mobility basics for crossfit

Mobility Basics for CrossFit

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As an athlete you have the responsibility to take care of your body

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What you need• foam roll• small ball (we use lacrosse balls)• rubber band• box

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Upper backUpper back muscles tend to get sore and stiff especially among people who sit a lot during the day and in top of that practise CrossFit, which consists of a large amount of overhead movements, pull ups and more.

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First movementFor the first exercise you need a good foam roll. Lie down on a matt or on the floor, place the foam roll under your upper back and start rolling as shown in the pictures. Keep your hip elevated to get the pressure in the right muscles. You can keep your arms crossed on your chest, or hands behind your head, however you feel works the best for you. And whatever mobility or recovery exercise you are doing, remember to breathe.

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Second movementFor the second exercise for the upper back you need a small and hard ball, so that you can reach the muscles between your lats and your vertebra. Lie on the floor with the ball placed so that it massages the right muscles when you move your arm up and down as shown in the pictures. You will feel it when you find the right ones..

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LatsNext in our mobility series are two basic exercises for our latissimus dorsi muscles, also called as “lats”. These muscles are often sore among crossfitters, as the training program usually includes a lot of pull ups. Stiff lats prevent you from properly performing overhead movements, which are also widely represented in CrossFit training.

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To perform the following exercises you need, again, a foam roll and on top of that a rubber band. For the first exercise, lie on your side on the floor and place the foam roll under your armpit as Stefanie shows in the pictures. Your other arm must be outstretched, your hand palm facing slightly towards the ceiling. Use your other arm to keep you in balance and elevate your hip a bit to get pressure on the right muscles. Keep your other knee bent and use your legs to roll on your side. First lean forward (chest towards the floor) and then lean back (back towards the floor). When you don’t feel that you progress, move the roller lower towards your hip.

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The second exercise is stretching the same muscle group. Attach the rubber band somewhere high, the easiest option is the rig at your gym. Grab the rubber band as shown in the pictures, take a few steps back and lean forward against the opposite leg. To find the right position and to reach the right muscles can be bit tricky at first, so try different variations. The stretch can be either a long and a deep one to recover your muscles or an active stretch to prepare you for a workout.

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GlutesNext we will cover mobility exercises for your gluteal muscles, also called “glutes”. Stiffness in this muscle group can lead to different symptoms and pain in several movements, most commonly squats and deadlifts. To avoid that, do yourself a favor and practice these exercises regularly. Most lower back issues are caused by too tight glutes.

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For the first one you need a lacrosse ball (or something similar). The exercise is simple, sit on the floor the ball placed under your glute. Let your knee move towards the floor and then gently lift it up again.

Start with 2-3 minutes per side.

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The second exercise is a stretch. Take a box, or a table with suitable height will do as well. Put your other leg on the box like shown in the picture, keep your hips facing straight forward, same direction as your shoulders. Your shinbone should be placed perpendicularly to that direction.

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Lean forward until you feel the stretch. If your glutes are stiff or the box is high, you might feel it without leaning in so much. Stretch for 3 minutes each side.

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Quads & hip flexorsFor the first exercise you need a barbell. Sit down on the floor with your leg stretched out like Stefanie’s in the two pictures below. Take the barbell, and place it on your quad, ans start rolling the barbell slowly towards the other end of the muscle. Come back slowly, and repeat several times. Do the same with the other leg.

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The second exercise is also called as “couch stretch”. For this, you can use a wall, a box or even a couch. The picture below is showing a variation of the stretch, but your position can look a little bit different depending on your mobility. If you are very flexible, you probably are closer to the wall and more upright. But don’t arch your back too much, and try to feel the stretch in your hip flexors, not quads. Repeat for both sides. Try also to do this as an active stretch before squatting or olympic lifting, it’s an effective way to open up your hips.

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That's a wrap!This was it, our little guide for the 8 most important mobility exercises every crossfitter should practice regularly. Keep these in mind when visiting the gym, do them often and you will move, recover and feel a lot better.

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About WODconnectWODconnect is a product built by a Finnish company, Kisko Labs. WODconnect’s first customers came from Finland, but it now serves athletes and gyms from all over the globe. In addition to workout tracking, WODconnect provides gyms with booking, membership management, payment and billing solutions.

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https://www.wodconnect.com

ContactFor more information contact WODconnect’s co-founder, affiliate owner and head coach at CrossFit Herttoniemi: Antti Akonniemi ([email protected] / +358 40 505 1909)

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