Miscellaneous
Dr. Mark Cheng is the Founder and Trainer of Tai Cheng and K3 Combat Movement Systems. Through a lifetime of passion, learning, honing, refining, and distilling methods and practices of both the Western and Eastern worlds, Mark has developed a system that helps people move better to feel better. He works with everyone from office jocks to top-performing athletes to C-suite executives, and his aim is to help people get strong, train smarter and feel better in a sustainable way for them. In this episode hosted by Dan McDonogh, Mark shares more about how he has integrated Eastern and Western philosophies and principles into his work in fitness and training. He explains more about the need for balance in the pursuit of getting stronger and hitting athletic goals — knowing when to train vs when to test, when to apply the gas vs apply the brakes, and knowing when to stop. Mark has many great insights about how we can all move better and things to be mindful of in coaching, training and working with people on their health and fitness. Tune in to find out more. Key Takeaways: [:50] Dan introduces his guest for this episode — Dr. Mark Cheng. [3:30] How has Mark been able to take his Eastern practices and integrate those principles and philosophies into what he currently does today? [4:59] What does Mark mean when he says we need to know when to apply the gas and when to apply the brakes? [7:00] What are some of Mark's tips for knowing when to test and when to train? [9:07] Many people are brought up to mute their bodies, rather than listen to them. Mark explains what this means and the impact it can have. [14:00] Mark shares some of his personal experiences of pushing himself too hard, and describes his 'Aha!' moment. [17:29] What are some of the corrective exercises that Mark recommends? [20:48] What's the best way to get athletes to buy into corrective exercises? [23:38] This podcast is being sponsored by VertiMax. [24:24] Getting buy in and building mutual trust is so important in coaching, and listening is key to this. [25:43] How can we help people understand that it's not just about pushing through fatigue? [28:54] Dan and Mark discuss the importance of athletes knowing when to stop. [31:57] Mark explains more about why he believes healthy tissue should be soft and able to receive pressure. [36:09] Why is breathing and relaxing so important? [41:14] Dan reflects on the theme of this conversation. [42:34] What does Mark mean by "fevery and failing" and how does it relate to the work of health and fitness professionals? [45:22] How does Mark prioritize between different things? Mentioned in This Episode: VertiMax VertiMax on Facebook VertiMax on Instagram VertiMax on YouTube VertiMax on LinkedIn Dan McDonogh Dan McDonogh on LinkedIn Dr. Mark Cheng Dr. Mark Cheng on Instagram K3 CombatGrey Cook, Functional Movement Systems Tweetables: "Whether we choose to use an Eastern paradigm to describe and understand [our bodies], or a Western paradigm to understand and describe it, if it works, it works." - Dr. Mark Cheng "Your hormones are a drug." - Dr. Mark Cheng "My ego's not writing checks that my body can't cash." - Dr. Mark Cheng "If you don't see improvement, ease." - Dr. Mark Cheng "If we expect success, reward, pleasure at every turn, we're going to be sorely disappointed and very entitled." - Dr. Mark Cheng