Warrior Fitness » mobility

Imagine You With Less Pain

Jon — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:53:28 +0000

Many trainers and coaches tend to look at the current rage of joint mobility protocols as recent innovations in sports science and training. Everyone is talking about mobility for health, mobility for prehab or injury prevention, mobility for warm-ups, mobility for fending off the ravages of aging. Everyone is talking about the benefits of increased range of motion for sport performance and martial art training enhancement. And, just to be perfectly clear, this is a good thing. They are all correct. Mobility training is the rage for a reason.

However, as with many “new” types of training methods, mobility work is an ancient idea come full circle.

Hua Tuo (2nd century AD) was one of the patriarchs of Chinese Medicine and also the creator of the famous qigong set, The Five Animal Frolics. The Five Animal Frolics model movements from the crane, bear, monkey, tiger, and deer. Each animal emphasizes different health benefits and you can choose a specific animal for specific results. The movements form arcs, spirals, waves and spins, in order to accommodate all ranges of motion for the body.

Hua Tuo is famous for many sayings that have been passed down through the generations, but one of my favorite quotes from him is this one:

“Just as a door hinge will not rust if it is used, so the body will attain health by gently moving and exercising all of the limbs.”

Now what does that sound like? Health by moving and exercising all the limbs… hmm… reminds me of a certain new exercise protocol called joint mobility. And this quote from Hua Tuo is just one example. There are many more within Chinese Medicine as well as Indian Yoga that all point to the same idea – mobility is essential for health. Or, more crudely but succinctly put, move it or lose it.

Benefits of Mobility Training

Let’s list out some of the benefits of mobility training:

Lubricates joints and allows them to receive nutrition through synovial fluid
Aids in removal of toxins
Reduces joint pain and inflammation
Increases range of motion (flexibility in motion)
Increases energy by reducing unconsciously held tension
Prehab for injury prevention
Mobility is foundation of all sport, athletic, and martial movement
Decreased mobility leads to increased pain and stiffness

How Do We Do It?

Do you really need to learn an ancient qigong set and imitate 5 different animals to get all the benefits of mobility training though? Well, no. What if I told you it’s possible to get all the same benefits with just one short mobility routine that moves each joint in the body through all ranges of motion from head to toe in just 10 to 15 minutes a day?

Want to know more? Sign up for the Warrior Fitness Mailing List on the right side of the screen. You will receive a free copy of my mobility program. Want to learn more protocols and strategies for increasing your health, fitness, and conditioning as a martial artist? Check out my book, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts. Or, if you are within driving distance of New Jersey, come on down and join us at Warrior Fitness Gym in Hainesport, NJ!

Ninja Stars and Strength Training

Jon — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:16:11 +0000

Yesterday I decided to do something a little bit different in my workout. As an experiment, I wanted to look at the effect lactic acid build up in the muscles had on my ability to throw rubber shuriken (ninja stars) and hit a target. The theory being that as fatigue in the muscles increased, throwing accuracy would decrease. Seems like a solid hypothosis, right? Well, here’s what happened…

The Dynamic Warm-up

mobility work,
jogging forward and backward,
side shuffles,
high knees,
butt kickers,
bear crawls,
crab walks,
walking lunges,
bodyweight squats,
push-ups,
and leg raises

Strength in Motion Workout

The main body of the training was a fun study of strength throughout a 3 dimensional range of motion.

1) Suspension Trainer Push-ups: 5-7 reps

2) 15# Clubbell Mills: 10 reps each arm

3) 15# Clubbell Reverse Mills: 10 reps each arm

1-2 minutes active recovery between rounds:

Light jog / vibration drills
Throw rubber shuriken for target practice (hey, it’s a ninja thing!) – 9 throws each arm

Repeat 5 rounds

Both the Clubbell Mill and Reverse Mill work on rotational and angular strength at an extreme range of motion while the Suspension Training Push-ups work the hell out of the stabilizer muscles. The combined synergistic effect of these 2 exercises creates an awesome workout for strength in motion!

But what happened to the shuriken thows? As predicted, the lactic acid build up in my arms had an adverse effect on my ability to hit the target during my shuriken throws as the rounds increased.

However, the more I was able to shake out the residual tension and relax, the better my throw. But when I failed to do so my accuracy was horrible! This is a very important idea for all you shuriken throwing ninja out there!

The ability to control the balance of tension and relaxation in the body is essential for performance. Learn more about how to do it with these resources HERE!

Fitness at Work?

Jon — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:04:59 +0000

This proves to be quite difficult for many cube-dwelling corporate warriors. This article will provide the reader with concrete examples of ways to increase health, energy, mobility, and core strength all while seated (or standing) at your own desk. Fitness at Work will only require about 10 minutes a day which can even be broken up into shorter increments and done throughout the work day. And, for those concerned with being stared at, most of these can be accomplished surreptitiously!

Before we get started, let’s take a look at some of the specific impediments to our health, vitality, and fitness that may be exacerbated by sitting at a desk, working on a computer 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week:

General fatigue
Short-range stiffness
Stiff neck, neck pain (pain in the neck?)
Low back trouble, ruptured/herniated/bulging discs, etc.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Expanding waist line
Lack of good overall muscle tone

Try to perform the following exercises a few times a day to reduce tension from the daily grind!

Neck Mobility

Up/Down (Lift up from crown of head, slide down along plane of jaw)
Left/Right (Turn head as far left as possible without pain, turn as far right as possible)
Side/Side (Tilt head down to left, move from corner of jaw, repeat to right)
Full circle

Shoulder Mobility

Roll both shoulders backwards (Lift shoulders up towards ears, roll backward fully articulating the range of motion, drop them down as far as comfortable)
Roll both forward
Alternate shoulder rolls (Roll left shoulder back as described above while pushing right shoulder forward then switch)

Wrist Mobility

Hold both hands in loose fists, make circles clockwise and counter clockwise with wrists
Begin with left wrist, hold in fist as above, lift wrist up, to the outside, down, to the inside, reverse direction and repeat with right wrist

Finger Mobility

Begin circling fingers with thumb (5 times) then continue with each additional finger
Circle fingers from pinky in the opposite direction

Core Strength

Tilt the pelvis up slightly while rolling the shoulders down, creating a “scooped out” concave with your torso. As you do this exhale and tighten all the core muscles and muscles around the core
Hold the tension for 5 – 8 seconds, then release allowing the breath to rush in as your abdomen naturally expands out again
Repeat 5 to 10 reps

Remember, just a short 10 minute break a few times a day will do wonders to increase your concentration, productivity, and mental health!

Let me know how these exercises work for you. Also, how do you relieve stress at work?

Want to know more? Check out Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts!