Hello Extensible Warriors,
Today’s Mwod is all bout the Split Jerk.
One of the props we like to use a lot is some kind of elevated surface, like a table or jump box.
The stretching with one leg up on an elevated surface has the unique ability to keep the other leg on the ground, and by extension your back in neutral. I’m always amazed when I see otherwise enlightened athletes horking on their backs to mobilize some other body part. Not cool.
Keep your back in neutral, especially in mobs that potentially bias the athlete into overextension.
Remember the couch stretch? Yep, the other knee was up to protect the back. The psoas bias hip extension pole dancer stretch? Same. Well, meet the box/back of the couch/kitchen table etc.
Test: Split jerk landing. Torso straight up and down stacked neatly under an anchored ribcage?
Mob: 1) Spend 3 minutes exploring each hip. Can you hold relax there? Use that PNF!
2) 4 min working on arm flexion (overhead) and thoracic (rib cage region of spine)
extension on the balls.
Retest: Split jerk. Bonus: Does your kipping pullup feel better too?
Don’t worry, SFCF’s own Coach Angel Pr’d today to go 335 overhead on his jerk. Sorry Coach Di, you’ll just have to squat more….
Homework: Wiki Serratus Anterior. See if you can’t figure out how this “boxing” muscle works with the traps as a force couple to help move your arm overhead.
Kstar
23 Responses to “Episode 12: Stronger than Diane? Goddess of Squat?”
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I wish they could teach some of this at the level 1 cert. They explain the positions you need to get into but not what to do if you cant. This information is vital. Now its time to go and put the early birds through this.
http://mobility.thamescrossfit.com/
This is the link to Jami's Thames Crossfit site in London that Kstar refers to.
Unreal blog Kelly.
Kstar = Legend!
Another great way putt to balls together and still be able to use them individually is putting them inside a strong pair of pantyhose pulling the excess tight and twisting into pull knot. Easy to undo and also allows for different widths between the balls.
I find that as I roll up towards the cervical spine with those taped lacrosse balls and reach overhead, my scapulae seem to jam and get in the way. Is there a fix to this? Thx!
Most awesome explanation of why the back foot should internally rotate in this lift!
I'm going to go jerk now.
We never really do splits at my gym so I'm not sure how my normal positioning is. However, the MWOD felt awesome after GHDs yesterday. As a bonus I mobilized flexion/external rotation of the femur and did some capsular work also. The burn let's me know I'm getting faster…..
This is epic. Please don't stop. These wods are leaving me with a yummy soreness from the increased range of motion that makes me think my workouts will turn into new PRs. Plus you are a funny dude. Thanks a ton.
Kstar,
Just found this after checking OneWorld's website. Awesome. Been following for three days now. So, glad you decided to do this. I do have two recommendations.
A FAQ section as a sidebar. I have a question which I'm guessing has been answered a few times over already, but I can't find anything. The question is what should I do since I just found this place? Just go through the WOD's one by one or try to catch up?
the second recommendation (and this is really more to the readers) is we need to get a t-shirt for this site to help support Kstar because I'm assuming he's doing this for free. I'm not a Graphic Artist, but if anyone is out there we should get a design going and put it up for sale.
K-Star, just a quick idea of how this Blog of awesomeness can become a little more awesomer…
When you post a bonus to the day's MWOD and say something like spend an additional 4 minutes with the biasing the Psoas positions can you link that description to the original video describing exactly what you're looking for so as this Blog of awesomeness grows we can reference necessary info easily?
You rock.
So glad that my trainer told me about this blog!
Awesome!
I feel so damn good right now! Box stretch really opened me up. Thoracic mobility with balls was helpful in some one the higher "fun" spots. @ Benjamin- I also had some spots where the scap was seemingly getting in the way. With some contract relax and moving around you can work through it. Remember in that position you are in retraction and all those scap stabilizers in posterior are working to stabilize, so we are also mobilizing those babies and loosening (All my opinion and am in no way an expert on this subject matter-yet!) Cheers!
P.S. K-star rules!!!
I hope it's normal to feel sore the day after stretching.
Did today's mobility WOD and immediately got a 15 lb PR.
Haven't seen results like this since the one time in college when I decided to go to class and do the homework.
@ Jeffrey,
I don't quite understand how to do contract-relax with the thoracic spine. Do you mean flex-extend like a little crunch-turned-mobilization?
Also wouldn't scapular retraction just get the scapulae *more* in the way? Wouldn't you want musculature to be relaxing rather than "working to stabilize?" Any clarification would be appreciated, I'm just confused.
@Benjamin,
Not so much contract-relax as you're are breathing and slowly gaining ground as the muscles start to relax (letting you go farther into the stretch). What I was saying about scapular retraction is basically that it's occurring when we go into that overhead movement, which brings those stabilizer muscles into play. Ergo we are trying to relax them just as you stated. sorry for the confusion.
DUDE!
Balls on the thoracic spine. LOVE IT. Markedly better overhead positioning for jerks and pull-ups. Thanks bro!
Like you share multiple stretches to provide mobility to an area. Variety helps and impacts us differntly.
Second the FAQ or an index. The index would list mobility areas [psoas, rotator]and posts related to these areas.
My tortem animal was starting to come out with the hip explorations… K-Starr you are all kinds of awesome. Hear there are t-shirts now