travel to learn from elite teachers outside of the city, the province, and the country? Does your gym bring in experts and specialists in their respective fields for courses, workshops and residencies?  If your gym offers specialized classes in mobility and gymnastics, do they have to bring in outside sources or do their in-house coaches have the required knowledge to teach? After all, it makes sense if a gym is going to offer a fully integrated system of moving and learning that each coach has the knowledge and experience to teach in an integrative matter. Movement is all encompassing. The body in practice is not compartmentalized, so why should a teacher's knowledge be segmented into isolated fields? When you do a CrossFit WOD at Flux, you can be confident that coaches such as Coach Mieka have the knowledge to help you work through mobility issues and nagging injuries from days gone by. Quite frankly, without our coaches' tireless enthusiasm to always be learning, Flux would not be such a unique place. 

After 4 years of being the ONLY CrossFit affiliate in Saskatchewan - and for many years the world - to offer courses in mobility and gymnastics, Flux is constantly raising the bar. In the past year we have witnessed many CrossFits add Gymnastics and Mobility classes to their schedules, whereas at Flux, elite levels of movement, mobility, and gymnastics programming and coaching has been integral for many years! At Flux, we understood very early on the importance of movement freedom, and our integration of mobility is well beyond foam rollers and bands. Our level of expertise in the disciplines of mobility and movement complexity are higher than most other gyms because of our commitment to education initiatives, and our focus on working with world renowned experts. You can be assured that at Flux - School of Human Movement, our coaching expertise sets us far apart from other CrossFits, gyms, and studios!

Charity and I are truly proud of the hard work and ongoing commitment to education that our Flux coaches, such as Coach Mieka highlighted here in this first coaching profile, put into their daily practices. Coach Mieka trains a minimum of 10 hours a week and part of this time is dedicated to researching movement practices. This is a critical element of her job as it ensures that each progression of a movement is well thought through. 

We hope you enjoy our new Spotlights on our Flux Coaching Team. We will be posting one each week over the next couple of months. We encourage you to take some time to read about your Flux coaches, and learn about their coaching expertise, passions, and current movement goals.

Yours,

Coach Darci and Charity

Spotlight #1 on Flux Coaching Team: Featuring the Spectacular Coach Mieka Boehmer

Below is a short bio of some of Mieka's accomplishments over the last few years. There is also a lovely video of Coach Mieka in action. Be sure to watch it!

I have been working at Flux for over 3 years and joining this community was one of the best decisions I have made. I started off doing a lot of CrossFit and competed a bit in Olympic weightlifiting and now over the last two years I have gravitated more into the movement, mobility and gymnastics areas. Movement has become my favorite part of my own training. As a result, I find the most joy in helping others discover their own movement potential. Going to Singapore with Coach Darci and Coach Derek for Ido Portal's Movement Camp in 2013 really finalized for me that the study of human movement is my true passion.

It isn't hard to stay motivated when you have people like Darci, Ido, and Odelia mentoring you and showing you how much better life is when you train to have movement freedom. I have recently started helping to program the Movement & Mobility class, as well as the Acrobatics and Teen programs. I have spent over 150 hours working under Ido and Odelia and that is where I have learned most of my gymnastics, acrobatics, movement, and mobility training. 

I really enjoyed learning under Coach Pierre Auge and Olympic medalist and multiple world record holder, Coach Alex Varbanov. In total I have spent 6 days training with them, learning about the Bulgarian Method for Olympic weightlifting. The first course I took with Coach Pierre was Agastsu Weightlifting Certification, then the Varbanov Weightlifting Course with Coach Alex.

In May of last year, Dr. Spina, opened my eyes to getting through some of my own mobility weaknesses. After completing his course on Functional Range Conditioning I have been able to eliminate my own old injuries completely. His course was very valuable to me.

In 2006 I graduated from Western College of Remedial Massage Therapy. My education and experience as a massage therapist has helped me understand movement as a coach even more. I really enjoy Anatomy and Physiology. To expand on those topics, I went to Arizona to work with James Fitzgerald of OPT for his Exercise and Physiology Certification. I feel very fortunate that Flux encourages and financially supports us to continue our education.

Some of the things I am currently working towards are a 60 second freestanding handstand, press to handstand, and competing in the 800m in track & field this coming outdoor season. My favorite movement to do is the QDR rotation!

Flux Coaching Team - Spotlight #1: Featuring the Spectacular Coach Mieka Boehmer

Flux Coaching = Expert Coaching!

Introduction to our New Coaching Profile Series

As you are all aware, education is critical to the elite level of coaching you receive at Flux - School of Human Movement.  Where else will you find full time coaches with highly specialized knowledge in the fields of: movement, mobility, gymnastics, capoeira, olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, and bouldering? At Flux - School of Human Movement we have all of this in house!

What should you look for in a coach? Does your gym support education initiatives for your coach beyond CrossFit "certs"?

Has your coach taken any courses outside of CrossFit certifications? Does your coach make an effort to travel to learn from elite teachers outside of the city, the province, and the country? Does your gym bring in experts and specialists in their respective fields for courses, workshops and residencies?  If your gym offers specialized classes in mobility and gymnastics, do they have to bring in outside sources or do their in-house coaches have the required knowledge to teach? After all, it makes sense if a gym is going to offer a fully integrated system of moving and learning that each coach has the knowledge and experience to teach in an integrative matter. Movement is all encompassing. The body in practice is not compartmentalized, so why should a teacher's knowledge be segmented into isolated fields? When you do a CrossFit WOD at Flux, you can be confident that coaches such as Coach Mieka have the knowledge to help you work through mobility issues and nagging injuries from days gone by. Quite frankly, without our coaches' tireless enthusiasm to always be learning, Flux would not be such a unique place. 

After 4 years of being the ONLY CrossFit affiliate in Saskatchewan - and for many years the world - to offer courses in mobility and gymnastics, Flux is constantly raising the bar. In the past year we have witnessed many CrossFits add Gymnastics and Mobility classes to their schedules, whereas at Flux, elite levels of movement, mobility, and gymnastics programming and coaching has been integral for many years! At Flux, we understood very early on the importance of movement freedom, and our integration of mobility is well beyond foam rollers and bands. Our level of expertise in the disciplines of mobility and movement complexity are higher than most other gyms because of our commitment to education initiatives, and our focus on working with world renowned experts. You can be assured that at Flux - School of Human Movement, our coaching expertise sets us far apart from other CrossFits, gyms, and studios!

Charity and I are truly proud of the hard work and ongoing commitment to education that our Flux coaches, such as Coach Mieka highlighted here in this first coaching profile, put into their daily practices. Coach Mieka trains a minimum of 10 hours a week and part of this time is dedicated to researching movement practices. This is a critical element of her job as it ensures that each progression of a movement is well thought through. 

We hope you enjoy our new Spotlights on our Flux Coaching Team. We will be posting one each week over the next couple of months. We encourage you to take some time to read about your Flux coaches, and learn about their coaching expertise, passions, and current movement goals.

Yours,

Coach Darci and Charity

Spotlight #1 on Flux Coaching Team: Featuring the Spectacular Coach Mieka Boehmer

Below is a short bio of some of Mieka's accomplishments over the last few years. There is also a lovely video of Coach Mieka in action. Be sure to watch it!

I have been working at Flux for over 3 years and joining this community was one of the best decisions I have made. I started off doing a lot of CrossFit and competed a bit in Olympic weightlifiting and now over the last two years I have gravitated more into the movement, mobility and gymnastics areas. Movement has become my favorite part of my own training. As a result, I find the most joy in helping others discover their own movement potential. Going to Singapore with Coach Darci and Coach Derek for Ido Portal's Movement Camp in 2013 really finalized for me that the study of human movement is my true passion.

It isn't hard to stay motivated when you have people like Darci, Ido, and Odelia mentoring you and showing you how much better life is when you train to have movement freedom. I have recently started helping to program the Movement & Mobility class, as well as the Acrobatics and Teen programs. I have spent over 150 hours working under Ido and Odelia and that is where I have learned most of my gymnastics, acrobatics, movement, and mobility training. 

I really enjoyed learning under Coach Pierre Auge and Olympic medalist and multiple world record holder, Coach Alex Varbanov. In total I have spent 6 days training with them, learning about the Bulgarian Method for Olympic weightlifting. The first course I took with Coach Pierre was Agastsu Weightlifting Certification, then the Varbanov Weightlifting Course with Coach Alex.

In May of last year, Dr. Spina, opened my eyes to getting through some of my own mobility weaknesses. After completing his course on Functional Range Conditioning I have been able to eliminate my own old injuries completely. His course was very valuable to me.

In 2006 I graduated from Western College of Remedial Massage Therapy. My education and experience as a massage therapist has helped me understand movement as a coach even more. I really enjoy Anatomy and Physiology. To expand on those topics, I went to Arizona to work with James Fitzgerald of OPT for his Exercise and Physiology Certification. I feel very fortunate that Flux encourages and financially supports us to continue our education.

Some of the things I am currently working towards are a 60 second freestanding handstand, press to handstand, and competing in the 800m in track & field this coming outdoor season. My favorite movement to do is the QDR rotation!