Name: Playbook - TrickStrong RX - W2/D1 Stability
Uploaded: 2024-03-09T02:18:31.770Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: W2/D1 Stability

Starting to feel more range of motion in my pistols!

Rich

The reps are a guideline. The hallmark of a good warmup is that you feel prepared to move!

Be sure to watch our follow-along CARs tutorials in ‘Mobility RX’ for an in-depth explanation on how to perform Hip CARs. These are best done daily to maintain and improve joint health. 

Here's how to do it.

[Step 1: Starting Position]
Start by standing up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on something stable like a chair or wall for balance. Stand tall and engage your core as if you are about to lift something heavy. 

[Step 2: External Rotation (ER) + Adduction]
Begin by spinning your hip outward with a straight leg. Bring this leg inwards towards midline while maintaining ER

[Step 3: Flexion + ER]
Slowly raise your knee as high as you can without tilting your pelvis or lower back. This is hip flexion. Hold at the top for a moment while continuing tension into ER as shown. 

[Step 4: Abduction + ER]
Next, rotate your thigh outward, bringing your knee to the side as far as you can. Do this while continuing tension into ER. 

[Step 5: Extension + Internal Rotation (IR)]
While keeping your knee at the same height, start to move it behind you. This is where you'll extend the hip. Notice that we spin the hip into IR, or internal rotation during this. Remember to maintain an upright posture, and don’t let your lower back arch. 

[Step 6: Closing the Circle]
Continue rotating the thigh inward as you bring your leg down and behind you, completing the circle. This is internal rotation combined with extension.

[Step 7: Reverse]
Reverse the motion smoothly, rotating the hip from IR to ER. Bring the knee back to the side, then to the front, and finally lower it down to the starting position.

[Step 7: Repetition and Switching Sides]
Perform this slow & controlled rotation for 2-3 repetitions on both sides. 

The goal is to move through your full range but without any pain. If you feel any discomfort, reduce the range of motion. It's about quality, not quantity. With time & practice, your hip mobility will improve.

Standing Hip CARs

Be sure to watch our follow-along CARs tutorials in ‘Mobility RX’ for an in-depth explanation on how to perform Knee CARs. 

This is a clip from the tutorial that explains how to perform the seated knee CAR.

These are best done daily to maintain and improve joint health.

Seated Knee CARs

Be sure to watch our follow-along CARs tutorials in ‘Mobility RX’ for a in-depth explanation on how to perform ankle CARs. These are best done daily to maintain and improve joint health. 

Here's how to do it.

[Step 1: Starting Position]
Start by standing up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on something stable like a chair or wall for balance. Stand tall and engage your core as if you are about to lift something heavy.

[Step 2: Ankle Dorsiflexion (DF)]
First, maximally pull the toes of your foot up towards your shin, this is called dorsiflexion. 

[Step 3: Ankle DF + Eversion (EV)]
From a dorsiflexed position, initiate the rotation by turning your foot outward, making sure the rotation is coming from your ankle and not from your hip or knee.

[Step 4: Ankle Plantarflexion (PF) + EV]
Point your toes maximally while maintaining a turned out, or everted ankle. 

[Step 5: Ankle PF + Inversion (INV)]
While continuing to point your toes, move from a turned out, or everted foot position to an inverted, or turned in foot position. Maintain control throughout all motion. 

[Step 6: Ankle DF + INV]
Complete the circle by bringing your toes up towards your shin again, this time with the foot inward. Again, ensure the movement is happening at the ankle joint. Imagine drawing a big circle with your toes, encompassing all the directions of ankle movement.

[Step 7: Repeat & Switch]
Do 2-3 slow and deliberate rotations in each direction. Focus on moving through your full range of motion without any pain. Once you’ve done both sides, switch directions. 

The goal is to move through your full range but without any pain. If you feel any discomfort, reduce the ROM. Quality over quantity. With time & practice, your ankle mobility will improve.

Ankle CARs

The hip 9090 stretch is called this because of the 90 degree angles your hip will make. 

The hip is a ball and socket joint. This means that in order to train our mobility in an effective way, we will want to explore and be less linear with this stretch. 

The hip 90/90 is a great way to explore the surfaces of the hip joint and to really move into your restrictions.

This drill is a great way to warm up your hips and core as it is ACTIVE. Think of allowing one hip to trail while the other aims for the floor to encourage hip opening.  

You should not be feeling any pain in your lower back, hips or knees.

Modifications: Hand Assist

Dynamic Hip 90/90

Knee To Wall Taps are great for ankle mobility. They help us to create stability and control within our movement.

This is where flexibility and mobility differ. The former is just a position you can get to, while the latter is a movement you OWN. 

Notice the direction of the toes here. They are pointing forward, which encourages us to move through our ankle joint rather than our foot.

Shifting your weight to the front leg loads your foot and ankle more and enhances the benefits if you can tolerate it. If this is too much, you can start by shifting your weight more towards the back leg or by doing this same motion from a kneeling lunge position.

The wall gives us a goal to reach that can be measured over time and can guide us in going just far enough. We want to avoid letting the heel come up off of the ground.

Knee to Wall Taps

This mobility drill fits perfectly into a warmup as a line drill. You can also do this throughout the day to improve hamstring length and to reduce lower back tension. 

Lead with a straight leg and hinge from the hips while sitting your butt back. Arch your lower back when doing this. 

Another tip is to imagine that you are "scooping water" with your hands.

You should feel a stretch in your hamstring without feeling pain at the lower back, calf or feet.

Hamstring Walks

The Lunge Step Through is a great exercise to build total body coordination, power, explosiveness. 

To do this right:

1) Begin either bodyweight or with a KB/DB horizontally in both hands. 

2) Step forward into a lunge, loading into the front hip and core by actively rotating, pulling the weight past and BEHIND the forward hip. You should feel this intensely in your lower lat and QL area (muscles in your lower back area) on that side. 

3) Use this tension to recoil and step through as shown. It should feel as if the tension is now being transferred to the opposite shoulder as you actively pull your elbow diagonally across your body towards your ear.  

4) Throughout the exercise, you should actively be pulling & pushing the weight towards either side using both arms. In other words, both arms help to drive the weight into each position. 

Modifications: unweighted, dumbbells, plates, clasping hands together

Lunge Step Through

Adamantium Knees Warmup

Cone taps are perfect for advancing single leg stability, endurance and control. For Foot Taps, the free leg will tap each cone while the stabilizing leg does all the work. Challenge yourself, but don’t reach so far so that you are coming up off of your heel. Each direction will challenge your mobility, strength and stability in a different way.

Primer: Cone Taps - Foot, 3 Way

The ability to perform a single leg squat is essential to any movement athlete. Almost every trick involves some sort of squat or single leg support.

Choose the pistol squat progression that makes sense for you, striving for more when you're ready.

Generally, it begins on one leg with compression through your hips and knees. Your free leg should be raised in front of you as a counter balance. Make sure your heel is grounded and that your hip and knee track straight over your foot.

Once you've bottomed out, explode to a standing position as quickly as possible. However, don't go so fast that you break form. 

Remember, as long as we are training movement patterns to a degree where it is challenging (while good form is maintained) then we are golden! 

Modifications (reduced range of motion, pistol box squat, bulgarian split squat, hand assistance, weighted etc) are all welcome here.

Pistol Squat (to max depth or progression)

Triple flexion is the combined motion of hip, knee and ankle flexion. This is an important pattern to develop knee drive in any athletic movement, including sprinting, kicking and of course many movements in tricking. 

We use triple flexion all the time in tricking to generate force in kicks or transitional skills. 
The muscles involved in triple flexion also help to absorb shock and decelerating us during takeoffs and landings.

On the stance leg, it improves stability massively not only through muscular endurance work, but improved coordination and proprioceptive input.

Modifications: DB, banded, cable column

Triple Flexion - KB

Start with one knee up and "athletic arms". Quickly switch your arms and legs and return to the starting position. Perform 5 reps on both sides. Use a looped resistance band around the feet as shown to stress rate of force production. 

Our focus is improving power and coordination in our triple flexion, or knee drive. 

Triple flexion is the combined motion of hip, knee and ankle flexion. This is an important pattern to improve many athletic movements, including sprinting, kicking and of course many movements in tricking. 

We also improve takeoff and landing mechanics during this drill as the switch requires single leg dynamic stability.

Modifications: Unbanded, Jump switches, SL jump switches, bulgarian high knees

High Knee Switches (Banded)

Superset A: Triple Flexion x10, High Knee Switches x5

The Bulgarian split squat is an excellent exercise for improving single leg strength, power and control. 

Think of this as a single leg squat variation. 90% of your weight should be placed on the front leg. 

Depth should be determined by your form. Go as low as possible with great form to improve strength and stability in your full ROM.

For the back leg, a standard chair/bench (or lower) is an appropriate height for most people.

Bulgarian Split Squat - KB

The half kneeling knee drive is a great exercise to build leg power and explosiveness. From a half kneeling position, we drive the front heel through the ground as fast as possible.  

The free leg drives to a high knee position, isolating the working leg while also helping to add momentum. This resembles athletic movement like sprinting, jumping & swings.

Push your working leg down *through* the floor in order to rise with power and stability. Keep your foot grounded as you drive to a standing position. Own the top position for 1-2 seconds. Lower with control.

Half Kneeling Knee Drive

Superset B: Bulgarian Split Squat x10, Kneeling Drive x5

If you haven't been doing single leg calf raises, you will feel the difference not only in your calf, but in your foot and hip muscles as well. This is excellent for functional carryover to athletics as we are often pushing off on one leg.

Lower slowly (5 sec) in the eccentric calf raise. 

Stress the negative by lowering slowly and past neutral by using a step, stair or slant board. 

This is great for injury prevention because it begins to mimic controlling landings and decelerating from cuts and pivots. 

Research shows eccentric exercises are extremely beneficial for tendon issues. This can be a great exercise for those with achilles tendon pain provided it is progressed appropriately.

Early on, using the minimum necessary hand assistance is a good way to build up to doing it without support.

Single Leg Calf Raise - Eccentric, KB, Slant Board

Single leg KB circles are amazing for single leg stability. We challenge you further with forefoot elevation using a slant board or towel (shown in video). This puts more of a demand on the foot and lower leg in a position we often find ourselves in (loading for a jump or swing through).

To do it right:

Stand on one leg, holding the kettlebell in either hand. Keep the standing leg slightly bent. Engage your feet by 'grabbing the floor' with your toes. Do your best to maintain the position of your foot without hopping or raising your heel. As we said, feel free to challenge yourself by doing this on a slant board or towel.

Counting reps: |

Pass the kettlebell around your body in one direction for the rep amount listed. Then, repeat the reps on the other side before stopping the set.

Single Leg KB Circles, Forefoot Elevated

Superset C: SL Calf Raises x10, SL KB Circles x5

The Copenhagen plank is an incredible but underutilized side plank variation with emphasis on the adductors. 

These muscles are located in the inner thigh and are often undertrained even though they are necessary for efficient athletic movement. They aid in single leg stability and transfer of power from the upper to lower extremities via several anatomical slings (Lateral, Anterior Oblique, etc.)

To do it right: 

1) Get into a sidelying position with your elbow stacked directly under your shoulder. Use a padded but firm elevated surface for your top leg (such as a bench or padded box). 

2) Tensing your core, rise to a side plank with the bottom leg bent. Push into the surface using only your top leg to rise. If this is too much, perform this exercise on the floor. 

3) Be sure that your ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle are in line. Maintain a neutral spinal position

4) Hold this position for 10 seconds before returning to the starting position

Copenhagen Plank Level 3 (Elevated Hold)

The standing clamshell is most effective with a looped band around both ankles (harder) or knees (easier).

Start on one leg with your knees slightly bent. 

The clamshell comes in when you spread your knees apart by raising one leg to the side. Notice how I am also externally rotating at the hip. My free knee faces outwards at the top of the rep. 

Drive this motion by squeezing your glutes together and maintaining that tension throughout the rep. Try not to let yourself arch in the lower back. Go to your available range of motion, which will improve over time. 

Once you have completed the clamshell, or hip opening movement, return with control to the original position.

Standing Clamshell

Superset D: Copenhagen Hold x5, Standing Clamshell x10

This is a really good one for improving knee mobility, encouraging blood flow and improving quad activation. This is a great warmup, cooldown and maintenance exercise as it is low-impact with awesome results. 

Loop a superband around a sturdy anchor at knee height.
Step into the band with both legs and place it at the back of your knees.
Stand facing the anchor point with feet hip-width apart, ensuring there’s good tension on the band.
Shift your weight onto one leg, maintaining a slight bend in the non-working leg for stability.
Extend the working leg at the knee, pressing against the band’s resistance until your knee is fully straightened.

Focus on contracting the quadriceps muscle at the top of the movement. Control the movement as you return to the starting position with a bent knee. Alternate legs. If pain-free, play with adding speed and power.

You could also go super heavy, but I prefer using this as an endurance exercise in the 30+ rep range. This encourages blood flow and just feels good.

Finisher: Alternating Banded TKEs

W2/D1 Stability

Revealed SO many weaknesses. Showed me exactly what I should be working on. Stoked for the rest of the program.

Mitchell

Re building this knee day one overall felt great didn’t know I could do a lot of that

W2/D1 Stability

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