Mens Shoes: Podcast # 663: How to Achieve Physical Autonomy

Most men want to wake up in the morning knowing their body is ready to handle whatever opportunities and challenges come their way that day, from a real emergency to simply roughhousing with their kids. They want to be able to move without pain and explore the world with confidence.

My guest today would say that what this desire is pointing to is the achievement of physical autonomy. His name is Ryan Hurst and he’s the head coach at GMB Fitness, which uses bodyweight exercises and skill-based practices to help people get stronger, move better, and never have to doubt themselves physically. Our conversation begins with Ryan’s unique background; we discuss how he did gymnastics growing up and then moved to Japan, where he still resides, to learn martial arts, including aikido, kendo, judo, and jiu-jitsu, and how these experiences influenced his fitness journey and philosophy. Ryan then shares how he defines physical autonomy and the three elements that are required to achieve it. From there we discuss the four animal-inspired movements that create the foundation for balanced athleticism, the basic physical skills people should aim to master, and how to train those skills in ways that don’t require an onerous amount of time.

If reading this in an email, click the title of the post to listen to the show.

Show Highlights

How Ryan ended up in Japan studying martial arts (and why he hasn’t left) The injury that led to a turning point in Ryan’s life What does it mean to have physical autonomy The difference between capability and ability Ryan’s four animal-inspired movementsThe functional movements Ryan encourages all of his clients to pursueThe 5 P’s of a GMB session

Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast

Ryan’s gymnastic ring seriesBodyweight Fundamentals: The Handstand How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Will Make You a Better ManBreak Out of Your Cage and Stop Being a Human Zoo AnimalWake Up Like an Animal: Your Morning Stretching RoutineTake the Simple Test That Can Predict Your Mortality