by Cori Lefkowith | Jan 10, 2019 | Blog, Exercises, featured, Foam Rolling, Pain Relief, Stretches
Often one of the first “warning signs” of potential injury can be immobility…especially when you notice a lack of mobility only during specific movements or on one SIDE of your body.
Neck pain? Shoulder pain? Upper back aches and pains?
Heck..even wrist and elbow pain!?
If a joint is restricted, it can lead to overload of other joints and overuse of muscles that aren’t meant to handle the load AKA compensations, imbalances and INJURY!
That is why it is key you address any restrictions in mobility you may have from say…YOUR DESK JOB.
Or commuting in the car. Or hunching over your phone as you text…
But improving your mobility isn’t as simple as just stretching.
Often we stretch and just feel like we tighten right back up because we keep replicating the same movement patterns and recruitment patterns that made us tight in the first place.
We may even foam roll having heard that foam rolling is like a massage and can loosen and relax tight muscles.
But again…it may feel good in the moment, but results never really seem to “stick.”
That is why you must include ACTIVATION MOVES and make your mobility work a 3-part process before you include more compound and strengthening or cardio exercises!
This doesn’t have to mean spending hours rolling, stretching and activating. Even just picking 1-2 moves of each for a quick 5-10 minute warm up can work wonders if you’re targeting your areas of tightness or weakness!
Below are 5 moves of each – Foam Rolling, Stretching and Activation – from my Arm Burner program to help you get started improving your mobility!
How To Improve Your Shoulder Mobility – Try These 15 Exercises
Foam Rolling:
Chest Foam Rolling:
Because so many of us spend so much time hunched over at a computer or seated in a car, our pecs or chest muscles can become tight and shortened.
This can lead to not only shoulder injury, but also be partly responsible for why your upper back and neck always feels tight! This can lead to the muscles of your upper back becoming over stretched and underactive.
That is why it is key that many of us start with relaxing our chest muscles!
To roll out your chest, you can use a larger foam ball against the ground or a smaller ball against the wall (You can also use a smaller ball against the ground just make sure to elevate it on some books especially if you have carpet!)
If you use the ball against the wall or even on the ground, place the ball right in the side of your chest by your shoulder joint. Do not place it on your shoulder joint.
Then reach your hand up overhead and back down toward your feet. If you are using the ball against a wall in a doorway, reach your hand out in front of you, bringing it up overhead and then down toward the ground.
Roll the ball from your shoulder along the bottom of your collarbone to dig out your entire chest. Hold on any tight spots.
Lat Foam Rolling:
While we often think of our lats as part of our back, which they are, they can also perpetuate our hunched posture and rounded shoulders partly because of their insertion point in our upper arm.
Tight lats can not only limit your shoulder mobility, but lead to scapular pain AND even perpetuate SI Joint Dysfunction, making them an important muscle to pay attention to!
To roll out your lats a roller is best although you can use a foam ball or even a tennis ball.
Start by lying on your side with a roller under one armpit. Extend the arm on the side with the roller up above the roller. Then rock forward and backward on the roller, rotating your chest toward the ground and then up toward the ceiling as you roll on the roller so it hits toward your ribs and then toward your back.
Hold on any tight spots you find then move it lower down the side of your back. Hold on any tight spots as you go and make sure to rock forward and backward as you make your way down your side.
As you work down your side, you may want to rotate slightly more toward your back. Work all the way from your armpit to about the end of your rib cage.
Be careful when rolling lower down your back into your low back. You do not want to arch over the roller and hyperextend your low back.
Trap Foam Rolling:
Our traps are often addressed as three segments – upper, middle and lower traps – as each portion of the muscle does help with different scapular actions.
This is important to note as for many the upper traps may be tight while the lower and mid traps may be weak. (Just to throw a wrench in things though too, I do go into how the upper traps are an interesting muscle as they aren’t always overactive and tight or underactive and weak similar to the psoas in the Arm Burner program.)
But I list the “traps” as an important muscle to roll out, partly too because with this foam rolling move, you can not only address tightness in your traps, but also the other muscles of your upper back, such as your rhomboids, which can become overactive especially if your traps are weak!
This move can be key for anyone who’s suffered from tension headaches in the past.
To roll out your upper back, traps and shoulders with a ball, stand with your back to a wall and place the ball to the side of the base of your neck. Press the ball into the wall and roll it down along your shoulder blade.
Hold on any tight spots. You may even want to pull your arm across your chest as you dig out under the shoulder blade.
You can also use the ball against the wall to dig out right at the top of your armpit behind your shoulder and all along your upper back from the base of your neck to the bottom of your shoulder blade.
If you want to apply more pressure with the ball, you can use a harder ball or use the ball against the ground instead of the wall.
Thoracic Extension:
This move helps relax the muscles along our spine to help us start improving our spinal, specifically thoracic, extension.
If we don’t have proper extension of our spine we will seek mobility from other areas. This can lead to not only upper body aches and pains, but also LOWER BACK pain!
A peanut is a great tool to use for this foam rolling move, or you can use a roller.
To work on your Thoracic Extension using a roller, place the roller on the ground and lie back over the roller with the roller at about your mid-back. You do not want to do this move with the roller in your low back or you could hyperextend your low back.
Cross your hands over your chest and, keeping your butt on the ground, extend your back over the roller. As you extend back over the roller, reach your hands overhead and relax your head and neck. Try to touch the backs of your hands to the ground behind you without lifting up your butt or putting the move all in your low back. Focus on extending your mid and upper back over the roller.
Sit back up and cross your hands back over your chest. You can then repeat, relaxing and extending back over as you relax your arms back overhead.
Perform the extension a few times, especially if the area feels tight, and then move the roller higher up on your back and, again with your butt on the ground, extend back over the roller. Hold for a second or two as you extend so that you can breathe and relax more over the roller.
Work all the way up your mid to upper back. Do not do this on your lower back. If you are going to work into your lower back, a peanut is a better tool that doesn’t hyperextend your lower back.
You can use a Rumble Roller, so a roller with “nobs” instead of a flat roller, if you want to dig in more.
Forearm Foam Rolling:
Our forearms are often forgotten muscles until we have to address them, whether to strengthen our grip to lift more, completely an obstacle course race or because of wrist and elbow pain and injury.
If you are spending a lot of time in the car, gripping the steering wheel or at a computer using your mouse or typing, it is a good idea to roll our your forearm, especially overactive flexors (the underside of your forearm).
However, depending on the elbow or wrist pain, it is important to note, you can also roll out your extensors.
To roll out your forearm, place a small ball or roller up on a table or desk. Place your forearm over the ball with it right below your elbow. You can start with the underside of your forearm down on the ball.
Then press down on your forearm with your other hand to press it into the ball. Start to make small circles on the ball to dig in more. Hold on any tight spots. If you find a tight spot, you can also tense and relax your forearm to help the ball dig in further. To tense and relax your forearm, you can flex and extend your wrist or even make a fist and then relax your hand.
By flexing and relaxing the muscles, you help the ball dig in and release the tight spot.
Roll the ball all along the fleshy part of the underside of your forearm. Then move to the outside of your forearm. Make sure to get the outside and inside of your forearm as there can be trigger points in both spots causing potential wrist and elbow pain.
Don’t waste time on any areas that aren’t tight or sore. Seek out and spend time on any areas of pain.
Apply as much pressure as you can handle and use as small and hard a ball or roller as you can.
Stretching:
Shoulder Flossing:
Especially if you are loosening up before a workout, you don’t want to HOLD stretches, but instead try to put the joint through a full range of motion so you can then strengthen through that full range of motion.
And shoulder flossing is a great way to start mobilizing the shoulder joint.
To do Shoulder Flossing, hold a band or towel in both hands with your hands about shoulder-width apart. You will adjust your hands in or out based on your mobility. Closer together requires more mobility, while further apart requires less. If you use a band, there will be some give so you can stretch the band if needed; however, with a towel there will be no give so make sure to set up correctly so that you can keep your arms straight through the full range of motion.
Stand up nice and tall with your chest pressed out as you hold the band in both hands in front of your legs.
Keeping your arms straight, lift your arms up overhead and then open them back up behind you. Reach them back toward the ground behind you, bringing them back down toward your butt. Then bring your hands back overhead and forward.
Because the band will stretch, it will give you a little play and allow you to open up wider if needed to get your arms in a full circle unlike the towel. Remember to hold in closer on the band as you gain more mobility and don’t need the band to stretch as much to allow you to complete the circle.
Half-Kneeling Thoracic Rotations:
Spinal mobility is key to helping us prevent neck and shoulder aches and pains. And we have to remember that our spine doesn’t only allow us to flex or extend but also rotate!
With Half-Kneeling Thoracic Rotations, you can improve your spinal mobility, open up your chest and even stretch your glutes a bit!
To do Half Kneeling Thoracic Rotations, set up in a half-kneeling position on the ground with both hands on the ground inside your front foot. Palms should be flat on the ground. If you are less flexible, you may need to come up a bit on your fingers as you rotate.
Then lift one hand and rotate your chest toward the front leg. Keep your front foot flat on the ground as you do it. Reach up and rotate your chest toward that front leg. Place the hand back down on the ground and then lift your other hand up toward the ceiling and rotate your chest away from the front leg. Really reach open and don’t let your front foot rock open.
You can even keep that arm against the leg to help you rotate. Place the hand back down and repeat the rotation toward your front leg. Move slowly and keep your front foot flat on the ground.
Kneeling Thoracic Extension And Lat Stretch:
This move can help improve your spinal extension aka reverse the constant forward flexion or hunched posture while also improving your shoulder mobility. It can stretch your lats and even your triceps.
To do the Kneeling Thoracic and Lat Stretch, place your elbows up on a bench about shoulder-width apart and kneel on the ground in front of the bench. Make sure you are back far enough that you have room to lean forward and over and drop your head between your elbows.
Then with your elbows on the bench, relax your chest and head over, sitting your butt back just slightly. Press your chest toward the ground and feel a nice stretch down your triceps and lats as well as through your thoracic spine. Try to extend your back as much as possible as you press your chest toward the ground.
You can either hold here and breathe to stretch deeper or you can come out of the stretch and then relax back into it and try to get further with each rep.
Suspension Trainer Snow Angels:
Since most of us spend so much time seated hunched over, we not only want to relax the muscles of our chest with foam rolling but also stretch them out!
I love this stretch too to open up the chest and improve your posture and shoulder mobility because it can also be a unilateral move if you find one side is tighter!
To do the Suspension Trainer Snow Angels, you will need a suspension trainer, rings or even towels or resistance bands anchored behind you.
Using a Suspension Trainer, hold a handle in each hand and walk away from the anchor point with your back to the anchor point. Extend your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height and walk away from the anchor point so that you feel a stretch in your chest.
You may have to adjust slightly backward or forward as you begin to do the wave, depending on your mobility.
Then, standing still with your arms starting out at shoulder height, raise your arms up overhead. Keep your arms straight as you extend overhead and even lean slightly forward to increase the stretch.
Hold for a second or two and then bring your arms out and down to the side, lowering them all the way back and down toward the ground. Keep your arms straight as you bring them down.
Feel the muscles of your chest and even around your shoulder stretching as you lower your arms down.
Then bring them back up out to the side and back overhead. Move in a fluid, smooth “wave” as you lift and lower. This movement also sort of looks like you are drawing a snow angel behind you.
Move slowly to wave the arms up and down. Make sure you are far enough out and leaning slightly forward so that you feel a stretch. If it is too much and you can’t move your arms in a full wave, move back slightly or don’t lean in as much.
Hold at any point that feels extra tight for a breath or two.
Thread the Needle:
If you’re upper back and neck constantly feel tense, this can provide some more “instant” relief, even if not lasting relief.
You will feel this move all across your upper back and even gently in your neck.
While this can be a move used as part of your warm up if you alternate sides, pausing for only a breath on each side, it is also a great move to include in your cool downs or recovery workouts as a static stretch.
To do the Thread the Needle Stretch, kneel on the ground and then lean forward, reaching one arm overhead to place the palm on the ground as you reach the other one under your arm to relax the side of your head and body down to the ground. As you relax the side of your head and your bottom shoulder down, use the hand overhead to help rotate your chest open toward the ceiling.
You are “threading a needle” by reaching one arm through the “hole” created by the arm reaching overhead.
Breathe and relax into the stretch so that you feel a stretch down your neck and across your shoulder blades. Rotate your chest up and open. You can walk your top arm back behind your head to increase the stretch.
Hold and then thread the other arm under and through.
Hold each stretch for at least a second or two before switching. Sit back onto your heels if you can keep your head and shoulder on the ground.
Activation:
Single Arm Scapular Push Up:
Working on your scapular retraction can be key to keeping your neck, shoulders and upper back aches and pain free! It can also help you improve your pull ups as well while improving your shoulder stability.
The Single Arm Scapular Push Up is a great move to use too because it is a unilateral move that will allow you to address each side independently and correct any imbalances.
To do Single Arm Scapular Push Ups, set up facing a wall. Place one hand up on the wall at about shoulder height. Your arm should be straight, but make sure you aren’t shrugging. You can be at a slight incline to make the move harder by walking your feet back, but start standing more vertical to the wall so you can really focus on proper movement of your shoulder blade.
Then, keeping your elbow straight, press your chest toward the wall as you feel your shoulder blade retract back. You should feel your shoulder blade move toward your spine. Do not shrug your shoulder as you focus on moving the shoulder blade. Pause then relax back out.
Make sure you don’t shrug or bend your elbows or rotate to try to make the movement bigger. Keep your core tight and isolate that one side working. You will feel the muscles along the side of your back and your ribs working. You can even put the opposite hand below your armpit on the working side to feel those muscles working.
Back Of Hand Rows:
I love moves that hit a number of muscles or address a number of issues at once.
Not only is this move a great workaround if you do have elbow pain but want to continue working your back, but it is also a great activation move for your back while improving your wrist extension!
To do the Back of Hand Band Row, anchor a resistance band in front of you and either loop it or make sure it has a handle you can put your hand through. Place the band or handle around the back of your hand and point your fingers up toward the ceiling. Step away from the anchor point so that there is tension in the band with your arm extended in front of you.
Stand up nice and tall and press your chest out as you face the mini band. Your feet should be about hip-width apart. Make sure you aren’t shrugging your shoulders as you hold your arm out in front of you with the band around your hand.
Then drive the elbow down and back as you row the back of your hand and the band into right below your chest. Row low so that you don’t shrug your shoulder. Also, don’t rotate as you row.
Feel your back pull the band back. Don’t just use your arms. Also, make sure that your upper traps don’t try to take over.
Really press the chest out and drive the elbow down and back. Straighten the arm back out and repeat.
Focus on feeling your back pull the band and not just your arm. By focusing on what muscles should be working, you will improve your mind-body connection.
Also, make sure to keep your fingertips pointing up toward the ceiling to engage the extensors in your forearm.
Mini Pull Ups:
This is a more advanced activation move but one that is key if you want to be able to do your first pull up.
Often the hardest part of achieving that first pull up is that initial engagement – that initial retraction and depression of the shoulder blades.
It’s why you may not be able to go from a full dead hang to a pull up, but if you jump just a little over that initial hurdle you can pull all the way up.
The Mini Pull Up is the perfect way to really activate and strengthen your back so that you can retract and depress your shoulder blades and prevent your shoulder from becoming overworked and injured.
To do Mini Pull Ups, start hanging from the bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands about shoulder-width apart.
From this dead hang position, press your chest out and up toward the bar as you draw your shoulder blades down and together. Feel your back engage as you draw your shoulder blades together and press your chest up toward the bar. You will feel your shoulders “unshrugging.”
Don’t bend your elbows and turn this into a pull up. You are simply working on that initial retraction and engagement. Really press your chest out and retract your shoulder blades, bringing them down and together.
Again, do not bend your arms to pull up. Use your back and feel your back engage. You should also feel your shoulders go down as your chest lifts up.
Pause at the top then relax back down to a full dead hang and repeat. Remember, you are not bending your elbows to make this movement bigger.
Because this is an advanced activation move, beginners may need to keep their feet down for assistance.
Prone Snow Angels:
Improve your shoulder mobility and activate the muscles of your upper back as well as your rotator cuff with this move. It is also a great move to start working on your scapular mobility.
Clients with less mobility may even need to start with this move standing facing a wall.
To do Prone Snow Angels, lie face down on the ground with your legs relaxed. Place your hands behind your head and then lift your chest up slightly off the ground as with the cobra. Do not arch so much to start using your low back back but just enough to engage your upper back.
Then begin to straighten your arms up and out overhead before slowly moving them out to the side as if creating a snow angel.
As you bring your hands back and down toward your butt, flip your hands over, rotating your shoulders as you bend your elbows to bring the backs of your hands to your low back.
Then reverse the motion, bringing your hands back out to the sides then back behind your head. Make sure to keep your chest slightly up, but do not let your low back take over. Keep your neck also relaxed as you do this and really feel your upper back and the backs of your shoulders working to keep your arms off the ground as you perform the move.
Downward Dog Scapular Presses:
Work on your spinal extension, shoulder stability and the elevation and depression of your shoulder blades with these scapular presses. It can also help activate and strengthen your serratus anterior which is a key muscle for scapular stability and even shoulder health.
Especially if you want to improve your stability with overhead pressing moves, this is a key activation exercise to include!
To do the Downward Dog Scapular Presses, start in a high plank position from your feet and hands with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width apart. Then drive your chest back toward your legs as you push your butt up in the air. Drive your heels down toward the ground as you try to get your biceps by your ears and extend your spine.
Do not walk your hands back and try to really drive through all of your fingers as well as your palm. Do not rock to the outside of your hands. Pause in this Downward Dog position.
Then push the ground away to elevate your shoulders while staying in this downward dog position. Then relax back into the normal downward dog. You are trying to elevate and relax your shoulders. Do not come back forward into plank until all reps are complete.
It will be a small range of motion. Focus on moving your shoulder blades.
Need workouts and a program to get you on track and consistently working to improve your shoulder and scapular mobility snd stability? Then check out my Arm Burner program.
The Arm Burner Program – Avoid aches and pains, strengthen your upper body and improve your pull ups and push ups! LEARN MORE –>
by Cori Lefkowith | Nov 25, 2018 | Blog, Exercises, Pain Relief
Rotator cuff injuries are all too common. And often when we have an injury, we think the muscle must have been weak and that is why they got hurt.
But all too often that IS NOT the case. All too often smaller, weaker muscles end up injured because they become overstrained and overworked.
So while we may need to rehab them to rebuild them after the injury, it is key we also understand that overworking them again is NOT the answer!
Your rotator cuff is an important muscle group to keep strong to support your shoulder. HOWEVER, all too often these small muscles become overstressed and overstrained.
These muscles can become overworked due to our poor posture. Therefore working on thoracic extension and shoulder mobility are key.
So while we do need to strengthen them, we also need to make sure that other bigger and stronger muscles are pulling their weight to support our shoulders and prevent them from becoming overworked!
First off, what are the 4 muscles of your rotator cuff?
- Supraspinatus
- Infraspinatus
- Teres Minor
- Subscapularis
So what do these muscles do?
The Supraspinatus abducts the shoulder, aka helps you raise your arm out to the side.
The Infraspinatus and Teres Minor externally rotate the shoulder. If your elbow was in by your side and bent to 90 degrees and your hand was out in front, it would help rotate your hand out to the side.
The Subscapularis internally rotates your shoulder. So if your elbow was bent in the same position as I described above, your hand would move in toward your body.
It is important to note that while these muscles all help stabilize your shoulder they all can contribute to different joint actions. That is why if you have had “rotator cuff injuries” it is important you know which one!
But these muscles are key for stability since your shoulder is a ball and socket joint. Think of it as if you had a golf ball on a tee and wanted to hold that golf ball in place so it could rotate but not fall off!
These muscles are also made up of mainly type I muscle fibers. So when you do want to work them for stability purposes, higher reps and lower loads will be key.
But remember, while keeping these muscles strong for stability is key, if your stronger, larger muscles aren’t working, or say that golf ball isn’t properly aligned on that tee, these muscles can easily become overworked which can lead to injuries such as tears!
So while you want to make sure activation moves are included for these muscles, preventing them from being overworked with foam rolling and stretching is key while also focusing on activation of larger muscles!
3 Key Moves To Prevent Rotator Cuff Overuse Injuries
To help prevent overuse of your rotator cuff muscles, you will want to make sure you have proper thoracic extension as well as shoulder and scapular mobility and stability.
In my Arm Burner program, I provide you with Burner Workouts that include foam rolling, stretching and activation series to help you address common areas of immobility and weakness due to our modern lifestyle aka the fact that we spend so much time sitting hunched over!
These help keep your body healthy and mobile BEFORE you end up with compensations, imbalances and injuries! They are also great prehab to keep previous injuries at bay!
Below are 3 moves that are important to include in your upper body training routines if you have a desk job especially!
1. Shoulder U Foam Rolling:
To do the Shoulder “U,” a bigger foam ball works best. Lie face down on the ground with the ball under your chest, under your collarbone and right beside your shoulder. Begin to roll out your chest. Hold on any tight spots in your chest as you move your arm from overhead down toward your feet.
Then roll the ball right along the muscles around your shoulder joint and then under your armpit. You can hold on any tight spots and relax and breathe. Continue moving the ball under your armpit to the side of your back, especially the muscles where your arm and back connect at the back and top of your armpit. Hold on any tight spots as you move the ball around your back.
You can roll it down the side of your back a bit and then up your back around your shoulder blade. Work up and down the shoulder blade then roll it back around front. And repeat a couple of times.
2. Active Foam Roller Star Stretch:
To do the Active Foam Roller Star Stretch, grab a foam roller or block that you can place on the ground under your knee. Start by lying on your back with the roller running parallel to your body and about the middle at waist height. Bend your knee, on the side furthest from the roller, and bring it up toward your chest so that your hip is bent to about 90 degrees.
Take the hand on the same side as the roller and reach across to the outside of that knee and pull your knee across your body to place it on the roller. Hold your knee down on the roller and even relax your lower leg down on it. You will want to keep your knee on the roller even if you do roll forward or backward a bit on it. Just don’t let the knee come up off of it.
Place your other hand behind your head so your elbow is open and out. Rotate to bring that elbow down on the ground by your opposite shoulder. Don’t just flap your arm but actually rotate your body.
Then lift the elbow up and rotate your chest back open toward the ceiling as you try to touch your shoulder and that elbow back down on the ground. You are trying to rotate as open as you can, twisting through your spine without letting your knee come up off the roller. Open up, pause and then rotate back closed. Repeat all reps on one side before switching.
3. Single Arm Scapular Push Ups:
To do Single Arm Scapular Push Ups, set up facing a wall. Place one hand up on the wall at about shoulder height. Your arm should be straight, but make sure you aren’t shrugging. You can be at a slight incline to make the move harder by walking your feet back, but start standing more vertical to the wall so you can really focus on proper movement of your shoulder blade.
Then, keeping your elbow straight, press your chest toward the wall as you feel your shoulder blade retract back. You should feel your shoulder blade move toward your spine. Do not shrug your shoulder as you focus on moving the shoulder blade. Pause then relax back out.
Make sure you don’t shrug or bend your elbows or rotate to try to make the movement bigger. Keep your core tight and isolate that one side working. You will feel the muscles along the side of your back and your ribs working. You can even put the opposite hand below your armpit on the working side to feel those muscles working.
Want to learn more about your upper body AND have over 700 workouts to help you prevent injury, improve your pull ups and push ups and build a strong, sexy back and arms?
Join my Arm Burner program!
by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 31, 2018 | Blog, Butt, Core, Pain Relief, Warm Up, Workouts
If you want to stay injury free, it isn’t enough to just rest and then return to your normal routine.
You’ve got to CORRECT the problem that caused the pain to occur aka address the movement distortions, compensations and imbalances that lead to the overload.
And in the case of our lower backs, this is generally tight hip flexors, an immobile spine, overstretched hamstrings and weak abs and glutes.
This is why you need a 3 step approach to improving your movement patterns as well as your mobility and stability so you can prevent the pain from reoccurring – you need to Foam Roll, Stretch and Activation, not only as rehab or prehab but also as part of your WARM UP to your runs, rides or lifts.
If you’re ready to get those glutes and abs activated as you improve your spinal and hip mobility to prevent lower back and even hip and knee pain, check out my RStoration program!
The Prevent Lower Back Pain Workout
FOAM ROLLING:
Complete 1 round through the series, holding on any tight spots you find instead of rolling quickly back and forth. If something isn’t tight, you don’t need to roll it. But if something is tight, don’t hesitate to spend an extra 10-15 seconds on that area.
CIRCUIT:
30 seconds Peanut Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side Psoas Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side Adductor Foam Rolling
30 seconds per side TFL/Glute Foam Rolling
STRETCHING:
Complete 1 round through this series, spending more time on any tight areas. You can do these for about 20-40 seconds per move or side or up to 10 reps per side. Your focus is on improving your range of motion over the reps or time.
CIRCUIT:
4-6 reps per side Child’s Pose with Reaches
5-10 reps per side Active Foam Roller Star Stretch
10 reps per side Half Kneeling Hip and Quad Stretch
5-10 reps per side World’s Greatest Stretch
ACTIVATION:
Complete 2-4 rounds of each triset, resting up to 30 seconds between rounds if needed. Rest up to 1 minute between trisets as needed. If you are doing this as part of a warm up, 1-2 rounds of each is more than enough.
TRISET #1:
20 seconds Vomiting Cat
20 seconds Glute Bridge with Rocks
20 seconds Swimmers
TRISET #2:
20 seconds Thoracic Bridge with Sit Thru
20 seconds Bulldog Shoulder Taps
20 seconds Frog Bridge
With the stretching and rolling, focus on your areas of tightness even skipping areas that aren’t tight especially if you are short on time!
by Cori Lefkowith | Sep 30, 2018 | Blog, Butt, Core, Exercises, Mini Band, Pain Relief, Runner's
It isn’t always about making an exercise harder to get results. Sometimes it is about doing the same, but different.
What that means is that you are doing the same basic movement but with different positioning, for instance doing something seated vs. standing.
This change in positioning is a great way to challenge our body especially with moves that aren’t necessarily meant to be done with heavy loads.
It is also great to improve our mind-body connection to muscles that we may struggle to activate, and muscles with fibers that are actually worked by slightly different movements or when our body is in slightly different positions.
All of this especially applies to exercises for our GLUTE MEDIUS!
Strengthening this muscle can not only prevent and alleviate low back, hip, knee and even ankle pain by improving our stability, but it can also help our glute maximus function better.
This means we can only only build sexy glutes when we work this muscle but also prevent injury and run faster and lift more!
So if you want to strengthen your glute medius, and even the upper fibers of your glute maximus, try these 6 Abduction Exercises to work your glutes from every angle!
6 Abduction Exercises
These 6 moves will work your glutes when you’re lying down, seated, standing, planking and even quadruped!
Include a variety of these as part of your warm up before your runs or lifts, as part of your lifting workout on your glute or leg days or even as a burnout after to really target those glutes for faster results!
Lying Jacks:
If you want to work on your hip extension and abduction aka really work your glute medius and your glute maximus at the same time, you want to use the Lying Jacks!
To do Lying Jacks, place a mini band right below your knees and lie face down on a bench with your hips right on the edge of the bench. To make the move easier, place the mini band above your knees. To make it harder, move it down toward your ankles.
Then engage your glutes to lift your legs up to about parallel to the ground with your legs together. Press your hips down into the bench and make sure that you don’t hyperextend your lower back. Better to have your hips slightly flexed and legs below parallel then to arch your back just to keep your legs up higher.
Holding this position, press your legs open against the band and feel the outside of your glutes working. Then in a controlled fashion, bring your legs back together. You can change the range of motion, bringing them all the way back together or pulsing at the end range of motion for even more of a pump.
If you feel your hips trying to engage you can rotate your toes slightly in or even try squeezing your butt to raise your legs up a bit as you press open.
3-Way Seated Mini Band Abductions:
Work your glutes from three different angles to really create a pump and burn so you can strengthen the entire muscle and really establish that mind-body connection with the 3-Way Seated Mini Band Abductions!
To do 3-Way Seated Mini Band Abductions, place the mini band right below your knees and sit on a bench. Start by sitting toward the front of the bench so you can lean back and put your hands on the bench behind you. Place your feet about hip-width apart.
Then press your knees open against the band as you lean back. Your feet may rock open but focus on using your glutes to press the band open with your knees. Do not let your knees cave in as you come back to the starting position. Complete all reps then move to sit up nice and tall.
Sitting nice and tall repeat, pressing out with your knees so you feel your glutes working. After completing all reps, lean forward and repeat the movement. You can hold on the bench outside your legs to lean forward or just lean over even lightly resting your arms on your legs.
Complete all reps in each of the 3 positions. Make sure you’re really focused on pressing your knees out to feel your glutes while controlling the band back in. To reduce tension, you can start with a lighter band or put your feet slightly closer together, but make sure there is tension on the band even in that starting position.
Fire Hydrants:
This may be a very basic abduction move that we see all over the place, but that is because it is a MUST-DO move! The fire hydrant strengthens your glutes but also your abs!
To do Bent-Knee Fire Hydrants, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Flex your feet. Keeping your arms straight and your feet flexed, raise your right leg out to the side with the knee bent to 90 degrees.
As you raise your leg out to the side, you want to keep your ankle in line with your knee and not let your foot get above your knee or your knee go up above your foot. You want to try to raise your lower leg parallel to the ground when you lift your leg out to the side.
You should feel the outside of your hip and glute working to lift the leg to the side. Don’t simply lean away to get your leg up higher. Keep your core tight and lift from the hip using your glute. Hold at the top then lower back down.
Make sure to hold for 1-2 seconds. Do not rush through the lift or simply swing the leg up. Make sure you do not bend your arms to get your leg up higher. Squeeze your butt and make sure you feel it activate.
Range of motion isn’t important as long as you feel your glute working. You may even feel this in the leg you are kneeling on because your glute is working to stabilize. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
You could also do a straight-leg variation to increase the challenge!
Mini Band Alternating Side Steps:
Get your blood pumping a bit and work your glute medius with this Alternating Side Step move! This is a great move to do especially if you plan to do any balancing or hinging movements during your workout!
To do Mini Band Alternating Side Steps, place a mini band right below your knees. To advance the exercise, place the mini band toward your ankles or to modify place the mini band above your knees.
Stand with your feet a few inches apart so there is just a little bit of tension on the band. Push your butt back slightly and soften your knees so you are in a slightly hinged position. Then step one foot out to the side. Step the other foot toward it without fully stepping together and losing tension on the band.
Then step that foot back out and bring the other back to the starting position. Keep alternating steps back and forth, staying in that slightly hinged position as you go. Do not step so wide your knees cave in. Make sure you can really press out against the band.
Mini Band Side Plank Leg Raises:
Work your obliques and your glutes with this move that is perfect if you want to improve your core stability! Beginners can even get great results by doing this without a band to start!
To do Mini Band Side Plank Leg Raises, place the mini band right below your knees, or to modify, right above your knees. Set up in a side plank from your forearm with your elbow under your shoulder and your feet stacked. You can drop your bottom knee to the ground if you need to modify. Lift up into the side plank and flex your feet.
Then, keeping your bottom hip up, hold in that side plank position as you lift and lower the top leg. Control the lift and lower so that the band isn’t controlling you and making you lower quickly. Don’t dip your hip just to kick up higher or really rotate your top toe open. Hold as you feel your glutes working to lift and lower that top leg.
Beginners can also modify by placing their elbow up on an incline or even by removing the mini band altogether!
Side Balance With Forward/Backward Taps:
This move helps build hip stability and core strength. It can also be good to help you slowly improve your hip mobility. And not only will you feel the glute on top working to lift the leg, but you’ll also feel your glute working on your balancing leg to help stabilize!
To do the Side Balance Forward/Backward Taps, set up in the Side Balance position with one knee down and your hand out to the side next to it. You are setting up almost as if you are doing a side plank with the knee in closer. Straighten your other leg out to the side so you aren’t rotated toward the ground.
Keeping your top hand up, lift your straight leg up to parallel to the ground and then kick it slightly back behind you before lowering it down. Touch the ground behind you.
Then lift your leg back up and kick it back forward, tapping your toe down in front of you. You want to almost create a triangle or arch, lifting up center to tap down behind and in front of yourself. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
Really pause at the top and feel the outside of your hip and glute working to lift. Complete a full range of motion, moving slowly. Try to keep your body from really wiggling around as you lift forward and backward.
Ready to work your glutes from every angle to prevent injury and build strong, sexy glutes that help you run faster and lift more?
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by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 15, 2018 | Blog, Exercises, Pain Relief
Nothing makes me happier than when someone has that AH-HA moment and realizes that they feel the right muscles working.
It legit makes me so excited I often have to share the news with whoever is near me. Usually that’s Ryan.
And I sometimes wonder what must be going on inside Ryan’s head when I randomly look up at him over my computer and am like…
“How awesome is this…She said she did the activation and for the first time felt her glutes when she was squatting! She didn’t realize before that she DIDN’T feel them working!!”
He always nods at me and says, “That’s awesome!”
I’m pretty sure he isn’t as stoked as I am but I don’t care…he gets to hear about it anyway!
Anyway, the reason I get so excited is because it isn’t easy for many of us to change those recruitment patterns.
It isn’t easy to…
A. Realize the right muscles aren’t working
And B. Then put in the work and the focus to get the right muscles working!
It isn’t just about doing the “right moves.”
It is about changing the way our body recruits muscles to perform the moves.
It is about establishing that mind-body connection!
And that is why ACTIVATION EXERCISES are so important.
There isn’t just one move that can be used for activation.
But generally more isolated, simpler movements work best. Movements that don’t take a ton of skill so you can more easily focus and think about what muscles you should be feeling working.
Movements that, in general, allow for less compensation because fewer muscles are working at the same time. Movements that may even help you INHIBIT overactive muscles.
But it isn’t just the MOVEMENTS that lead to ACTIVATION and changes in our mind-body connection.
It’s also WHEN we do the movements.
I get asked all of the time about WHEN to do the RStoration. When to do the Booty Burners.
And if your goal isn’t just to use them as prehab or extra mobility work but as your ACTIVATION for your workouts, then you need to do them right before. Or even DURING your workout if you are struggling to feel muscles engaging.
Those activation exercises establish the mind-body connection in an “easy way.” Because they are more isolated movements, they can make it easier for you THINK about the muscles that are working and start to even create a pump in those muscles.
But muscles don’t operate in isolation in everyday life.
We need to use that connection we’ve created with the activation moves to then help us improve our recruitment patterns during compound movements with heavier loads or faster speeds (aka we want to make sure the right muscles are carrying the loads they should be).
We want to establish that mind-body connection PRIOR TO movements where it is often harder for us to think about, or focus on, the muscles that are working.
By using the activation prior and creating that initial pump and connection, we can make it easier to KNOW the muscles are working during those other moves.
Because if we want to be moving efficiently, we can’t have to consciously think about the muscles that are working every time. We need to know they’ll be recruited correctly because we’ve taken the time to activate and create efficient and effective recruitment patterns!
So when it comes to Activation, moves are a tool. Timing is a tool.
But it comes down to you focusing and thinking about the muscles that are working as you do those initial moves so you can then get the right muscles working during your compound lifts.
Most of us do things in every day life that cause compensations and injuries…that often lead to more compensations and injuries because we don’t keep up with our prehab.
For example…These imbalances and compensations can cause us to have back pain when we run. We sit all day and our hip flexors get tight. We do nothing to reverse our flexed, hunched posture.
Then we go do a repetitive movement and our glutes aren’t firing as they should be and we’re quad dominant so we end up with back pain from our running.
This is why ACTIVATION is so important. It is key to correct those dysfunctional patterns and restore proper movement and engagement!
If you love geeking out about the WHY behind workout design, check out my Training Black Book.
It’s 10 hours of information about designing workouts that work and over 50 done for you workout templates breaking down how and WHY to use all of the different techniques!
–> Learn more about my Training Black Book
(CEUs now available for you trainers out there looking to get continuing education credits! Use code NASM to save $100 off. Currently CEUs are available for NASM (which is also connected to Premier Global) and AFAA!)
by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 5, 2018 | Blog, Butt, Core, Exercises, Mini Band, Pain Relief, Runner's
When we think “Glute Activation,” we think about all of those amazing moves done on the ground – glute bridges, donkey kicks, fire hydrants…
But what if you can’t get down on the ground?
What if you have knee pain that makes kneeling uncomfortable?
Or what if you have shoulder issues that don’t allow you to really support yourself with your upper body?
You can STILL get those glutes activated and working to strengthen that oh so important muscle group WITHOUT getting down on the ground!
Work your glutes from every angle without getting down on the ground with these 7 Glute Activation Moves!
Standing Mini Band Lateral Raises And Kickbacks:
A must-do glute activation series if you don’t want to get down on the ground is the Standing Mini Band Lateral Raises and Kickbacks.
Pairing these two moves together, allows you to work all three gluteal muscles and you can do so while standing in one place even! No space? No problem!
To do the Standing Lateral Raises, place the band around both legs. Placing it around your ankles will make the movement harder. Face a wall, chair or anything you can use to slightly balance with. Standing tall, lift one leg out to the side.
Keep the leg straight (but don’t lock out the knee) and lift to the side. Try not to let the toe rotate open so that you don’t turn this into external rotation instead of abduction, unless you WANT to. Keep the foot you are lifting parallel to the foot on the ground. Squeeze your butt as you lift.
Do not lean to the side just to lift the leg higher. Keep the core tight and stand up nice and tall. Then lower the leg back down and repeat. You can even pulse more at the end range of motion, never fully bringing the foot back down.
Kick BACKWARD slightly instead of straight out to the side to help yourself focus on the glute medius if you are only feeling your TFL or the front, outside of your hip working instead of your glute.
Complete all reps on that side before switching.
You may also feel this in the standing glute as well because that leg is working to resist the band and keep you stable.
To do the Standing Kickback, place the band around your ankles. Higher up on your leg will make the movement a bit easier. Face a wall, chair or anything you can use to slightly balance with and help make sure you engage your core.
Stand tall and then kick one leg back behind you. Keep the leg fairly straight and flex your foot so you are driving the heel back into the wall behind you. Squeeze your glute as you lift. Do not rock forward to try to get the leg up higher. Height doesn’t matter. Just focus on squeezing your glute and keeping your core tight.
You may have a very slight lean forward as you stabilize on the standing leg, but you don’t want to rock forward and open up your hip just to kick back higher. You also want to engage your abs so you don’t hyperextend your lower back. Rocking forward may also put the move in your low back instead of forcing your glute to work to lift the leg.
It may not be a huge range of motion. The important part is to really feel your glute extending your hip to kick back. You can even pulse at the end range of motion to create a pump.
Two tips to get even more out of these moves:
- Place the mini band up below your knees to start to help you focus on the right muscles working.
- For the Lateral Raises, place your pointer finger on your hip bone and your thumb back along the top of your glute. As you do the raises, feel the muscle under your thumb work. This can help you make sure the right muscles are working AND even help establish that mind-body connection!
Mini Band Side Step Squats:
If you have no knee pain that would limit your knee flexion and want a great way to get your glutes firing during squats, plus a glute activation move that will get your blood pumping a little bit more, Mini Band Side Step Squats are a great option!
To do Mini Band Side Step Squats, start standing tall with the mini band right below your knees and your feet a few inches apart. To make the move easier, use a lighter resistance or place the band above your knees.
Then step out to one side so your feet are about shoulder-width apart and squat down. Make sure to sit back and keep your chest up. Make sure you also press out against the band. You don’t want your knees to cave in.
Squat down then stand up and step your feet back together. Then step out to the other side and squat down. Alternate stepping out to each side and squatting down. Do not step out too wide and make sure to press your knees out against the band.
Band Pull Throughs:
This hip hinge exercise is a great way to prime, aka ACTIVATE, your glutes before more compound hinging exercises like the deadlift. It is also the perfect way to really target that glute max.
And while it may look a bit awkward, the pump you’ll feel from this move is worth the awkward looks you may get! (Plus if you are trying to teach anyone a proper hinge hinge, this is a great way to do it!)
To do Resistance Band Pull Throughs, anchor the band around a pole, furniture or in a doorway. Step over the band and reach down between your legs to grab the handles. Walk away from the anchor point with your back to it, holding the handles between your legs.
Then hinge over, keeping your knees soft. Push your butt back toward the anchor point as you lean forward and reach your hands with the bands back between your legs.
Then squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to come back up to standing. Keep your arms relaxed and straight down, holding the handles between your legs. Stand up nice and tall, fully extending your hips and squeezing your glutes.
Don’t hyperextend your low back as you extend your hips and squeeze your glutes or lean back too much at the top. Almost tuck your hips up forward as you squeeze and contract your glutes.
Then hinge back over, pushing your butt back toward the anchor point. Keep your core tight so that you don’t feel this move in your low back. Also, do not pull the bands with your arms. Your glutes should do all the work. And make sure to keep your back flat. Do not round over as you hinge over.
To make the move harder, use a heavier band or walk further from the anchor point.
Band Hip Rotations:
For strong glutes and stable hips, you want to work your body in every plane of motion. And that means, including some rotational exercises like the Band Hip Rotations as well. Plus, this glute activation exercise will get your abs working as well!
To do Band Hip Rotations, anchor the band and hold one end in both hands. Stand with your side to the anchor point and your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Your front toe should be turned slightly open while your back toe should point straight ahead.
Then squat down very slightly, pushing your butt back as you reach your arms back toward the anchor point. Make sure there is tension in the band even as you reach back. Brace your abs and keep your chest up nice and tall. Do not shrug your shoulders.
Keeping your arms fairly straight (aka do not actively bend them, but they may have a slight bend to start), bring the band across your body and up outside your far shoulder. Feel the glute of the leg closest to the anchor point engage and power the rotation. Do not turn it into an arm movement or simply rotate at the waist.
Your back glute should power the rotation. Feel it squeeze as you rotate. Concentrate on using it to power the move. Do not get to focused on bringing the band to a certain point. If you rotate and you don’t bring it up to the shoulder that is ok as long as the glute powers the rotation across.
Bring the band back across your body to the starting position in a controlled fashion. Do not pivot your feet as you perform the move. You want to rotate at the hip because the glute is powering the movement. You do not want your feet to move.
Complete all reps on one side before switching. Focus on squeezing your glutes and bracing your abs. Do not shrug your shoulders or round over.
Seated Mini Band Clams:
Seated glute activation exercises are another great option if you can’t get down on the ground. They can also be an option if you have an ankle issue that doesn’t allow you to balance on one side.
One essential seated move to use is the Seated Mini Band Clams. They are a great way to work your glute medius and minimus to improve your hip stability!
To do the Seated Mini Band Clams, place the mini band right below (more advanced) or right above (a bit easier) your knees. Whichever place you choose or whatever weight mini band you use, just make sure you feel your glutes and outside your hips actually working.
Sit up nice and tall with your hands on the edge of the bench and your feet about hip-width apart. Then press your knees open against the band as you sit up tall. Really use your glutes to open the band.
Do not slouch or rock back. Press your hips forward as you press your knees open. You may rock open on your feet, but don’t simply rock and bend your ankles. Really press the band open with your knees.
You can change the way you focus on your glutes by changing your body positioning. You can lean back, not rock back as you do the move, but actually lean back through the entire move, sit up straight or even lean forward. Playing around with all three positions can even help make sure your glutes are firing no matter the degree of hip flexion.
Bench Hip Thrusters:
Improve your hip extension and get your core working with this bridging variation that you don’t have to get down on the ground for – the Bench Hip Thruster!
You can do Hip Thrusters as purely a bodyweight movement, as a feet-raised movement or even perform a single leg variation to help work on correcting imbalances.
Or you can try the Mini Band Bench Hip Thruster Variation below.
To do Mini Band Hip Thrusters, place the mini band right below your knees to make it harder and right above to make it easier. Lie with your back on a bench and feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Press out on the band. Don’t let your knees cave in.
Then bridge up, driving through your heels and upper back on the bench. Make sure to press out on the band as you bridge up. Keep your abs engaged with a pelvic tilt so you don’t hyperextend your back at the top. Pause and engage those glutes then lower back down and repeat. Even slightly tuck your chin to look down at your knees to help engage your abs more.
Feel your glutes working and do not let your knees cave in at any point. Keep constant tension on the band.
Bench Reverse Hypers:
Work on your hip hyperextension with this lying glute activation move you can do off a bench! No need to get down on the ground while you can still reap the benefits of a prone glute activation exercise.
You must be careful though with this movement to not allow your lower back to simply take over. If you feel your lower back trying to compensate for your glutes, modify the movement or pause and reset, even rolling out your hips and lower back to relax the overactive and tight muscles.
To do a Straight Leg Reverse Hyper (top photos), lie face down on a bench with your hips right at the edge of the bench. Make sure you aren’t too far off or you will engage your low back. You will keep your legs straight. You can let your feet stay apart or bring your legs together.
You may need to play around with the positioning to start to see which allows you to get the best glute contraction, especially if you are struggling to engage your glutes. You can also put your heels together and choose to turn your toes out. The external rotation can sometimes make it easier to get your glutes to fire.
Then, keeping your legs straight, raise your heels up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you lift. Lift till your legs are about parallel to the ground and lower back down. Only lift higher if you don’t feel your lower back take over. You want to focus on and make sure your glutes are working to lift NOT your low back.
If you do feel your low back, make sure you are pressing your pelvic down into the bench as you squeeze your glutes to lift. Hold at the top and lower back down. Really contract your glutes at the top and don’t worry about swinging your legs up higher. Only lift as high as you need to feel those glutes engage and contract.
To mix things up with the Reverse Hypers, you can even do a bent-knee (bottom photos) or mini band variation!
Ready to get those glutes activated and working?
Check out my Booty Burner Program! 15 minute workouts to get those glutes firing!
Movements that, in general, allow for less compensation because fewer muscles are working at the same time. Movements that may even help you INHIBIT overactive muscles.
For example…These imbalances and compensations can cause us to have back pain when we run. We sit all day and our hip flexors get tight. We do nothing to reverse our flexed, hunched posture.
