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TIGHT ADDUCTORS? The sensation of tightness could

TIGHT ADDUCTORS?

The sensation of tightness could be the nervous system placing a limit on range of motion within parameters where it feels it is “safe” to move 🚨.

Passive range is useful in the sense of having enough space to work in, but left on its own without strength and control being present would be like having a bike and pushing it everywhere as opposed to riding it 🚲.

The Copenhagen plank and it’s variations can be great additions to strengthen the adductors (inner thigh muscles), helping to make them more resilient thus teaching the nervous system they’re more capable to work with 🏅.

Save and share with someone who’s inner thighs might need something different other than stretching 💡.

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#copenhagenplank #adductorstrength #legstrength #muscletension #tightness #weakness #strengthandconditioning #strengthen #functionalstrength

ANKLES A nice pair of movements targeting ankle i

ANKLES

A nice pair of movements targeting ankle inversion and eversion; two directions of motion that typically remain unexplored 🗺️.

Considering we are a bipedal species (meaning we walk on two legs), looking after our ankles and feet should sit pretty high on the priority list. Then add the likes of running, football, basketball and tennis to the mix, maybe there’s a bigger need for some foot work ⚒️.

Each one is initiated by a different intention:

1: The knees being moved as a result of the ankles tilting
2: The ankles being moved by the lateral motion of the knees

Save and share with someone whose ankles could do with some of these missing inputs 🔎.

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#anklestability #rangeofmotion #bestrongeverywhere #challengeyourself #remaincurious #strongfeet #injuryprevention #anklerehab #trainingtips

SIDE PLANK UPGRADE Want to challenge the side bod

SIDE PLANK UPGRADE

Want to challenge the side body further?

The side plank commonly presents itself in a static form, however there are more opportunities to test its structure than just holding it for time ⛩️.

This variation demands more proprioceptive awareness by challenging the way your bodyweight is distributed between your bases of support ⚖️.

The aim is to reach as far under and over whilst maintaining a straight base arm ↩️.

Take your time - things can get wobbly 🤪!

(Forward facing 2x speed, side facing normal speed)

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#sideplank #bodyawareness #controlyourself #coreexercises #bodyweightonly #challengeyourself #mindandbody #rangeofmovement #movementcoach #strongandsupple

HIP ROTATION Hip joints are required to internall

HIP ROTATION

Hip joints are required to internally and externally rotate to function optimally, yet our sedentary lifestyles ask very little of these actions (if any at all) 🚫.

Here’s an example of some isolated joint rotations from a 90/90 setup. Press the hands and front leg firmly into the ground to help create a solid base to move the back leg upon 🏗️.

Chase the outer limits of your range of movement; it should feel as though there is resistance through every degree of motion you are trying to make 🧭.

Movement is medicine 💊.

ROLLING ENTRIES A few fun rolling transitions to

ROLLING ENTRIES

A few fun rolling transitions to play around with 🐒.

Free flowing motion is the aim of the game. Keep the body soft where possible to help smoothen out any lumps and bumps that may crop up 〰️.

Save, share and tag me if you try them 🙋🏻‍♂️.

Enjoy!

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#bodymovement #floorwork #deepsquat #kneehealth #anklemobility #hipmobility #playtime #bodyweightexercises #tensionrelease #movementexploration

MOVEMENT MEMORY 🧠 By taking our joints through

MOVEMENT MEMORY 🧠

By taking our joints through intentional articulations on a regular basis, we feed the nervous system with information on what’s available (and what may not be available) ℹ️.

This can aid in maintaining our range of movement and when range increases overtime, these actions help in “uploading” the information to the nervous system and refresh the status of what’s being sent ♻️.

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#rangeofmovement #jointhealth #movedaily #dailymovement #mobilitytraining #trainingtips #trainforlife #longevity #longtermmindset #painfreeliving #movement

Do you need to solidify your deadlift take-off 🛫?

Try placing a pause during the very first few degrees of the concentric phase as part of your warm up sets 📶.

This purposely breaks momentum and forces tension to build up within the most demanding portion of the lift 🏋🏻‍♂️.

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#deadlift #weightlifting #strengthtraining #bestronger #trainingtips #lifemore #trainingjournal #coach

HIPS - LUMBAR - RIBS A nice combination targeting

HIPS - LUMBAR - RIBS

A nice combination targeting hip extension and lumbar rotation 🌀.

The arms provide a good base on the ground for stabilising the upper body. A key detail to highlight is pinning the shoulders down and not allowing them to lift away ⬇️.

The hands can be used as targets for tactile feedback. The higher the arms/hands are placed, the further away the targets, making them more challenging to reach. The lower the arms, the more attainable the targets become 🎯.

Where the ribs come in - inhaling into the ribcage will cause it to expand, helping to facilitate a deeper rotation 🌐.

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#ribcage #hipstrength #lumbarspine #hipflexorstretch #spinaltwist #rotation #noequipment #targetpractice #mobilitywod #movementiseverything

C H I N U P P R E P

The chin up - whether you’re already competent or still building up your ability towards achieving your first, these kinds of drills will always have their place 🗃.

Not only do they provide value to warming up and preparing the parts of the body you’re going to be using, but also there’s an opportunity to check out how well the pieces work in isolation ⚙️.

What does the movement require the body to do? What are the actions of the body parts involved? How well prepared are they in isolation prior to integration ⚛️?

The nicer the pieces work and the more prepared the pieces become overtime, the better chance they have in holding up when being put through their paces 💥.

Look after your stuff and it will look after you ⚔️.

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#chinup #pullup #upperbodystrength #warmup #mobility #prehab #prepareyourself #scapularstability #pull #calisthenics #bodyweighttraining #trainingtips #trainforlife

A nice movement to get those shoulders, spine and

A nice movement to get those shoulders, spine and pelvic moving 🕺🏻.

Inhale upon opening the arms, reaching ahead with the sternum, retracting the scapular, lifting the chin, tilting the pelvis forward to maximise spine extension ➡️.

Exhale returning the arms back in front of the body, reaching back with the thoracic, spreading the scapular into protraction, tucking the chin, taking the pelvis into a posterior tilt to fully flex the spine ⬅️.

Focus on moving in time with the breath 🌬.

Dig into the details ⛏.

Enjoy 🤙🏼.

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#bodymovement #moveyourbody #spinemovement #shoulderhealth #shouldermobility #freeyourbody #morningmovement #breathwork #breathe #movementismedicine #movementpractice

W E A K L I N K S It’s easy to get drawn to wh

W E A K L I N K S

It’s easy to get drawn to what we’re good at or more comfortable with. Weaknesses on the other hand tend to either get ignored or remain untreated until they become an issue 🆘.

Hip internal rotation is a movement that typically falls into the weak-link camp. One drill I find to be very effective in activating and strengthening it’s use is this side laying variation ⚡️.

I like this setup as I can really focus on isolating this particular direction of motion in the hip. I’ve placed a foam roller between my thighs and am squeezing down on it to generate tension, helping to ramp up the amount of effort I’m able to make towards rotating the hip joint 🔄.

What are your weaknesses? If you’re unsure where to start or what to do about the ones you are already aware of, seeking out a professional to help you identify them would be a valuable step to take 🔍.

For coaching enquires or any questions you may have around this subject, please feel free to get in touch either via DM or email - ben@bencolgate.com ✌🏼.
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#hipmobility #hipstrength #mobilitytraining #strengthtraining #trainsmart #longevity #jointmobility #jointstability #jointhealth #jointcare #movementmedicine #humanmovement #weakness #mobilitycoach #movementcoach

T EN S I O N // R E L E A S E Contrasting inputs

T EN S I O N // R E L E A S E

Contrasting inputs are important towards improving the body’s function ⚛️.

We need bouts of placing the body under load and tension to become stronger, not forgetting to devote time towards helping it down-regulate and relax 📉.

Shaking can be a nice inclusion for that side of practice as it brings a sense of softening and calming to both muscle tissue and the nervous system 🧘🏻‍♂️.

This is just a snippet of one example but I’ve used various different ways of shaking over the years and it still holds a firm place amongst my own practice 🚩.

I usually spend anywhere between 2-3 minutes at the end of a session and often during rest periods between heavy work ⚓️.

Give it a try and let me know how you find it 💃🏽.

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#tensionrelease #relaxation #strengthtraining #shoulderhealth #shoulderstability #mobilitytraining #shaking #healthybodyhealthymind #movebetter #painfreeliving #trainsmart

B A S E T E S T I N G Test your base of hip exte

B A S E T E S T I N G

Test your base of hip extension outside of its usual linear path ↩️.

Set yourself up with your heels at fingertip reach, place your arms out at around shoulder level and raise your hips into full extension. Maintain the tension and take your knees side to side 🪢.

Can you make touchdown with the knee closest to the ground without the hips collapsing 🏈?

This is also a great conditioning piece to make sure hip extension stays strong during floor transitions for locomotion work 🐒.

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#hipstrength #glutestrength #locomotion #conditioning #bodyweightexercises #lowerbodystrength #strongbody #muscletension #movementismedicine #bodycontrol

W R I S T F L E X I O N Commonly an unexplored r

W R I S T F L E X I O N

Commonly an unexplored range of movement when it comes to bringing the hands into contact with the ground, yet invaluable when it comes to creating balance in the health and function of the wrists 👋🏼.

This can be a very sensitive area so I will emphasise the need to start light and be mindful of the sensations that arise when beginning these drills 🧠.

The closer the fingers are to each other, the less demand on the angle of flexion. The closer the knees are to the hands, the lighter the resistance 🔀.

I’d encourage for the shoulders to be placed directly above the wrists throughout to ensure the load being applied remains equal 🟰.

If this hand orientation for either option isn’t possible, try spending some time with the fingers pointing outwards / tops of the wrists inwards. The further apart the hands are in this position, the less demand on flexion 👍🏼.

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#wristmobility #handstrength #balance #mobilitywork #jointmobility #bodyhealth #bodyweightexercises #movementcoach #prehab

B A L A N C E A tricky one to tackle as there’s

B A L A N C E

A tricky one to tackle as there’s a very fine line to determine stability in this particular position ☯️.

One thing I find that really helps settle the wobble is shifting focus towards a steady point ahead of you, ie a mark on the ground or wall 👁.

Keep the mind calm and be patient with it. Use your hands where needs be whilst you calibrate yourself, reducing the amount they’re assisting you the more competent you become ↘️.

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#balance #bodyandmind #controlyourself #selfcontrol #anklestability #footstrength #skilltraining #skills #legstrength #proprioception #movementcoach #trainingtime

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