Stability, flexibility, mobility

So for the past year or 2 I’ve really taken on the habit of stretching every night.  Besides the physical benefits of feeling good, it also helps me relax at night and helps keep me in a routine, and gives me some time to wind down and enjoy to myself.  As of the past 2 months, I’ve really been focusing hard on my ankle mobility in a different way than normal.  For the longest time I’ve done the band mobilizations to try and free up my left ankle joint, and while it has definitely helped a little bit, I’ve hit a point where just doing those things are keeping me at the level im at.  I’ve started including calf work every day now, usually 2 sets on off days and 3-4 sets on lifting days because I want bigger calves, and because they actually help my mobility a lot as well.  Using load as a mobility tool in this situation is really really beneficial to me, as I wasn’t able to squat with a bar on my back until 2 weeks ago.  While it is common knowledge that in order to keep our mobility from joint mobilizations we have to use it under load long enough for our body to recognize and adapt to the stimulus, most people’s minds automatically go to the big movements, in this case, squats, to achieve that goal.  What I’ve found beneficial for me is also adding in isolation work specifically for that joint (ankles) creating another stimulus in regards to resistance, which specifically targets that area and not just as a stabilizer or for dorsiflexion.  I am fortunate enough to have a seated calf raise at home, where I’ll usually do 1-2 sets of or I’ll do 1-2 sets of a standing calf raise for 1-2 sets, both for 8-10 reps.  These aren’t bouncy up and down reps, but 5 seconds in the stretched position, 3 seconds lifting, 3 seconds at the top, and 3 seconds at the negative for each rep.  While bigger calves and better dorsiflexion are something that most of us would want, it also helps target strength and stability in the foot, ankle region, and even your knee (thank you gastrocnemius). Which leads me to my next point about stability.

Repeat after me; you will get more mobile/be able to move better automatically just by making a joint/area more stable.  If you don’t believe me, try a simple ER/IR test without having your core braced, compared to the same test with your core braced.  I see a huge difference (especially with internal rotation, which is a weakness of mine).  This was something I didn’t realize was so important until I started following and watching Trevor Jaffe (@jaffestrength on instagram, he puts out really informative content).  Because my body is fucked up and super twisted(getting better, but slowly), without proper bracing or stability work, my squats twist during the descent.  However, after including some stability drills for my core to get stronger, suddenly I am activating the proper muscles in the proper way; their timing is better, resulting in a much better squat pattern, with much less twisting (still a little, but making my lifts 85-90% better just from including 2 exercises in as a warmup is amazing to me).  I’m going to list some of my favorite stability exercises for your core below, as well as a quick description of each in order of affectiveness.  I hope it helps you all as much as it has helped me.  Thank you for reading!

Copenhagen Adductor: For this exercise you need a bench.  You’re going to have one leg on top of the bench and the other leg underneath the bench, and you’re going to use your adductor to pull yourself into a side plank position with one foot on top of the bench.  You can either hold this for time, or move the bottom leg up and down, mimicking the squat pattern.  You’re going to want to do this for both sides.  Generally I do 2-3 sets each side as a warmup movement for the squat/deadlift

Pallof press -> squat: for this exercise you’re going to need a band and something to wrap the band around that is at about chest level.  You’re going to grab the band in both hands and push it out in front of you, taking steps away from where the band is wrapped to increase resistance.  You should be standing with your side to the band.  You are going to squat down and resist the band pulling you towards that direction.  I generally do about 5 reps each side for 2-3 sets.

Bird dog row: For this exercise you’re going to need a bench and a dumbbell/kettlebell.  You’re going to get into a bird dog position on the bench (I.E. left leg and right arm on the bench) with the weight in the other hand.  Holding that position, you are going to do a basic dumbbell row.  I will generally use 8-10 reps here for a couple sets each side.  Don’t use a heavy weight.

Psoas Marches: For this exercise you’re going to need a weight that you can hold in your hand.  You’re going to stand up as straight as you can, holding the weight on one side of the body, and march in place for a given time.  Once that time is up, switch hands and do the same thing for the other side.  For this one I like to do 2 or 3 sets with any time between 1:30 and 3 minutes.  A moderate weight should be used here (30 lbs should be a good place to start)