Unlocking Strength & Movement: the power of structured and adaptive strength training
- Scott Cashins
- Mar 14
- 6 min read
Updated: May 5
"What do you do at Totum?" A question I get a lot.
Our practice is varied, but ultimately it is about unlocking your movement potential, achieving goals with support, and, most importantly, having fun along the way. We practice to get strong - but also to move adaptably, get more flexible, and learn new skills.
We blend structured strength & mobility training (calisthenics, progressions, and measurable gains) with adaptive movement (reactivity, coordination, and problem-solving). This combination builds a body that is both powerful and adaptable to move well across many situations and activities.
Our approach is grounded in modern strength & movement research and community—and it's for everyone - whether you’re an experienced athlete looking to level up or new to physical practice, our approach works with you, not against you.
Most people associate gym training with rigid routines: sets, reps, and progressive overload. We use these tools too, but true strength—the kind that prepares you for life’s unpredictable challenges, complex movements and skills like pull-ups and handstands—goes beyond force production.
It requires skill - and engaging in a skill-based practice is not totally cut and dry like sets and reps.
Build Skill with Skilful Practice
Skill is the ability to coordinate efficiently, integrating strength, balance, and spatial awareness (proprioception) to generate, control, and respond in real time. Training skilfully means you focus on your ability to adapt to new challenges, other people, and even to changes in your own body - like injuries or aging.
In contrast, traditional training focusses on isolated exercises or so-called 'functional movements' to improve 'fitness'. Ironically training this way actually works against skill and often leads to ‘movement amnesia’— the loss of natural, fluid motion and coordination.
It doesn't need to be this way! At Totum, we emphasise skill-rich, multi-planar movements like locomotion, calisthenics, and movement games where the goal is to move with joyful purpose - and in the process - build full body strength and improve how we coordinate our bodies.
Kids instinctively play to refine movement patterns. It is THE way (not just a way) we develop neuroplasticity. Adults can do the same.
Mastery Begins at the Edge of Challenge
It's common for members to find that movements and games that seem simple in demonstration, feel surprisingly complex or difficult in practice.
This isn't a problem, it's gold 🥇.
These insights illuminate gaps in skill and provide the perfect opportunity to rebuild movement patterns. The ego may want to dismiss it - but the truth is, if it seems straight forward, but is challenging to coordinate - it's important - and refining it will bring great benefits. Find the edge of your ability and start there.
The How is Greater than the What
HOW you practice is key. Conscious, engaged, and intentional practice of even simple movements is more powerful than distracted, mindless effort on complex ones.
Skill acquisition is not replicating the same movement 1,000 times, but solving the same problem in 1,000 slightly different ways.
No mindless repetition or grinding. Instead, explore. Adapt to the situation, your body’s current state, and the challenge at hand. Whether you're playing one of our movement games or practicing a calisthenic skill, the goal is the same: continuous refinement and adaptation to subtle changes - either from outside or consciously created by you.
In Defence of Delayed Gratification
There's an obsession with instant gratification.
At Totum, we take the time to learn skills and accomplish goals that may take months, years, or even a lifetime to master. That means we must go beyond the simple to practice deeply, skilfully adapt, and consciously place ourselves at the edge of our capabilities.
Most important - our practice should be consistent, kind, sustainable, and joyful. We train in community, support each other to accomplish goals, and have fun in the process.
What’s truly inspiring? Most of our members and teachers have learned new movement skills and developed impressive mobility as adults. It’s never too late to rebuild patterns, get immensely strong, unlock new potential, and move better than ever.
Here's how we do it.
The Big Shift: Rethinking Strength
A key shift from traditional gym training is understanding the relationship between linear strength and organic strength—and how they enhance each other.
And here’s the key: building calisthenic strength (linear strength) like pullups, muscleups, dips, and handstands are themselves - a skill. Progressing through these movements benefits from the same problem-solving mindset used in movement games and locomotion - refine control, improve efficiency, and adapt over time.
Movement games aren’t just warmups—they’re essential for building skill
Every opportunity to level up—whether refining movement coordination in a game or building calisthenic strength—creates a positive feedback loop. Each new skill unlocks greater resilience and capacity for the next challenge. Rather than an assembly-line approach to progress, it’s an integrated ecosystem of improvement
Let’s dive in and define the differences between Linear and Organic Strength.
👉🏼 Stay tuned for part 2 to discover HOW to train linear and organic for optimal results and longevity.
Linear Strength: A Structured Path to Measurable Progress
Linear strength follows progressive, measurable development using practice-tested steps. Calisthenics-based training builds deep strength while reinforcing joint integrity, body control, and flexibility. This includes learning skills like:
Pull-ups, dips, and muscle-ups
Skin-the-cat and planche progressions
Handstands and back bridges
Ring and bar strength movements
The Totum Training Cycle: Progress Without Rigidity
Training is structured in three-month cycles, with 2-6 week sub-blocks, keeping progress steady while maintaining variety.
We encourage consistent practice with auto-regulation—push hard when energy is high, scale back when needed—ensuring that training is consistent and effective without being rigid and destructive.
Organic Strength: Playful, Adaptive, and Multi-Directional
Organic strength moves beyond the predictable. It builds unconventional strength in hard to reach places, exploratory playfulness, and adaptability through:
Locomotion
Movement Puzzles
Crawling and climbing
Balancing and rolling
Reacting to a partner’s movement
Creative challenges inspired by dance, martial arts, and play
Rather than chasing numbers, organic strength is developed by paying attention to quality. Adjust movement in real time - refining control so it feels smooth yet challenging, controlled yet fluid.
👉🏼 Stay tuned for part 2, where we'll explore HOW to practice and what progress looks like for both linear and organic strength - including 3 essential principles to guide you in all movement practices.
Strength + Adaptability = Resilience
Strength without adaptability is rigid - it eventually breaks. Adaptability without strength has no foundation - it collapses.
The best movers blend both.
By integrating linear and organic strength, we’re not just building muscle, we’re building skill.
So, how does this look within a training session? We typically practice organic strength first which leverages the power of play and the neuromuscular activation gained to enhance linear strength training.
Examples of organic-to-linear transfer:
Crawling before Handstands → Activates scapular control and wrist stability
Spine focussed Movement before Skin-the-Cat → Enhances spinal mobility and spatial awareness.
Balance activity before Split Squats → Stimulates foot connection and improves force transfer.
Engaging fully in organic strength work sharpens awareness and primes the body, ensuring that when it’s time to apply strength with precision, you're already dialled in mentally and physically.
Our approach aligns with Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) and Motor Learning, particularly within Ecological Dynamics and Skill Acquisition.
Train Smarter, Move Better - Start Today
At Totum, we don't just train for strength - we train for movement, skill, and resilience. This approach isn't theory - it's something you can feel in your body as you progress.
💪 Get stronger while moving better - no stiffness, just control and confidence
🎯 Train in a way that keeps you injury-free and progressing for life.
🤸🏼 Challenge yourself, learn new skills, and have fun in a supportive community.
🔥 Try it for yourself with 2 weeks of unlimited training!🔥
👉🏼 Claim Your 2-Week Pass Now: even if you have been before https://momence.com/m/178351
See you in class!
Scott
In Part 2, we’ll explore different ways to approach practice, including tree key principles that will help you supercharge your linear and organic strength. These principles are not only rooted in practice, but also in our evolutionary biology.
Then, in Part 3, we’ll break down the four essential elements of a well-rounded physical practice (and how our brains are wired for movement).
Finally, in Part 4, we’ll bring it all together with practical strategies to seamlessly integrate these concepts into your daily life.
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