Alright friends, let’s talk mobility work for a hot min.
How many of you, honestly, skip out on mobility work, warm-up/cool-down, stretching and foam-rolling? Hmm?
Yes, I know A LOT of people do.
It adds at least 5-10 minutes to your workout and if you are anything like me, you just want to go in, kill it and leave. I totally get it.
I think that a lot of people know that stretching and warming-up is important, but they may not know just how important. It just seems like that lame part of your workout that you promise you’ll do later but never do. There is nothing glamorous about it.
But ohhhhh how important it is.
You see, nobody really takes into account the possibility of injury. Nobody wants to get injured but sadly, injuries are one of those things you never really take seriously until the damage is already done.
I know for a lot of you athletes or even just competitive people by nature, you pride yourself on pushing through the pain. You don’t mind the soreness and the aches, as that is just a constant state of being that you live in. So for you, this concept of injury takes even longer to register. You are essentially invincible. That is, until muscle spasms, major hip issues, back pain, ACL tears, and the like, come knocking at your front door. Don’t even get me started on the recovery and rest portion. You want to jump right back in the ring almost as soon it all happens.
I understand this all too well.
But when we look back at our actions before we got knocked three steps back, could those things have been prevented with a little bit more self care? I think so.
Let’s paint a picture here.
Think back on that pickle jar you can’t seem to open to save your life. It isn’t budging no matter how much force you put on it. You’re trying with all your might, sweatin’ bullets, and you’re getting just about nowhere. Then, without warning, with no real control over it on your part, it explodes open. You drop the glass jar, shattering it all over the floor and all its contents are now everywhere.
*inserts ridiculous amounts of swear words
That, my friends, was your ACL. Or rotator cuff, or hamstring, or… you see where I’m going with this?
Now let’s look at the alternative.
You go to try the jar. It’s not budging. Ok. Instead, you run it under some hot water for a bit and give it time to expand. You try it again and it’s not quite there. You run it under for just a bit longer and try one more time and it opens with the ease of a knife through room temp butter. It’s on now! You’ve got you those pickles you’ve been craving all day! You can make sandwiches or maybe even try to make a healthy version of those mouth watering fried pickles you get from some restaurants…..
Sorry, slightly off track there, haha.
That right there, is your body performing optimally. You’ve taken that extra time to get it warmed up, taken it slowly through its full range of motion, and allowed it to prepare for the stresses of what is to come.
Now, you will most likely experience one of the best lifts you’ve had in awhile.
All because you are working WITH, and not against, your body.
I want you to remember that pickle jar next time you hit the gym and skip out on your mobility work. Seriously you guys, we want to get the most out of our health and fitness and assure that all this work is reaping some sort of benefit. That means, we have to do the most to get the most.
Take care of yourself on all fronts, ok?
Now don’t think I wasn’t going to leave you without a workout! This one is going to be for shoulders and triceps! I am throwing it all the way back to one of my very first youtube videos for this tutorial. Look how little I was! Check it out below!
Shoulder/Tricep Workout
Warm-up/Mobility Work
- Banded Front Raises 2×25
- Banded Lateral Raises 2×25
Add in more like: Shoulder stretches, arm circles, range of motion drills with a wooden stick, etc.
Workout
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3×8-10
- Lateral Raises 3-10-12
- Superset
- Bent Lateral Raises 3×10-12
- Posterior Delt Flies on Machine 3×10-12
- Overhead Tricep Extension w/ barbell 3×8-10
- Cable Rope OH Tricep Extension 3×10-12
- Superset
- Lateral Raises 3×8-10
- Front Raises 3×10-12
- Tricep Rope Pulldown 3×8-10
- Single-Arm Lateral Isolation Raises for a burnout
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Liked this workout? Go check out more on my Youtube playlist entitled Train Like Me for more ideas for your next session! SHARE with your friends as well!