Name: Playbook - Rob Riches - Day 4 - Stretch & Stability #1
Uploaded: 2022-06-17T19:05:11.569Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: Day 4 - Stretch & Stability #1

These stretch and stability exercises are an integral part of the full program, and will help improve upon key fundamentals of your health and wellness. 

These are to be followed in a circuit fashion, 1 after the other, with minimal rest between each, and then repeated for an additional round (or as many round as shown).

Start in a lunge position, with your left leg bent in front of you and the right leg stretched out behind you. Place your left hand over your foot and push forwards at the hips, holding for 15-20 seconds. You should feel a good stretch within your hip and groin area. 

#2: Place your left hand on top of your left knee and rotate your body to the left looking over your shoulder. Hold for a further 15-20 seconds.

#3: Move your left hand to where your right hand was, placing your right hand along side your back knee and look over your right shoulder behind you. Hold for a further 15-20 seconds.

#4: Return your hands back in front of you, under your shoulders, and lower the elbows to the floor as best you can, holding for a further 15-20 seconds.

#5: Shift your hips over your back knee as you straighten your front leg, while remain tilting forwards at the waist. Hold for a further 15-20 seconds.

Repeat the same 5 movements by changing legs.

5-Part Hip Stretch

Find a fixed vertical object (such as a wall or squat rack), that allows you to lay next to it with your right leg placed up against the wall. Work on keeping your leg as straight as possible, without bending the knee at all. If your flexibility is good, take both hands and hold the extended leg just below the ankle and pull it towards your, all the time whilst keeping the knee from bending, or your shoulder blades from raising off the floor. 

Hold for 10-15 seconds and take deep breaths in through your nose and exhale through you mouth. You should feel a deep stretch down the back of your leg (hamstring). Slowly lower the leg back to the floor and repeat with your other leg. 

(ADVANCED TECHNIQUE): This can be performed with the stretched leg wrapped (using a floss/compression band), around the upper thigh.

Banded Hamstring Stretch

Kneel on the floor with your knees slightly wider-than-shoulder-width and sit back into your heels. 

Lean forwards as deep as you can (torso in between your knees) with your arms stretched out in front of you on the floor. You should feel a great stretch in your upper back and shoulder blades. 

Hold for 10-15 seconds as you take deep breaths in through your nose and exhale through you mouth. Slowly sit back upright.

Kneeling Cat Stretch

Kneel down on the floor with your hands stretched out in front of you (like a cat stretching its back). Take your right arm and with the palm facing upwards, reach it under your left arm stretching it as far as you can. 

Your right shoulder should be touching the floor and your head positioned so that you're looking out to your stretched our hand. Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds and take deep breaths in through your nose and exhale through you mouth.

Slowly return back to the stretched cat position, and repeat with your left arm stretching out under your right arm.

T-Spine Stretch

Lay face down on mat with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, and your arms stretched out to the side (palms facing downwards). 

Keeping both hands pressed into the mat, take your right foot and raise it off the mat towards your left hand (think of a scorpion tail). Your left foot should not move from its position. 

Once you've reached as far over with your right foot as possible, return it back to the starting position and repeat the movement with your left foot (towards your right hand). As you raise each leg, your chest will naturally lift off from the mat. Just try to keep both hands in the same position. 

You should feel a great stretch in the lower region of your back, and even a popping sound (which is actually a release of carbon dioxide gas that builds up in a joint). 

Don't try to over-stretch. Just stick within the range that's challenging but does not cause discomfort. Alternate each leg 3-4 times for a total of 30-45 seconds.

Scorpion Kicks

The single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) can be a great tool to help improve stability as well as overall body control. This is a hip-dominant exercise that can strengthen your glutes and hamstrings. Because you're balancing on one leg at a time, the emphasis of this exercise is on stability.

Stand upright with a dumbbell held in your right hand. Balancing on your right leg, (knee slightly bent), hinge at the hips, brining your torso forwards, and extend your left leg back behind you for balance.
Your right arm should be traveling vertically down (as though performing a stiff leg deadlift). Use your left hand to help balance and stabilize yourself as you lower down.

Stop just before the dumbbell touches the floor. You should feel the hamstring in the right leg tensed. Focus on raising yourself back upright by brining your left leg back down as your torso lifts up.

Keep your back straight, and shoulders pulled back. Repeat all reps on one leg before switching over to the other side.

Dumbbell Single Leg Toe Touches

With a stability disc behind you on the floor, place your left foot (ball of the foot, with the heel raised) at the center of the disc, with your right foot far enough forwards that when you lower your hips down into a luge position, both knees are bent at 90 degrees.

Extend your arms out to your side (this helps with greater stability), and hold the arms in this position as you lower yourself until your back knee is just above the floor. Pause momentarily and then raise yourself back up to the starting position by pushing down on your front leg.

The goal here is to remain balanced during the movement, so perform each rep in a smooth and controlled manner. Once all reps have been performed on one side, change legs and repeat on the opposite leg.

Stability Disc Back T-Lunge

Lay on the floor with the stability disc on the ground just below your glutes on the floor. Place both feet on the disc so your knees are bent and heels close to your glutes.

Keeping your abdominals engaged, push down on your heels as you raise your hips up into the air, feeling the hamstring muscles engage and work. Pause momentarily at the top of the rep, when your hips form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.

Lower your hips back down slowly to the floor, and just before they make contact with the ground, push back up into a new rep.

This exercise will fire up your hamstrings, as well as engage your calves, glutes, and abdominal muscles.

Stability Disc Hip Bridge

Position yourself on the floor in a kneeling position with your arms fully extended beneath you. With the stability disc under your right knee, slowly extend your left leg straight out behind you, and your right arm stretched out in front of you, at the same time. 

Return both your hand and knee to the floor at the same time and repeat this movement for 30 seconds.

You'll perform all reps for 1 set on your right side, then move the stability disc to under your left leg and perform as you switch which arm and leg are raised up.

Stability Disc Alt Arm Leg

Position yourself in a plank position with your forearms supported on a stability disc just in front of your chest. Keep your hips raised up (not too high), so as to form a straight line from your shoulders to your feet.

Keep your abdominal muscles engaged, and focus on holding this position for the allocated time of each rep. The challenge will be in remaining steady and balanced as any slight movement will be amplified by the use of the stability disc.

If this is too challenging for your at first, perform it with your knees on the ground so as to reduce the overall weight needing to be supported.

Day 4 - Stretch & Stability #1

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