The Motion Handbook

I recently read the Motion Handbook (no longer available) by Nicolas De Paoli, creator of Motion Concept, and it’s completely changed my approach to training. The goal is no longer to get dog-tired at the end of every session. Rather, it's to progress as slow as possible to avoid injury and make gains. Below are extensive notes I took from the handbook, organized by principle.

Notes: I only apply these ideas to my strength training. I tend to go a bit harder when it comes to cardio, wrestling, and jiujitsu.

Principle 1: Progress as slow as possible

• Long-term goals should be set first, followed by mid-term and short-term goals that take you closer to your long-term goals
• Daily goals should take you closer to your short-term goals
• Give your body time to adapt and avoid injury

Principle 2: Make the warm up count

• Use band exercises for warm-ups to achieve good muscle activation and blood flow to the area without putting stress on the tendons
• Bands can be used anywhere and are easily adjustable
• Examples of warm-up exercises include standing leg curls, biceps curls, and lat pull

Principle 3: Train at a moderate intensity

• Leave the gym feeling you could do more

Principle 4: Use EMOMs

• Stands for “Every Minute On the Minute”
• Use them to do more work in a shorter amount of time
• Benefits include no time to go on phone, more efficient use of time, and building an ability to handle intense effort with short recovery
• Examples of EMOMs include EMOM ladders and classic volume

Principle 5: Spend less time in the gym

• Less is more when it comes to building muscle mass and increasing maximal strength
• A well-organized workout means you can do more than before in less time

Principle 6: Forget the fancy equipment

• Equipment that helps you lift actually makes you weaker (knee braces, elbow braces, etc)
• Don’t avoid tension. Put stress on your joints that you can handle

Principle 7: Train large ranges of motion

• Use movements that put enough tension on your uncomfortable ranges of motion until you get stronger
• Examples of large-range movements include the Jefferson curl and front split press

Principle 8: Use a smart progressive overload

• Crucial for long-term progress
• Find a base level of training that you can maintain without overtraining and without pain
• Test yourself on an easier week to evaluate strength and mobility progress

Principle 9: Build unilateral strength

• Use unilateral movements to express a high level of strength almost all the time
• Examples of unilateral movements include split squats and one-arm press

Principle 10: Understand short and long-range exercises

• Every time you use an exercise, figure out where the challenging part of the movement is
• Use different variations of exercises to play with different levels of tension

Principle 11: Heal your injuries sooner rather than later

• Use short-range exercises for areas where you struggle to feel anything
• Use long-range exercises to strengthen healthy joints
• Use a blueprint to go from injured to resilient

Principle 12: Organize your training sessions effectively

• List your training values and choose programs that respect them

Principle 13: Work on the extremities

• You need strong extremities (wrists, neck, ankles) to transmit force properly

Principle 14: Use freedom exercises

• These movements can be performed anywhere and are great for unlimited adaptation and progress in the long-term

Principle 15: Recovery is just as important as training

• Buy good quality food and conduct your own food experiments to figure out what works for you
• Look at health in the context of evolution and our ancestors

Overall, Motion Handbook has completely changed how I approach strength training. By progressing as slow as possible, focusing on warm-ups, and using EMOMs and unilateral movements, I have been able to avoid injury and make gains. This is all inline with my goal of becoming a well-rounded athlete and master of my body.