Weekly Workout #7: Recovery - Stabilization & Balance Emphasis

Recovery Workout

- Stabilization & Balance Emphasis -

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WORKOUT SUMMARY (+ CLICK TO ENLARGE)
SEE BELOW FOR YOUR DETAILED WORKOUT WALKTHROUGH

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Swap	#1 & #2	3	30" of swaps per side	30-60"	3-4	N/A

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Foot and Ankle Training is one of the most neglected components of strength and performance. If the feet and ankles aren’t functioning properly (which most individual’s are not) then all components of movement performance, strength, and fitness, are compromised. Simply put if the feet and ankles are out of synch it will be impossible to perform any lower body exercise correctly. You’ll be squatting, hinging, lunging, jumping, running, and even walking with faulty mechanics which can lead to a number of potential injuries throughout the kinetic chain.

It’s for this reason I frequently implement an exercise I refer to as the single leg swap/single leg switch. Since introducing this exercise to the fitness community several years ago on @testosteronenation, it’s gained great popularity in mainstream strength and conditioning settings as well as physical therapy circles. That’s because it’s one of the most effective drills for correcting various forms of foot dysfunction. Here’s one of my NFL athletes and Jerel Worthy demonstrating a more advanced progression using a bumper plate and unstable surface.

This variation tends to have an immediate impact on improving balance and stability as the heightened activation of the hands and fingers produces concurrent activation potentiation (CAP). The CAP phenomenon describes a scenario where activation of the smallest muscles in the extremities increases neural drive throughout the entire body including to the core, spinal stabilizers, shoulders, hips and other muscles. As a result there’s improved balance and motor control due to increased activation of stabilizers as well as immediate reduction in energy leaks. To learn more about fixing your feet and ankles check out my Ultimate Foot and Ankle Manuel at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/foot-and-ankle-manual/

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Ball Bodyweight Squats	#1 & #2	3	4-6	45-90"	3-5	3"

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Here's a great alternative to the traditional pistol squat or single leg squat that actually challenges the targeted musculature without destroying the joints or degrading optimal body mechanics. These are deceptively challenging as they require significant stabilization, balance, motor control, mobility, postural alignment, and strength to successfully perform. These are also quite effective for targeting the muscles of the feet and ankles which is an incredibly underrated component of fitness and performance.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Bent Over Dumbbell Row	#3 & #4	3	5-6	45-90"	4	2"

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A common problem with bent over rows is that the weight is loaded to the front of the body which places greater stress on the low back and also promotes shoulder elevation. Trying to eliminate this by using dumbbells and pulling them to the sides of the body causes the weights to run into the legs.

A simple solution that allows the weight to sit freely to the sides of the body while simultaneously promoting incredibly strict form are single leg bent over dumbbell rows. Once you learn to balance on one leg, the movement feels more natural than most bent over rows as the weight can fall to the side of the support leg without feeling encumbered or crowded.

You’ll also be forced to eliminate any momentum, cheating, or technique issues as any aberrations in form will immediately disrupt balance. Ideally you should be able to handle at least 70% of the weight you use for standard bent over rows. If you’re unable to do this then you most likely need to work on your single leg balance, hip function, and rowing mechanics.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Arm Kettlbell Chest Press on Stability Ball - Eyes Closed	#3 & #4	3	4-5	45-90"	3-4	2"

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Yeah yeah, I know, I’ve heard the argument dozens of times. The stability ball is useless for performing upper body exercises on right? No actually the stability ball and other unstable training tools each have their own place in a training routine when properly implemented. Here’s one of my bodybuilding athletes Ben Lai performing an eyes closed single arm kettlebell chest press on a stability ball.

This particular combination is something I may only periodically use however, the long term benefits this has on improving technique and forcing the lifter to dial in their form is tough to beat. Keeping the eyes closed while simultaneously resisting an offset or unilateral load on a stability ball both requires and produces the highest levels of motor control, proprioceptive feedback, core stability, spinal rigidity, rotary stability, lumbopelvic alignment, mental concentration, shoulder stability and full body tension. Oh and just in case you were wondering, yes, the chest, shoulders, and triceps get crushed as well due to the heightened levels of constant tension.

So while there may not be an incredibly high level of muscle damage and micro-trauma simply because you won’t be handling as heavy of a load, the degree of intramuscular tension and metabolic stress (2 key hypertrophy mechanisms) are both incredibly high. On a final side note, Ben is using a 80 pound kettlebell in this video. If he were going to perform this on a stable surface with eyes open he could handle 100 pounds or more. The key is that he did not have to use a dramatically lighter load for the more challenging variation primarily because we’ve trained him to lock his movement mechanics in so precisely that even when he performs a unique and highly advanced variation of a movement pattern he only needs to reduce the weight 15-25% at most.

If you find yourself having to drop the load by 50% or more every time you incorporate a unique or highly advanced variation of a more traditional movement, chances are you need to work on your mechanics and technique. Try incorporating more eyes closed eccentric isometrics to enhance this.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Anti-Rolling Lunge on Medicine Ball	#5 & #6	2	5 per side	60-90"	3-4	2"

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I call this the anti-rolling lunge. This exposes energy leaks and faulty mechanics as any movement aberration will result in the ball rolling around and causing loss of control.

To eliminate the rolling effect the lifter’s force vectors will have to be transmitted perfectly vertical into the ground with no energy leaks or waisted force/motion. In many ways this also represents a slight regression of the foam roller variations as it’s slightly easier than the foam roller versions I previously highlighted. With that said movement aberrations are not as quickly punished with the medicine ball variations as it does allow slightly more room for deviations and subtle errors. However as mentioned it is a great way to get the best of both worlds by combining the effects of the two foam roller variations. As an added bonus this is an incredible drill for strengthening the muscles around the feet and ankles as these variations require incredible stability, balance, and motor control.

Try applying the medicine ball technique to any of your favorite lunges including barbell, dumbbell, goblet style, single arm variations, and kettlebell variations. Eyes closed variations will also provide incredible feedback about your lower body function and mechanics. Several sets of 5-8 reps either as a warmup to help dial in your CNS or as a lower body finisher will do wonders for strengthening your legs and ingraining proper lunge mechanics. Read more HERE.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Glute Bridge on Medicine Ball	#5 & #6	2	5 per side	60"	3-4	2-3"

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This specific variation of the glute bridge helps to eliminate multiple types of dysfunction as the ball will roll out laterally, medially, or front to back unless mechanics are rock solid. It also lights up the glutes and hamstrings.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Knee Tuck Lat Pulldowns	#7 & #8	2-3	5-6	60-90"	3-4	2"

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The Knee Tuck Lat Pulldown is a great way to minimize low back extension during lat pulldowns as it helps ensure maximal core tightness as shown here by my awesome client Leslie Petch.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Kneeling Overhead Pizza Plate Press: Technique Training for the Military Press	#7 & #8	2-3	4-5 per side	75-90"	4	2-3"

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This one’s a bit funky looking but it serves a very distinct purpose. Most lifters lack ability to properly centrate their glenohumeral joint. This deficiency is even more pronounced during the overhead press. The pizza plate press (using the flat side of an old-school iron weight plate) will give you immediate feedback as to whether or not your shoulder mechanics and overhead pressing technique are dialed in. If you fail to create 3-dimensional shoulder stability by depressing, retracting, and medially rotating your scapula and shoulders towards your spine you’ll dump the weight plate.

Simply, hold an old-school iron weight plate flat in your hand and perform a press while tucking your elbows to the front of your body. Even if you’re able to avoid dumping the load, record yourself and observe the weight plate. If the plate stays completely parallel to the floor while keeping your elbows tucked to the front of your body then you know that your shoulder function and overhead pressing mechanics are most likely spot on. If the plate fails to stay parallel to the floor then you’ll want to address your specific areas of weakness before you produce further dysfunction and significant injury.

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EXERCISE	TIME	SPEED	INCLINE	INTERVALS	RPE
Interval Cardio and Foot & Ankle Activation	10-30'	4-10MPH	2.5-5	0-5	4-6

Exercise Logistics Overview

Notes (Scroll Down)

Perform cardio training in barefoot or in minimalist shoes. Walk briskly on a treadmill at a minimum of 4 speed and 2.5-5 incline for 10-15 minutes. Keep a good gate with proper foot position (see instructional videos). Low intensity intervals can be included but should be minimal (0-5 intervals) with 30" light jogs (speed of 7-10 mph) allocated sparingly throughout. Alternatively, steady state cardio for 10-15 minutes is also just fine as today's workout is a recovery day. No matter what, use today to really focus on proper foot activation as illustrated in the videos, spending 5-10 minutes on the outlined foot and ankle protocols.

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