The Move Project
Summary
This episode of The Ski With Wade Podcast is all about optimizing fitness, which for our guest William Branham means holistically understanding the body and aligning movements to eliminate asymmetries. Co-owner of The Move Project, the gold standard for gyms in Dallas and beyond, William tells us how to tailor exercise – and things like diet and hydration – for best results. Whether you’re a pro athlete or midlife guy trying to stay in shape, tune in for expert tips and cutting-edge trends in personal training.
Topics Covered
- The philosophy behind The Move Project’s unique approach to fitness.
- About how William got started and revolutionized his approach to PT.
- What’s up with the core? Everybody is training it, but everybody has a different conceptualization.
- Golf players have provided textbook opportunities for William to apply his methods.
- Starting as kids, we all need to get educated about body mechanics if we want to avoid injuries over our lifetimes.
- Whether to focus on building muscle mass depends on the sport.
- Tips on how to get lean. Diet is key. So is hydration.
- Who’s in control of the music? It’s always a controversy
Blog
There’s a reason Michael Jordan is Michael Jordan. He’s got the genetic and athletic gifts to work out however he wants. But for the rest of us, it’s all about working out right. Or, as my guest this week William Branham puts it, working out smart! Because athletes, and especially the water skiers I coach, come to me so often for advice on a range of physical fitness challenges, I thought it was about time I introduced you to William Branham, a guru in the personal training space. He’s the best when it comes to optimizing human performance.
William (or “Sir William,” as I like to call him) co-owns The Move Project in Dallas, an industry standard-setting gym that will take you to peak fitness. That is, if you’re willing to learn new concepts and put out the effort. Surprisingly, William’s workout philosophy isn’t what you might think. No old school lifting of 40- and 50-pound weights, as some folks do. For William it’s quality over quantity. The reps need to be right and the body properly aligned. The Move Project focuses on alignment of the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine to eliminate asymmetries. It all starts with breaking down what’s going on with your particular history, sport and how you move. For William, pro and amateur golfers provided that “Aha” moment when he fully realized that his whole perspective on physical therapy had to shift in order to make efficient, lasting change.
Quotes
“You know your body’s doing good when you need to upgrade your clothing in the right ways, ‘cause you feel it in your thighs and back and chest muscles versus belly!” (Wade)
“Once you address the muscular system, the efficiencies and range that are related to weaknesses, it opens up a whole realm (of healing).’” (Wade)
“We’re looking to see how you move at each segment and then treat through those movements in order to clear up any asymmetries.” (Wade)
“It doesn’t matter if you’re playing pro sports or you’re the CEO of a corporation, having symmetry from each joint is a huge deal. It’s all about having that muscular strength and as much symmetry from one side to the other as possible. It’s about training smart, not just heavy. For the long term, you have to work out smart.”
“I just kind of slowly started chipping away at the course, one ball at a time, getting some form down.”
“I’m learning as a skier that it’s mental; being a water skier is all about your mind and not letting people get into your mind.”
“I’m blown away. I never expected everything that happened to me this year.”
“Four years ago, when I was getting back up on that slalom ski, just trying to be happy, I never thought that four years later I’d be here on a podcast, hanging out … and having a great time. It’s more than I could have ever expected.”
“I’ll be competing (at Regionals) on a whole other level, with skiers with two arms, and hopefully making it to Nationals.”
“I fly home and then I’ve got to make up work at the children’s hospital, so I’ll be working if I’m not skiing.”