A lot of people devote most if not all of their ‘’training’’ time to stretching, and neglect strength training. This is a huge mistake (for many reasons)!
Here are 5 of my go-to exercises that will help improve your mobility. You’ll notice that these exercises involve a strength component. Not all mobility training you do has to involve “traditional” mobility exercises.
See part 1 of this feature.
#1) Half Kneeling Hinges + Adductor Presses
This exercise strengthens the adductors (on the extended side), the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps (on the kneeling side), improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and hip mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Kneel on one side. Your thigh should be in a vertical position.
- On the other side, fully extend your leg, and place it in a lateral position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Hold a weight in your preferred position. For the duration of the exercise, keep the weight tight to your body. Pretend you are crushing something in your armpits.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body back/down with your posterior chain muscles. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.
- Gain a moment of control in the bottom position, then press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position using your extended leg. Really focus on using your adductors (inner thigh muscles).
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position. Many people make this mistake.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per side.
#2) Prone Roller Serratus Roll-Outs
This exercise strengthens the serratus muscle, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability. The serratus plays a key role in the upward rotation of the scapulae and overhead mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Place your forearms on a roller (you may also use a towel).
- Get into a plank position from your forearms and feet. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to heels.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. The farther apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around the spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- First of all, press your body away from the roller and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart, and move them away from your spine, and around your ribcage). This movement is here fairly subtle. Do not mindlessly hang out on your shoulders.
- Use the muscles in your shoulders and around your shoulder blades and slide the roller forward. Once you hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), perform the reverse movements and return to the starting position.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from your head to heels. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, weight to shift from foot to foot, or hips to pike or collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
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#3) Front Foot Elevated Split Squats
This exercise strengthens the quadriceps and glutes.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold onto a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells (or a single dumbbell/kettlebell). Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are trying to crush something in your armpits.
- On the front foot, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the surface for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the surface.
- Be on the forefoot of your back foot.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now perform a split squat and lower yourself down to a range where you are able to maintain proper form (to note, you do not need to go as low as I am).
- When you are performing the split squats, pretend you are “pulling” your body down with your legs. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- Press your body away from the floor/surface and back to the top/starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 6-12 reps per side.
#4) Half Kneeling Hamstring Pulses
This exercise strengthens the hamstrings, and improves knee mobility. In the first part of the video I’m pressing my hands against a wall. This removes the balance component and allows you to purely focus on the hamstrings.
I also attached a light weight around my ankle, but start out using bodyweight only.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a half kneeling position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Extend your arms, and press your hands against a wall/surface. Maintain this press for the duration of the set.
- Place an object so it is in line with your back foot/ankle.
- While keeping your knee bent and on the floor, use your hamstrings to lift your foot and ankle over the object, then back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the target number of reps.
- Do not let your foot or leg strike the object.
- On the front foot, maintain a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor. This will really help with balance.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per side.
#5) Lateral Pike Pulses
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. Start off using a much lower object and only increase the height of the object as your hip flexors get stronger.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor, fully extend both of your legs, and point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place an object to one side of your lower legs.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your legs and feet completely together.
- Place your hands so they are on the outside of your thighs, and lightly rest your fingers on the floor.
- Take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- While keeping your legs fully extended and feet plantarflexed, lift your legs over the object in a lateral direction, and then back to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your legs or feet to strike the object or the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from hip to hip.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps per side.
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