Name: Playbook - TrickStrong RX - Groin Strain: Phase 1 RXHAB (3x/wk)
Uploaded: 2024-04-03T17:05:08.460Z
Duration: 35 min
Description: Groin Strain: Phase 1 RXHAB (3x/wk)

Parker

Welcome to Groin Strain RXHAB 💪

Dealing with a Groin Injury?  

Start with Phase 1 by assessing your condition. Groin injuries commonly happen with running, kicking, jumping and single leg activities. The Adductor SLR and seated fist squeeze tests will help identify if you have an adductor strain. If you experience groin pain with actively bringing your leg towards your body, you may be dealing with a groin strain.

Before jumping straight into the program, here are some recommendations: 

1.	Pain Threshold: Keep pain levels at 3/10 or lower.
2.	24-Hour Rule: Ensure no exercise increases pain from the previous day.
3.	Stretching: Avoid stretching into pain, especially in the early stages.
4.	If the exercises feel too intense, dial it back and give it time. Begin with simpler activities like walking and light muscle activations (similar to the adductor squeeze).

If there's no improvement within 7-14 days, consider seeking professional advice. However, if you do see progress, gradually introduce more exercises until you can perform the full routine pain-free.


How Often Should You Do Your RXHAB?
We recommend 3x/week. 
If recovery feels challenging, reduce it to 2 sessions. 
Feel comfortable and want to speed up your recovery? Increase to 4 sessions. 

On days off from the program, try to maintain normal activity levels while still following the above recommendations.

Massaging the adductor muscles can provide several benefits, including improved circulation, reduced muscle tension and soreness and a temporary improvement in range of motion. Regular adductor foam rolling can help manage pain during the recovery process.

1. Start with a foam roller under your legs while in a seated position.

2. Transition to a 90/90 position, with the back inner thigh being in contact with the foam roller.

3. Shift your weight onto your hip for a deeper release in the adductor muscles. You can even add hand pressure as shown in the video. 

4. Perform for 60-120 seconds, spending time on spots that feel tender.

Optional: Adductor Foam Rolling

CARS stands for Controlled Articular Rotations. This refers to actively creating mobility within our joints. 

The hip is a ball and socket joint. We really want to move it in a 3 dimensional way, rather than stretching only in linear planes. 

The easiest way for you visual learners is to probably follow along and feel free to replay this video to understand the motions involved here. 

Steps: 

1.	Hip Flexion – Knee towards chest

2.	Hip abduction – hip out to the side

3.	Hip Internal Rotation – Turn hip inwards (ankle faces outwards)

4.	Hip Extension – Bring hip behind you, while maintaining hip internal rotation from Step 3 until you tap your knee on the ground

5.	Hip Extension – Bring hip back up behind you

6.	Hip External Rotation/Abduction – Turn hip outwards (ankle facing inwards) while keeping it as high as you can

7.	Return to starting position

Hip CARs - Quadruped (Pain-free range)

The straight leg (SL) adductor progression

1.	SL Door Isometric Hold (3 sets of 5 reps)
-	Using a doorway, press your straight leg into the wall. The inside of your foot should be contacting the wall. Use your arms for stability so you can push well. 
-	Push into the wall at your maximum pain-free effort for 5-10 seconds per rep.
-	Release briefly between reps.

2.	Banded SL Adduction (3 sets of 10 reps)
-	Anchor a band with appropriate strength to an immovable object. You may need to loop this band. I am using a light superband that is already looped (find them in the insights section). 
-	Put foot in loop so that the inside of your leg is contacting the band. 
-	Walk out to tension band, using anything stable for balance.
-	Perform a snow angel-like motion with your leg, controlling it out and pulling back towards the midline of your body as shown.
Modifications: unweighted, sidelying position (as shown in introduction video)

SL Adductor Progression (Read Description for Reps)

1.	Ball Squeeze
-	Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet grounded, put a light object (such as a yoga block or pillow) between your knees. 
-	Squeeze object at your maximum pain-free effort for 5-10 seconds per rep.
-	Release briefly between reps.

2.	Mini Squat Ball Squeeze
-	From a mini squat position, put a light object (such as a yoga block or pillow) between your knees. 
-	Squeeze object at your maximum pain-free effort for 5-10 seconds per rep.
-	Release briefly between reps.

Adductor Squeeze Progression

The pause squat is an awesome squat variation used to improve lower body strength, stability and endurance. Regardless of where you're at, you can use this progression to challenge your squat. 

1. In the mini pause squat, simply go down to your lowest pain-free range of motion and pause for 5 seconds at the bottom of the rep. Keep your feet rooted into the ground. Imagine you are aiming to sit in a chair and interrupting it.

2. The bodyweight pause squat simply involves going lower and doing the same as above. 

3. The goblet pause squat, which involves holding a weight as shown, creates a more vertical position which emphasizes the quads. It is also helpful in mobility training, as the weight helps push us into more ankle dorsiflexion and opens our hips. Only use resistance that is pain-free and controllable.

Depending on the weights available and your current ability, feel free to modify sets and reps as needed.

Modifications: DB, KB or barbell resistance, banded (around knees), banded (under feet, holding bands)

Pause Squat Progression

Single leg balance is a fundamental exercise that enhances lower body stability, coordination, and proprioception. It's a versatile progression suitable for all levels, helping to challenge and improve your balance.

1. SL Balance, Eyes Open: Start with the basic single leg balance. Stand on one leg, keeping your eyes open. Focus on maintaining a stable posture with a slight knee bend. Keep your lifted leg close to the standing leg. Engage the stance foot by grab the floor with your foot. If you're struggling, try positioning your head over the stance foot by leaning towards that side.

2. SL Balance, Eyes Closed: Once you're comfortable with the eyes-open balance, it's time to up the challenge. Perform the same single leg stance, but this time with your eyes closed. Removing visual cues intensifies the challenge to your proprioception and balance, making your muscles work harder to keep you stable.

3. SL Balance, Unstable Surface: For the final tier, perform the single leg balance on an unstable surface like a balance pad/pillow, wobble board, or a BOSU ball. This addition significantly increases the difficulty, as your body must constantly adjust to the shifting surface, further enhancing your balance and stability.

As you progress through these tiers, remember to listen to your body. Modify the duration of each balance as needed. Start with shorter intervals and gradually increase as your balance improves.

Modifications: To add variety or additional challenge, consider incorporating arm movements, head rotations, or even light weights once you're comfortable with the basic positions.

These single leg balance progressions will help you build a stronger, more stable foundation, enhancing your overall athletic performance and daily activities.

SL Balance Progression

The hip thrust is a powerful exercise targeting the glutes - crucial for lower body strength and stability. Use this simple progression before adding weight in the next phase. 

1. Double Leg Hip Thrust: Sit on the floor with your shoulder blades against the edge of a bench. Plant your feet firmly, hip-width apart. As you push through your heels to rise, imagine scooping your pelvis upwards. This cue helps in maximizing glute engagement and limits compensatory movements. Drive your hips upwards, forming a straight line from your knees to shoulders at the top. Squeeze your glutes hard in the 'scooped' position at the top, hold for 5 sec, then lower back down to complete the rep. 

2.	Single Leg Hip Thrust: Once you've mastered the double leg version, progress to the single leg hip thrust. This variation follows the same setup and 'scooping' motion, but with one leg lifted off the ground. Maintain alignment of your lifted leg with your thigh to help with balance and stability. This unilateral movement not only amplifies the workout for your glutes and hamstrings but also involves your core for maintaining stability.

Depending on your current ability, feel free to modify sets and reps as needed. Remember, each rep has a hold time of 5 sec. 

Modifications: 2 legs to push up, 1 leg down (2 up, 1 down), banded (around knees), SL banded

Hip Thrust Progression (Audio on)

Triple flexion is the synchronized movement of flexing the hip, knee, and ankle joints. This movement pattern is crucial in many athletic activities, including sprinting, kicking, and tricking. It plays a significant role in developing knee drive, which is essential for generating force in kicks and transitional skills. The muscles involved in triple flexion not only aid in force generation but also in shock absorption and deceleration during takeoffs and landings. On the stance leg, triple flexion enhances stability through improved muscular endurance, coordination, and proprioceptive feedback.

1.	Bodyweight Triple Flexion: This is the starting point, particularly beneficial when recovering from injuries like hip flexor or groin strains. If needed, you can perform this lying down as well. Perform the triple flexion movement without any added weight, focusing on the coordinated movement of hip, knee, and ankle. This stage allows for the development of the basic movement pattern and muscular endurance without overstressing the muscles. If needed, use a higher rep range (15+) to get the hip flexors working.

2.	Banded Triple Flexion: Once you're comfortable with the bodyweight version, introduce a resistance band to add a moderate challenge. The band provides continuous tension throughout the movement, further enhancing muscle activation and endurance. It's particularly effective for improving stability and proprioception.

3.	Weighted Triple Flexion (Kettlebell Shown): Adding a kettlebell or similar weight increases the challenge significantly. Now we can begin to reduce reps (5-10) and increase weight, improving strength and power.

Modifications: Banded, kettlebell, ankle weight, bodyweight

Triple Flexion Progression

Walking is a great, low impact way to improve circulation, joint lubrication, lymphatic drainage and set our bodies up for recovery. Walking has been shown to be effective in treating and preventing low back pain as well, which is helpful after placing as much load as we do in our training. 

Do this after your training if you have the opportunity. 

If not, walking during the day (before or after training) will still be beneficial.

Modifications: If you are currently unable to walk, you can substitute with biking or a row machine.

Groin Strain: Phase 1 RXHAB (3x/wk)

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