RECONsider... Infrasternal Angle Explained and Applied with Bill Hartman | Episode #61
Release Date: 04/20/2025
RECONSIDER with Bill Hartman
Foot position changes the strategy. 👉 Start learning FREE at https://www.uhp.network 💡 Foot position is often treated as preference or style. In reality, it is a constraint that reshapes how the system manages rotation, pressure, and force. In this episode of the UHPC Podcast, Bill Hartman and Chris Wicus examine ramps, heel elevation, flat foot positions, and toe-only loading. They explain how each option biases propulsion, what each choice gives you, and what it quietly takes away when used without intention. This is not about labeling movements as good or bad. It...
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Should You Get Certified? How to Choose the Right Education for You 👉 Start learning FREE at https://www.uhp.network 💡 Not all certifications are created equal. And more letters after your name won’t guarantee better outcomes. In this episode of the UHPC Podcast, Bill Hartman and Chris Wicus discuss what it really means to become a skilled practitioner — and why many educational paths lead to confusion instead of clarity. This episode introduces the new UHPC Practitioner Certification Pathway, but it’s more than an announcement. It’s a guide to rethinking your...
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Balanced training isn’t about push vs pull. It’s about pressure, shape, and strategy. 👉 Start learning FREE at https://www.uhp.network 💡 Most training imbalances aren’t muscle problems. They’re compressive strategies that limit movement options. In this episode of the UHPC Podcast, Bill Hartman and Chris Wicus challenge the traditional idea of “balanced training” and explain why pushing and pulling are not opposites at all. They explore how all loaded exercise increases compression, how force production shapes the body, and why chasing symmetry in the gym often creates...
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Shoulder pain isn't a mystery. It's a strategy. 👉 Start learning FREE at https://www.uhp.network 💡 Shoulder impingement isn't caused by a faulty shoulder. It's a shape problem. In this episode of the UHPC Podcast, Bill Hartman and Chris Wicus break down the three common types of shoulder impingement (and one bonus type). They focus on constraint, space access, and thorax behavior instead of outdated diagnoses. You’ll learn: 🔸 Why impingement isn't about the rotator cuff, and what to look at instead 🔸 How thorax compression creates the illusion of local...
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The ISA isn’t the answer. It’s the question. 👉 Start learning FREE at https://www.uhp.network 💡 Most people measuring ISAs are looking for a fixed answer. But in the UHPC Model, the infrasternal angle (ISA) isn’t a number — it’s a behavior. And if you’re basing your entire intervention strategy off “wide vs narrow,” you’re likely missing the point. In this episode of the UHPC Podcast, Bill Hartman and Chris Wicus break down what the ISA really tells you (and what it doesn’t). It’s one of the most searched topics on our YouTube page — and also one of...
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Stretching ≠ solving hamstring tightness. 👉 Start learning FREE at https://www.uhp.network 💡 Feeling “tight hamstrings” doesn’t mean your hamstrings are short and need to be stretched. It means your system is expressing a strategy under load. In this episode of the UHPC Podcast, Bill Hartman and Chris Wicus walk through why stretching often makes hamstring tightness worse — and what actually drives lasting change. You’ll learn: 🔸 Why hamstring “tightness” is usually a protective output, not a length problem. 🔸 How anterior...
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Stop guessing with assessments. Start learning from the source. Free courses and the new Assessment 101 are waiting for you: http://UHP.network Think you know how to assess a squat? Think again. In this episode, Bill Hartman and Chris dismantle the myth of “squat as pattern” and show you how to actually use squats as diagnostic behavior. The focus is on propulsion, internal rotation, and how the system expresses its real strategy. You’ll never look at a butt wink, heel lift, or shift the same way again. What You’ll Learn Why squats are not universal patterns. They are...
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It is so much more than biomechanics… → Join http://UHP.network FREE to start learning. Not a pattern. Not a form. A strategy. This episode redefines everything you thought you knew about squatting — through the lens of the Unified Health & Performance Continuum (UHPC) Model. We dive deep into the energetics of squatting, shape acquisition, center of gravity descent, and why movement patterns are a misleading lens. You’ll learn how strategic resistance influences squat mechanics, why some people “butt wink,” and how propulsion phases explain squatting better than any...
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"You’re Not Measuring What You Think: Movement Screens, Compensations, and Energetic Behavior" → Join http://UHP.network FREE to start learning. Episode Overview Bill and Chris explore how complex movements—like squats, toe touches, and turns—serve as energetic assessments within the UHPC Model. Rather than relying on outdated biomechanical frameworks or traditional mobility screens, they explain how movement reflects behavioral strategy under constraint. Gravity, pressure, and shape—not joints or range of motion—govern what you see. The episode walks through real examples,...
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Episode Overview Bill and Chris unpack the philosophy and implementation of assessment within the UHPC Model, showing how testing reveals energetic behavior—not just structural position. Rather than focusing on static joint angles, they illustrate how relative motion, systemic organization, and phase-based strategies tell the real story of what a system can or cannot do. The discussion critiques isolative and reductionist interpretations and offers a coherent, propulsion-informed approach to understanding and intervening effectively. Key Topics & Chapter Highlights 00:00 – What...
info_outlineFree articles and courses about ISA from Bill Hartman at http://uhp.network
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Episode Summary:
In this episode, Chris and Bill continue their discussion on the Infra-Sternal Angle (ISA), diving deeper into how to identify and assess it, the implications of narrow vs. wide archetypes, and how this understanding can guide more individualized movement and training strategies. They demystify common misconceptions, clarify measurement expectations, and highlight how structural biases affect both breathing and performance potential.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction to the ISA Discussion
01:14 – Clarifying Archetype Confusion
They discuss the confusion many people have around their own classification noting how perceptions, measurements, and inconsistent cues can cloud understanding.
01:59 – The Helical Nature of the ISA
Bill explains that the ISA is helical He dismisses simplistic goniometric measurements in favor of observing breathing and movement behavior patterns.
04:30 – Biases of Wide vs. Narrow Archetypes
The duo explains that wide archetypes are structurally biased toward external rotation and struggle to compress, while narrow archetypes are biased toward internal rotation and have difficulty expanding.
05:19 – Measuring the ISA: Article and Video Resource
Chris mentions an upcoming article and video demonstration from Bill on the UHPC network, aimed at helping viewers understand and measure the ISA more effectively.
06:13 – Hands-On Expectations with Narrows
Bill walks through what one should expect when measuring a narrow ISA—minimal outward rib movement during inhalation, with little external rotation visible.
08:40 – Hands-On Expectations with Wides
For wide ISAs, the ribs are more externally rotated at baseline, with limited ability to compress inward. Bill notes that wides start with hands farther apart, and don't move closer together easily during breathing.
10:39 – Assessing Intervention Impact on Relative Motion
They discuss how improvements in movement capacity post-intervention can be observed through increased rib cage excursion—especially in narrows gaining more expansion ability.
12:23 – Limitations of Clinical Populations
Chris notes that most clinicians are dealing with compensatory, not ideal, movement archetypes, which distorts perception of archetypal norms.
13:36 – Table Measure Differences in Narrows and Wides
Bill describes how narrows typically show greater external rotation and limited internal rotation, while wides present the opposite—again emphasizing these as structural biases, not dysfunctions.
17:12 – Training Considerations by Archetype
They shift into applying this knowledge to training choices. Interventions should account for each archetype’s structural bias to prevent loss of relative motion and capacity.
18:37 – Training Risks for Narrows
Bill warns that narrows do poorly with heavy deadlifts and compressive strategies that reduce their ability to expand, even if they can still get stronger.
20:20 – Training Risks for Wides
Wides, being naturally force-oriented, may lose external rotation and movement variability if driven too far into compressive strength training patterns.
21:50 – Compression vs. Expansion in Both Archetypes
Bill outlines how both archetypes deal with compression and expansion, just in different orientations—toward or away from the body’s long axis.
23:03 – Episode Wrap-Up and ISA Takeaways
Key Takeaways:
ISA is a Helical Concept: Not a flat-plane angle, and shouldn't be oversimplified.
Structural Biases Matter: Narrows compress well and struggle to expand; wides expand easily but struggle to compress.
Movement Assessment Requires Nuance: Table measures should be understood through the lens of structural archetypes.
Training Should Be Archetype-Specific: Optimizing performance and minimizing compensation starts with matching intervention to structure.
Avoid Overcompensation: Excessive training that aligns too strongly with a person’s structural bias can reduce variability and create new limitations.
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