Shoulder Work Instructional

In the video below, Wade Maselich and I go through a three-step process: we start with an assessment first and some discussion of the fundamental structure of the anatomy of the shoulder, we follow that up with some mobility work and finally we get into stability work. Stability is often neglected because people become so focussed on mobility. That shouldn’t happen.

Keep an eye out for more of my instructionals here on Breaking Muscle or just click on the word tag Tromello Instructionals to pull them all up.

The post Shoulder Work: Self-Assessment and Development appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

So far we have covered ankle mobility, hip mobility, and thoracic stability in this series of video instructionals. This time, we are going to review the rack position. The rack position is neither intuitive nor is it a natural position for many people. However, with the right emphasis on developing a strong rack position with the appropriate flexibility in the elbows, wrists, and shoulder, you learn to appreciate how naturally effective a strong rack position in your lifting practice.

In this video, we are going to start off with some self-testing so you can assess where you stand in your own practice, then we will pursue some exercises and holds that are designed to improve your rack position over the long term. Enjoy this instructional video with Coach Mike Tromello and PT Wade Maselich of Precision CrossFit in Agoura Hills, California. Look for more in this series in our Mobility Selt-Test and Improvement playlist on this channel.

As we have seen previously, most strength athletes seem to have limitations with mobility of the thoracic spine. Howvever, most coaches will tell you to get the elbows high in the racking of the barbell in the clean position.

The higher the elbows can go, the further back on the deltoids the bar can rest and therefore, be more stable. And, as a rule, if your elbows are not high you might touch your thighs which would be considered a no lift in weightlifting competition.

Check out the instructional video above, test your own limits, and do the exercises, working your way towards the right level of flexibility for a solid rack position. It makes a huge difference in your lifting, and it should be an essential part of your practice to make sure that you have optimal positioning and form.

Keep an eye out for more upcoming instructionals in the coming weeks or just click on the word tag Tromello Instructionals to pull them all up.

The post The Rack Position Deserves Your Time appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

So far we have covered ankle mobility and hip mobility in this series of video instructionals. This time, we are going to review thoracic mobility. Funnily enough, it isn’t about mobility so much as it is about stability. In the ankle mobility instructional, we were really griding it out and trying to address a lot of issues through working those joints. In the hip mobility segment, we showed a lot of stretches and sustained stretches, really talking about opening up the hip.

When it comes to thoracic mobility, it’s mostly about actively trying to keep that chest up. Basically, can you keep your chest up while you are at the bottom of the squat. In the video below, we are going to start off with some self-testing so you can assess where you stand in your own practice, then we will dig into some mobility, and finally, go big on stability. That’s going to include ways to strengthen the thorax so that you can better stabilize it.

Keep an eye out for more upcoming instructionals in the coming weeks or just click on the word tag Tromello Instructionals to pull them all up.

The post Thoracic Mobility: Chest Up When You Squat appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Our previous video dealt with Ankle Mobility. This time, I want to review your hip flexibility, specifically abductors and adductors, and hip flexors, predominantly how tightness in those areas hinders your mobility.

Basic Hip Mechanics

Let’s take a look at the fundamental structure of the hips. There’s a group of six muscles and you can fairly compare the structure to the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder. You can read a lot more about the mechanics of the hips here: The Balance of Power in the Hips. I am going to just get into the actual work in the video below. But, here’s a nice quote from the article to put it all in perspective.

These muscles, along with the ligaments, provide the hip with a balanced sense of stability. From there, layers of muscles allow the femur (thigh bone) to move in all directions. Many of the hip muscles do several things, like bring the hip forward and rotate it inwards, or move it backward and into external rotation. Instead of focusing on what each individual muscle does, you can create a sense of balanced strength and mobility throughout the hip’s range of motion. Once you do, everything tends to work (and feel) a whole lot better.

Jennifer Pilotti

Poor hip extension is associated with tight hip flexor muscles, which are the muscles in the front of your leg that stretch when you try to move your leg back behind you. To add to this tightness, some of your hip flexor muscles are short and broad, and these types of muscles tend to be hard to stretch.

The hip flexor muscles are also hard for most people to isolate for stretching or active movements that require flexibility. Then, there’s the adductors and abductors which perform differently in men and women but also play a role in your hip mobility.

I am working with Wade Maselich, again, over at my gym Precision CrossFit in Agoura Hills, California, as part of this series. We start this video with some tests that you can do on yourself to see how mobile our hips are. It follows with some massage techniques leading into stretches and movements that will help create more flexibility.

Finally, how you can strengthen your hips as part of your mobility practice for this pivotal segment of your body. Michael Tromello and Wade Maselich of Precision CrossFit in Agoura Hills, California, are your hosts. This is part of a series of videos so check for them in our Mobility Work Playlist on this channel.

Keep an eye out for more upcoming instructionals in the coming weeks or just click on the word tag Tromello Instructionals to pull them all up.

The post Hip Mobility – Unleash Your Power appeared first on Breaking Muscle.