Countless people devote all of their training time to stretching and TOTALLY neglect strength training. Many of these individuals wonder why they feel chronically tight and aren’t noticing any improvements.
Much of the time muscles that feel tight are weak and need to get stronger. Or other areas in the body need to get stronger, and might be causing other muscles/muscle groups to tighten up to provide you with stability you are sorely lacking.
To note, if you are dealing with any injuries or chronic issues I recommend getting guidance from a qualified physio. What I am saying is NOT a “one size fits all.”
Without further ado, here are 5 exercises that will build strength AND mobility!
#1) Kneeling Adductions/Abductions
This exercise strengthens the adductors (inner thigh muscles and improves hip mobility. You can do this using towels or sliders.
Coaching Tips:
- Kneel on two towels (you may place a pillow on each towel if this is more comfortable). If you have slider pads, use those.
- Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place your knees so they are approximately hip to shoulder width apart.
- 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 slowly slide your knees apart, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form (and where it feels comfortable).
- Once you hit your end range, really use your inner thighs (adductors), and return your body to the top/starting position.
- 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 weight to shift from knee to knee.
- 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 10-15 reps
#2) Band Assisted Reverse Nordic Curls
This exercise strengthens the quadriceps, improves knee mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability. Avoid this exercise if it bothers your knees. I’ve provided many other options!
Coaching Tips:
- Attach a resistance band around a VERY secure surface and hold the band in both hands. The band should also be VERY sturdy.
- Get into a tall kneeling position. Adopt your preferred knee width. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to knees.
- Your feet can be plantarflexed or dorsiflexed. Do what works and feels best for you.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug, and flex your glutes.
- While keeping your body in a straight line from your head to knees, take 2-3 seconds and use your quadriceps to control the movement as you lower your body down to your full range. Use a range that allows you to maintain proper form, and that feels comfortable.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- Once you’ve hit the bottom position, use your quadriceps to bring your body back to the top/starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from your head to knees. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps
#3) TRX Serratus Slides
This exercise strengthens the serratus anterior muscle, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability. Strengthening the serratus anterior muscle can also be a game-changer for improving your overhead mobility!
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a tall kneeling position. Adopt your preferred knee width. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to knees.
- Place the straps of the TRX around your forearms, and bend your elbows to about 90 degrees. Your forearms should be parallel in width, on an angle, and pointing up towards the ceiling.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug, and flex your glutes.
- Now extend your arms and slide them towards the ceiling. During this component of the exercise, your shoulder blades should spread apart from your spine, move around your ribcage, and away from your opposite hip. Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned.
- While you want to avoid excessively shrugging your shoulders, a slight shrug is ok, particularly if you are looking to strengthen the upper traps. But do not overdo the shrug.
- Once you have hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), return to the starting position. As you are doing so, your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements as they did when you were extending your arms.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight(ish) line from your head to knees. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine) and flex your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps.
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#4) Dumbbell RDL’s + Pause
This exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. This is a great example of a loaded stretch!
Coaching Tips:
- Adopt your preferred foot width and position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your feet, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your feet should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your feet to the floor.
- Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing oranges in your armpits. For the duration of the exercise, your arms/weights should not travel ahead of your body. Your arms should slide down the sides or front of your legs. Pretend you are painting the sides or front of your legs with the weights.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug.
- 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.
- Use a range where you can maintain proper form.
- When you get to the bottom position, pause for 2-3 seconds. When you are holding, actively press your hips backwards. Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- After the 2-3 second pause, use your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- Perform the lockout by using your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knees.
- 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, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 4-8 reps.
#5) Prone Dowel Lifts + Band Resistance
This exercise improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. To note, my shoulder controlled mobility is WAY above average so don’t worry if you can’t lift your arms anywhere near as high. Even lifting your arms off the floor several inches will be very effective, and is what most of you will need to do.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie face down on the floor. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to feet.
- Place a resistance band around your forearms/wrists. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Grab onto a dowel, and fully extend your arms. Aim to use your “pull-up” hand width. Slightly outside of shoulder width apart should work well for most people.
- 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).
- While keeping your arms fully extended, and while lightly pressing out laterally against the band for the duration of the exercise, lift your arms and dowel off the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- When you reach your full range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), pause for a count and gain control.
- Now perform the reverse movements and return your arms to the starting position.
- Do not allow your shoulders to elevate towards the ears, or shoulder blades to excessively elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not compensate and perform the movements by hyperextending your lower back, lifting your chest or head off the floor, or curling/flexing your wrists or elbows.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
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