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Last week I showed you a mobility exercise for working the muscles around the inner thigh / groin / some hip. This week, it is a stretch to target the butt muscles, more specifically the Gluteus Medius and the Piriformis to an extent. The Gluteus Medius sits more at the top of the butt muscle and doesn't get much love. Stretching it out in your warm up, especially if you're sitting all day, can relieve some tension in that area and go a long way towards reducing your chances of injury during a number of exercises. Key points:
• Start in press up position • Bring the right leg up and across the body. Right knee should be near right arm and right foot near left arm. • Right leg should be resting on the floor. Then lower the hips towards the floor. • A stretch should be felt in the right hip. • Hold for time • Then return to the press up position and repeat with other leg. To increase difficulty, either bring knee further across the body or press hands in to the floor and sit back more with chest up.
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Hip and groin mobility work is often overlooked and can contribute to low back issues, knee issues and compensations when doing squatting / deadlift work. Incorporating movements such as the Frog Stretch into your warm up can help these areas. When first doing this, be careful though as you will be stretching out some delicate muscles! Key points:
• Start on hands and knees • Bring knees out wide to the side, to the point where the insides of your trainers can lay flat on the floor • Lower yourself down onto your elbows. This is the start position • Rock the hips back towards the heels as far as you can go (this will likely stretch some delicate muscles so go easy to begin with) • Once the hips are as far back as possible, rock them forward to the start position • This is one repetition, repeat for desired reps. This is another one of my favourite upper body mobility exercises. I have been using this a lot with my clients as part of their warm up as well as my own. As well as it being a really good mobility exercise, it works a number of back muscles that aren't always worked. Key points:
• Lay face down on the floor with abdominals lightly braced and feet close together. • Hands should be behind back with palms facing away from the body. • In one smooth continuous motion, bring the arms out to the side in a big arc motion, turning the hands to face away from the body as the arms rise. • Continue the arm motion until both arms are reaching up in the air • Reverse the motion by bringing the arms down in a big arc, as the arms lower turn the hands so the palms face away from the body again. This is another great warm up exercise to do before an upper body workout. Due to modern life, many people become tight and rigid in their upper back, especially around the shoulder blades. This has a knock on effect to shoulder mobility and ultimately to lifting weights safely. By sitting back on the heels for this exercise, it limits how much movement can come from the lower back so it really helps to focus on the upper back mobility. Key Points:
• Start on hands and knees. Knees underneath hips. Hands underneath shoulders. • Sit back onto heels and place one hand lightly behind head. Raise elbow until arm is in line with body. • Key: Try to use upper arm to start movement. • Begin by pulling elbow down and towards opposite side knee. • Lower back should remain flat with movement all being done by upper back. • Bring elbow as far across as possible and then return to start position. • Once arm reaches start position, squeeze elbow up so arm raises up past parallel to body, squeezing shoulder blade slightly. • Complete all reps on one side before repeating on other side. The Cat - Camel is one of my go to warm up movements for the back and spine. This is especially a good exercise if your job requires a lot of sitting all day and you then go to the gym. Key points:
• Start on hands and knees. Knees underneath hips. Hands underneath shoulders. • Arms should remain straight throughout entire exercise. • Simultaneously roll head down towards chest whilst rounding back up towards the ceiling until a stretch is felt. Hips and shoulders should not move. • Return to start position with straight back. • Raise head up and at same time arch back towards floor. Hips and shoulders should not move. |
AuthorThis is my, mostly, Personal Trainer musings and information which I hope you'll find helpful! Archives
May 2021
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