For the first day of this challenge, we will try out some loaded stretching. In this type of stretching, you use either bodyweight leverage or external resistance to enhance your range of motion. The idea behind it is that it allows you no only to lengthen your muscles, but also to make them stronger at the end of the range of motion, so that eventually you'll be able to access those section of the range of motion without the need for momentum or extra weight.
I want to caution before we begin that these are not exercises to to with big weights. Try each of them with bodyweight first of all, as that might be enough. If you decide to add weight, use a very light one first time round. You can add on as you gain strength and flexibility.
Incidentally, there are also anecdotal indications that loaded stretching during lifting sessions can magnify hypertrophy. Anyone who's seen Pumping Iron will know that Arnold favours it :) We're not really getting into that territory here, as we're using very light weight, but these stretches should at least give an idea of the kind of range we might try to aim for in certain exercises with heavier loads.
If you're doing these stretches from cold (no workout beforehand), I suggest doing a few light cardio moves first, to warm up your muscles. Stop any exercise when you feel an intense but bearable stretch, Don't try to push past that. Stop if it really hurts!
So, here are the stretches:
1. Jefferson curl - this is a standing toe-touch stretch in which you round your spine as much as possible to roll up and down one vertebra at a time. To increase your available range, do this standing on a step, stool, big book etc, so your hands can go past your toes at the bottom. Do this in front of a couch, or at least on a soft surface, in case your balance fails! To add weight, simply hold one dumbbell or other object of a suitable weight in both hands, lowering them towards your toes as you roll down. Keep your knees locked throughout. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom)
2. Shoulder rotations - for this you will need either a rod (garden cane, broomstick, dowel...) or a long piece of fabric (scarf, necktie, belt...). Hold this object horizontally in front of your thighs with hands wider than shoulder-width apart, palms facing your thighs. Slowly and carefully raise your hands and the object you're using straight above your head, then let them drop down behind you, keeping hold of the object the whole time, until it rests at the back of your thighs; then reverse. If you can't get the whole way round, practice the front-to-back part of the exercise only, and then do a standing forward bend with your hands interlocked and arms straight up behind you. If that's still too hard, stay upright, interlock your hands behind you and try to raise them back and up away from your body, widening across the chest. If using a rod or cord, keeping your hands wider apart will make the exercise easier. (5-10 reps for the full exercise; 1 30-second hold for the versions with hands clasped)
3. Table rocks - get into a table-top position with your face and chest pointing upwards, your hips raised, and your arms and shins as the vertical legs of the table (aka crab position). Your fingers should be pointing towards your feet. Slowly and carefully lower your bum down and forwards (diagonally) towards your feet. You should feel the stretch in your shoulders and wrists. Keep your shoulder blades low on your back, and squeeze your glutes. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom)
4. Calf stretch - you can do this either one foot at a time, or both together. Stand with your toes on a step, big book, or the handles of your dumbbells if they will not roll, and with your heels dangling off the edge. Push through your toes to do a calf raise, then drop back down. To add weight, you can hold one weight on the same side as the working leg, if doing one leg at a time, or a weight in each hand for any version. Hold onto something for balance if necessary. (5-10 reps, followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the top, and another at the bottom)
5. Kneeling drop - kneel on the floor (pad your knees if on a hard surface) with your thighs vertical (ie kneeling up rather than sitting on your heels). Squeeze your glutes. Using the tension in your core and glutes, lower your torso backwards, keeping your spine straight. Don't let your hips collapse so you're sitting/lying down - keep a gap between your calves and thighs. When you can't go further down, use your core and glutes to get you back up. Keep your hands hanging by your thighs so you can catch your weight by putting them down behind you if necessary. If that happens, sit your bum down to get out. (5-10 reps, followed by a 20-30 second hold *if possible*)
6. Weighted butterfly - sit with the soles of your feet together and knees apart, spine upright. Press down on your knees with your hands. If that's comfortable, rest light weights on each knee to push them towards the ground. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom)
7. Weighted straddle - sit on the floor with your legs in a wide straddle. Reach forward with your hands, lowering your face and torso towards the floor. Keep your spine straight. If that's comfortable, take a light weight and hold it with both hands behind your neck to add pressure as you lean forward. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom)
8. Weighted side bend a) - stand with your feet a bit more than hip-width apart, holding a weight in one hand. Lean sideways towards the weight. You can leave the other arm by your side, or raise it above your head to accentuate the stretch. Stand back up. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom on each side)
Weighted side bend b) - stand in the same position, but hold the weight straight up above your head. Drop sideways to the other side, keeping the weighted arm vertical. Look up at the weight. Stand back up. (5-10 reps each side)
9. Weighted lunge - this is a static lunge (ie you keep your feet in the same position for each rep, only moving your hips up and down and bending and straightening your knees. To add weight, hold a dumbbell in both hands, crossing between and underneath your legs. Put your front foot up on a step, stool etc to get more range. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold on each side)
10. Overhead squat - try this the first time using your cord or rod from the first exercise. Hold this object horizontally above your head with both hands, and drop into the lowest squat possible, keeping your torso upright, then stand back up. When you can do that comfortably, try it holding weights in each hand - if you have a barbell or weight plates that you can thread onto your cane, that will be ideal as it offers better stability. If you can't do this motion, break it down by practicing the squat on its own. This is a really, really low squat - as low as you can get without lifting your heels. For the shoulders, kneel in front of a chair/couch/coffee table. Bend forwards at the waist with your arms by your ears, as if you were bowing, and rest your hands on the surface in front of you. Without arching your back, press your chest down so your armpits open up. Keep your shoulderblades relaxed down your back. This will be a tiny range of motion. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom, both versions)
Can anyone understand any of that? If my directions aren't clear, let me know, and I'll try to find a better way for subsequent days of the challenge.
If you try these exercises, please report back on your experience. Thanks to everyone who's joining in!
Healthy Life Challenge: Mobility Day 1
For the first day of this challenge, we will try out some loaded stretching. In this type of stretching, you use either bodyweight leverage or external resistance to enhance your range of motion. The idea behind it is that it allows you no only to lengthen your muscles, but also to make them stronger at the end of the range of motion, so that eventually you'll be able to access those section of the range of motion without the need for momentum or extra weight.
I want to caution before we begin that these are not exercises to to with big weights. Try each of them with bodyweight first of all, as that might be enough. If you decide to add weight, use a very light one first time round. You can add on as you gain strength and flexibility.
Incidentally, there are also anecdotal indications that loaded stretching during lifting sessions can magnify hypertrophy. Anyone who's seen Pumping Iron will know that Arnold favours it :) We're not really getting into that territory here, as we're using very light weight, but these stretches should at least give an idea of the kind of range we might try to aim for in certain exercises with heavier loads.
If you're doing these stretches from cold (no workout beforehand), I suggest doing a few light cardio moves first, to warm up your muscles. Stop any exercise when you feel an intense but bearable stretch, Don't try to push past that. Stop if it really hurts!
So, here are the stretches:
1. Jefferson curl - this is a standing toe-touch stretch in which you round your spine as much as possible to roll up and down one vertebra at a time. To increase your available range, do this standing on a step, stool, big book etc, so your hands can go past your toes at the bottom. Do this in front of a couch, or at least on a soft surface, in case your balance fails! To add weight, simply hold one dumbbell or other object of a suitable weight in both hands, lowering them towards your toes as you roll down. Keep your knees locked throughout. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom)
2. Shoulder rotations - for this you will need either a rod (garden cane, broomstick, dowel...) or a long piece of fabric (scarf, necktie, belt...). Hold this object horizontally in front of your thighs with hands wider than shoulder-width apart, palms facing your thighs. Slowly and carefully raise your hands and the object you're using straight above your head, then let them drop down behind you, keeping hold of the object the whole time, until it rests at the back of your thighs; then reverse. If you can't get the whole way round, practice the front-to-back part of the exercise only, and then do a standing forward bend with your hands interlocked and arms straight up behind you. If that's still too hard, stay upright, interlock your hands behind you and try to raise them back and up away from your body, widening across the chest. If using a rod or cord, keeping your hands wider apart will make the exercise easier. (5-10 reps for the full exercise; 1 30-second hold for the versions with hands clasped)
3. Table rocks - get into a table-top position with your face and chest pointing upwards, your hips raised, and your arms and shins as the vertical legs of the table (aka crab position). Your fingers should be pointing towards your feet. Slowly and carefully lower your bum down and forwards (diagonally) towards your feet. You should feel the stretch in your shoulders and wrists. Keep your shoulder blades low on your back, and squeeze your glutes. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom)
4. Calf stretch - you can do this either one foot at a time, or both together. Stand with your toes on a step, big book, or the handles of your dumbbells if they will not roll, and with your heels dangling off the edge. Push through your toes to do a calf raise, then drop back down. To add weight, you can hold one weight on the same side as the working leg, if doing one leg at a time, or a weight in each hand for any version. Hold onto something for balance if necessary. (5-10 reps, followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the top, and another at the bottom)
5. Kneeling drop - kneel on the floor (pad your knees if on a hard surface) with your thighs vertical (ie kneeling up rather than sitting on your heels). Squeeze your glutes. Using the tension in your core and glutes, lower your torso backwards, keeping your spine straight. Don't let your hips collapse so you're sitting/lying down - keep a gap between your calves and thighs. When you can't go further down, use your core and glutes to get you back up. Keep your hands hanging by your thighs so you can catch your weight by putting them down behind you if necessary. If that happens, sit your bum down to get out. (5-10 reps, followed by a 20-30 second hold *if possible*)
6. Weighted butterfly - sit with the soles of your feet together and knees apart, spine upright. Press down on your knees with your hands. If that's comfortable, rest light weights on each knee to push them towards the ground. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom)
7. Weighted straddle - sit on the floor with your legs in a wide straddle. Reach forward with your hands, lowering your face and torso towards the floor. Keep your spine straight. If that's comfortable, take a light weight and hold it with both hands behind your neck to add pressure as you lean forward. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom)
8. Weighted side bend a) - stand with your feet a bit more than hip-width apart, holding a weight in one hand. Lean sideways towards the weight. You can leave the other arm by your side, or raise it above your head to accentuate the stretch. Stand back up. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom on each side)
Weighted side bend b) - stand in the same position, but hold the weight straight up above your head. Drop sideways to the other side, keeping the weighted arm vertical. Look up at the weight. Stand back up. (5-10 reps each side)
9. Weighted lunge - this is a static lunge (ie you keep your feet in the same position for each rep, only moving your hips up and down and bending and straightening your knees. To add weight, hold a dumbbell in both hands, crossing between and underneath your legs. Put your front foot up on a step, stool etc to get more range. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold on each side)
10. Overhead squat - try this the first time using your cord or rod from the first exercise. Hold this object horizontally above your head with both hands, and drop into the lowest squat possible, keeping your torso upright, then stand back up. When you can do that comfortably, try it holding weights in each hand - if you have a barbell or weight plates that you can thread onto your cane, that will be ideal as it offers better stability. If you can't do this motion, break it down by practicing the squat on its own. This is a really, really low squat - as low as you can get without lifting your heels. For the shoulders, kneel in front of a chair/couch/coffee table. Bend forwards at the waist with your arms by your ears, as if you were bowing, and rest your hands on the surface in front of you. Without arching your back, press your chest down so your armpits open up. Keep your shoulderblades relaxed down your back. This will be a tiny range of motion. (5-10 reps followed by 1 20-30 second hold at the bottom, both versions)
Can anyone understand any of that? If my directions aren't clear, let me know, and I'll try to find a better way for subsequent days of the challenge.
If you try these exercises, please report back on your experience. Thanks to everyone who's joining in!