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The 31-Point TMC Program & The Tactical 9 by Mark Hatmaker

 


Block 6, the concluding Block in the Whole Hog Program details…

The 31-Step TMC: Flexibility Through Strength Program.

·         Do NOT think of flexibility or mobility as passive pursuits.

·         Just as one “braces” for a heavy lift less you suffer an injury, “flexibility” at the athletic margins in Old School thought was all about applied muscular tension.

·         If you were to attempt a heavy back squat under the influence of muscle relaxers the tonic-integrity of the “bracing” [Valsalva Maneuver] would compromise intra-abdominal pressure/stability and lead to injury.

·         Directed force, be it moving a load, grappling an opponent, delivering or receiving a strike requires muscular tension.

·         Old School Combination Man Conditioning Thought continued that tension into what we now label flexibility/mobility training.

·         A muscle “relaxed” into “stretching” educates slackness when control is required [applying force as in a combat tactic, or receiving force as when being thrown to the ground or stress-stretched in an opponent applied combat maneuver.] Again, recall our heavy back squat under the influence of zero-bracing.

·         Old School “flexibility/mobility” tactics took the same approach as one would when facing a force, in other words the exact opposite of the method used today.

·         This opposite tactic called Tonic Muscle Contraction [TMC] provides surprising “flexibility” gains, joint mobility improvement, AND “strength in the holes” [protective strength when a muscle is pushed to its limit via an external force.]

·         Yoga texts contemporaneous with Eugen Sandow’s return from his tour in India show this wise adoption of his and like Western Physical Culturists’ “strengthen/stretching” TMC methods.

·         It is only later dilution and misunderstanding of apparently “relaxed” postures that has led to passive asana practice.

·         The 31-Point TMC Program embraces this Old school Wisdom.

·         Each “Posture” is offered in the prescribed order.

·         Each Posture will be held for 30-seconds of maximum tension. No repeat is required.

·         You may hit the Program as many times per week as you desire. Me? I’m a 7-days per week man.

·         DO NOT use the program BEFORE your Unleaded Whole Hog Resistance work.

·         Ideally it is a Program Closer/Finisher or done later in the training day as a winddown.

The 31-Point TMC Program Provides…

THE ROLL OUT OF BED 5

[Our interface with the surface of the planet are our feet, legs, & hips.]

After 6-8 hours of snoozing, they often require “waking up” for good Human/Planet Interaction from the get-go.

These First Thing in the AM 5 give that pep to the step to lock in your stride.

And for later in the day…THE TOTAL BODY 26

As for Body-Fat Torching…

THE TACTICAL 9

9 Functional-Movement Exercises in a 9-Minute “Cardio” set for those who are not using Warrior Walking or engaged in Combat Training to aid and abet fat-loss.

Warrior Walking and Combat Rounds will do the job over time but…for those in a time-crunch: The Tactical 9.

The Tactical 9 are whole-body functional movements that echo what may be required of the body in a fight or flight situation.

I also heartily encourage all to use The Unleaded Whole Hog Diet Budget that we have been offering in dribs and drabs. It will be coming in book form in early 2026.

Program The Tac 9 into the Whole Hog Program Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays & Saturdays—do not add more than that or group it to any other days. The Whole Hog Program is set to aid and abet your transformation—I don’t recommend messing with the calibration.

Missing any of the 6-Blocks? Well, I highly recommend assembling them all as the Program works as a whole.

6 Blocks to a 6-month Journey to a New You! Ready to GO! See the Program.

Resources for Livin’ the Warrior Life

The Black Box Store

https://www.extremeselfprotection.com/

The Indigenous Ability Blog

https://indigenousability.blogspot.com/

The Rough ‘n’ Tumble Raconteur Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fTpfVp2wi232k4y5EakVv...


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