With a purpose.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Check out the Upcoming Events to the right!

20 minutes Mobility:  Improving the Overhead Position!
Take a Before Photo (read below) then perform each for 2 minutes:
T-Spine Smash – Demo Video
External Rotation with Lacrosse Ball – Demo Video
Classic Overhead Band Distraction – Demo Video
Foam Roll Lats
Trap Smash on Bar – Demo Video
Take an After Photo!

Notes:  Remember the rules:  If it feels sketchy, it is sketchy.  Listen to your body.  Never sacrifice posture for range of motion.  Don’t get stuck in one position.  Hunt around and mobilize where you are tight.  Test/Retest the movement you are trying to change.

Workout:
Run 1 mile
30 Muscle ups or 40 Chest to Bar Pullups

 Notes:  Conditioning bias is 4 rounds of 400 meter run and 7 mu/10 C2B pullups OR 8 rounds of 200 meter run and 3 mu/5 C2B pullups.  Feel free to sub regular pullups for the chest to bar as needed.

Cool Down
German Hang, accumulate 1 minute
15 Slow Wall Extension
Calf Stretch, 1 minute each

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Below, are photographs of some rugged outdoorsman showing common faults in the overhead position as well as what proper position looks like. For today’s mobility session, we want you to create your own positioning photo series. Take a photo of your overhead position with a bar or pvc before the mobility work. Then take another after the entirety of the exercises and see if your positions are improved.

Good Position on the far left:  belly tight, ribs down, bar is over the shoulder which is over the ribs which are over the hips, with elbow locked out!  Common Faults from left to right:  Overextending the thoracic spine (upper back); leaving the bar out  front (classic problem for movements like the thruster and push press); Overextending the lumbar spine (lower back)…can you imagine how this might affect your kipping pullups?

Good position on the left.  The problem with the right is a lack of external rotation and the elbows locking out.  This causes a lot of problems with movements like the Snatch and Jerk.  Not to mention handstands, pushups and dips!

This week we have placed a more intensive emphasis on learning to mobilize properly before performing the movements of the workout. The goal is for each member to have an arsenal of mobility exercises that they can use based on what the day asks of them and what works specifically for that individual. Learning these various  “M-WODS” and understanding WHY we do them goes a long way to improving athletic performance and safety within the movements. Today is as good example as any for necessitating intensive mobilization. Many people are limited in their overhead position due to shoulder tightness, thoracic immobility, or overcompensation by way of the hips. These bad positions are too often drilled into habit by improper prior mobilization and athletes open themselves up to both acute and chronic injury or inflammation. Today’s 20 minute mobility session might mirror the amount of work one of our coaches or high level athletes completes before tackling an overhead movement like the snatch, jerk, pull up, or hand stand push up. Everyone is going to be unique in their specific limitations and with which mobility exercises work to fix those problems. So give due time and diligence to this weeks mobility sessions and find what works you. Also, try to understand why it works. The goal is for each member to be able to work on them self both in and outside of the gym in order to improve movement and bulletproof the body against injury and inflammation.