“Actually, it’s the opposite. Only 20-30% of your eating effort accounts for weight loss while 70% of health is more about the environment and how your body deals with it. Once you learn how to improve your core strength and are able to stabilize your spine, you will understand your body better. You will figure out what foods irritate you. With movement, decompression, and developing stronger intrinsic muscles, you will make better choices.”
He is also a big believer in getting an adequate amount of sun exposure.
“Just go out there but try not to get burned!” he exclaimed. “Avoid sunscreen because it prevents the badly needed vitamin D from getting absorbed by the skin. We need sunlight. It helps us come alive and be more vibrant. We worry far too much about food. It adds to our stress, which is unnecessary. Eat unprocessed food and stop when you feel satiated. That’s all you need to remember.
“Light and biomechanics account for 80% of our health and food choices account for the rest. It is so much easier to think this way because it gives you the knowledge and power to make the right decisions.”
Luke does partake in intermittent fasting. He relies only on water during a 16-hour period and has his meals during the remaining eight.
“Eight of the 16 hours are dedicated to sleep anyway, so I find it easy to commit to intermittent fasting.”
I asked him about his diet, now that he’s no longer a vegetarian.
“The first meal of my day is usually a feast,” he smiled. “I might either have a heavy meal at breakfast or wait until noon. I have fats and a bit of protein for breakfast. I typically forego high carb foods. For lunch and dinner, I’ll choose sprouted grain toast, eggs and fish. I love canned sardines because they have the highest DHA. I rely on foods that offer good fats. Don’t worry about portion control because your body will tell you when to stop.
“Athletes take in up to 7000 calories a day and still look great since their bodies are so efficient. The reason for that is body awareness, which is one of the results of FP, tells you when to put your fork down.”
Luke has eliminated gluten from his diet because he finds it causes inflammation of the bowels. He enjoys vegetables in the summer and loves fruit.
“I eat seasonal. I buy my food at the farmers market. I find that if fruit is not growing in my environment, I typically do not crave it.”
Luke is planning to complete the next two levels of training and then set up his own gym.
“I want to shift people’s thinking regarding exercise. I am a strong advocate of the fact that exercise needs to be therapeutic, performance enhancing and should relieve stress. We’re sold into thinking that having a big fancy facility, nice equipment, and repertoire will bring you great results. Nothing could be farther than the truth. At my gym, I’ll teach clients how to improve their natural ability to move if they really wish to accomplish long-term results.”
Luke no longer lifts weights. He has one dumbbell that he uses for adding resistance when he walks.
“I don’t think having a rack full of dumbbells is necessary. The objective is not to bulk up. We will have a machine called a Kaiser which replicates a band but allows you to add resistance. It will help my clients get progressively stronger.”
He plans to keep classes small.
“That, actually should not be a problem,” Luke laughed. “There will not be a crazy amount of interest right off the bat, which is good in our case. For the most part, people still think a big fancy gym is the answer to all sorts of weight loss issues. So only those who believe that their own body is an efficient machine will be the ones to get on board with FP.”
The small class size will afford him the opportunity to keep the workout routines personal.
“I’ll limit the class to 20 or fewer and will train three days out of a week. The other two days will be reserved for 1-on-1 personal training sessions. That way, I can give clients the opportunity to benefit from a small class session where they can not only benefit from personalized knowledge but also get to know other people. That was my experience in Minnesota when I trained with Frida and a few other trainers. We worked cohesively for ten hours over a four-day period and got to know each other on a personal level which was great.”
Luke will keep class space wide open to allow free movement. He does not plan on investing in a ton of equipment. He will, however, offer a kickboxing component.
“I love kickboxing!” he exclaimed. “But it is necessary to offer a modified version of what we’ve been doing for so long. I will not encourage throwing roundhouse for height. If you’re very good at it, that’s okay… go right ahead. But for the majority of people, the high roundhouses place unnecessary tension in some areas, causing them to teeter-totter and lose control. You also have to remember that kicking excessively will lead to calcium deposits.”
Luke Schuver is dedicated to the idea of training the fascia as opposed to focusing entirely on muscle tissue.
“Let me tell you about this concept. About twenty-five years ago, a guy discovered fascia and made the phenomenon popular in the world of progressive thinking. A month ago, someone else renamed it ‘the new organ.’ Now, it is scientifically accepted by the medical and athletic community. Anyway, as we age the fascia breaks down. My workouts will enable clients to slow down the deterioration and live fuller, more active lives.”
Luke’s gym will also offer a learning component where clients will be able to find answers to improving at a holistic level.
“There is so much for all of us to learn on a continuous basis. We need to understand the geometry of our body. It will inform us on how to improve our posture and movements. We cannot rely entirely on physical therapists to help us heal when injuries occur. I’ve taken physical therapy classes as part of my personal training coursework. I’ve come to understand first-hand that malpractice insurance limits physical therapists. They can only recommend exercises that will be paid for by the insurance company.
“I’m not going to say that we haven’t made much progress in terms of offering therapeutic help to those who need it. But the reality is that it takes a very long time to get information out to physical therapists. And when it does reach them, the movements have been watered down to save time and resources. Insurance companies are most concerned with making money. Therapy is not as authentic as it should be.”
Luke will also make adjustments for younger clients.
“As we go through life, we are conditioned to think and act a certain way. FP encourages us to unlearn those negative messages. Children, on the other hand, are perfect candidates for learning FP. They haven’t yet been exposed to injurious training. My gym will teach them the basics and keep them safe so when they do enter sports, they will learn to use good judgment. You cannot expect a child to do push-ups. Their bodies cannot handle that. Kids want to play and have fun, not dribble all day. Competitions are detrimental and an over-indulgence in sports, I think, is stupid. Crazy competitions can lead a child to hate sports, in fact.”
Equipment for Functional Patterns training
If you’d like to practice functional patterns at home, you will need the following equipment:
- Lacrosse balls: Kieba Massage Lacrosse Balls for Myofascial Release, Trigger Point Therapy, Muscle Knots, and Yoga Therapy. Set of 2 Firm Balls (Blue and Red)
- Slam balls: Champion Sports RPX10 Rhino Promax Slam Balls, 10 lb, Soft Shell with Non-Slip Grip, Exercise Ball Set for Crossfit, Plyometrics, Cross Training
- Self-massage tool: Body Back Buddy Elite Back Massager, Handheld Massage Stick
- Kettlebell: AmazonBasics Cast Iron Kettlebell – 15 Pounds
- Bosu Ball: Bosu Ball 65cm Balance Trainer|Balance Trainer only
- Barbell: Yaheetech Barbell Weight Set – Olympic Curl Bar & 6 Olympic Weights & 2 Olympic Barbell Clamps for Lifts 55LB
- Dumbbells: Bowflex SelectTech 552 – Two Adjustable Dumbbells
To get information about one-on-one training sessions, please contact Luke Schuver via his Facebook page.
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