From Fusion to Freedom: Dr. Eric Goodman’s Foundation Training Revolution

What if everything you were taught about back pain, core strength, and posture was wrong?

What if the key to healing wasn’t lying on a surgeon’s table or popping another pill… but instead, discovering the untapped intelligence within your own body?

This week on the Crackin’ Backs Podcast, we dive into one of the most radical, raw, and life-changing stories we've ever recorded. Dr. Eric Goodman—creator of the world-renowned Foundation Training—shares the pain, the frustration, and the discovery that took him from a spine destined for surgical fusion… to pioneering a global movement that has helped thousands avoid the knife, ditch pain meds, and reclaim their lives.

And it all started when his own body broke.

 
A Chiropractor Told to Get a Fusion?
Halfway through chiropractic school, athletic, disciplined, and already $300,000 deep in student debt, Dr. Goodman heard words that crushed him: “You need spine fusion surgery.”

L4-5 and L5-S1 Disc Herniations. Bone-on-bone. MRI images that looked decades older than he was.

But instead of giving in, he leaned in—with pain as his teacher, frustration as his fuel, and his body as the testing ground. What emerged wasn’t just healing. It was Foundation Training—a complete rethinking of how the body should move, breathe, and stabilize.

What Is Foundation Training?

At its core, Foundation Training isn’t just a set of exercises. It’s a somatosensory revolution—a system that teaches you how to stabilize your spine, activate your posterior chain, and decompress your torso, starting from the ground up.

Dr. Goodman breaks it down with the precision of a scientist and the fire of someone who lived through it:
 

• Pelvic Anchoring: Not “fixing” anterior or posterior tilt—but creating downward tension from the pelvis to the arches of your feet to find true center.

• Decompression Breathing: Re-educate the diaphragm and ribcage to expand outward and upward, creating spinal length and internal lift—training the body to breathe better, move better, live better.

• Functional Movement: 30+ poses, but you only need to master 2 to feel the benefits. Try the “Founder” and “Woodpecker” today—free on YouTube.

The Feet are the Secret

Whether you're a first responder in boots, a desk-bound professional, or a weekend warrior, here’s the truth:

If your feet and ankles don’t move, your spine pays the price.

Most back pain isn’t a back issue—it’s an upstream tension problem caused by rigid feet and collapsed arches. Foundation Training trains from the ground up, literally restoring movement to your toes, big toe joints, and plantar fascia to unlock spinal health.

Movement As Meditation

Forget traditional meditation.

For Dr. Goodman, movement is the meditation. Foundation Training isn’t just physical therapy—it’s self-awareness in action. In his own words:

“It gives you a boundary. A bubble. The ability to check in with yourself... to breathe, to regulate, to respond instead of react.”

A single recruit class and test group at the LA County Fire Department saw a 90% reduction in injuries and a 40% increase in mental well-being with just 10 minutes of Foundation Training a day. No gimmicks. No drugs. just breath, posture, and presence.

Stop Believing These Movement Lies

Dr. Goodman busts one of the biggest myths in posture:

“Stop squeezing your shoulder blades together.”

Why? Because it restricts rib cage expansion—and your lungs sit behind you, not in front. Real posture starts with breathing into the back of your ribs to create buoyancy and lift through the spine.

The Real Competition? Pain Meds.

The biggest threat to healing isn’t a competing trainer or therapy. It’s the easy way out: Tylenol. Advil. Opiates.

Dr. Goodman’s war isn’t with other professionals—it’s with dissociation. He believes in reconnecting with your body. Feeling, not numbing. Understanding, not suppressing.

And guess what? You don’t need 6 months of training to feel it.

What Can You Do Today?

Right now—wherever you are—Dr. Goodman offers these three simple actions:
 

1. Search "Seated Decompression" on YouTube
   Learn how to anchor and decompress from your chair.

2. Search "12 Minute Foundation Training"
   One of his most popular workouts. Brutally effective. Shockingly simple.

3. Try “The Founder” Pose
   Reconnect your posterior chain and spine with one powerful movement.
    

Foundation Training = Resilience for Life

This episode is more than a conversation. It’s a call to action. Whether you’re an athlete, clinician, first responder, or someone with chronic pain—Dr. Goodman shows that the path to healing isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence, presence, and reconnecting with the body you live in.

He’s lived through the pain. He built the method. And he wants you to feel the outcome:

“I refuse to be in a wheelchair. I want to play with my kids. I want to live.”

Watch the full episode on YouTube:
👉 Click Here to Watch Dr. Eric Goodman on Crackin’ Backs

🎙️ Listen on your favorite podcast platform while driving, walking, or training:
Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music — just search Crackin’ Backs Podcast

Let this episode breathe life into your spine.