2 Things You Need To Have Included In Your Training...

This lesson comes straight from my training session today - but these are elements i always try to include in my training, with my personal training clients and in bootcamps and classes.

My session today consisted of quite a few different rowing or pulling movements. This was the heavy emphasis today.

The lighter and higher repetition moves were focused around hip activation/ hip extention and getting the glutes (buttocks) to work hard and appropriately with the hamstrings and the lower back.

These are the very 2 things i'm refering to in the title!

Rowing or pulling both horizontally and vertically are basic patterns of movement that can go a long way to balancing out any pressing movements you are doing and maintaining shoulder health.

It's also a movement that helps counteract the dominant posture in a lot of people - rounded shoulders - often from sitting at a desk or driving for too long.

Are you a Hippie??

You need to train your hips and buttocks to be doing their fair share of the work. They have a huge roll to play in athletic movements and sparing knees and backs from taking too much of the load.

Once again, with so much of modern life sitting down, certain muscle groups and movement patterns become far less than optimal when moving or training.

How can you include these aspects in your activity?

For the Rowing;
Pull ups and Chin ups
Horizontal rowing from a bar
Pulling a band or cable
Weights for bent over rows
(Upright rows place the shoulder in a position of weakness and are not worth the risk for most people)
Partner rows with a connecting object like a belt or rope

For the Hip movements;
Squats
Lunges
Hip extentions on back
Hip extentions - feet on a swiss ball
Kettlebell swings
Deadlifts
1 leg deadlifts

These are some examples of how you can include these elements. As always, but especially with the hip movements, these need to be done correctly or you could be reinforcing the opposite of what you want to have happen. For example - you think you are moving at the hip, but your lower back or your knee is instead.

Be an Everyday Athlete!

Steve

www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk
www.everydayathletes.co.uk