Appendix A: Exercise Descriptions

Mobility – Hip

  1. Prone Hurdlers – Lie on ground facing down, start with legs straight, arms straight/perpendicular to body with palms flat. Bend knee with foot tucked in close to body and try to bring knee as close to same side hand without turning hips away from the ground. Keep foot, knee, and hip all in the same flat, horizontal plane just above the ground. Pause for a moment, then return to starting position. Perform all reps on one side, then the other.
  2. Standing Figure 4 Stretch – Stand in front of high box or table (about waist height), both legs straight, hips square to top of box/table, toes pointing straight ahead. Bend one leg at the knee, place on top of table in the Figure 4 position (knee directly in front of same side hip, shin crossing the midline of body, and foot place to the outside of opposite hip). Flex knee of leg positioned on the ground to get a deeper stretch, keep chest up tall, hips square.
  3. Hip Flexor Stretch – Start kneeling on ground on a pad/mat in front of a 12-18” box or chair. Place one foot on box behind you (both knees still on ground), keeping chest up, squeeze glutes. Perform stretch on both sides.
  4. Hamstring Stretch – Start with feet hip width apart, toes straight ahead, with rolled up towel placed between knees. Keeping a flat back, shoulders back (think RDL) reach down with straight arms towards toes, squeezing towel roll between legs. Hold for given stretch time.
  5. Windshield Wipers – Lie on back with knees up at 90°. Place both fists between knees to act as a hinge while you perform stretch. Press knees into fists while rotating feet out to the sides, keeping knees at 90°, until you feel a stretch in hips. Hold for given stretch time.
  6. Supine Hip Internal Rotation – Lie on PB, couch, box, or chair so that mid-low back is supported. Keep knees together and place feet outside of knees (hip to shoulder width apart – think windshield wiper stretch above). Now push knees forward, keeping feet planted, and slide off box, ball, couch so that upper back is supported, until you feel deep stretch in hips. Hold for give stretch time.
  7. Deep Squat Progression : On Box – find box, stool, bench w/ a height that allows you to sit with thighs parallel to ground, or even lower. Sit on box with feet wide than shoulder width apart, toes angled slight outward. Keep chest up and push knees out for given stretch time.
  8. Deep Squat Progression: Holding Onto Rack – Stand arms-length distance apart from rack, door knob, etc and hold on with both hands. Sit into deep squat position with feet wider than shoulder width apart, toes angled slight outward. Keep chest up and try to use rack for least assistance as possible to stay in proper squat position. Hold for given stretch time period
  9. Deep Squat Progression: Free Squat Stretch – With feet wider than shoulder width apart, toes angled slightly outward, sink into deep squat position (at parallel or deeper), keeping chest up, and push knees out with elbows. Hold for given stretch time period.
  10. Deep Squat Progression: Squat w/ Arm Reach – With feet wider than shoulder width apart, toes angled slightly outward, sink into deep squat position, keeping chest up, and place hands on 6” box, MB, or basketball. Keep one hand on box/ball while reaching up with other arm at 45° overhead. Then reach with other arm, so both arms are raised 45° overhead, elbows locked out. Hold in OH squat position, pulling both arms back, keeping chest up, then stand up. Repeat for required number of reps.

Mobility – Upper Body (UB)

  1. Floor Slides – Lie down, face up, with knees bent and feet flat on ground. Place arms at 90°, elbows even with shoulders, and press lower back flat against the ground. Slide arms up overhead, keeping all points of contact with the ground at wrist, elbow, shoulder, and low back. Pause at the end of your range of motion, focusing on pressing everything flat to ground, and return to start position.
  2. Lat Stretch – Stand in front of rack, vertical bar/pole, at about arm’s length distance, and grab at chest height with both hands. Sink hips down and away from rack, bend knees slightly, flatten out back, and bring head down between shoulders. You can slide hips from side to side until you feel a deep stretch from shoulder down the sides of your torso into your lower back/top of hips.
  3. 90/90 Push/Pulls – Hold right arm in front of you, with elbow bent at 90°, and palm facing away. Lift left arm up at 90° and interlock left hand with the right. With elbows parallel to the ground, try to pull hands apart as hard as possible, and try to squeeze shoulder blades together at the same time. Next, try to push hands together instead of pulling apart.
  4. 90/90 Push Ups and Downs – Hold right arm straight in front of you, hand and elbow even with right shoulder. Now bend elbow inwards at 90° with palm facing down (hand will be in front of left shoulder). Place left hand on top of right wrist, and push down, while trying to push right arm up against the resistance. Try in all hand positions: thumb up, thumb down, palm down.
  5. Sleeper Stretch – Lie down on right side, with body in a straight line, bottom arm (right arm) straight out in front, top hand (left) on floor to stabilize. Make sure body is in straight line, and keep both shoulders back, squeeze shoulder blades together (especially bottom shoulder!!! Must be locked into to retraction). Now bend right elbow, with forearm perpendicular to the ground, palm flat, and thumb pointing inwards towards your face. Use left hand to pull right forearm towards the floor, without releasing right shoulder from retracted (pulled back) position. Continue to pull right arm towards floor until you feel a deep stretch in the back of your right shoulder, hold for given stretch time.

6.  Bent Over Row + External Rotation (EXT ROT) – Starting standing up tall and bend at the waist into RDL position with slight knee bend and arms hanging straight down from shoulders. Allow shoulders to protract (round) but keep rest of back completely flat. Now bend elbows at 90°, squeeze scaps together (retraction), PAUSE with elbows even with shoulders, fingers still pointing towards the ground. Keeping shoulders back, and elbows at 90°, Externally rotate forearms towards the ceiling as far as you can and PAUSE. Now return to previous position by Internally rotating forearms back towards the ground, keeping shoulders retracted, so that fingers are pointing towards the ground again. Now release scaps into protraction (rounded) and let arms hang down straight towards the ground. Repeat for the give number of reps.

Mobility – Thoracic Spine (T-Spine)

1.  Shoulder Turn Stretch – Stand directly to the side of a pole, rack, or vertical bar, far enough away so that your outside hand can touch the pole. Now grab bar with INSIDE hand on top at shoulder height, OUTSIDE hand on bottom at waist height. Bend at the waist, keeping hips straight ahead, and lock out TOP arm (should have no trouble keeping bottom arm straight). Try to stack your shoulders vertically by pushing to bar away with TOP arm, and pulling the bar toward you with BOTTOM arm. To get more of a stretch through your LAT, swing hips away from the bar, still keeping them facing straight ahead. Hold for given stretch time.

  1. Prayer Lat Stretch w/ Turn – Start in Quad position on ground, sit hips all the way back onto heels. Use one arm to pull the other across your body, keeping elbow locked out. Try to stack shoulders vertically, press bottom shoulder towards ground as far as possible, without bending arm, or allowing hips to separate from heels. Hold for given stretch time.

3.  Sagittal Plane Mobility – On Roller or Peanut (2 Tennis Balls taped together): Start on ground lying face up, and place roller or peanut perpendicular to spine underneath the lowest Thoracic Vertebra (for peanut, 1 ball on either side of spine). You can find this spot on your back while standing: place both hands along your mid back and slide hands down until your feel your back start to arch in the concave direction. This is the intersection of your Thoracic and Lumbar spine – if you’re unsure of where it starts exactly, err on the higher side rather than lower. Now w/ roller or peanut in place, bend knees, place feet flat on ground, and reach up towards sky with both arms straight. Now crunch up – only shoulders come off ground, PAUSE, then lean back again, trying to touch both shoulders to the ground. Repeat 5 times at the first Thoracic vertebra, then slide roller or peanut up to the next one, and perform 5 more reps. Work your way up your spine until you reach right between your shoulder blades.

4.  Sagittal Plane Mobility – On PB – lie on PB comfortably with your entire back supported by the ball. First slide on ball up and down, leaning head back, and allowing arms to hang towards the ground. Try to visualize your whole back arching in the concave direction (same arc as ball). After rolling back and forth a few times, now slide ball more towards lower back, bring arms straight up towards ceiling and perform 2 sets of 5 crunches. Each time lean back as far as possible, and crunch up only so far as your shoulders lose contact with the ball.

5.  Open Book Rotations – Lie on ground on right side, bring knees up to waist height at 90°. Start with both arms horizontal and straight on the right side, palms together. Now open up like a book, lifting your left arm and rotating your upper body, reaching for the ground on the left side, creating at ‘T’ your arms. Goal is to get both shoulders flat to the ground without letting hips open up - press knees together! *If that’s too easy, straighten out bottom leg and press top knee into the ground. *The last stage of the progression is to open up and reach top arm at 45° over head instead of towards the horizontal.

6.  Seated Twist w/ Crunch – Sit on ground in cross legged position, chest up tall, shoulders back, hands behind head. Now turn to the right side as much as you can, and crunch down, bring right elbow towards hip, left elbow to sky, WITHOUT LOSING GOOD POSTURE. Hold Crunch for 3 sec, then relax to chest up position, but stay TWISTED. Now try to twist a little more, crunch down, hold 3 sec, then relax. Repeat one more time for 3 reps total, making sure not to lose the Torso Twist after each crunch. Repeat on the other side. *Next step in progression is kneeling on ground, hips back on heels, and lastly, kneeling on ground, hips over knees (don’t let hips turn with upper body!)

Prehab/Activation

1.  Quad Fire Hydrants – Start in Quad position (hips over knees, hands under shoulders), lock lower back into flat – not arched – position. Raise right knee out to the side, keeping it at 90°, without letting hips open up (small range of motion). Now extend right leg, squeezing glute and pressing heel straight behind you, finishing with hip, knee, and foot in straight line. Return to quad position and repeat for give number of reps on the right side, then move onto the left.

  1. Quad Glute – same as band activation, just without band. In Quad position, lock in lower back, press heel straight up to ceiling, keeping knee at 90°, and squeeze glute.
  2. Self Psoas – lie on back with left leg straight, right knee up at 90°, toe flexed towards shin. Place both hands on right knee and press down, but don’t let your knee slide down. Hold for 5 seconds, and relax. For following reps, try to bring knee closer and closer to chest, press down again, and use hip flexors to prevent knee from sliding down. Perform required reps on both sides.
  3. Lying ABD-ADD – lie down on right side, outstretch right arm overhead on ground, place left hand on ground to stabilize. Lift top leg up, toe pointed straight ahead. Now raise bottom leg up, keeping both legs straight, body in a straight line, and don’t let hips open up. Repeat required reps on both sides.
  4. Quad Side STLG Raise – start in Quad position, then straighten right leg and bring right foot out to the side at 45°. Lock lower back in, and try to raise straight leg up as high as possible, without letting hips open up. Repeat required reps on both sides.
  5. Reach-Roll-Lift UP – Start in kneeling position in front of PB or 12-18” box, sit back onto heels. Place hands on box or ball with arms straight, chest up tall. Now rotate right forearm externally so that palm completely faces the ceiling, and raise arm up to sky as high as possible without bending at the elbow. Hold for 3 sec, then return to starting position. Perform required reps on each side.
  6. Reach-Roll-Lift – Start in Quad position (hips directly over knees) and slide right hand along ground as far in front as possible, without letting hips come forwards past the knees. Then roll hand so that it completely faces the ceiling, and raise arm as high as possible without bending at the elbow. Hold for 3 sec, then return to starting position with hand directly underneath shoulder. Perform required reps on each side.
  7. Reach-Roll-Lift Down – Start in Quad position and sit all the way back onto heels. Place left fist on ground, bend at the hips, and bring forehead right down on top of fist. Now reach right arm straight out in front, roll hand so that it completely faces the ceiling, and raise arm as high as possible without letting elbow bend or palm rotate towards the ground. Pause for 3 sec, then return to starting position with palm flat to ground. If you struggle with this one, return to regular Reach-Roll-Lift. Perform required reps on each side.

New Core Movements