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PArt 1.5

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Additions and/or replacements

Preperatory - General/specific warm-up

Objective

1.  Neck/Face/Jaw relaxation

2.  Spine awareness (and the stabilizing deep core)

3.  Use breathing to connect the two above (take note of your normal breathing rhythm, to notice when it's disrupted by a movement. If you can notice this, then focus on/work through that movement more intentionally until it no longer disrupts your breathing).

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Try to maintain a level of consistency across all of the things you choose to do- if you find these new additions (or any of the previous/your own) helpful for body position/postural sensations, try your best to keep these sensations in all of the other things you do throughout the day. To create change, the majority of your time/actions requires consistency- otherwise, we are left to play the role of a 'band-aid', serving to remedy session to session. No matter how small of an adjustment it is that you make, if it can become consistent, it can create change. For instance, if you can go through a whole series of warm-up movements with a relaxed head, but as soon as you go to back squat, the tension returns... that is the place I would turn my focus to create change. 

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Also of note and in relation, the 'torso structure/frame' (below), I hope it to be interpreted as a malleable structure- stability has the ability to move/adjust as needed/wanted. A structure that can't move/adjust because it is bound by rigidity is at risk. (Start small and comfortable, and concentrically expand from there).

Torso frame using a Push-Pull

Connecting the legs into the torso and the torso into the legs, for clear lines of communication. Take note of areas that block or interfere with this, can you make subtle shifts to clarify? Looking for the pressure of arms and legs to match pressure and 'cancel each other out' to lock-off the position - the torso will hopefully tire out before arms and legs. Gradually increase self made resistance and endurance as things start to clarify.

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Video Sequence:

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Supine:

-  Push

-  Pull

-  Push + Pull

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Seated:

-  Push

-  Pull

-  Push + Pull

Spine Support/Stability

This is to build familiarity with 'where' the spine is/how it feels. The big goal here is being able to relax into the roller and not feel like you have to hold everything together to maintain balance- rather it should eventually feel as steady as laying on the floor. The sequence of focus I use is - stillness -> gaining movement ability -> refining stillness.

(Use arm support as you need to assist- arms wide, elbows, and then arms crossed is my typical progression).

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Video Sequence:

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Start:

-  Stillness/Small Movements/Hip Rotation

-  Tilt-Tuck

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Arm Movement:

-  Press (single/both, scapula retraction)

 

Leg Movement:

-  Extension

-  March

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End Goal:

-  Narrow Midline

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General Prep/Warm-Up

Objective

Self-Assessment

A time to check in on the body- take an inventory of how everything feels. Even loosely tracking your general condition can be helpful in figuring out the cause and effect relationship of exercise selection. If something feels amiss, make sure to assess and address it. The goal of the warm-up/prep exercises is to make the body feel at the very least, one notch better than it started- not by chance but because you actively worked through it to elicit those changes. If this concept is newer, I would suggest at the very start, choosing the number that represents how you feel on a scale (1-10 for instance), as you go through each section below, take a moment to determine what number you feel again- look for trends and follow the one that improves how you feel, even if it's just barely. This will help with future exercise selection and making it more efficient. 

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Initial Considerations - Stability from the ground, up & From the Inside, Out

1    Foot Movement/Sensation  (clip 1)

 

2    Heel-Forefoot Weight-Shift  (clip 2)

 

3    Backwards Walking, (several minutes/no clip) 

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4    Feel free to add in whatever you find or keep the 90-90s/ham curls/etc

General Prep
1 Scapular Movement

PARTS

 

Scapula basics.

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Video Sequence:

-  Retraction-Protraction

-  Elevation-Depression