BEGINNER
BODY
RESTORATION
DISCLAIMER
This eBook is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to serve as a
means of injury diagnosis or treatment. If you are in pain, go see a
qualified physical therapist.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the eBook. This is designed for anyone who is looking for
a simple, straightforward, and effective program to improve how your
body feels, moves, and potentially even looks.
The goal of the program is to give you the most bang-for-your-buck
possible, while not giving you highly compex exercises. Some of my
previous programs have exercises that require a bit of body
awareness and thinking, but I designed this program so that anyone
can pick it up and immediately start using it. Even those who have
never exercised regularly before.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Please watch this video below for:
Instructions on how to use the program most efficiently
Common mistakes
Tips for maximizing progress
Please do not skip t his. It 's very import ant !
WATCH
FACTORS IN EXERCISE
SELECTION
If you have seen, read, or watched any of my content before, you know that I
talk a lot about the pelvis and ribcage. These are the foundational structures
of our body at which everything extends out from. Therefore, I want to
address those and develop a strong and mobile "base" before worrying
about the arms or legs too much.
Think about it like this - If your shoulder hurts, why could that be? Well, if
your ribcage is in a poor position, then your shoulder blade that sits on your
ribcage will be in a compromised position. If your shoulder blade is
misalinged, then of course your shoulder and arm will be as well.
Same thing for the lower body. If your pelvis is unable to find the mobility it
needs, then the knee, lower back, and/or foot will have to use compensatory
strategies to find what should be present at the hips.
On top of that, the pelvis and ribcage are directly interconnected via the
spine. That's why this program is a "Total Body Reset" - I don't believe you
can (or should) t ry t o isolat e sect ions of t he body. You can't affect one area
wit hout t he ot her. They are inherently connected. Everything is connected.
Asymmet ry
I also discuss much about natural asymmetrical patterns in humans. If you're
curious to learn more, see my content here about the Left AIC pattern. I take
this into account in the program, choosing progressions that will help
improve symmetry on both sides of the body. And everyone is asymmetrical.
So if you see that an exercise is only to be done on one side of the body,
don't worry, it is meant to be that way.
HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM
PART I
Follow t he eBook exact ly as writ t en. If you half-ass it and t hen come t o me
saying it isn’t working, I’m not going t o be very recept ive.
This program will help you if you follow it diligent ly. Every single exercise is
chosen for a very specific reason. Each exercise is providing a specific input
int o your body t hat anot her exercise in t he program may not be.
Frequency
Each session is t o be done 3-4 t imes per week. 3 is good, 4 is great . 5 could
be even bet t er. It t akes consist ent input int o your body t o convince it t o
accept new posit ions and hold t hem over t ime.
Every exercise is programmed for 3 set s t ot al per session, but more could be
pot ent ially useful. Once again, 3 is good, 4 could be bet t er.
I t ell all of my client s:
“The ball is in your court for how quickly you will see results."
If you do less, you’ll see slower result s. If you do more, you’ll probably see
fast er result s.
However, keep in mind t here will be a point of diminishing ret urns. It 's
probably not wort h your t ime t o go beyond 5 set s per day.
It is also possible (and somet imes helpful) t o break up your set s t hroughout
t he day.
HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM
PART II
Now, let 's move on t o t he program. This eBook is broken up int o six weeks,
each wit h progressions building on t he previous weeks.
The idea is t hat t he progressions will build upon t he earlier weeks as you
gain access t o new range of mot ion. I have st rat egically select ed exercises
I've found t o work best wit h people who are new t o t hese t ypes of exercises.
The consist ent repet it ion of t he exercises will help you progressively
int egrat e cert ain posit ions and muscles int o harder poisit ions over t ime.
Please do not skip weeks. If you have t o miss a day, be sure t o complet e at
least 14 days of t he given exercises before moving on t o t he next week.
I have found 14 days t o be a very effect ive t imeline for allowing t he body t o
adapt t o t he int ended posit ions, range of mot ion, et c.
Order of Execut ion
Do t he drills in t he order present ed. Init ally t hey will be present ed
sequent ially one at a t ime, but at t he end of each phase t here will be a
summary of all of t he exercises.
It is recommended t o complet e all set s of a given exercise before moving on
t o t he next one. They are laid out in a specific order for a specific reason.
Each exercise opens up space for t he next one t o be more effect ive, or easily
execut ed.
For example:
HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM
PART III
Effort
It is very common for people t o t hink along t hese lines:
"If I try harder, I'll get better results!"
"I need to really activate these muscles in order to make changes!"
While t hat makes sense init ially, what I act ually st rongly suggest is you do
t he opposit e: Use a low amount of (phyiscal) effort .
The reason is t hat we aren't going t o "override" t he nat ural posit ion our
body holds us in or t he movement compensat ions it has by t rying t o force
our way int o new posit ions. Large amount s of effort will drive "Fight or
Flight " (sympat het ic) responses in our nervous syst em and creat e t he
impression t hat t he new posit ion is a t hreat .
Inst ead, we want t o "educat e" t he body and nervous syst em on what is safe
t o move int o, and more effect ive t o move int o.
Think of it as if we are saying t his:
"Hey, here's a new position you are a bit unfamiliar with. Let me show you how we
can start to use our muscles more effectively in this position."
This will allow t he nervous syst em t o relax (parasymat het ic, "rest & digest "
port ion of t he nervous syst em)
In order t o do t hat , we need t o st art wit h gent le effort and proper breat hing.
HOW TO BREATHE
Breat hing is foundat ional t o t he success of t his program. Please
underst and how t o effect ively breat he before working on incorporat ing it
wit h t he exercises.
If t here is a breat hing component t o an exercise, t his is how I want you t o
execut e it : Relaxed, full exhales t hrough your mout h. The longer and more
relaxed, the better. M any people use t heir six-pack (front ) abs more t han t heir
obliques (side-abs), yet our obliques are what drive proper respirat ion.
Therefore, I want you t o be able t o feel your obliques and not your six-pack
when you exhale. Think "jelly-belly" as if your st omach was a jelly-filled
donut . The obliques should come on because you're exhaling, not because
you're bracing. If you don't feel t hem, you're not exhaling long enough (not t o
be int erpret ed as hard enough). Period. A general guideline is 5 second soft
exhales and 5 second even more soft , silent inhales.
Below is a video wit h an in-dept h explanat ion on how t o do t his:
WATCH
The first exercise in t his program is a short -seat ed breat hing drill where you
can work on effect ively pat t erning t his. If you are st ruggling t o get a full
exhale, I recommend t he opt ional modificat ion using a balloon or a st raw.
EXERCISE # 1: WEEKS 1-2
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
PRI Short Seated Breathing
Improves ability to breathe &
expand back ribs while
stretching the low & upper
back
8-10 breaths
EXERCISE VIDEO LIN K
EXERCISE # 2: WEEKS 1-2
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
PRI Sidelying Scissor Slices
Stretches glutes & rear hips
while improving ability to push
femur (leg) back in hip socket
into internal rotation
5 breaths per
side
EXERCISE VIDEO LIN K
EXERCISE # 3: WEEKS 1-2
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
PRI Supine Hemi-Extension with
Rectus Femoris
Improves end-range hip
extension
Improves ability to dissociate
sides of the pelvis from each
other
Note: Over the course of 2 weeks,
progressively use less elevation as
long as low back stays 100%
relaxed
15 reps per side
EXERCISE # 4: WEEKS 1-2
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
TFL Inhibition Drill
Shuts off commonly overactive
TFL muscles that get too tight
when the hip lack mobility
Pick whichever option below allows
you to feel glutes the most
10 breaths
EXERCISE # 5: WEEKS 1-2
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
Heels-Elevated Toe Touch
Improves mobility of hamstrings
and hips while decompressing
low back
8 breaths
You can use books 2-3 inches thick
elevating your heels instead of a
ramp.
PHASE 1: WEEKS 1-2
EXERCISE
SETS X REPS
1.) Short Seated Breathing
3 x 5 breaths
2.) PRI Sidelying Scissor Slices
3 x 5 breaths
3.) PRI Supine Hemi-Extension with
Rectus Femoris
3 x 15 per side
4.) TFL Inhibition Drill
3 x 10 breaths
5.) Heels-Elevated Toe Touch
3 x 8 breaths
EXERCISE #1: WEEKS 3-4
COMPLETE 3+ SETS OF THE GIVEN AMOUNT OF REPETITIONS OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
PRI Standing Latissimus Stretch
Releases commonly tight lats
that compress our backs and
limit shoulder mobility
Opens up chest and helps
improve neutral resting position
of shoulder
5 breaths per
side
EXERCISE #2: WEEKS 3-4
COMPLETE 3+ SETS OF THE GIVEN AMOUNT OF REPETITIONS OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
Seated Posterior Expansion with
Low Reach
Helps decompress the upper
back & neck area
Improves shoulder mobility
5 breaths
EXERCISE VIDEO LINK
EXERCISE #3: WEEKS 3-4
COMPLETE 3+ SETS OF THE GIVEN AMOUNT OF REPETITIONS OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
PRI 90/90 Hip Lift with Left Hip Shift 5 breaths on
left side only
Improves internal rotation of
left hip - a common limitation
EXERCISE VIDEO LINK
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www.posturalrestoration.com
EXERCISE #3: WEEKS 3-4
COMPLETE 3+ SETS OF THE GIVEN AMOUNT OF REPETITIONS OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
Modified Wall Stride
Improves end-range hip
extension
Improve glute activation in hip
extension
Helps pelvis learn to dissociate
joint actions between sides
5 breaths per
side
EXERCISE #5: WEEKS 3-4
COMPLETE 3+ SETS OF THE GIVEN AMOUNT OF REPETITIONS OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
PRI Left Sidelying Right FA
Abduction
My favorite drill for improving
right hip external rotation and
abduction - a very common
limitation
Very important: Make sure not to
lift the right foot up off the object
until you can master the first
position
3 x 5-8 breaths
(left side down
right glute only)
PHASE 2: WEEKS 3-4
EXERCISE
SETS X REPS
1.) PRI Standing Latissimus Stretch
3 x 5 breaths
per side
2.) Seated Posterior Expansion with 3 x 5 breaths
Low Reach
3.) PRI 90/ 90 Hip Lift with Left Hip
Shift
3 x 5-8 breaths
per side
4.) Modified Wall Stride
3 x 5-8 breaths
per side
5.) PRI Left Sidelying Right FA
Abduction
3 x 5-8 breaths
(left side down
right glute only)
EXERCISE # 1: WEEKS 5-6
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
Same-Side Connect Roll with Hip
Extension
Improves internal rotation of
hips
Improves shoulder rotation
Progress to #2 once you master
Option #1
10-15 reps per
side
EXERCISE # 2: WEEKS 5-6
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
PRI Supine SLR Alternating
Crossover
Improves hamstring mobility
Improves trunk rotation
Improves internal rotation of
hips
5 breaths per
side
EXERCISE VIDEO LIN K
EXERCISE # 3: WEEKS 5-6
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
PRI Left Sidelying Knee Toward
Knee
Improves right hip external
rotation and glute activation
Improves dynamic left hip
internal rotation
Only lift left knee once you can
master activation of right glute
without losing right foot arch
5 breaths with
right glute/ left
sidelying only
EXERCISE # 4: WEEKS 5-6
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
Inchworm with Alternating Reach
Releases tight calves and
improves ankle mobility
Improves shoulder mobility
5 reaches or
steps per side
EXERCISE VIDEO LIN K
EXERCISE # 5: WEEKS 5-6
COM PLETE 3+ SETS OF TH E GIVEN AM OUN T OF REPETITION S OR BREATH CYCLES
EXERCISE & PURPOSE
REPS
Bench/ Couch Supported Lunge
Improves deep hip flexion
mobility
Improves hip external rotation
15 reps per side
You can use a couch for this as
long as it's stable.
PHASE 3: WEEKS 5-6
EXERCISE
SETS X REPS
1.) Roll with Hip Extension Focus
3 x 10 reps per
side
2.) PRI Supine SLR Alternating
Crossover
3 x 5 breaths
per side
3.) PRI Left Sidelying Knee Toward
Knee
3 x 5 breaths
(left side only)
4.) Inchworm with Alternating
Reach
3 x 5 reaches
per side
5.) Bench/ Couch Supported Lunge
3 x 15 reps per
side
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As you progress t hrough t his program, you will st art t o see
t hings good t hings happen.
You may not ice:
Improved post ure
Improve range of mot ion at your shoulder, hips, et c
Bet t er movement
Less pain
If you experience any, or mult iple, of t he above benefit s, you
EXAMPLES
Ending Not es
I hope you've enjoyed t he program! I am confident you will see some great
t hings happening.
You can reach me at :
@conor_harris_ on Inst agram or Twit t er
conor@conorharris.com