When I stumbled upon Erwan Le Corre’s MovNat site, I knew right away that I had found something that had the potential to change the way we think about fitness and performance enhancement. Little did I know that it would become the impetus for a paradigm shift of my own philosophy on general fitness, exercise, and strength and conditioning.
After having the great privilege of receiving instruction from Erwan himself during a one-day workshop event in Houston, Texas, I came away with an understanding not of something that I had forgotten, but of something that I had never known. Movement that is primal, natural, instinctual, and meaningful. MovNat explores all facets of human movement, not only in a way that is physical, but also in a way that is cerebral and perhaps even spiritual. Through interactions with the environment in new and challenging ways, MovNat forces you to adapt at all levels of your Being. The complexity of the movements stimulates new or forgotten neuromuscular pathways that, after time, result in more efficient movement. The implications for having the ability to positively impact human performance cannot be overstated. After the workshop, I came away with a better understanding of what my functional and adaptive limitations are, and how I can use MovNat to improve them. In my personal opinion, and also speaking as an Exercise Scientist and strength coach, MovNat training should be at the heart of every good athlete’s physical conditioning program. After all, you can’t build a skyscraper without a strong and solid foundation. To take it one step further, I also feel that MovNat is the way to go for the ‘Average Joe’ who may be looking to improve their health and fitness. MovNat is scalable to the extent that it can be tailored to suit the needs of anyone and everyone. MovNat by its very nature is inclusive, and not something that is exclusive like many of today’s popular exercise programs. If you think that MovNat is nothing more than running through the woods, skipping rocks, and hanging from branches, I challenge you to put your own skills to the test and join Erwan for a workshop or retreat. You will come away a changed person and will have more respect and a greater understanding of the movement potential we possess as “human animals.” Move more. MovNat.
Jamie R. Guined, MEd, MBA, CSCS
Exercise Scientist
Exercise Physiology & Countermeasures Project
NASA–Johnson Space Center
Erwan,
A major thank you for visiting us here in Scotland. I was blown away by the clinic today. I will post a full account on the blog but I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it and what a fantastic teacher you are. I have had the good fortune to train with some very influential coaches and teachers over the last few years. Whilst I can’t compare learning a specific skill ie: kettlebells, with being introduced to the concepts of MovNat, I can say that no-one has laid out a more lucid, congruent and applicable philosophy for the human condition.
There is no doubt we are drawn to the things that resonate with us on a personal level. It is easy to read things in to system or philosophy simply because we want to have something we can label and take ownership of. What you have distilled removes all that mumbo jumbo. It is a rare person who can actually keep the simple…simple, without trivializing it’s significance.
The MovNat workshop exceeded my expectations. Erwan is a fantastic teacher who can coach the elite athlete or the average Joe with equal effectiveness. A major skill I learned is the use of Body Weight Transfer and controlled breathing. At first everyone was stiff and unsure about their abilities but by the end of the day everyone was barefoot and rolling around with ease and control. Amazing! With my new education I can now crawl, run, jump, balance, and climb more efficiently and with confidence. Thanks Erwan. I can’t wait to attend another one. Jeff Allen, Crossfit Coach and High School Cross Country Coach.
Dear Erwan
If I was to write a letter to you that explained in detail my gratitude for your visit to Arizona it would be a very, very long letter.
Your insight ans experience as well as your humor and attitude made the clinic one to not be forgotten.
As a teacher I was very impressed with your process and explanations of the different elements in MovNat.
I just taught my first parkour class for the summer at ASU and I felt your teachings flowing through me.
You are inspiring, kind and you get to the point.
Thank you once again for being a great teacher and most of all for giving me a great friend.
Francesco Gabriel Caban, , parkour coach
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Erwan for his splendid job during the clinic in Central Park, NY, on Oct. 9. He gave us wonderful insights of what MovNat is; he added much useful theoretical and practical information about the many aspects of it; and, of course, he taught us many basic techniques about balancing, jumping, climbing, flexibility, running… I strongly believe that MovNat will keep growing and that Erwan Le Corre has introduced the world to a new way of conceiving physical movement as a natural part of life, and not just as fitness routine-like activity with no natural goal in sight.
Thank you so much,
Andrea Ciccarelli
Director of College Arts and Humanities Institute, Indiana University
“Thanks again Erwan; you are a ‘natural’ educator. Sunday was a fantastic day; this morning I find that my mind is buzzing as I consider opportunities in my immediate environment.
I was impressed by the codified nature of your presentation; you speak with the confidence and clarity of one who is completely comfortable with your material – not only is the material captivating – but you are very skilled at sharing your knowledge…
I work out regularly – and yet – I find that I am sore EVERYWHERE today – your clinic managed to hit every major muscle group – and then some…
I am looking forward to future runs (and climbs, and throws, and jumps, and crawls…)”
Simon Gale, Occupational Therapist
“Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the clinic. My wife and I agree that we are going to start training on Monday. What a life changing time I had today. I felt like i was playing not “working out” truely that is a glorious thing. Thank you.” Greg and Katie Malloy
“Erwan,
I just wanted to say thank you for such a great experience on Sat. Erwan the information you provided us is enlightening in the sense that as a Personal Trainer, Monday morning I am thinking about the purpose and practicality of how I train my clients and myself.” Thanks again.”
Ted Schatz, BSc. Community Health, BSc. Physical Activity and Exercise, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, NSCA Certified Personal Trainer
“Greetings Erwan,
Thanks for a great time on Saturday. I had fun and learned a bunch. You are an adept at guiding people to find their true nature. You very neatly gave me the conceptual framework I needed to propel my movement practice forward. I feel like in a one day clinic you sped me past years of plodding along on my own. Thank you!”
Derrick deLay
“Erwan, thank you again for a fantastic, life changing day! All the best!” Tom Norwood
“Thanks for this great clinic last Saturday. I picked up some info related to my specialty and thought that your exercises were a challenge to me. Just what you say: specific adaptation to specific demand. I will stay in touch with you man and wish you the best.”
Seby ALARY, ACSM Personal Trainer, Master Swim Coach, Massage Therapist
I had a great time last Saturday learning from you! It was really fantastic to see that you have dedicated your life to understanding human movement. As a student of life and movement, I can really appreciate the determination to develop a philosophy that is “outside of the box.” I also appreciate your humility and spirit of teaching.
I have been training for life fitness for over 10 years, by way of challenging the body in non-traditional movement patterns. I used to be consumed with the traditional thoughts/paradigms of training. I have been trying to teach my clients that it is not only important to be physically strong in the gym, but to train the body in such a way to prepare each individual to their fullest capacity for whatever life throws their way.
What you consolidated into the fundamentals program gave me a better understanding to how continue to guide my faithful clients in developing their individual life fitness.
Christian Mazur, Fitness trainer
“Regarding your workshop in Discovery Park, Seattle, I want to thank you, Erwan, for a day that far exceeded my expectations. Our one-hour lunch turned into a short 20-minute break for food then back to work, and we kept going until an hour and a half beyond our stop time. Talk about getting our money’s worth! You are a gifted teacher who passionately lives his vision and is patiently, yet enthusiastically sharing that vision with the rest of us. Being a student of Tom Brown Jr’s Tracking, Nature, and Survival School, I find your MovNat an exceptional enhancement to the study of survival and closeness to the earth. Your philosophy of adaptability of movement across and within the natural landscape, with its focus on effortless conservation of energy, opens the senses and awareness to our natural place within nature. That is life changing. Oh yeah, and I was bodily sore for a week after that Saturday session. Absolutely loved it!” Chris Hampton
“Hi Erwan,
We had a great time and learned a ton today. Thank you for all of your knowledge and efforts.
We feel that the message of MovNat–to be free and alive, in movement and in life–is so important and one that we are trying to embody and model for our two children.
We hope to put into practice a lot of what we have learned, and to do one of the 5 day seminars one day (in a warm climate 
). Thanks again.” Barbara and Mark Horwitch
Erwan, I want to thank you for the day clinic you provided in Seattle in September. It inspired a lot of new ideas that I intend to pursue. I intend to continue to pursue MovNat in my every day life and physical training, and to incorporate your philosophy of adaptability in all contexts of my life.
As law student I find that pushing my body to adapt only enhances the ability of my mind to adapt. I have reconnected with my love of the outdoors–something that my first year of law school nearly destroyed from lack of exposure to the sun. That one day training with you has set me on a path that will shape much of who I am. Thank you for starting MovNat and showing me the way.
Stewart Feil
Hi Erwan,
I just wanted to say a big thank you for the great workshop in San Diego. I really enjoyed the learning process, and now feel like I have some basic knowledge about the principles and philosophy of the MovNat program.
Thank you for your time and the energy you put into teaching. You bring great intensity while keeping it fun. I am excited to go out and use what I learned to improve my well-being and life experience. Deva
Monsieur Le Corre,
I attended your MovNat day seminar in Oakville on the Sunday. I’d like to express my gratitude for a great course and a potential life changing experience. I arrived at your seminar, skeptical of what the day would bring. I have been following your updates and your MovNat ever since I read about it in an article. I have a great background in the science of exercise as a student Kinesiologist at the University of Waterloo. I’ve learned the science behind the common exercise techniques, and I was greatly interested in seeing what your method had to offer. Your explanations of your method were not only clear, but very logical. Your approach was more and more interesting the further you explained it. It showed a much more logical, and fun way of training. It introduce a unique way of life that seems much more natural then going to the gym 3 times a week.
After your seminar, I felt sore everywhere! However, my joints, especially shoulders, felt great! I suffer from shoulders impingement and it was a tremendous feeling to not get the usual post exercise tightness in the shoulders. Your focus on working with your body limitations, rather then pushing it pass its limits, made for a more enjoyable experience. Finally, as I am also a member of the Canadian military, your training was EXTREMELY practical, and can very well be a great training method for the military. I will use your philosophy and your principles in my future training. I found that your methods incorporated many of the scientific theories that I learned in school and in the military. But the way you had everything come together, was incredible. This was a enriching experience to say the least.
Once Again, thank you for a wonderful experience! And I hope it continues well for you!
Stephane Gregory
Hi Erwan,
I had a great time and I learned a lot and was certainly inspired by your method and the tremendous possibilities that building a fitness regiment around functional, natural movement offers. And I wanted to thank you for taking the extra time to work with me and show me alternatives. Not everyone does that and I think it’s a great thing, not just for the experience I had, but for other people that learn MovNat as well.
Many trainers prefer to work with competitive athletes or people who are superfit because it’s easier or more exciting because they can teach cool, difficult exercises. That approach is unfortunate because often discourages average people who could actually benefit more in terms of their personal health and well being. For example, I have a lot of respect for Crossfit in terms of the sheer physical capacity it can build but the sort of macho attitude that some Crossfitters have can be very intimidating and can encourage less experienced trainees to attempt things they shouldn’t just to keep up with the pack. Again, I just want to commend you for taking a totally opposite approach that puts the person first. By meeting people where they are at you can still challenge them to rise above where they are at and in a safe and effective manner.
I think MovNat will be changing the way people look at fitness. Even after I broke my leg I thought that with a few weeks of rehab everything would be back to normal; that I would be moving as I did before, playing sports, etc. What I quickly found out was that for run of the mill injuries the goals of physical therapy and most fitness programs are very modest; the goal is restoring normal function, not my normal function, but the normal function of an average person, which for the average middle aged American is pretty disappointing. While I was somewhat out of shape in terms of muscular strength and cardio capacity before my accident I was still pretty athletic. The biggest effect of having limited mobility for an extended time was my ability to move functionally. Besides lack of motivation, I think that up until now my loss in movement capacity has been one of the biggest obstacles in the process of my becoming stronger. It took a really long time just to regain the ease and efficiency in normal everyday movement (walking over rough terrain, climbing stairs) I previously had.
More than that, one thing that really struck me was your philosophy about fitness, being strong, taking things incrementally, and particularly about the moral foundation of MovNat. I think that the idea of being strong not just as an end unto itself but also as a way of being a better person, being able to perform, giving one the capacity to reach beyond oneself to be useful and helpful to others, will resonate with many people.
Not being fit is really discouraging, a vicious trap that keeps you from reaching your potential not just physically but mentally and spiritually. The seminar really opened my eyes to what has been missing in my life and the potential to change it for the better.
I’m confident that I’ll be able to regain and surpass my former levels of physical function by consistently applying these principles I’ve learned with you. I wish you lots of success with MovNat (it was great to see other intelligent, caring trainers wanting to learn your methods) and hope to have the opportunity to learn more from you in the future.
Warmest regards,
Neish A. Carroll
Hi Erwan,I had the pleasure attending your course in Scottsdale AZ, couple weeks ago and I just wanted to write to you how much it has enriched my view on fitness and human body dynamics in general. I train now couple times a week in my local park, climbing trees, throwing rocks, and of course barefoot running. I am discovering all the natural abilities of my body you were conveying in your lecture while you were here. I cannot wait for you to publish more transcripts detailing more of your ideas on how to kick start the training and creative thinking. I am looking forward to gaining enough knowledge and physical ability to go through the trainer certification course. Finally, I would really like to come to the MovNat training facility once you have it up and running for a period of time to train with you. Thank you for all of the insights and inspiration. Gen Aleksandrov
Hi Erwan,
I just wanted to say thanks again for a great seminar ( SD 10/23 ).
To be honest I was worried I wouldn’t learn anything new, having gone
to your Santa Monica seminar about a year ago. I was of course very
wrong. There was a ton of great things you covered that I either
forgot or that we didn’t cover the first time. I feel like I have a
really good understanding of it now.
My friends that came were like little exited kids the next day. They
are now looking to how they can get outside and move more. I think we
might start having some paleo cookouts as well. Carlo was even
wondering what it takes to get certified.
Anyways, thanks again, I hope to make it out to WV next year.
Thanks,
Geoff
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