Friday 4.8.16
Crossfit Toys 101 Series
Mobility Fun
So far, the majority of toys we’ve talked about are things to use during your workout. So let’s change gears and talk about mobility tools. I mentioned in the Essentials post that a lacrosse ball is a gym bag necessity. So what are some other fun mobility tools to have in your arsenal? Here are some common items:
Voodoo Floss Bands – Many of you have probably seen someone at the gym wrapping their knee, elbow or wrist with a stretchy black band. This is a voodoo floss band. Most people will use the bands around joints that have pain. When the band is wrapped tightly around your joint, and you go through full range of motion about the joint, it helps break up all the intramuscular gunk that has built up. Then when you release the band (after about 2 minutes), a rush of new blood floods through the muscles around the joint, bringing nutrients to those muscles. It makes your joints feel AMAZING! Seriously, I was a skeptic before I tried it out. Not sure if the bands are for you or not? Test it out at the gym! Make sure you ask a coach to help you wrap for the first time. Kelly Starrett from MobilityWOD also has many videos on how to use these bands. You can purchase the bands from Rogue Fitness or Amazon.
Peanut – Remember how I said the lacrosse ball is essential? Well it’s versatile too! Buy 2 more lacrosse balls and you can use athletic tape (that’s also in your gym bag *wink wink*) to tape the 2 balls to form a peanut. If you don’t want to spend the time taping 2 lacrosse balls together, you can also purchase fancy pre-made peanuts at a much higher price. The peanut is a fantastic tool to improve thoracic spine extension. Do you have tight shoulders? Working on your thoracic spine will definitely help with shoulder mobility. The peanut can also be used on your lats, hamstrings, calves, forearms, etc.
Foam Roller – By now, you have had some experience with using the foam rollers at the gym. These are a great tool to loosen up your muscles when you’re feeling tight or sore. The advantage of having your own foam roller is you can use it in the comfort of your own home. Might as well use it while you’re watching TV! There are also a variety of different types of foam rollers out on the market. Some are smooth, some have gridlines for added pressure points, and some are rugged for more intense pressure. The type is based on personal preference, so just pick one you like best!
PVC Pipe – Not a tool that usually pops into mind, but still very useful. There are a lot of advantages to owning your own PVC pipe, plus it’s so cheap. I will often grab my PVC pipe to do some pass throughs or good mornings when I’m roaming around the house. You can use it across the doorway to open up your shoulders. Plus, you can also practice those lovely overhead squats at home too!
Resistance Bands – Another common item you’ll find at the gym, but it’s nice to have one of these in your own home too! You can use it to do all the stretches we do at the gym. When I use the band at home, I usually strap it to a bed post or a doorway pull up bar depending on what I’m stretching. These can be purchased from almost anywhere (Amazon, Rogue Fitness, Again Faster, Academy, etc.).
Supple Leopard – This is a book written by Kelly Starrett, mastermind of MobilityWOD. Most of the mobility exercises we do at the gym were adapted or came from the mind of Kelly Starrett. There are currently 2 versions of the book out, and both are great. I highly recommend purchasing a copy of this book. It has a great breakdown of all the movements we perform and a huge collection of mobility exercises for all areas of the body.
So, if you’re looking to improve your mobility game, those are some items to consider adding to your collection of goodies. Remember, mobility is extremely important in our sport! It never hurts to spend some extra time on mobility.
FOUNDATIONS
A. 21-15-9
DB thrusters
ring rows
B. 3 sets NFT:
20 anchored situps
20 reverse snow angels
GPP
A. 21-15-9
DB thrusters (55/35#)
strict L-sit pull ups
B. 3 rounds NFT:
20 anchored situps
20 reverse snow angels
COMPETITION EXTRA
A. EMOM for 21 min:
min 1-6: muscle snatch 1-1-1
min 7-13: power snatch 1-1
min 14-21: snatch 1 rep
B. Complete for quality:
jog 800m before starting, then,
8x200m sprints
rest 2 minutes between sets
then,
jog 1 mile between sets