First of all, I didn't make up the name, but this is still a great mobility exercise to use.  Imagine a spinning ballerina with one bent leg held up. The position of the leg in this exercise is the reverse of the leg position the ballerina would hold.  This technique will help you mobilize the tissue above and below your hips as well as the adductors.  Working on your adductors will help improve the position of your pelvis in the bottom of the squat.  If they are too tight you will likely suffer from the dreaded butt wink and have difficulty driving your knees out when squatting. Reverse Ballerina Hip and Adductor Stretch IMPROVES: Hip Extension, Hip Internal Rotation, Flexion and External Rotation TEST: First test for butt wink at the bottom position of the squat. ...

This week we are getting everyone started using ladders in their training routines.  The purpose of this is to introduce a low impact way to improve the maximum number of consecutive repetitions you can do with exercises like pushups, pullups, dips, etc.  This week we will start everyone with pushups, but ladders work well for almost any bodyweight exercise. 1. First, you must determine the maximum number of pushups you can do with perfect form in one set.  This means full range of motion wherein your chest and hips touch the ground at the bottom and you lock out your elbows in the top position. Your elbows should be close to your sides and your body should remain rigid.  Do all the pushups without a break to test your max.  After a day or two of rest, you can star...

  With a mix of training hard and sitting for long periods each day, we tend to get very tight hamstrings.  Stretching them is not the only cure for this.  With this exercise you will smash and floss the tissue using a lacrosse ball. Hamstring Smash and Floss IMPROVES: Hip Extension, Knee Flexion, Back Hip and Knee Pain, Squat / Pulling Techniques TEST: First test your squat at the bottom position. EXERCISE: 1. Sit on a box and position a lacrosse ball under your hamstring.  Shift your weight onto it to apply as much pressure on it as you can handle.   2. Roll around on it to find a tight spot, then extend your leg.  Continue to bend and straighten your leg as well as roll over the ball side to side until you feel the tissue relax.  This effectively smash...

  Originally developed by using the couch for easy positioning, this exercise is very effective for opening the hip and front of the quads, but it can be screaming painful.  If you can't get into the final position for this mobilization, you need to be doing it regularly. Couch Hip Opener IMPROVES: Hip Extension, Low Back and Hip Pain, Knee Pain, Normal Posture, Top Position of Deadlift and Squat TEST: First test your squat or deadlift pulling position. EXERCISE: 1. Back up your feet to a box or a wall. 2. Slide your right leg up so that your shin is flush with the wall. 3. Squeeze your butt to stabilize your lower back, then post your left foot up in a so that your left shin is vertical. 4. Still squeezing your right glute, drive your hips towards the ground.  Stay in this ...

This exercise is essentially mobilizing your position in the bottom of the squat, one leg at a time.  If you have trouble getting to the bottom of the squat or maintaining a good position at the bottom of the squat, this exercise is for you.  Two important points:  1. When using this exercise, you must continually move your hips in small circles to gently work through positions that are tight. You should go in and out of the end of your range of motion. Just getting into position and hanging out without oscillating in and out will not do enough.  2. Make sure you keep your foot flat on the ground to mimic the proper position of the squat.  Even if it lets you mobilize your hip more, don't rotate your hip further outward if you have to lift your foot off the ground ...