This has been the theme song to my life this past week, and I am going stir crazy!  But, I am trying to listen to my body and my doctor and not rush back into lifting.

I found some solace today in a challenging but doable workout that addressed some of the areas I am working on correcting.

This is what it looked like:

Foam Rolling:  Yes, I like the foam roller.  I do not live and die by it, but it makes me feel better so I use it briefly before workouts to open my chest up and actively release a few areas.  So to all of the anti foam roller people out there, I have read all of your material and extensively researched and consulted with every professional you can imagine on it.  The bottom line, if it makes you feel better, then do it.  If not, don’t.

Hip Flexor Stretch with a Chop:  I’ve been sitting a lot the past week, so my hip flexors are on the tight side.  I did 2 sets of 30sec holds on each side focusing on maintaining an anterior tilt in my pelvis and squeezing my glutes.

Tall Kneeling Hip Hinges:  I use this exercise to activate my glutes and prep for heavy lifting.  Play a ball between your feet and squeeze it, that will get the glutes feeling great.  Focus on hinging from the hips and feeling your glutes control the motion.  15-20 reps

Tall Kneeling Hip Hinge and Free Fall:  Same exercise as above, but once you hinge to about 15-20 degrees, let your body curl towards the floor.  Just before you feel like falling forward, leverage those glutes and curl back up.  This one really gets the glutes working!  10 reps total

Upside Down Lunges:  These are all about time under tension for the legs.  I use these a lot when teaching proper lunge form, sometimes it’s much easier to start from the bottom then the top. Find a solid starting position, 90 degree angles are your friend.  Tuck the pelvis under to engage the core and glutes.  Take a breath out and lift yourself up 2-3 inches off the pad.  2 sets 12 reps each side

Side Lying Shoulder Stability:  This exercise was prescribed for me via Josh Lewis, an awesome trainer I have had the privilege of learning from the past few months!  Start from the fetal position, making sure your neck is lined up with the rest of your body.  Reach your arm for the ceiling positioning the kettlebell properly.  You can either just hold this position or slowly rotate from the shoulder joint.  I spend about 1 min on each side, 2 sets.

Kettlebell Floor Press/ 1/2 Kneeling Cable Pull:  I alternated between these two exercises.  Make sure your lower back is on the floor for the Press and focus on your posture with the pull.  3 sets, 10 reps from each.

Clam Shells:  The perfect finisher for my workout!  These will work internal/external hip rotation, plus the glutes will wake up.  Try 15-20 reps from each position!

Just a little workout focusing on big things for me such as scapular stability, glute activation, push/pull patterns and hip stability!

-S