This 3-Move Activation Warmup Will Improve Your Workouts

Activation and mobility drills generally aren’t the sexiest part of your gym routine. But these three maneuvers from Andy Speer, C.S.C.S., MH’s 2014 Next Top Trainer winner, just might be smart enough to get you excited to get moving.

Speer recently posted the series on Instagram and wrote that he’s been using the moves as part of his pre-workout warmup. He cites that they’re a great way to wake up your core through anti-rotation, while also opening up the often-tight thoracic spine and hips. You’ll promote stability through your shoulders to reduce the risk of injury on certain movements, too.

You won’t be able to just sleepwalk through the warmup, either. “Surprisingly tough by the end of the set, this sneaky fox will wake you up,” he writes.

To take on the activation and mobility series, you’ll need some space to spread out and a weight for the first move (Speer uses a kettlebell, but anything will work). Try it out before hitting your regular dynamic warmup for a better quality workout.

View this post on Instagram

Warm Up These are 3 warm up moves I’ve been using recently. The focus is core anti-rotation, thoracic rotation, shoulder stability and hip mobility. These should get you ready pop on your feet and begin your dynamic warm up or specific movement prep. … 1. 3 position KB Dead Bug Do 10 alternating kick outs in each KB position. Maintain a controlled tempo and floor contact with your lower back. Grip the bell and slightly protract your shoulder. … 2. Adductor rock to thoracic rotation Rocks x 5 Rotation x 5 ea direction Key is to maintain a long spine, resist the tendency to flex or round when sitting back. Also think about rotating your rib cage by driving your base arm down into the floor. The thoracic rotation and (rib cage cueing) from this position is courtesy of @lukemotiv. … 3. Bird Dog to Hip CARs Bird Dog x 8, Hip CARs x 4 ea direction Surprisingly tough by the end of the set, this sneaky fox will wake you up. Working hip ROM, core stability and shoulder stability. Key is maintaining level hip position during the CARs. @sslryan turned me on to this lovely number. . Plug these into your warm up this week! . . . . #warmup #mobility #rotate #stabilize #hips #shoulder #run #lift #stretch #prepare

A post shared by Andy Speer (@andyspeer) on Oct 13, 2019 at 1:54pm PDT

1. 3-Position Kettlebell Deadbug

Do 10 alternating kickouts in each position.

2. Adductor Rock to Thoracic Rotation
Do 10 rocks and 5 rotations, repeating 5 times in each direction.

3. Bird Dog to Hip CARs

Do 8 bird dogs, then 8 hip CARs per side, repeating 4 times.

Source: Read Full Article