7 Primal Movements
February 13, 2006
Stephen Santangelo
http://www.primalfitness-systems.com/articles/archives/2006/exercises/7_primal_movements_part1.html
The 7 Primal Movements are based upon the biomotor patterns that are the most effective for an individual to perform a given task regardless of purpose. These primary movements must be executed in athletic competition as well as survival of the species. These anatomical functions began when man and woman first appeared on earth. The bipedal species, which include humans and apes, are the only creatures that have the physical capabilities to perform each of the 7 tasks.
The 7 Primal Movements include walking, running, jumping, throwing, lifting, carrying and squatting.
Think about the above statement. These physical abilities are needed in every situation for survival. There are many creatures in the animal kingdom that can easily out perform us in particular feats such as fish, cheetah or kangaroo when it comes to swimming, sprinting and jumping. On the other hand, their skill is limited to a given situation and environmental conditions.
The 7 Primal Movements are ‘survival’ functions. Without these abilities, humans would not have been as successful as we are, thanks to our ancestors. Modern man has become soft due to technological advances. Advancement is good in most respects due to the many benefits we receive. The big drawback is it has made us lazy. Rarely do we need to call upon our 7 Primal Movements to survive, at least in the industrialized nations.
An example would be, comparing the health or ill health, between modern man and people, who have not been corrupted, through the advancements in science and technology.
There are Indian tribes in northern Canada that rely solely on the 7 Primal Movements everyday for survival and certainly reap the benefits of good health. They have the ability to reproduce the species well into their 70’s and even into their early 80’s. Men and women are not suffering from impotency, ‘change of life’ before life is over, ovarian and prostate cancer and certainly not having the diseases that contribute to these ill fated conditions. The reason is twofold. The first, of course, is great physical health through physical tasks performed daily and the second is their food intake which is raw and organic.
The Tarahumara Indians, in Copper Canyon, located in Mexico have been known for their incredible games of endurance. They have the ability to run distances of 120 kilometers without stopping and have been known to run 100 miles non stop. In their tribe cancer, heart ailments, obesity and diabetes is next to zero.
Along with these examples, there are many others throughout the world. Africa, China and Mongolia have similar groups of people with a history of longevity and health. They, too, share the capabilities of healthy reproduction and carrying loads uphill for great distances while in their 80’s and 90’s. This has become the norm for them, not the exception, as it is in our society.
Take a look at the great military forces since the early conquerors of human history.
The Greeks were the first to initiate well organized training camps for their military draft, from which the Olympics were born. The Greeks created a Pentathlon consisting of discus, javelin, jumping, wrestling and running. The winners were the ones to become the elite soldiers. The losers either died in competition or went home to try again next time.
In Scotland the Highland Games were created to find the strongest men for war.
The Vikings competed in a variety of events to determine the best warriors. This culture was one of the most unique ones. They allowed women to compete to prove their physical abilities.
In Africa, China, Mongolia and Japan similar multi event competitions were held to determine those who would rise to elite physical status. Children are raised to train for such events. This becomes a life style for them.
How does this relate to fitness, athletics and real world situations?
Developing all these skills gives one a high level of conditioning. Conditioning as defined in this article is the capability of utilizing all metabolic energy systems and has the strength and endurance to execute a needed task when called upon. This could be in competitive sports, general fitness and the ability to save one’s family if a situation arose.
Of course not all 7 Primal Movements can be excelled in nor should you think you need to receive an A+ for each one. In sport, one must emphasize what form of conditioning will accelerate progress to achieve his or her maximum performance.
For the fitness enthusiasts one must choose their path that best suits them. Regarding survival and defense, every aspect needs to be paid attention to in order to maintain an optimum level to protect and save your love ones.
Primal Fitness Systems emphasizes the need to condition to be stronger, faster and the have the ability to endure under any condition. These conditions are influenced by environment. To be able to adapt and execute, regardless of how extreme the situation might become, is an absolute necessity.
In Part 2, I will discuss our Primal training methods and how each one relates to the 7 Primal Movements.
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