Key Takeaways

1. The dead bug strengthens the core while your limbs are moving. This helps teach you to breathe while in motion.

2. To do the dead bug properly, you must keep your lower back against the floor.

3. You can progress the dead bug to harder variations where you tap your hands and feet against the floor, and extend your arms and legs.

4. The dead bug trains the deep core muscles, as well as the rectus abdominis, obliques, lower back, diaphragm, pelvic floor, and hip flexors.

What Is The Dead Bug and What Are Its Benefits?

(See 00:22 in the video above.)

The dead bug exercise has you lying on the floor and holding your arms and legs above your body, eventually progressing to where you move your limbs while you maintain a stable, neutral pelvis. (Yes, it kind of makes you look like a beetle that’s in its death throes, belly up on the floor.) As you raise an arm, or leg, or both, your lower back wants to peel off the floor. If you can keep it locked down, you’ll maintain a healthy spine and pelvic position—the same kind you ideally want when you’re running, lifting, playing, etc.

Dead bugs strengthen your core muscles, prehabbing the lower back to help prevent injury. They also teach you to breathe while maintaining a core brace, which is essential for staying stable and performing well in lifting and sports.

How To Do The Dead Bug Exercise Correctly

(See 01:26 in the video.)

The term “dead bug” can apply to several variations of the same basic exercise. We’ll walk you through all of them so you can find the level that’s appropriate for you and aim to progress to the next one accordingly.

Basic Dead Bug

The simplest type of dead bug has you just learning to keep your core braced with the pelvis in neutral (perpendicular to your spine). All you have to do is lie still on your back with your knees elevated and your elbows over your shoulders… but don’t underestimate the challenge here. If your lower back buckles from the floor or your knees drift above your hips, you’re breaking form.

Practice holding this position with your full attention.

Step 1. Lie on your back on the floor and bend your knees so your feet lie flat. Tuck your chin so your head is neutral. Flatten out your lower back against the floor by tucking your tailbone under. You’ll feel your core muscles activate and your pelvis will be neutral—90 degrees to your spine. Place your hands flat on the floor so you have extra stability.

Step 2. Brace your core and raise one foot off the floor at a time so your hips and knees are bent 90 degrees. (Your knees should end up directly over your hips.) Now raise your arms off the floor, so they’re directly over your shoulders, and bend your elbows 90 degrees. Try to hold this position for 30 seconds, or as long as you can.

“People usually start to hold their breath when they’re being challenged in this position,” says Shane Heins, Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education, “but you should be able to stay in this position while being able to breathe and talk and stay mostly relaxed. Think ’relaxed but activated.’”

Alternatives to the Dead Bug

(See 04:47 in the video)

When you’ve got the dead bug hold down, you can begin to integrate movement at the legs and arms. It may look a little like you’re running on your back (or crawling upside down), and that isn’t far from the truth. If you can keep your pelvis and spine neutral while your arms and legs move, you’ll be a more efficient mover in general.

Dead Bug Progression 1 (Dead Bug With Heel and Finger Tap)

(See 05:12 in the video.)

Step 1. Start in the basic dead bug position explained above (on your back, arms and legs bent).

Step 2. Keeping your low back on the floor, slowly reach one arm behind your head while you bring the opposite side leg toward the floor. Keep the bend in both your elbow and the knee, and gently tap the floor with your hand and foot.

Step 3. Return to the starting position, and repeat on the opposite sides. That’s one rep.

“Be careful not to crunch your abs at the top,” says Heins. “You’re just tapping and coming back to center with your elbows over your shoulders and your knees over your hips.” Do the movement slowly to start, but as you get more comfortable, you can speed up the tempo. This will create a little more instability for you to control.

Dead Bug Progression 2 (Dead Bug With Reach)

(See 06:48 in the video.)

The next level up is to lengthen the levers you’re working with—i.e. extend your arm and leg so that you have to control them at their full lengths. This will be challenging for almost anybody, including experienced athletes, so take it slow.

Step 1. Begin extending your arm and opposite leg straight. Don’t let them rest on the floor, but get both limbs straight enough so that they just hover above the floor. DON’T LOSE YOUR LOW BACK POSITION! If you feel like your back wants to arch, stop the range of motion before it does and work in the range you have only. As you get stronger you’ll be able to extend your limbs straighter.

“Be very mindful of your breathing here,” says Heins, as it will get more difficult to keep your core activated while breathing under the duress of this challenging movement. Teach yourself to “breathe behind the brace,” expanding your abdomen on the inhale but without losing the tension in your abs.

Dead Bug Progression 3 (Dead Bug With Arm and Leg Extended)

(See 07:56 in the video.)

Now you can try keeping your arm and leg straight the whole time.

Step 1. Start with your arms and legs extended over your shoulders and hips, respectively. Your knees don’t have to be locked out, but they should be nearly straight. Begin extending your limbs.

“Just holding your arms and legs straight can be tiring,” says Heins, “and, this time, you won’t have a gradual extension of the limbs.” There’s little room for error here, so take it slow and strict. “Keep a long spine and don’t forget to breathe.”

If you have any trouble with any of the variations, says Heins, work on moving just one limb at a time. That is, get used to your arm tapping behind your head, and then your foot, before working the two together; do a few reps of reaching the arm back before you extend the leg, and so on. Another trick: “rest one foot on the floor for stability,” says Heins.

What Muscles Does The Dead Bug Work?

(See 00:52 in the video.)

The dead bug involves all the ab muscles, including the rectus abdominis (the muscle that shows up as a six pack if you’re lean enough), the obliques (the muscles on the sides of your abs that are primarily responsible for twisting your torso), and the transversus abdominis (a deep core muscle that protects the spine). The spinal erectors on the back side of your abdomen will work, too, to stabilize you.

Because it also trains breathing mechanics, the dead bug recruits numerous other muscles you can’t see from the outside and therefore may not think about, such as the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and hip flexors. It’s not a movement that will have a direct impact on how your physique looks shirtless, but it will improve your ability to train an endless variety of other movements that do make you look muscular and lean, so think of the dead bug as a wise investment.

If you’re interested, here’s an ab workout that will contribute to the way your abs appear on the outside.

How To Stretch Before Doing Dead Bug Exercises

(See 10:55 in the video.)

Perform the following movements to prepare your hips and spine for effective dead bugging, courtesy of Heins. Perform 3 rounds of 5–10 reps for each movement.

1. Kneeling Child’s Pose to Updog

(See 11:17 in the video)

Step 1. Get on all fours and push your body back so you’re practically sitting on your heels with your arms extended overhead (a child’s pose from yoga).

Step 2. Pull yourself forward again, pushing your pelvis forward and extending your spine to come up into an updog pose. Drive your shoulders down away from your ears. That’s one rep.

2. Mountain Climber With Twist

(See 12:19 in the video)

Step 1. Get on all fours and then take your knees further behind your hips, as if you were going to do a pushup on your knees.

Step 2. Step your left leg forward and plant it outside your left arm. Extend your spine as much as you can so your chest faces forward and your back is relatively flat.

Step 3. Now press your right arm into the floor as you twist your torso to the left and reach your left arm overhead. You can use your left hand on your left knee for assistance if needed.

Repeat on the other side. That’s one rep.

3. Pelvic Clock

(See 14:28 in the video)

Step 1. Lie on your back on the floor, bend your knees, and rest your feet flat and in line with your hips. Place your hands on top of your lower belly and the upper edge of your pubic bone.

Step 2. Keeping your butt on the floor, tilt your pelvis under and back down again. Use your hands for feedback, feeling your pelvis move and your core muscles contract.

Step 3. Move your pelvis side to side, raising your right hip bone and then tilting it back down to raise the left. Drive through your knees to move the hips. This will also help prevent unwanted movement at the legs.

Step 4. Now combine all four motions so you’re moving your pelvis in a smooth, circular motion like hands around a clock. Think about getting it to touch 3, 6, 9, and 12 on a clock face. Make one full revolution, and then repeat in the opposite direction. That’s one rep.

Try another core warmup, this one from Coach Francheska Martinez, before a full-body workout.

How To Fit The Dead Bug Into Your Workout

(See 17:35 in the video.)

The dead bug can be used before, during, or after your normal workouts, or really at any other time of the day. Heins suggests using it as an activation drill, doing the variation that’s appropriate for you after you’ve done some warmup/mobility work. “The dead bug can help warm up and ready your core muscles for the harder training to come in your session,” he says. Heins suggests doing 3 sets of 30 seconds (holds or reps).

You can also do the dead bug between sets of your lighter, less stressful exercises—rows, pushups, and lunges, for instance. Do a set, then knock out a set of dead bugs for some extra core work, and repeat. Heins cautions not to do dead bugs between sets of very core-intensive exercises, however, because you don’t want to fatigue your ab muscles for lifts that rely on them strongly. In other words, don’t do dead bugs between sets of heavy overhead presses, deadlifts, or back squats. You may find that you can’t train them as heavy or get as many reps if your core is pooped.

If you want to start your day with some core work, either to get it out of the way or to increase your overall volume, dead bugs are safe to do first thing in the morning. By the same token, you can do them at night before bed too. “Do reps for 15–30 seconds and three to five rounds,” says Heins.

Master another core-training exercise with our guide to the kettlebell around the world exercise.

The post How To Do The Dead Bug Exercise Like An Expert appeared first on Onnit Academy.

What Is The SI Joint & Why Does It Hurt?

(See 00:24 in the video above)

The SI joints connect the bony part of the lower spine that’s just above the tailbone (called the sacrum) with the top of the pelvis (the ilium). They work to support the weight of the upper body when you’re standing and walking. Unlike the hip and shoulders, the SI joints aren’t designed to move very much, and pain can result when we force them to move more than they should. The most common causes of SI joint pain are limb-length discrepancies (one leg is longer than the other), abnormal walking patterns, scoliosis, and carrying a child while pregnant, but strain from heavy lifting can be a culprit too.

“With regard to working out, specifically, we tend to overdo movement in the sagittal plane,” says Layne Palm, DC, a chiropractor in Austin, TX, and a nationally-ranked Olympic weightlifter (@laynepalmdc). In other words, we favor exercises that have our limbs and torso moving forward and back, such as deadlifts, bench presses, and running. “Over time, this can overload the SI joints and cause compression that leads to irritation.” For the sake of avoiding future SI joint pain, Palm recommends performing more exercises that work the body in the frontal and transverse planes—that is, moving side to side and in rotation, respectively. Strengthening the body’s different movement capacities will take pressure off the SI joints.

Why Stretch Your Sacroiliac (SI) Joint & What Does It Do?

(See 01:53 in the video)

When suffering from SI joint pain, many people’s first instinct is to try to stretch the joint. Because they feel tightness in the area, they think stretching will release it. Palm cautions against doing this, as stretching an unstable joint can only exacerbate the problem (furthermore, it’s impractical to stretch the SI joint, specifically). The right move, he says, is to stretch the musculature that acts on the SI joint. These muscles include the hip flexors (the muscles that raise your leg in front of you), glutes, lats, and spinal erectors (the ones that hold your spine upright, and stand out on your lower back). “Stretching these muscles will often release the tension that is causing extra compression and uneven pressure on the SI joints,” says Palm.

3 Stretching Exercises To Loosen Your SI Joint

(See 02:26 in the video)

Palm recommends performing the following stretches daily.

1. Hip Flexor Stretch

(See 02:30 in the video)

Step 1. Get into a lunge position on the floor. Your front leg should be bent 90 degrees with your foot flat on the floor; your back leg should also be bent 90 with the top of your foot on the floor. You can hold onto a bench or other sturdy object (such as a foam roller, shown here), to help you keep your balance.

Step 2. Tuck your tailbone under so your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Pull your ribs down, and brace your core.

Step 3. Shift your weight forward so you feel a stretch in the front of the hip on the downed leg.

The hip flexor muscles run from the lumbar spine down to the front of the hip, and when they get tight (usually from too much time spent sitting), they pull the pelvis forward, compressing the SI joints on the back of the pelvis. Palm recommends holding this stretch for 90 seconds on each side, two to three times per day—or more, if you spend a lot of your day sitting.

2. Seated Glute Stretch

(See 03:13 in the video)

Step 1. Sit on the edge of a bench and cross one leg over the other. Keeping a tall spine, gently hug your knee to your chest until you feel a stretch in the outside edge of your glutes. At the same time, turn your torso into the stretch.

Some people may find that their glutes are too tight to do the aforementioned stretch, and it’s uncomfortable as a result. In that case, start with the easier figure-four stretch: simply cross your leg over so your ankle rests just above your knee, and push down on your top knee lightly.

In the case of both stretches, hold them 60 seconds on each side, and repeat them for the same number of hours that you spend sitting at a desk. That means that if you work for eight hours at a desk in front of a computer, perform the stretch eight times a day—preferably at the top of every hour (set an alarm so you remember!).

3. Lat Stretch

(See 04:09 in the video)

Step 1. Turn your palm over so your thumb is pointing down and grasp the end of an inclined bench, or other high surface. Step back with the same side’s leg, round your torso forward, and tuck your pelvis under. You should feel a deep stretch in the lat muscle on that side.

The lats act on the pelvis, and they can pull the low back into excessive extension if they’re tight. Keeping them mobile will help to relieve as well as prevent SI troubles. Breathe slowly and deeply, and hold the stretch for 10 deep breaths on both sides. Repeat the stretch up to three times per day.

Note that if you have SI joint pain on one side only, stretching the opposite side’s lat will target it most directly, because the lat fibers run obliquely. If that’s the case, stretch the tighter lat with an additional five breaths.

3 Exercises To Strengthen Your SI Joint

(See 05:30 in the video)

In addition to stretching out the muscles that affect the SI joint, you can strengthen the muscles around the joint with a few different exercises.

1. SI Joint Reset and Isometric Adduction Contraction

(See 05:40 in the video)

This one doesn’t exactly strengthen the joint, but by applying a little resistance to your legs, you can help to re-center the joint and make it feel better.

Step 1. Lie on your back on the floor and bend your hips and knees 90 degrees. Place one hand on the top of that same side’s knee and the other hand on the opposite side of the other knee so you’re in position to push on one leg and pull on the other.

Step 2. Begin driving one knee up toward your chest while extending the other one away from you, but use your hands to push and pull accordingly so that you resist any movement. In other words, your legs should be trying to move but your hands will hold them in place. Hold the tension for 5 seconds, and then switch hand positions and repeat in the opposite direction. Repeat for 10 reps each side.

Step 3. Place a foam roller or other light but firm object between your knees and rest your feet on the floor. Squeeze your knees together for 5 seconds and then relax. That’s one rep. Repeat for 10 reps.

Repeat this sequence up to three times per day.

2. Dead Bug

(See 07:05 in the video)

This move strengthens the core and trains it to brace your pelvis while your legs are moving.

Step 1. Lie on your back and bring your hips and knees to 90 degrees. Flatten your lower back into the floor.

Step 2. Keeping your lower back flat and your core braced, reach your right hand back and overhead while you extend your left leg out straight. Only go as far as you can keeping your lower back position. Alternate sides. Perform 10 reps (a reach on each side equals one rep).

If that’s too difficult, eliminate the moving limbs and just hold your lower back against the floor with abs braced for 10 seconds. Repeat for 10 reps. Do 2–3 sets total for either variation, resting up to 90 seconds in between.

3. Standing Hip Abduction

(See 09:10 in the video)

Building stability in your hips with frontal plane movements will help fortify the SI joints.

Step 1. Hold onto a foam roller or other sturdy object for balance, and raise one leg out to your side as high as you can without twisting your hips. Do 20–30 reps on each side, and repeat for 2–3 sets, resting up to 90 seconds between each. As you get stronger, you can add resistance by looping an exercise band around your ankles or your legs just above the knee.

Best Sleeping Position For Sacroiliac Joint Pain

(See 10:18 in the video)

Sleeping on your stomach or side may cause your affected SI joint to move out of alignment for several hours, and that can exacerbate the pain. Palm recommends sleeping on your back, but with a pillow or two underneath your knees to elevate your legs a bit (a long body pillow is perfect). That will reduce the amount of extension in your lower back, and keep your SI joint in a more neutral position.

What Exercises Or Activities Should I Avoid If I Have SI Pain?

(See 10:48 in the video)

No matter what kind of injury you’re dealing with, “It’s important that you don’t let pain make you sedentary,” says Palm. “Motion is lotion for our joints.” In other words, continuing to move and exercise as much as you can without directly aggravating your injury is the best way to speed healing, as you’ll encourage blood flow to the area and keep it from getting any weaker.

“Specifically, with the SI joint,” says Palm, “we want to limit any movements that put the back into hyperextension—an excessive lower back curvature.” Cobra poses, back bridges, upward facing dog (yoga), and other exercises that make your back take on a big arch should be avoided. You also may have to avoid exercises where you hinge the hips, such as deadlift variations or kettlebell swings, because they will put stress on the SI joint while it’s healing.

With all that said, injuries tend to be very specific to the movements you do, and while one type of hinge may cause you pain, a slightly different variant may feel totally normal. “I always suggest that my patients go by feel in these situations,” says Palm.

Another strategy to work around pain is to decrease your range of motion on some exercises. You may find that deadlifts from a rack, box, or mats—which reduces your range of motion—can keep you out of painful ranges while still letting you perform the basic movement pattern you want to train. In this case, Palm suggests performing the exercise with maximum control, deadlifting the weight to lockout and then slowing lowering the load—take up to five seconds to go down.

“Reduce the load, reduce the range of motion, but still continue to train,” says Palm.

Are SI Joint Belts Worth It?

(See 12:12 in the video)

Some physical therapists recommend belts that can be worn around the hips to brace and support the SI joint (they’re available on Amazon.com). Palm says this isn’t a bad idea if you’re freshly injured, as these belts can reduce pain, but it isn’t a long-term solution, unlike the stretches and exercises he gave you above. “SI joint belts are fine in the short-term, but you don’t want to rely on them.” Doing your rehab and being patient is the best way to come back from SI joint injury.

Is your shoulder bothering you too? Check out our guide to rehabbing shoulder impingement.

The post 3 SI Joint Stretches & Exercises To Relieve Pain appeared first on Onnit Academy.

To the untrained eye, the serratus anterior muscle may appear to be an extension of the obliques, but it’s a muscle all its own, and its function is very different. Together with its twin on the back side of your body, the serratus posterior, the serratus muscles anchor the shoulders, allow you to breathe, and, when well-developed on a lean physique, show the world you’re a finely-tuned athlete.

We broke out our anatomy books and talked to an expert to bring you the definitive guide to training the serratus muscles for aesthetics, performance, and injury prevention.

What Are Your Serratus Muscles and Why Train Them?

There are three sets of serratus muscles. The best known of the group is the serratus anterior (SA)—it’s those finger-like muscles under your pec that pop out when you raise your arm overhead (that is, if you’re lean enough to see them). The other, lesser-known two are the serratus posterior (SP) superior and inferior. As the name implies, they lie on the back of your torso.

Serratus Anterior (SA)

The SA muscle originates at the first to ninth ribs and inserts on the inner side of the front of the scapula (shoulder blade), close to the spine. It has a fan shape with serrated, sawtooth-like attachments on the ribs, which gives it its name. The SA works to protract the shoulder blade—that is, roll your shoulder forward when you reach your arm in front of you—as well as rotate the shoulder blade upward when you raise your arm overhead, stabilize the scapula, and lift the ribs during inhalation. Since it works to pull the shoulder forward when you’re throwing a punch, the SA has been nicknamed the boxer’s muscle.

Serratus Posterior (SP)

The SP consists of two distinct wing-shaped muscles that mirror each other on the back of your torso. The SP superior lies between your shoulder blades, under your trapezius, on the upper back. It originates on the ligaments of the upper spine, and the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, and it inserts on ribs two through five. Meanwhile, the SP inferior rests on your lower back, under your lats. It starts on the ligaments of the lower spine and the lumbar and thoracic vertebrae and reaches upward to insert on ribs nine through 12.

Scientists aren’t certain they know all the actions the SP can perform, but it’s pretty clear that the superior portion helps raise the upper ribs when you breathe in, while the inferior draws the lower ribs downward and backward when you breathe out.

Training the SA and SP

The serratus anterior plays a crucial role in the shoulder’s health and durability. Because it helps control movement of the shoulder blade, and even anchors the scapula to the rib cage, it’s vital for performing any kind of press, push, throwing action, or upper-body martial arts strike. “Think of your body as a sailboat and your upper arm as the sail,” says Alexander Friel, DC, a care provider at Airrosti clinic in Dallas, TX. “In order to get the boat moving, you have to hoist the sail. Your serratus anterior is the rope that lifts the sail.”

When someone’s SA is not functioning properly, it is very easy to see. The shoulder blade will not slide smoothly forward around the ribs. It will actually flare off the back, separating from the rib cage—a condition called scapular winging, which can result in shoulder injury.

The serratus anterior can be trained with a number of pushing and pressing exercises—basically, anything that involves the shoulder blades, says Friel. The serratus posterior muscles, on the other hand, really can’t be isolated and trained directly. Since they work when you breathe—particularly when you inhale and exhale forcefully—you can rest assured that they’re getting trained when you perform other exercises and activities that make you breathe hard. Furthermore, unlike the SA, the SP are invisible from the outside, so they don’t contribute to the aesthetics of your physique.

How To Stretch The Serratus Muscles

Activities that involve repetitive overhead shoulder motions can bring tightness and injury to the serratus anterior. These include swimming and tennis, as well as weight training—particularly, lifting heavy on bench and overhead presses. Poor posture (slouching) can also lead to tight muscles around the shoulders and ribs. The following stretches may provide some relief.

Serratus Anterior

SA Stretch On Bench

[See 0:28 in the video above]

Friel recommends this stretch, which you’ll also likely feel in your lats and triceps.

Step 1. Hold a yoga block or light dumbbell with both hands, and kneel on the floor perpendicular to a bench. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest them on the bench; bend your hips and knees 90 degrees, and brace your core.

Step 2. Gently press your chest toward the floor while you bend your elbows back toward you, stretching your serratus. Hold the stretch 15–30 seconds.

That’s one set. Perform 3 sets.

The late Chris Jarmey, D.S., author of The Concise Book of Muscles, a comprehensive guide to anatomy, now in its fourth edition, also suggests stretching one side of the serratus at a time.

Chair Stretch

[See 0:57 in the video]

Step 1. Sit in a chair with a back support and turn your body to the right 90 degrees. Let your arm hang over the back of the chair, and grasp the bottom of the chair for stability.

Step 2. Gently turn away from the back of the chair until you feel a stretch in your rib cage. Hold 30 seconds.

Alternate sides until you’ve stretched both for 3 rounds.

In addition to the above, stretches that target the pec and deltoid may stretch the SA involuntarily as well, so include them in any program with the goal of lengthening the serratus anterior.

Serratus Posterior

Dr. Friel calls the serratus posterior a “small, controversial muscle,” because its full purpose isn’t certain, and it can’t be targeted and isolated like other muscles. However, the following stretch will help to lengthen it, as well as the muscles in your hips and the back side of your body.

Kettlebell SP Stretch

[See 1:21 in the video]

Step 1. Place two heavy kettlebells on the floor, shoulder-width distance apart. (Or, elevate some dumbbells on a mat or blocks so they’re a few inches above the floor.)

Step 2. Stand behind the kettlebells with feet hip-width apart and hinge at the hips, driving your butt back, as if doing a Romanian deadlift or bent-over row. Continue until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor, or as close as is needed for you to be able to reach the kettlebells. Keep a long spine so that your lower back is flat.

Step 3. When you can reach the kettlebells, grasp the handles and hold the position. You should feel a stretch on your back between your shoulder blades—the serratus posterior will be stretching along with your other upper back muscles. Hold the position for 30 seconds, breathing slowly and deeply to increase the stretch. That’s one set.

Perform 3 sets.

3 Serratus Anterior Exercises

Friel suggests the following to build up your SA.

1. Pushup Plus

[See 2:12 in the video]

Step 1. Get into a pushup position on the floor with hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Think “long spine,” so your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels. Draw your ribs down, and tuck your pelvis slightly so that it’s perpendicular to the floor. Brace your core.

Step 2. Keeping your elbows locked, actively lower your upper body toward the floor by squeezing your shoulder blades together. The range of motion is small.

Step 3. Drive your hands into the floor like you’re doing a pushup, but keep your arms straight, and move only at the shoulders. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart so your upper back moves toward the ceiling. Another cue is to think about pushing the floor away from you, rather than the other way around. Go as high as you can without losing your straight body position, and hold the top position for a second. That’s one rep.

Perform sets of 8–15 reps.

If the basic pushup plus is too easy, wrap an elastic exercise band around your upper back for extra resistance. If it’s too hard, you can perform the same movement on your knees, or on an elevated surface, such as a countertop.

2. Pullup Plus

[See 3:15 in the video]

Step 1. Hang from a pullup bar with hands just outside shoulder width and palms facing forward. Draw your ribs down and tuck your tailbone so that your pelvis is level with the floor. Brace your core.

Step 2. Drive your shoulder blades down and together, so that your body lifts higher toward the bar, but keep your arms straight so that the movement is only at the shoulders.

Step 3. Lower your body back down, allowing your serratus to stretch at the bottom, but don’t relax completely. Perform as many reps as possible.

3. Farmer’s Walk

[See 3:46 in the video]

Step 1. Pick up a pair of heavy dumbbells and draw your shoulder blades back and down. Walk briskly for as far as you can while Keep good posture—chest proud, standing tall and straight. 

1 Serratus Posterior Exercise

[See 4:00 in the video]

The best way to work the SP is simply by maintaining perfect posture and breathing. “Keep your pelvis tucked under you,” says Friel, which means it will be level with the floor. “Stand up and squeeze your glutes and abs—you’ll feel your pelvis stabilize underneath you.” At the same time, pretend you have a fishing line attached to your sternum (your breastbone) that’s pulling straight upward. Standing tall with a level pelvis is perfect posture.

Practice breathing in this position. Do a set of 20–25 deep breaths, drawing the air into your abdomen. This means expanding your belly 360 degrees, rather than letting your shoulders rise and fall. Take 8–10 seconds for each inhale and 6–8 seconds on every exhale. 

Great Complementary Exercises For Your Workout

Remember that any exercise that has the shoulder blades moving is going to activate your serratus anterior to a large degree. The following moves not only hit the SA hard but they train many other muscles as well, and are particularly popular for physique development. The ab rollout doubles as a core/six-pack exercise, the pullover as a chest and back hit, and the overhead press as a shoulder, tricep, and overall strength-builder.

Ab Rollout

[See 4:35 in the video]

Step 1. Kneel on the floor and hold an ab wheel beneath your shoulders. Draw your ribs down, tuck your tailbone, and brace your core, so that your head, spine, and pelvis form a straight line.

Step 2. Roll the wheel forward until you feel you’re about to lose tension in your core and your hips might sag. Roll yourself back to the starting position.

Dumbbell Pullover

[See 4:56 in the video]

Step 1. Hold a dumbbell by one of its bell ends and lie back flat on a bench. Press the dumbbell up and hold it directly over your chest with your elbows pointing out to the sides. Tuck your pelvis under so that your lower back is flat on the bench and brace your core.

Step 2. Keeping your elbows as straight as possible, lower your arms back and behind you until you feel a strong stretch in your chest.

Step 3. Pull the weight back up and over your chest.

Performing the movement with bands or a cable would be even more effective than using a dumbbell or barbell, as the band/cable tension would force the pecs to work harder as they get closer to the chest (which is where the resistance drops off with free weights).

Kettlebell One-Arm Overhead Press

[See 5:22 in the video]

Step 1. Stand tall, holding the kettlebell in one hand at shoulder level. Root your feet into the floor as if you were preparing for someone to push you. Draw your shoulder blades down and back—think, “proud chest”— pull your ribs down, and brace your core. Take a deep breath into your belly.

Step 2. Exhale as you press the weight overhead with your forearm vertical. Your elbow will naturally move away from your side and the press will feel like an “around the world” motion—that’s OK. Note that your chin should be pulled back so that weight has no trouble clearing it.

Step 3. To lower the kettlebell, pull it back down into position—as if you were performing a pullup. Complete all your reps on that side, and then repeat on the other side.

For more shoulder rehab/prehab content, see “5 Shoulder Impingement Exercises to Boost Recovery.”

The post 7 Great Serratus Anterior & Posterior Exercises appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Shoulder impingement is painfully common. In fact, it’s thought to be the culprit behind 44–65% of all shoulder pain complaints (1, 2). According to the Cleveland Clinic, the problem tends to crop up most in people who do sports and activities that involve a lot of overhead motions. This includes baseball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball, as well as weight training, particularly when heavy weights are hoisted overhead (such as in Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit). According to Gianna Paladino, DPT, clinical director of SportsMed Physical Therapy in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, people age 40 and over are often diagnosed with shoulder impingement as well, as the result of years of repetitive motion.

Repeatedly raising your arms overhead narrows the already tight space between your humerus (upper-arm bone) and the top outer edge of the shoulder blade (the scapula), pinching the rotator cuff in between. This is called an impingement, and it can lead to swelling and irritation. Unfortunately, swelling reduces the space in your shoulder even more, causing more impingement and pain, and the vicious cycle continues.

While we can’t diagnose your condition, this article can be one of your first steps toward ending this painful rinse-and-repeat. The next step? Seeing your doctor for an official diagnosis and recovery program.

How To Tell If You Have a Shoulder Impingement

The problem with shoulder impingement syndrome is that it’s not a single diagnosis. An impingement can show up in any of the ligaments or muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder’s ball-and-socket joint (known collectively as the rotator cuff). So, the only way to truly know your shoulder’s status is to get it assessed by a physical therapist or another medical professional.

That said, there are a few simple self-tests you can do right now that can help you decide if a visit to a PT is in the cards. Dr. Paladino recommends the three tests below to check if you may have an impingement in specific areas of your shoulder. If any of these self-tests suggest the answer is “yes,” the next step is to get checked out by a qualified provider.

1. The Painful Arc Test

[See the video above at 00:45]

Step 1. Lift your troublesome arm out to the side and over your head, as though you were doing a jumping jack with one arm.

If you feel pain in your shoulder when your arm reaches the midpoint or above, you may have a shoulder impingement.

2. The Hawkins-Kennedy Test

[See the video at 01:10]

Step 1. Cross the affected arm over your body, resting your hand on the opposite shoulder. Your elbow will be bent about 90 degrees.

Step 2. Lift your elbow gently as high as you can without letting your hand raise off your shoulder.

You may have a shoulder impingement if you feel pain in the shoulder in the bottom range of the movement.

3. The Neer Test

[See the video at 01:20]

Step 1. Lift the arm straight in front of your body to 90 degrees, and turn your thumb to point toward the floor.

Step 2. Raise the arm overhead while keeping the thumb down.

Feeling pain in the shoulder toward the top of the movement may indicate a shoulder impingement.

What Exercises Are Good for Recovering From A Shoulder Impingement?

Shoulder impingements can usually be resolved by improving shoulder mobility and strengthening the muscles that stabilize the shoulder blade (including the rotator cuff, serratus anterior, and lower traps). This is done in addition to resting the injury, avoiding any movement that causes irritation, icing the area, and, if you choose, taking over-the-counter medication to help bring the inflammation down.

Apart from any exercises your physical therapist may recommend, here are a few moves you can use to kick-start your shoulder impingement recovery.

Paladino recommends doing these for 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps. These can be performed 2–3 times per week with a rest day in between. If any of these exercises cause pain, hold off or scale back.

1. Bilateral Shoulder External Rotation with Resistance Band

[See the video at 02:00]

If your rotator cuff isn’t strong enough to stabilize your shoulder joint and hold it in the correct position, the joint can shift all over the place when you move your arms. “It might jam forward or up, and that’s where you get that pinching that can cause pain,” Paladino says. She recommends this resistance band exercise to help strengthen those rotator cuff muscles, which will keep the shoulder stable and prevent pain during movement.

Step 1. Grip a resistance band with hands shoulder-width apart and palms facing up. Bend your elbows 90 degrees, and tuck your arms against your sides.

Step 2. Keeping the elbows tight against your body, squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull the band apart with both hands, stretching it out. Slowly reverse the motion until your hands are shoulder-width apart again. That’s one rep.

2. Shoulder Extension with Resistance Band

[See the video at 02:25]

Good posture is key for healthy shoulders. In particular, keeping the shoulders down and back—as opposed to hunched over or shrugged up—helps to maximize the space in your shoulder joints. “The worse your posture is, the smaller the space in the shoulders becomes, and that’s when the pinching starts happening,” Paladino explains. This exercise opens up the shoulders and brings the shoulder blades down and back by strengthening the lower traps and lats.

Step 1. Attach a resistance band to a sturdy fixture that’s approximately head-height. Grip one end of the band in each hand and step back until you feel slight tension in the band.

Step 2. Keeping your elbows straight, pull both ends of the band straight down and back, finishing outside your hips. Allow your arms to skim your torso as you do it.

Step 3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the range, and then return your hands to the starting position. That’s one rep.

3. Side-Lying Shoulder Flexion

[See the video at 02:50]

This is another move for the rotator cuff, but it’s performed in a lying position. This minimizes any compensation by the upper trap muscle, which can kick in and take over the movement when you perform external rotations standing up, Paladino says. It also targets the lower traps and serratus anterior.

Step 1. Lie on your side, with the painful shoulder facing up. Let your top arm lie against your side.

Step 2. Keeping your elbow straight, slowly sweep your arm in front of your body and bring it overhead. Try to keep it close and don’t allow it to lift too high (away from your body) as you go.

Step 3. Once your arm is overhead, reverse the motion to bring it to your side again. That’s one rep.

Perform the exercises on both shoulders, even if one of them doesn’t hurt. Training to keep both shoulders equally mobile and strong helps prevent future injuries.

When Can I Begin Rehabbing and Working Out My Shoulder?

The good news is that you don’t have to wait until your shoulder no longer hurts to do the exercises recommended. “These exercises are simple and low-level enough that they will help with everything that’s going on in the shoulder,” Paladino says. Gentle exercises like the three above get the shoulder joint and muscles moving again while allowing inflammation to go down.

However, if the above exercises cause a significant amount of discomfort (say, a 4 or above on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being great pain), you should hold off and rest your shoulder longer, Paladino says. You should also let your PT know. He or she may be able to adjust the dosage (e.g., suggest doing fewer reps or using less resistance), or help you dial in your form better.

There are other generally safe exercises you can do to strengthen the shoulder while it heals. “You don’t technically have to move the shoulder to strengthen it,” Paladino says. Working the muscles that attach to the shoulder can help you maintain—or even gain—strength when you have a pain flareup.

According to Paladino, these exercises are generally easy to do and likely won’t aggravate shoulder pain:

●  Most row variations (ex., inverted rows, bent-over rows, low-lat rows)

●  Biceps curls

●  Triceps pushdowns

As your pain improves, you’ll be able to experiment with the exercises you’re probably used to and add them back into your training one at a time. But it’s important not to rush the process. You may not be able to do a dumbbell or barbell overhead press for a while, but you may find that a landmine press done from a half-kneeling position feels OK. The arc that the bar travels in a landmine press doesn’t stress the shoulder joint so directly, so many people find that it allows them to train the shoulder with a full range of motion without pain, with the extra benefit of strengthening the serratus anterior, which anchors the shoulder blade to the ribcage, stabilizing it.

See a demonstration of the landmine press below, and directions for it in the article “The Best Shoulder Exercises and Workouts for Women.”

To be safe, check with your PT before including these, or any, new exercises in your rehab program.

Activities and Exercises That Should Be Avoided With a Shoulder Impingement

 “I wouldn’t say there’s anything you must avoid, unless it’s something that’s causing a lot of pain for you,” Paladino says. In many cases, you can continue doing your favorite sports and activities with a shoulder impingement, as long as you modify your intensity.

“If you tell someone who loves swimming to stop, they’re not going to stop, or they’re going to be miserable, so it’s not worth telling them to quit,” Paladino says. “They should simply scale it back.”

If you can’t manage to do the activity comfortably at any intensity, find another activity to keep you busy until you’ve recovered enough to try again. This way, you can maintain your strength, overall activity level, and mobility while giving your shoulder a rest.

In the weight room, Paladino cautions against overhead pressing exercises and chest exercises like the chest press and pushup, until you’re able to get guidance from a PT. “Those moves are often done incorrectly, or people go overboard with the intensity, which can close the space in the shoulder even more than usual,” she explains.

The Best Shoulder Impingement Stretches

Adding these two Paladino-recommended stretches to your rehab program may help increase range of motion in the shoulders and counteract the hunched-over position many of us default to when sitting for long periods. Both actions minimize pinching in the shoulders to lessen pain.

These stretches can be done 3-4 times a week, but if you’re really stiff, feel free to increase the frequency to every day, or every other day, Paladino says.

If you feel pain during these stretches, you may be doing them too aggressively. Ease up a bit or pause while you consult your PT.

Perform both exercises on both shoulders.

1. Wall Slide

[See the video at 03:10]

Step 1. Place your hand flat against a wall with your arm straight.

Step 2. Keeping your arm straight, slide that hand up the wall as far as you can go. You’ll have to step toward the wall to make this happen.

Step 3. Hold the top position for a couple of seconds before sliding your hand back down the wall. That’s one rep. Do 10–20 reps.

2. Pec Stretch

[See the video at 03:30]

Step 1. Stand in a doorway (or use a rack as shown) and place one hand on the side of the doorframe with your elbow bent 90 degrees.

Step 2. Stagger your stance and gently push your torso forward until you feel a stretch across your pectoral (chest) muscles.

Step 3. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and release. Do 2–5 sets.

Usual Shoulder Impingement Recovery Time

Many factors affect your recovery time, including your age, activity level, the severity of pain, how long you waited to get treatment, and how closely you follow your PT program. In general, though, if you’ve put off getting care, and your pain is substantial, Paladino says you may be looking at about six months to fully recover. But it may take less time if the pain is mild and/or you seek help right away.

You can help your recovery along by staying consistent with your program, respecting your body, and adjusting your activity level as needed. 

Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and naproxen, can help you deal with pain and inflammation, but they’re not a long-term solution. Plus, NSAIDs can cause unpleasant side effects like gas, heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, and/or constipation.

Icing for 10–15 minutes may be a better way to handle pain and inflammation when your shoulder flares up, Paladino says.

Above all, stay active. Moving your shoulder and the surrounding muscles through a tolerable range of motion—whether through stretches or strength exercises —helps to maintain shoulder mobility and keep nutrient-rich blood flowing to the area. “Gentle movement is an effective pain treatment,” Paladino says.

The post 5 Shoulder Impingement Exercises to Boost Recovery appeared first on Onnit Academy.

I didn’t come to yoga naturally – I wasn’t drawn to flowing pose sequences, mindfulness or even the very real benefit of improved flexibility.

And I stuck to my guns…until my body rebelled.

Severe, Lower Back Pain Led Me to Yoga

I had my first knock-you-to-your-knees-in-tears back spasm in 2007. I don’t think I’ve even been in such excruciating pain. I couldn’t sit up, stand up or walk without gasping and almost falling over from shooting pains.

Of course it was a Friday. I didn’t have a primary care physician and didn’t want to spend the money to go to a hospital or urgent care facility, so I stayed home from work, popped Tylenol and did the only thing I knew might help – stretch and foam roll.

It took a week to recover from the acute spasm, and I spent the next several years dealing with regular, chronic pain. Sometimes it was better, sometimes it was worse, but I didn’t have another severe spasm until 2013, then again in 2015.

I followed self-care regimens. Saw a chiropractor, took OTC medicine when necessary, used muscle salves and tried just about every foam roller and massage ball on the market. I kept exercising, worked on core strength, paid attention to my diet and tried to tack on a few stretches to the end of my workouts. But the truth was, I was in constant pain.

A New Commitment

It was after my spasm in 2015 that I said, “This isn’t working. I need to try something new.” My sister swore her yoga class helped her lower back pain, so I made a commitment: I’d do a 20-minute yoga class every day for 30 days and see how I felt.

Yoga is for everyone because it’s functional. It improves movement patterns, corrects muscle imbalances and alignment. It requires you to move through a full range of motion as you enhance dynamic flexibility. 

It was nothing fancy – just a $15 yoga DVD I’d had sent to me some months previously, but for 30 days, I stuck to the plan. I’d walk my dogs in the morning, then start the DVD.

It became my savior. I noticed I wasn’t hurting as much or as often. I’d spend hours without thinking about lower back pain at all. I could pick things up off the ground without worrying whether my back might give out. I started running again – something I’d given up for some time.

And I began to recognize my own negative movement patterns and correct them by going through simple yoga sequences.

After several months of daily yoga, I stopped following the same routine, but continued incorporating my own sequences into workouts, adding 15 or 20 minutes after a HIIT or strength training session.

Unlike traditional, static stretching, flowing yoga sequences seemed to target more muscle groups simultaneously, working to improve posture and core strength while enhancing flexibility through the hips, glutes, hamstrings and low back – all of my lower back pain trouble zones.

It’s been more than a year since my last spasm, and while I can’t claim the pain is completely gone, I haven’t felt this good in years. I credit yoga for giving me back my… well, back.

Yoga’s Benefits Are For Everyone

My experience taught me that yoga is for everyone, and that my own negative views of the practice, “It’s too easy, it won’t benefit me enough, I want a ’real’ workout” were ignorant, self-defeating and short-sighted.

Yoga’s not just for women, or just for people who like to meditate. It’s not just for the super bendy or for people who don’t like to work up a sweat. Though, if you love sweating, try out a hot yoga class.

Yoga is for everyone because it’s functional. It improves movement patterns, corrects muscle imbalances and alignment. It requires you to move through a full range of motion as you enhance dynamic flexibility. It encourages deep breathing which helps circulate oxygen and nutrients to your cells.

And yes, there’s a mindfulness component, but it doesn’t have to be in a “hippie dippie” sort of way. It can teach you to move thoughtfully, to connect your brain and your body so you develop better coordination and balance.

As if these benefits weren’t enough, science also indicates yoga:

· Decreases anxiety and offers promising results as a complementary treatment for depression
· Reduces pain and improves function in patients with arthritis
· Plays a complementary role in treating asthma to improve respiration
· Improves most risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes
· Enhances sleep quality, even in patients with insomnia

The Four-Pose Challenge

There are real, legitimate benefits to signing up for an in-person yoga class – namely, you have a trained instructor who walks you through each pose, offering corrections and teaching you how to breathe.

But I’ll be honest, I didn’t jump into in-person classes (at first) because I was worried I’d feel out of place. DVDs and streaming video services, like Black Swan Yoga TV, are great places to find quality instructors and a variety of class styles, lengths and focuses.

But if even that seems a bit out of your comfort zone, I’d encourage you to add these four very simple poses to your next routine.

I’m not going to claim they’re the “best” yoga poses, or the “most effective,” because those descriptors are different for every person and need, but they’re the four poses I turn to most frequently when I need lower back pain relief and a quick mental reset.

Relieve Your Lower Back Pain With These 4 Yoga Poses

Yoga Squat for Lower Back Pain

With your legs slightly wider than hip-distance apart, your weight in your heels, bring your hands to your chest in a prayer position. Press your hips back and bend your knees as you squat down as far as you can, until your glutes are just a few inches from the ground.

Press your elbows to the inside of your knees to keep them aligned with your toes. As you breathe slowly, sink your tailbone toward the floor and lift your chest to lengthen your spine.

Hold the squat for 15 to 20 seconds, stand, then repeat three or four times.

Cat-Cow for Lower Back Pain

On all fours – palms beneath shoulders, knees beneath hips – with your back flat, take a deep breath and look up, drawing your chest forward, hollowing out your low back and pressing your tailbone upward.

On your exhale, reverse the movement, lowering your head between your arms as you tuck your tailbone under and stretch your back up toward the ceiling like a cat.

Continue alternating between Cow and Cat Pose on each inhale and exhale for three to five cycles.

Downward Dog with Foot Pedal for Lower Back Pain

You can transition into Downward Dog from Cat-Cow. After taking a breath in and moving into Cow Pose (head and chest up, low back hollowed, tailbone reaching high), tuck your toes under.

On the exhale, press through your toes and lift your knees from the floor, pressing your hips high into the air as you extend your elbows and knees, dropping your head between your arms.

Your body should look like an inverted “V.” Press through your palms and the balls of your feet as you try to reach your heels toward the floor (they don’t have to touch). Allow your head to hang loose.

From this position, begin pedaling your knees, bending one knee as you straighten the other for a deeper calf stretch, then alternating legs. Continue pedaling your legs for three to five breaths.

Child’s Pose for Lower Back Pain

You can transition into Child’s Pose from Downward Dog by simply lowering your hips until your body reaches high plank position – body straight as you balance on your palms and the balls of your feet. From high plank, place your knees on the ground, spread wide, your feet touching.

Press your hips back until you are sitting on your heels, your arms on the ground in front of you. Reach your palms farther forward to lengthen your spine and feel a stretch through your shoulders as you allow your hips to become heavy, sinking further into your heels.

Breathe deeply and enjoy the pose. Stay here as long as you’d like.

The post Help Relieve Your Lower Back Pain With These 4 Yoga Poses appeared first on Onnit Academy.

After 30 years of consistent martial arts training and competing, I guess my body was asking for it.

I’ve always been flexible and never had problems with any of my joints, so I suppose I took my flexibility and mobility for granted.

In Tae Kwon Do and Kuk Sool, two martial arts that I trained extensively in, we did joint mobility.

But since I was young, I thought we were just going through the motions; I never realized how important joint mobility was.

Joint Mobility Worked for Dad

When I first moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago, I was living with my father. My father is a retired professional boxer with over 30 fights under his belt. As most of you know, road work (running) is an integral part of a fighters regimen.

So even in his mid 50’s, running was somewhat of a habit with my father. He would wake up at 5 AM every morning to do his 3-mile run. One day he asked me why his knees were hurting. I asked him if he warmed up.

He said no, so I told him the importance of warming up and gave him a few knee mobility exercises to do. He was amazed at how much it helped him. To this day he still runs and does his warm up/joint mobility.

Thirteen years after the previous story, I found myself in the same situation. I neglected joint mobility and stretching. My left elbow was always throbbing. It particularly hurt when I would do my one of my favorite kettlebell exercises, the high pull.

Needless to say, it was frustrating.

Then I had the pleasure of being invited to my friend John Wolf’s first Evolution Kettlebell Groundwork (EKG) workshop. In this workshop, he covered mobility exercises. That’s when I realized how important it was all over again.

I started working the exercises I learned from John and incorporated them into my warm ups. Low and behold, my elbow pain went away!

The Importance of Knee Mobility Exercises

When performing joint mobility exercises, our body produces a lubricant called synovial fluid. This fluid helps lubricate our joints and can even help regenerate certain parts of the body.

If done on a regular basis, it will help you move freely and pain-free. I do an extensive joint mobility warm up in all of my classes, and my students love it!

The beautiful thing about it is that you do not need a gym to do joint mobility, it can be done anywhere.

Top 5 Knee Mobility Exercises

Our knees are probably one of the most problematic parts of our bodies. Knee issues are one of the most common problems I encounter with my clients.

So, here are my top five joint mobility exercises that I use with my clients. Try them out for yourself, and you will reap the benefits!

Knee Mobility Exercise #1. The Ski Move

I named this exercise the “ski move,” because it resembles the movement used when people ski. It involves a side to side movement that is low impact and gets the knees moving.

Knee Mobility Exercise #2. Tootsie Roll

This movement resembles a dance from the 90’s and involves circling your knees inward. Naming exercises is important so your clients can remember them. I tend to add a bit of humor when I name exercises.

Knee Mobility Exercise #3. Butterfly

Similar to the Tootsie Roll, but involves and outward rotation of the knees. I recommend doing each one for 30 seconds.

Knee Mobility Exercise #4. Egg Beaters

This is an exercise swimmers use to tread water. But, in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we perform the same movement while lying on our backs. It involves making circular motions while lying on your back with your feet raised.

Knee Mobility Exercise #5. Rocking Chair

I remember when I first did this exercise. It hurt my knees. This told me I needed to work on my knee mobility. Since it hurt, my coach showed me an alternative way.

If you try this exercise and you feel pain in your knee, place your hand on the floor of the same side you roll up on. This will take pressure off. After a while, you should be able to perform the rocking chair with ease and with no hands.

To see these exercises in action, check out my video that goes along with this article. In the meantime, do not neglect your joint mobility! Practicing joint mobility on a regular basis can ensure healthy, pain-free movement!

The post Joint Mobility Training: Top 5 Knee Mobility Exercises appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Saddened because so much of what is proliferated in our industry is still reliant on fad gadgets and miracle potions…consumers are still looking for the quick fix that will instantly cure all their fitness woes.

Excited because there are companies that are gaining popularity and educating those that are willing to listen to what really works…both old and new approaches to gain strength that require effort and dedication.

Though each of us has developed our own preferred tools and have become proficient in their use, I always reflect on the old saying: “if all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail.”

I know that depending on what timeframe I refer to in my past, I have used primarily barbells, kettlebells, steel clubs, or bodyweight workouts as my go-to tools.

These days, instead of referring to individual implements, I think of different movement patterns as my tools. With this being the case, my tool kit has shrunk and expanded at the same time.

I can effectively use any piece of equipment with a movement pattern and get similar, but different, results.

By changing my perspective, I effectively transformed my hammer into a multi-tool that can easily fill the needs of my own training while enhancing the training I offer to my wide range of clients at the same time.

Avoid Back & Knee Injuries with the Shinbox Exercise

In this article, I will be sharing one of my favorite movement patterns; it is based on an position called the Shinbox, a primary component of the work in my Evolution Kettlebell Groundwork program.

The great thing about the Shinbox is that it simultaneously requires internal rotation on one hip while the opposite hip is externally rotated.

Simply getting into this position will usually provide some interesting feedback regarding the balance of your hips in rotation. One side will invariably be tighter and higher than the other, an interesting phenomenon that can easily be attributed to side dominance, performance in unilateral sports, or lack of rotational hip movements in any way.

Now that we have an easy way to assess rotation at the hips with the Shinbox, it is important to realize what value healthy hip rotation provides. Did you know that a lack of hip rotation is a huge contributing factor for lower back injury?

Having shortened or weak hip rotators contributes to abnormal lumbopelvic posture which translates into potentially destructive excess motion in the lumbar spine. Do you or any of your clients experience knee pain?

Very often, knee pain, and knee tracking issues are the result of a lack of hip rotational mobility and strength.

By addressing hip function, particularly hip rotation, we contribute to healthier lower backs and knees. Sounds good to me! Let’s get into the drills!

Open Chain Mobility Drill | Hacky Sack

This drill is a great starting place for anyone looking to increase their rotational hip mobility. You start by standing on one foot with the opposite leg fully extended and foot hovering just off of the ground.

Initiate the movement by bringing the inside of the ankle up towards your midline. Extend the leg fully and then mirror that movement to the outside.

Use an assist if single leg balance is an issue and gradually reduce assistance until you can perform the drill with confidence while minimizing any superfluous movement.

Closed Chain Mobility Drill | Windshield Wiper

The Windshield Wiper is a great way to see how honest you were in performing your Hacky Sack drill. If you were using momentum to get a little more rotation or were haphazardly swinging your leg around, the Windshield Wiper will let you know. Sit down with your knees to your chest and feet shoulder width apart.

Place your hands behind you for support and keep your feet firmly planted on the floor as you allow both knees to drift off to the left. Only go as far as you can keep your hips down and feet in contact with the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat to the opposite side.

Strength Drills | Shinbox Switch to Hip Extension

Bodyweight Shinbox Switch to Hip Extension – The Shinbox position is found by allowing both knees to drift all the way to one side while sitting up tall. Ideally, both hips will be in contact with the ground and you will maintain a vertical spine avoiding arching to any side.

From this position, you will extend your hips by tucking them under and driving them forward while keeping your shoulders over your hips and avoid arching. Sit back into the Shinbox and do a Windshield Wiper to switch sides.

Racked Shinbox Switch to Hip Extension

This drill is identical to the bodyweight version, but includes holding two relatively light kettlebells in the rack position.

Ideally, you will keep the elbows married to the ribs throughout the drill. At hip extension, it is extremely important to avoid any arching of the lower back.

Flexibility Drill (External Rotation) | Sleeping Pigeon

From the Shinbox position, extend the rear leg while maintaining contact with the floor on the inside of the knee and instep of the foot. Place your hands on the floor for support as you point your toes on the extended leg and turn that hip over.

At this point, you should find that you are ìon your lacesî which means that the top of your foot should be laying flat on the ground. Reach forward with both hands and take your forehead towards the ground tucking chin to chest.

Flexibility Drill (Internal Rotation) | Cossack Squat

The beginning position for this drill is a deep flat foot squat; the lower the better, as long as it does not prove injurious to your knees. While in the deep squat, shift as much weight as possible to your left foot.

Now that your right foot is not load bearing, the next step is to allow your right knee to drift inward and down towards the floor. Be careful not to force your knee further than you can control.

If you can get the knee to rest on the ground, your next goal will be to attempt to sit tall and gradually introduce more weight into the rotated hip.

Because these drills are so far outside the realm of what most strength training explores, start slow and be consistent in your training. Your hip range of motion, strength, and flexibility will increase by leaps and bounds!

The post Top 6 Exercises for Avoiding Back & Knee Injuries appeared first on Onnit Academy.

In my gym, I have a lot of fighters training, as well as a lot of regular folks, people who work at a desk for hours at a time. Some of the office folk even train to fight.

No matter how much you wrap the wrist and hand, either with boxing wraps for hitting or wrist straps for lifting, nothing is as good as actually developing flexible strength in the joints themselves.

It is possible to build the structure of the hand and wrist to withstand better the trauma of repetitively being slammed into targets or hoisting heavy weights.

But before I explain them, I will insist that you put your ego aside and work these in a slow progressive manner. Otherwise, the injury of risk from simply performing the exercises may outweigh the benefits.

Please note that these are all to be practiced without wraps or other artificial support.

Warming Up to Avoid Wrist Pain

Hold your hand out with your fingers splayed. Now, starting with the thumb, and only the thumb, make several circles in each direction. No other finger should move. Easy enough?

Good, now do this with each finger in turn: index, middle, ring, pinky, ring, middle, index, thumb. Do your best to have only the working finger move; all the others remain still.

It’ll take time to master this, but even after a single set on each hand, you’ll feel the hand and wrist is stimulated and invigorated.

Stretching to Avoid Wrist Pain

These were taught to me by instructors in Japanese Ju Jitsu and Aiki Jitsu, two arts that specialize in the destruction of wrists, yet conversely, the practitioners develop some of the most elastic wrists I’ve come across.

These stretches and the following Push Up variations are the reason.

There are five stretches in total; each will stress the forearm muscles in different directions. No stretch is to be held; they are all to be performed in a dynamic, yet controlled manner.

Move the joints smoothly through their entire range of motion, stretching and releasing the muscles as you go.

Just this information alone will go a long way towards protecting the hands, but we’re far from done. We will now add some strength. First of all, I’m a huge advocate of working the heavy bag with no or minimal protection at least some of the time.

Obviously, if you’re not used to punching the bag, get some instruction first, and then start easy (no, even easier than that!). A safer option for most people is to get down on the floor and work on the following Push Up variations.

As we’re going to be loading the wrist in unfamiliar planes, I can’t stress enough that you must develop these slowly and with great care.

Start on your knees with the minimal amount of weight placed onto the hands, and gradually add more load until the exercise can be done for repetitions in a full plank style Push Up.

Push Up Wrist Pain Variation # 1:  Finger Pulses

Place the fingertips on the floor and gently pulse into them, feel the finger flexors load up and stretch and immediately release. Pulse in and out carefully and smoothly for reps.

Push Up Wrist Pain Variation #2: Palm Pulses

Place the hands flat on the floor as if you’re going to perform a regular Push Up. Now, while keeping the base of the knuckles on the floor, raise the palms up. Try to press yourself up; it’s like a calf raise for your forearms!

Smoothly work these for reps and enjoy the forearm pump.

Push Up Wrist Pain Variation #3: Wrist rolling

On your knuckles, roll forwards over the forefinger knuckle to try and touch the thumb knuckle to the floor, your elbows will be locked out straight here.

Now reverse, rolling back over the fist and the pinky knuckle, trying to get the bottom of the fist (hammer fist) to touch the floor. As you do this, the elbow will bend loading the triceps, but not so much that the stretch is lost in the wrist.

As you get stronger, move the knees further and further back until you can perform these on the toes.

Push Up Wrist Pain Variation #4: Back of Hand

There is a multitude of variations of this drill, but we’ll focus on the most essential and only showcase the more advanced versions in a separate video clip. Place the backs of the hands on the floor with the fingers pointing in towards each other.

Only place as much weight on the wrist to cause a mild discomfort (we don’t want pain).

With this one, work it to a full plank style Push Up, then start over with the fingers pointing straight back. Whichever of the two variations, try to keep the elbows rotated forwards so that as you lower into the Push Up the elbows stay in close to the body rather than flaring out wide.

Push Up Wrist Pain Variation #5: Fingertips

Simply get into a Push-Up position with the weight distributed in the fingers rather than on the palms. Imagine you are trying to hold a ball in the palm of your hand to further tension the finger flexors and prevent damage to the finger joints.

Once you’ve learned and developed some basic skills with these Push Up variations, you can get through them in just a few minutes.

I recommend people use the stretches and finger circles outside of the gym, integrating them into their lives, or just a selection of them as you warm up to train; you don’t need to do all the stretches every time.

From there use the Push Ups towards the end of your warm up before you lift. Perform 15 to 20 reps of each drill, 1 set of each in the order listed will take no more than a few minutes.

If you do these every warm up, you’ll very soon find the hands and wrists feel stronger and safer than ever before, which means you’ll be able to put more force through them, which in turn means better training.

If you want to spend more time on this often ignored region, here’s a bonus video clip from a few years ago covering a good selection of simple mobility drills that you can add into your day.

Now, take these drills and play with them, I’d be delighted to hear how you get on and how these exercises help you out.

The post Avoid Hand and Push Up Wrist Pain with These 5 Variations appeared first on Onnit Academy.

These movements are great for alleviating any knee pain due to a torn meniscus or ligament, jumper’s knee, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, or other common knee ailment.

With the use of resistance bands, perform these knee strengthening exercises to improve the strength of the specific muscles of the knee.

Please note that if you are coming off of an injury, they should only be performed if they do not cause or increase pain.

Begin with these basic resistance band knee strengthening exercises. Once these become too easy, you can increase the resistance band tension.

5 Resistance Band Knee Exercises for Knee Pain

Resistance Band Knee Exercise #1: Terminal Knee Extension

The Terminal Knee Extension (TKE) exercise moves the knee through the end stage of the range of motion, or from a partially bent position as opposed to fully bent. Fix a band to a stationary object and the other end around the back of your knee.

From there you step backwards creating tension in the band and letting your knee translate forward. Now, flex your quad hard and drive your heel downward, straightening your leg.

Resistance Band Knee Exercise #2: Stork Stance TKE

Terminal knee extension exercises strengthen the quadriceps muscles in your thighs as well as your shin muscles. The Stork Stance TKE variation exemplifies this even more so than the standard TKE.

Set up exactly how you would for the standard TKE, but this time you will perform the exercise with 1 foot off the ground.

Resistance Band Knee Exercise #3: Lying Knee Extension

The Lying Knee Extension is the first of three ground-based resistance band movements in this series. Begin this exercise lying on your back with a resistance band wrapped around your ankle with your knee to your chest.

Slowly extend your knee, until your leg is fully extended, then return to the start. It should mimic the movement of a hamstring curl.

Resistance Band Knee Exercise #4: Lying Hip Extension

Weak glutes and tight hip flexors cause your pelvis to tilt forward, which may further knee pain. The Lying Hip Extension is an excellent resistance band exercise for increasing the range of motion in the hip flexors, which will reduce knee pain.

Begin this exercise lying on your back with a resistance band wrapped around your ankle with your knee to your chest. Slowly extend your knee until your leg is fully extended, then return to the start.

This is very similar to the lying knee extension, but you are pressing your leg out, not up.

Resistance Band Knee Exercise #5: Lying Glute Extension

The Lying Glute Extension is our primary glute stretch of this resistance band series. Tight glutes can cause tight hamstrings, which can pull against the quads causing knee pain. Begin, by lying faceup on the floor with your left leg bent.

Using a resistance band, pull your left leg as far over your right as your range of motion will allow.

The post 5 Resistance Band Knee Exercises for Knee Pain appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The following simple hip strength mobility workout can be performed before a workout or during an off day. You will be performing 12 repetitions of the Forward Leg Swing followed by 12 repetitions of the Lateral Leg Lift.

After performing these two you will be performing Leg Circles, 8 in each direction forward followed by 8 in each direction to the side.

Perform all four drills on one leg before repeating on the other side to complete one round of the circuit. Perform the series from 3-5 rounds to feel the burn.

A1: Forward Leg Swing 3-5 rounds x 12 reps (each leg)
A2: Lateral Leg Lift 3-5 rounds x 12 reps (each leg)
A3: Forward Leg Circles 3-5 rounds x 8 reps (each leg)
A4: Lateral Leg Circles 3-5 rounds x 8 reps (each leg)

Top 4 Hip Exercises to Increase Hip Strength & Alleviate Back Pain

I have found that to be true in many areas of life. Simple things like eating well consistently, consistently staying in touch with loved ones, and getting enough sleep can all become difficult to accomplish at one time or another.

It seems like adding that simple word, “consistently” to anything can all of a sudden make a simple task very challenging.

One of the greatest detriments towards one’s strength goals is a lack of hip mobility. The number one cause of this lack of hip mobility is sitting. Sitting at work all day, sitting on the couch in front of the television, sitting at dinner, sitting in traffic on your work commute.

Most of your every day life is spent sitting. This causes lack of hip function and mobility, which in turn can contribute to lower back pain. This reality often results in a lack of desired strength gains, or a lack of realization of your current potential strength.

The most effective way to get your clients to perform hip mobility moves is to explain the effect a poor range of motion has on performance.

The commitment to being a better mover with a focus on functional hip mobility and hip strength, rather than on simply performing movements with more weight or more reps is another one of those simple sounding, yet profoundly challenging, tasks.

While it is very hard to quantify movement quality, it is often too easy to measure improvement in reps or pounds. At times, it’s just gratifying; who doesn’t like the feeling of setting a new personal record?

What I have found in my previous years of chasing bigger numbers in reps or pounds, without regard for movement quality, is that you will eventually sacrifice that which you are not aspiring towards. In a simpler way, you will lose those things that are not within your line of sight.

If you only wish to increase the number of reps you can perform of a certain push up, then at some point in time you will likely be sacrificing technique to get those reps.

If you want to move bigger weight, and that is your only measure of success, then you will likely do so, but create a structure that is hyper rigid and lacks the ability to move freely.

In short, you do not have to sacrifice your hip mobility in the pursuit of hip strength. In fact, quite the opposite is actually true: if you wish to realize your greatest strength potential, you need to find a balance between these two seemingly opposing goals: hip strength and hip mobility.

I am not recommending that you spend countless hours working towards achieving difficult postures or mobility sequences. Sometimes keeping it simple is best observed if we want to get results without overwhelming ourselves.

The 4 hip exercises in the hip strength mobility workout provided in this article, that is our goal: to keep it simple, increase hip strength, and alleviate back pain.

There are only four hip exercises to perform which require no equipment and very little space. All you might want to have in order to perform the hip exercises is a wall or a stable prop that will allow you to make small postural corrections while performing these drills as you will be doing so on a single leg.

Though the following hip mobility exercises  may be easy to perform, my goal is to make sure that you find them both challenging and rewarding. I would like you to perform the drills in the sequence and rep scheme provided while paying very close attention to the cues.

You should find that by limiting the amount of accessory movements, you will greatly enhance each drill in creating dynamic stability.

In addition, if you are able to effectively create the intended motion using these hip exercises, while also stabilizing the rest of your body, you will help yourself develop a high level of kinesthetic awareness and coordinated strength.

By training in this manner you will also develop the ability to better refine your positioning in various hip strength skills, thereby improving the likelihood of your ability to perform them successfully.

Hip Exercise #1: Forward Leg Swing

The first drill is a forward leg swing. I would say that most of you would classify this drill as pretty simple and easy. GREAT! Now as you perform the drill, focus on driving your base foot heel into the ground and lifting your crown as high as possible to stand tall.

Neutralize you pelvic position to make sure you are not arching your back as you bring your heel close to your butt on the backswing.

Keep your toes pointing either forward or back to avoid opening the hip into external rotation and swing away while maintaining your tall structure and keeping your naval firmly fixed forward. You will be performing 12 repetitions as part of the hip strength mobility workout.

Hip Exercise #2: Standing Lateral Lift

The next drill is just as simple but might not be as easy since most people find that their hips are restricted in this range of motion. For this drill you will be doing a standing lateral leg swing, but since I would like to avoid using too much momentum as part of the drill, we will call it a lift rather than swing.

While maintaining the same posture we defined in the first drill, you will lift your leg directly out to the side while prioritizing the ankle projecting upward.

Actively pull the foot back towards you, trying to create a flat horizontal edge with the lifted foot and press hard into the heel of the supporting foot. Do not forget to stay tall and minimize any unnecessary movement!

The rest of your body is to remain as still as can be with the naval still fixed forward while minimizing any spinal flexion to relieve the hip of its duties. Perform 12 repetitions.

Now it is time to take it up a notch. While maintaining all of the postural cues in the previous drills, the following two drills will challenge your ability to remain stable while being challenged in multiple planes of motion.

Though these drills are not harder to grasp, they should prove to be more engaging than the previous drills.

Hip Exercise #3: Forward Leg Circles

First, you will extend your leg forward driving your heel away from you while pulling the top of the foot back towards you. The goal is to envision here is to touch the wall across from you with the heel, but not the toes.

This will be the top position of the drill. From this position you will draw a circle in front of you at approximately shoulder width while resisting any urge to rotate the hips or torso. Perform 8 repetitions in each direction as part of the hip strength mobility workout.

Hip Exercise #4: Lateral Leg Circles

The last drill of the series will take the circle we just performed to the side. Perform the lateral lift and hold the top position. This will be the top position of this lateral circle.

The motion should also be approximately shoulder width from front to back and terminate with both ankles coming close to touching. Perform 8 repetitions in each direction as part of the hip strength mobility workout.

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