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[Coach File] MAYOLY RUIZ

September 18, 2019September 18, 2019
by Michael Lim

To the uninitiated, bouldering may seem like a muscle sport that favours the tall and bold. However, it never takes long for anyone to realise the truth – bouldering is at its core a highly complex, skill-based pursuit.

To do well in bouldering, every boulderer has to master a wide range of movement skills, develop highly specific adaptations, hone their coordination and sense of balance. These tasks are challenging enough on the ground, let alone up a wall.

We can help. Boulder Movement is a thoughtful and comfortable learning and training facility, and home to a team of experienced Performance Coaches who can help you to achieve your best bouldering performance. This post contains the background profile of one of our coaches: MAYOLY RUIZ.

To find out more, or to book an appointment with Mayoly, please reach us at [email protected]

Hi, My Name Is Mayoly

I’m a physiotherapist who is passionate about climbing and movement. I started teaching 15 years ago as a personal trainer, functional trainer and Pilates teacher.

Through my years of practice and training, I have attained certifications and experiences in several complementary disciplines that I now use regularly. My experiences include:

Injury management and prevention
Strength and conditioning
Pilates instructor
Postural alignment and movement re-education
Therapeutic exercises
Active stretching
Physiotherapy and myofascial release
Postural hygiene
Yoga
Training for special populations

My Experiences

I am very interested in how our bodies work and I’m absolutely in love with how we move and how our bodies adapt to different environments. Since I started climbing 6 years ago, I have become fascinated by the full-body challenge that climbing demands.

Over the years, I have trained in bouldering, top-rope and lead climbing, and also tested myself both indoors and outdoors in locations ranging from Mexico to Portugal, Dubai, Thailand and Singapore.

In that process, of course, I too have had to face some tough physical transformations in order to improve my climbing performance, and am no stranger to dealing with injuries. I firmly believe that mindful prevention and progressive training is the best way for you to reach your climbing goals and to enjoy the sport for as long as possible.

Let’s Train Together

In our time together we will work towards your personal goals while keeping an eye on correcting possible bodily imbalances and improving your coordination and range of motion. My aim is to help you to focus on improving your climbing performance while you remain free from pain.

In keeping with Boulder Movement‘s high training service standards, we will ascertain your current proficiencies through some physical assessments before we can accurately develop an effective personalised training plan.

I specialise in the following tests:

Postural assessment
- To discover and identify possible imbalances in the way your body moves between various passive and active postures. Improving your posture will enable you to better guard against injuries and pains.
Strength test:
- To understand your body’s current state of physical readiness and to identify both the weak and strong chains unique to your body.
Mobility test:
- To understand your body’s current range of motion, capabilities and deficiencies. Improving your mobility will be key to facilitating strength development.

I look forward to climbing and training with you!

To find out more,
or to book an appointment with Mayoly,
you can reach us at
[email protected]

Uncategorized

Hello, My Name Is Sebastian

September 14, 2019September 14, 2019
by Michael Lim

This week, we chat with one of our latest additions to our staff roster: Sebastian Kang (aka Seb). He’s our new Operations Manager, and he’s got stories to tell.

You might recognise him in the gym, and have even spotted him on the gym floor sharing some love about all things climbing and coffee.
We’ll let him take the floor this week for a self-introduction. Time to wake up and smell the coffee!

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Hi, everyone!

*I’m happy about being able to climb, even when the only option is a small public wall.*

My name is Sebastian and I am the new Operations Manager at BM. I see it as my priority to ensure that your gym experience is always fresh and that you’re properly taken care of once you step in.

One of the many ways I’ve tried to bring this to you is by setting some new problems with our setting team each week. Can you spot the problems that I have put up? Tell me what you think of them – I’m still new and very keen to learn and improve with your feedback.

Before Bouldering

Before focusing on bouldering though, I was already actively involved with several other sports. In my younger days, I was competing in touch rugby at a National level until my ACL gave up on me. Cycling everywhere on a fixed-gear bicycle subsequently became my “fix”, but it was replaced by an acquired taste for callisthenics and bar workouts.

*No tackles doesn’t mean no injuries (my touch rugby days from 2006 – 2011).*

After a period of intense training for bar tricks (no, not that kind), the party got old for me so I started looking for a sport that would demand a combination of full-body fitness and high skill application. Lo-and-behold, my love for bouldering born!

New Beginnings

I joined BM as a citizen at the start of 2018 after just one visit. ‘What won me over so quickly,’ you ask? The small but well-stocked fitness zone was also perfect for my regular callisthenics training routine. The staff and crew were always approachable and friendly, for one, always ready to offer insights and helping to improve my success with boulder problems.

*Fixed-gear cycling – best for training the twin-engine.*

In fact, I love how welcoming our local community is to new climbers – there’s no judgement or pretence, just warmth and a shared enjoyment for climbing at our personal best. Best of all, I met and fell in love with my wife, Mayoly, right here at BM!

Bouldering and its technical demands have always intrigued me. Movements on the wall could be created by activating different muscle groups, in vastly different ways for different people. Climbers come in all shapes and sizes, and we all move differently too – yet some of us seem to move in much better ways than others do. Why is that true? How could I move better?

*The happiest day of my life. I can’t give you a bigger smile, even if I tried.*

With regular practice, I became increasingly aware of physical imbalances in my body. As it turns out, years of activating incorrect muscles to create movements have taught my body to strengthen itself in unequal ways as compensation. The result? My mobility and range of movements have become restricted, and I now have plus plenty of reasons to firmly believe in the value of functional training and physiotherapy.

Outside of My Work Clothes

I’m also a tech entrepreneur, home barista and closet gamer. Perhaps more so, I’m a keen learner and I’m always on the lookout for ways to improve myself.

My mini homebrew bar – for espressos, lattes and cold brews.

Building a software company has taught me a lot about making necessary sacrifices and the importance of developing people in tandem with smart processes. Pulling a good espresso shot, followed by frothing silky smooth milk every morning, allows me to appreciate the rewards of consistency in routine tasks. Playing games of different genres on multiple platforms – console, tabletop, board, mobile – helps me solve (real) problems more quickly, especially when resources are scarce.

These lessons continue to influence my life today, on and off the walls.

A Parting Shot (or Double?)

I have some closing words about bouldering: the next time you feel stuck on a boulder problem there’s probably another way of moving that you can try. The same is true with problems in life – there is always another way, and a beta that works for somebody else doesn’t have to suit you! You can make your own way upwards.