Balancing Imbalance for Better Health and Fitness
Muscle Activation Specialist Teresa Tapp originally created the T-Tapp Workout as a wellness workout to improve lymphatic health, decrease back pain and build better balance but its popularity soared once people discovered how effective it was for losing inches and improving tone. Most people lose an inch off their hips or waist within a week and lose one or two clothing sizes within a month without using weights or equipment. Its special sequence of comprehensive activation of multiple muscles in combination with leverage isometrics is designed to improve body alignment and neurokinetic (mind-to-muscle) transmission so more muscles develop density, not just mass, with "spandex power" to cinch in, uplift, tighten and tone. In simple terms, T-Tapp helps your body maximize muscle movement so it can receive more benefits in less time. That's why only one set of 8 repetitions is ever needed with T-Tapp!
Tapp's focus on lymphatic function also helps your body decrease inflammation and eliminate cellular toxicity. Anti-aging expert Dr. Nicholas Perricone says "The T-Tapp System is the ideal anti-aging workout because it helps reduce inflammation, build more muscle and improve bone density." That is why T-Tapp works so well for those who have auto-immune issues like arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis.
In addition to being an all-in-one workout that builds heart health, bone density and muscles that are equally strong and flexible, T-Tapp is also an educational program that explains how to increase muscle activation with any type of exercise or activity.
Teresa believes that understanding how to activate your muscles and move your body to increase efficiency and effectiveness is the secret to success in building a body that looks and feels better. T-Tapp is empowering because it teaches the how and why for every exercise as well as how to fit fitness into your day...anytime, anywhere.
Teresa created the following warm up sequence to help everyone be aligned and ready to receive and achieve better brain and body fitness from balanced walking. For more information on the T-Tapp Workout you can read Teresa's book Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes or go to www.t-tapp.com for some FREE Try before You Buy exercises.
Step 1: T-Tapp Stance
A. Bend It, Tuck It, Lift It - With feet forward and ankles aligned with hip joints, and your knees bent. Feel how your muscles tighten just above the knees? Now straighten your knees. Feel how your thighs relax? Keep your knees slightly bent at all times. Then tuck your butt under. This is more than just tightening your gluteal muscles. Curl your lower back and press your belly button to your spine like a dog tucks its tail between its legs when reprimanded. Feel how your lower back and stomach muscles tighten? Now lift your ribs and bring your shoulders back in alignment with your hips. Feel how your stomach pulled in when you lifted your rib cage? Keeping ribs up increases core muscle activation and assists cardiac function.
B. Knees Out - Then push your knees out towards your little toe. Feel how the arches in your feet lift? Knee-to-little-toe (KLT) position maximizes muscle activation in your lower body and provides rehabilitative benefits. Just push your knees out to the best of your ability. Then once you have built enough strength and flexibility, also press the ball joint in your foot down and lift your big toe. This will increase the intensity and stabilize your ankles.
To increase mind-to-muscle transmission, provide support for your joints and help balance muscle imbalance, maintain this position throughout every movement.
Proceed to Step 2.
Step 2 - Shoulder Shrug Sequence
Counts 1-4: During inhale, reach your shoulders up as high as you can with fingers folded and thumbs reaching to side wall (don’t squeeze fingers into your palms)
Counts 5-8: Then during exhale, reach down with fingers stretching wide and thumbs reaching back.
Form tip: Keep ribs up!
Repeat for a total of 16 counts.
Repeat again, but during exhale, twist your thumbs back to best ability.
Repeat for a total of 16 counts.
Then try to hit your body with the back of your hands for a total of 8 counts.
Proceed to Step 3 without stopping.
Step 3 - Shoulder Rolls
Roll your shoulders up, back and down four times with hands below your waist and thumbs back. Reverse with four shoulders forward then finish one more set of four shoulder rolls back. If needed, do a couple of kick-kicks followed by a couple of alternating knee lifts to relax your legs. Then resume your T-Tapp Stance and proceed to Step 4.
Step 4 - Combo Clap Sequence
Clap hands in front of your body with arms straight and shoulders back. (Count 1)
Form tip: Keep your ribs up!
Then open arms out with fingers folded and thumbs reaching up. (Count 2)
Form tip: Focus to tighten your back muscles on count 2 to stop your hands from going too far back. Hands should never go behind shoulders!
Repeat 3 times for a total of 6 counts. Then lower your arms (Count 7) and bring them back up (Count 8). Repeat for a total of 4 sets, 8 counts each.
Proceed to Step 5.
Align poles with your hips and slightly tilt your upper body forward. Then push your body weight into the poles to lift your ribs, arch your back and aim your tailbone up. Continue this pole pressure while you extend arms out and lower your body down to best ability without relaxing ribs, arch or tailbone. (counts 1-4) Then push, tuck and curl your spine all the way up with head down until count 8 (counts 5-8). Repeat for a total of 16 counts.
Form tip: push knees out more when you tilt your upper body forward and down Also, as flexibility increases, try to lower your upper body until shoulders are level with hips (not shown in photo). Proceed to Step 6.
Step 6 - Rock-n-Roll Sequence
Push into your poles to lift ribs up and shift weight back onto your heels. Then continue this pressure while you roll your feet all the way up and all the way back. Form tip: maintain T-Tapp stance (ribs up, shoulders back, butt tucked and knees out) at all times during movement
Proceed to Step 7.
Step 7a - Front Lunges - Part 1
Resume T-Tapp Stance. Extend your left leg back with ankle in alignment with hip joint. Make sure your hips are “square” and your toes are forward. Then push poles until you feel your ribs lift up and your back muscles activate. Your butt should be tucked as well, to maintain activation of lower back and abdominal muscles. Now push poles, tuck your butt more and press your toes into the floor while you lift your heel up as high as you can (Counts 1-2).
Form tip: Right knee should be bent in KLT position, but left leg should be as straight as possible.
Keep your left leg as straight as possible with toes forward while you lower your left heel (Counts 3-4).
Form tip: Do not lunge forward. Your body should move straight up and down. The majority of muscle fatigue should be in the front and top of your left thigh.
Repeat for a total of 8 repetitions, 4 counts each.
Proceed to Part 2 without stopping.
7b - Front Lunges - Part 2
Repeat push and tuck while lifting your left heel (Counts 1-2), but this time make sure to straighten your right leg as well and when you lower your left heel, make sure that you push your right knee out even more (Counts 3-4). Repeat for a total of 8 repetitions, 4 counts each.
Repeat Part 1 and Part 2 with other leg.
Proceed to Step 8.
Steps 8 a + b - Pull the Pole Sequence
Assume T-Tapp Stance with pole at hip level, in front of your body and with hands in alignment with shoulders. Inhale big (counts 1-4). Then, during exhale, try to “pull the poles apart” (Counts 5-8). Feel your ribs lift and muscles in your back tighten? It’s important to maintain this tension at all times during the following pole positions.
Knees - Ankles - Knees - Hips (Counts 1-4).
Form tip: keep head down and neck relaxed.
Chest - Extend - Chest - Hips (counts 5-8).
Form tip: Keep shoulders back and pole tension at all times, especially when arms extend.
Repeat for a total of 16 counts.
Proceed to Step 9.
Step 9a - Isolated Spine Stretch
Photo 1: Place pole at the base of your spine with palms forward. Assume T-Tapp Stance. Then press pole until your feel your ribs lift higher, your shoulders shift back and your back muscles tighten more.
Photos 2 and 3: Then while inhaling , lift your shoulders up (Counts 1-4) and during exhale, tuck a little more and lower your shoulders while you twist your upper body to the right (Counts 5-8).
Form tip: Keep knees out at all times to help isolate your lower body.
Photos 4 and 5: Repeat big inhale (counts 1-4) but during this exhale, tuck and push your left knee out as hard as you can while you twist and look back (Counts 5-7). Finish with a quick tuck and twist to face front (Count 8) but don’t relax. Repeat one more time for a total of 2 sets, 8 counts each. THEN relax, reset and repeat spine stretch to your left for a total of 2 sets, 16 counts each. Now take a water break.
Tip: Water breaks are important, not only to hydrate your body and optimize metabolic function, but also to assist lymphatic elimination of cellular toxicity. I like to take water breaks before and after this exercise.
9b - Most Common Error
Releasing your knee inward while twisting can create unsafe conditions for your spine and lessen the effectiveness of this exercise. Twisting your upper body while maintaining isometric activation of your lower body stimulates lymphatic circulation by targeting your thoracic duct, the largest lymphatic vessel in the body. This exercise is very effective at trimming your torso too!
Proceed to Step 10.
Step 10 - Isolated Torso Twists
Starting position - Assume T-Tapp Stance with pole slightly below your waist and in front of your body as shown in photo #3. Now pull the pole to lift your ribs and maximize isometric activation of your upper body. Then, while keeping your head forward,
proceed to twist your upper body to your right (photos 1-2) and then to your left (photos 4-5) without stopping.
Although this movement involves momentum, it is important for you to isolate your lower body position with hips forward and knees out.
Also do not release or relax your upper body (pull the pole!) Continue twisting from right to left at a moderate speed (not too fast) for a total of 8 repetitions, 4 counts each.
Proceed to Step 11.
Starting position (photo 1) - Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with toes turned out at a 30-degree angle or less. Your knees should be slightly bent, your butt tucked and your knees out until you feel your arches lift. Now push poles until you feel your ribs lift and back muscles tighten.
Continue to push your knees out while you lower your body (counts 1-3, hold 4). Then tuck your butt harder, push your knees out more and increase pole pressure as you come up against gravity (counts 5-7, hold 8). Repeat for a total of 8 plie squats, 8 counts each.
Take a water break and proceed to step 12
Starting position - Assume T-Tapp stance. Place poles off center with left pole aligned with right foot as shown in photo #1. Now push poles until you feel your ribs lift and your back muscles tighten. Then while keeping your right knee bent and out in KLT position, slightly lift your left leg off the floor. Now press heel down, pull toes up to and turn your left foot inward as shown in photo #2. NOW you’re ready to begin.
Tuck butt and push poles more while lifting your left leg to best ability (counts 1-2).
Form tip: although your toes may face forward at the top of your leg lift, always begin each lift with your toes turned in. The combination of pressing your heel down and pulling your toes up will increase mind-to-muscle transmission and help stabilize your ankle and foot position during the lift.
Then slowly lower your left leg back to beginning position without touching the floor or straightening your right knee as shown in photo #4 (counts 3-4).
Repeat for a total of 8 repetitions, 4 counts each. Then repeat other side.
Proceed to Step 13.
Step 13 - Airplane Lunges
Starting position (photo #1) - With feet a little wider than shoulder-width and toes forward, push poles to lift your ribs, stretch your back and arch your tailbone up. Then while maintaining pole pressure, tilt your upper body forward until you feel the back of your legs activate (hamstrings) and push your knees out more.
Tip: Always maintain this body position and pole pressure while doing Airplane Lunges.
Now shift your weight over to your right and hold (Counts 1-3), then push on count 4 and shift over to your left. Hold left position (Counts 5-7), then push on count 8 and shift back over to your right.
Repeat for a total of 4 repetitions, 8 counts each.
Proceed to Step 14.
Step 14 - Hoe Downs
Part 1 - Hoe Downs – Front
Inhale and exhale bigger -- ready, begin: Lift your right knee up in alignment with your right shoulder (count 1), and then tap your toes to the floor (count 2). Repeat for a total of 4 lifts and taps (8 counts).
Form tip: Keep your left knee bent in KLT at all times.
Proceed to Part 2 without stopping.
Part 2 - Hoe Downs – Side
Lift your right knee up and out to the right side (Count 1) and tap your toes on the floor (count 2). Repeat for a total of 4 lifts and taps (8 counts).
Form tip: alignment is important during lifts and taps. In addition to aiming knee towards shoulder while lifting, also keep your foot pointed and aligned with your knee. Pointing your toe intensifies activation of abdominal muscles.
Repeat parts 1 and 2 as follows:
2 sets of 4 lifts and taps (8 counts front, 8 counts on right side, twice); 2 sets of 2 lifts and taps (Counts 1-4 front, counts 5-8 right side, twice); and 1 set of single lifts and taps (Counts 1-2 front, counts 3-4 right side, 4 times) - all without stopping.
Then reset starting position to repeat the same sequence on other side (2 sets of 4, 2 sets of 2, and 1 set of 4 single lifts and taps with your left knee)
Then repeat entire sequence (right side, then left side) for a total of 2 sets of Hoe Downs and finish with a big inhale and exhale. Isn’t it amazing how much your heart rate increases without jumping or putting your hands above your head? You can download this exercise and more for free at www.ttapp.com/balancedwalking
Now take a water break and proceed to Step 15.
Step 15 - Repeat Ski Stretch Sequence
Now that your body has established better alignment, neurokinetic transmission (mind-to-muscle) and circulation (blood and lymph), repeat the Ski Stretch sequence.
Feel the difference?
Ski Stretch sequence feels good after walking too!
Step 16 - You Did It! Let’s Walk!
