Name: Playbook - Luke Williford - Squat Recovery and Prehab
Uploaded: 2021-01-18T11:49:21.746Z
Duration: 35 min
Description: Squat Recovery and Prehab

This session is designed to both help your body PREPARE and RECOVER from squats. 

Squats are a very taxing full body movement that will require prep and recovery to consistently perform them correctly. 

Use this workout immediately before or after a squat session, or days before. Program it in WHEN FEASIBLE, just don’t forget to include it in your program.

Using a foam roller, hard water bottle, lacrosse ball, or anything that is hard and can roll, sit with one leg’s ankle crossed over your other leg and pin the roller into ONE SIDE of your glutes. 

Maintain pressure on spots that hurt or are tight for about 30 seconds. 

Roll slowly and in short movements, and if there is a particular spot that hurts, keep the pressure in on spot.

30 seconds per side.

Glute Foam Roll

Use a foam roller or anything that could pass as one, place it firmly under one your hamstrings, and maintain pressure on sensitive or sore spots for 30 seconds per side.

Focus on breathing if very painful.

Hamstring/Lower Glute Foam Roll

Firmly place a foam roller under one calf, place the other on top of the opposite leg to increase pressure if necessary. Find spots up and down the calf that are sore or tight and hold pressure on for 30 seconds. Then switch. 

If that is too painful to roll one leg at a time, then roll both at once with no added pressure.

Calf Foam Roll

While sitting on a raised surface as shown in the video, like a chair or a box, keep one leg at a 90 degree angle, while bringing the OPPOSITE leg’s ankle to rest on the knee/quad of the planted leg. 

Lean forward to increase the intensity of the stretch. Pulse slightly or hold for 30 seconds, then switch.

Reps shown are per leg

Seated Glute Stretch

In shortened side plank position (knees are the second point of contact), and with a circle band around your knees, externally rotate your hips and legs SLIGHTLY. 

Nothing too extreme, just work on mobilizing slightly.

Reps shown are PER SIDE

Side Plank Clamshells

With a circle band around your legs (just above the knee), situate yourself into a hands and knees position. 

From there, keep one knee firmly on the ground while you abduct (push outwards) your other leg.

Keep your core activated, try to isolate your hips/abductor, and GO SLOW!

Per shown are PER LEG

Banded Hip Abduction

With a circle band wrapped around both ankles, keep one foot firmly planted while kicking the other away from it. Keep your foot that is kicking away, parallel to the planted one. 

Hold onto a pole for support if need be.

Reps shown are PER LEG

Lateral Kicking Abduction

Laying on your back bring your feet back towards your but until they are flat on the ground. 

Then, using squeezing your glutes together, raise your hips up until your upper body is a straight line. 

Make sure to squeeze at the top, focusing on activating your glutes and hamstrings.

Bilateral Glute Bridge

Stand next to box or platform, and with the leg closest to the platform step up. 

Focus on activating your glutes, stabilizing your knee, and allowing your hips to work in unison with your glutes and quads.

Reps shown are PER LEG

Bodyweight Step Ups

On an elevated platform, (higher is more difficult) allow your hips to sink down until your foot off the platform touches the ground. Extend arms out as you lower yourself. 

Keep your planted leg knee in line with your toes. 

These are a great warmup for squats, and a really good way to perfect form. 

These will help build the neurological connection between your hips and knees, making squats safer and more effective.

8 reps per side

Touch Down Squats

Tie a resistance band of medium to high tension to a pole and loop the band around your leg closest to the pole. Loop the band fairly high up on your quad, near your hip. 

On all fours, with tension engaged on the leg with the resistance band, lean AWAY from the pole, keeping your core steady.

Feel the stretch in your hips. 

Return to start position and repeat.

Reps shown are PER LEG.

Resistance Band Lean Away

Tie a resistance band of medium to high tension to a pole and loop the band around your leg closest to the pole. Loop the band fairly high up on your quad, near your hip. 

On all fours, with tension engaged on the leg with the resistance band, lean TOWARDS the pole, keeping your core steady.

Return to start position and repeat.

Reps shown are PER LEG.

Resistance Band Lean To

On all fours, raise and extend your right leg and left arm as completely as you can. Then switch. Left leg and right arm. 

Focus on stabilizing throughout each rep, bracing your core, stabilizing your shoulders, and so on. 

These will help build core strength and proprioceptive ability, which will help up your DEADLIFT and SQUAT.

Bird Dog

This is a warmup exercise intended to wake up the central nervous system and the lower body. 

One rep is shown in the video. 

Pulse in each of the stretches that this movement takes your through (the lunge stretch, the split stance hamstring stretch, and downward dog.

Squat Recovery and Prehab

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