It’s Your Time, and It’s Your Move
By Nicole Duncan
​
​​​​For more than a decade, Tyrone Irby has been working with people of all ages and fitness abilities to help them achieve their fitness goals. And while many of his clients are training to shave minutes off their personal records or perform better in different athletic challenges, Irby’s approach begins with a more holistic philosophy. Athletic performance of any kind requires a solid foundation of strength-training, specifically movement-based strength training. By focusing on everyday movements, athletes can move more efficiently and become injury-resistant. But this form of training isn’t exclusive to runners and endurance athletes. In fact, it’s an integral part of overall health for everyone, especially as we age.
To help people achieve their goals, whether it’s running a faster marathon or just being able to play with the grandkids, Irby created Your Move. This comprehensive training app features three fitness levels to meet users where they are in their fitness journey. Each level includes 20-25 videos that demonstrate the proper form for various exercises, while also explaining the importance of these movements and how they figure into our everyday lives.
Here, Irby shares the story behind Your Move, what people can expect from the app, and the importance of movement-based training in health and longevity.
What inspired you to start Your Move?
​
During the pandemic, we had to close the gym, and it was a challenge for our clients to stay active because they had to do the workouts by themselves. So, we loaned out equipment and sent them PDF files of workouts, but there was no accountability. I couldn’t see them doing the workouts; I hoped they were, but since it wasn’t in person, I had no way of knowing for certain. But I ultimately realized we could use the same workouts and training structure. It was just a matter of putting them together in a format where you can look at it, understand it, and do it at different levels of training.
This app provides support in different forms. It could be a text saying, “Hey, great job!” It could be an email asking, “Is there something in the app you want to change or added for you?” The goal is to be customer-friendly. If you send me a text or an email, I’ll respond within 48 hours with information. And if I don't know the answer, I'm going to find somebody who does. We want to make sure you're informed, you're educated, and you feel supported the entire time you're using the app.
Strength training has different schools of thought. Why does Your Move follow a movement-based approach rather than muscle-based strength training?
​
Muscle-based training primarily is bodybuilding training, where you focus on each muscle one at one time. Movement-based training is about the movements we do as human beings. There are six of them: push, pull, squat, hinge, loaded carry, and rotation. If you're rotating to reach something in the cabinet, that's a rotation. If you're pushing a door, that's a push. If you're pulling a drawer, that's a pull. If you're sitting down in a chair, that’s a squat. If there's something heavy on the floor, bending to pick it up is a hinge. These are movements we do every day. And people typically get hurt because they’re doing everyday movements incorrectly. So the goal of movement-based training is to train you to lift things, to carry things, and to move at the best of your ability.
How does the app work?
​
We start you at Level 1, 2, or 3. Each level includes 20-25 videos that demonstrate the proper motion and explain why you’re doing it. For example, Level 1 is all body-weight exercises, so the videos show push-ups, body-weight squats, wall sits, and other moves you can do without equipment. Every movement has a regression and a progression. A push-up can be modified by putting your knees down or doing a plank instead. Or, a push-up can be made more challenging by widening your arms or adding weight. You start where you are, and then build from that. And if you need to do it for a month or two, that's fine. It’s your time, and it’s Your Move. We’re here to support you and provide the education and information you need to continue to improve the quality of your life.
What kind of time commitment does the program require?
​
The one thing we don't want to do is intimidate people with long workouts, so we included different time options, including very short ones. The workouts range from 5 to 30 minutes long—that’s shorter than a TV sitcom. Let's say you have to be at work at a certain time in the morning so you only have 10 minutes to work out—that’s not a problem. You do a quick workout, take a shower, get something to eat, and still arrive at work on time.
But just because it's brief, doesn't mean it's easy. When you go from Level 2 to 3, there's a significant change in terms of intensity. You want a workout that’s effective, but you don't have time to go to the gym for two hours. If you have 30 minutes, these workouts will really get you in better shape. And because these workouts are movement—not muscle—based, you’re not doing a bunch of shoulder presses or bicep curls. You’re doing movements that really tax your entire body. We work on cardiovascular health. We work on full-body strength, stability, and power. So whatever you are—athlete or non-athlete—those four areas are important to your overall health.
You work with a lot of runners. What are some misconceptions or barriers that deter them from strength training? How can Your Move help them?
​
I think for the most part, it’s misinformation. People think that if they strength-train, they’ll get bulky and become a slower runner. So one of the things we're trying to do is show people of all different body types how to strength-train, not by lifting heavy weights but by learning how to move their bodies more efficiently. Because the reality is if you move more efficiently, you run more efficiently. As we age, our moving patterns change, and we can't move the way we used to when we were younger. We also don't recover the way we used to. Movement-based training helps you recover from an injury and become injury-resistant in the future.
Fitness apps have exploded in the years since the pandemic began. What makes Your Move different?
​
I work with clients of all body types and age groups, and I wanted that to be reflected in Your Move. So the people doing the videos on the app are not fitness models; they're real people with real lives, ranging from 31 to 59 years old. They’re people of all races, ethnic origins, body types, and fitness levels. The goal is for you to see someone who looks like you and think, “If they can do it, I can do it.”
As we get older, our mobility changes, especially if you sit at a desk all day; our muscles shorten and atrophy. We want to build strength to thrive throughout our lives and to do that, you have to be constant in your strength-training. We’re focusing on the activities of daily living and things you do on a regular basis. Squat exercises will help you sit down and get back up without using a support or falling forward. All those habits are important in how we live. So the better you get at them, the better you'll be able to move.
