HOW:  Begin this exercise with a heavy barbell on the squat rack, one that you will not be able to move.  Get set up with the bar resting on your shoulders in a single leg position with a slight bend in your knee and hip.  From here, push up into the bar trying to straighten your knee and push for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your quad muscle working as well as the muscles of your leg working as you try to straighten your leg.

 

COMPENSATION: Maintain an upright vertical position as you perform this to best recruit your quadriceps muscles.

HOW: Begin this exercise with a heavy barbell on the squat rack, one that you will not be able to move. Get set up with the bar resting on your shoulders. Stand on one leg and push up into a heel raise pushing against the immovable weight. Push for the prescribed amount of time before returning to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your calf muscles working as you push up into a heel raise.

 

COMPENSATION: Be sure that the object you are pushing up into is immovable as you want this exercise to serve as an isometric meaning that your body is not working through a given range of motion.

HOW: Get set up by hanging from a pull-up bar with your shoulder muscles and abdominal muscles engaged. From here, rotate your hips to the side and then tuck your knees up towards your chest. Return the legs to the starting position and then rotate your hips to the opposite side and again pull your knees up towards your chest. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your abdominal and shoulder muscles working 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid arching through the back in this position. Keep your abdominal and shoulder muscles engaged.

HOW: Begin this stretch by having a resistance band anchored overhead and assume a half kneeling position with the knee of the side you want to stretch planted on the ground. From this position, grab onto the band overhead, tuck the pelvis to a neutral position, and gently shift your weight forward onto the planted foot.  Allow your weight to shift forward letting the arm advance overhead. Hold for the prescribed amount of time and then return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You will feel a stretch through your planted hip, abdominal region, and  your shoulder joint. 

 

COMPENSATION: You should not feel any discomfort in your low back, if you do, try assuming a more neutral pelvic position.

HOW: For this exercise, find a stable surface such as a squat rack or a doorway. Begin with your elbow bent and your body facing the doorway. Place the inside of your wrist against that surface and rotate your body away from your wrist putting your shoulder into external rotation. From this position, lift your hand off of the doorway holding for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles in your shoulder working as well as the muscles around the shoulder blade working.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid straightening your elbow as you perform this exercise. You want to be sure the motion is coming from your shoulder joint and not the elbow joint.

HOW: Begin this exercise by hanging onto a pull-up bar with one palm facing you and the other palm facing away to perform the mixed grip. From the hanging position, use your core and shoulder muscles to pull your body up while bending your elbows. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the biceps and elbow flexors of the palm that is facing you working while the palm that is facing away, you will feel more recruitment of the scapular retractions and shoulder extensors. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your core and shoulders engaged as you perform this exercise to limit arching through the low back.

HOW: Begin laying on your back with the barbell racked above you with the appropriate amount of weight.  As you lay down, your eyes should be directly under the barbell. From here, be sure your feet are flat on the ground, squeeze your shoulder blades together, keep your core engaged, and grab the bar with hands about shoulder-width apart. Bring the barbell over your chest and slowly lower the weight down towards nipple level allowing the elbows to drop down towards the ground. Push the barbell back up to the starting position and perform for the prescribed amount of reps. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your chest and core muscles working as you perform this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your core engaged and feet pressed into the ground. A slight arch in the back is okay but do not overextend with a focus on keeping your core muscles engaged.

HOW: Begin this exercise with a strong resistance band anchored above you. From here, grab onto the band with both hands using it for support. While holding onto the band, begin pushing through your toes keeping your knees mostly straight and allowing the motion to come from your ankles in a quick hopping type motion.

 

FEEL: You should feel your calf and ankle muscles working as you quickly perform this hopping motion.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your arms engaged while performing this exercise and feet springing off the ground making the motion come from the ankles instead of the knees.

HOW: Begin this exercise with your hands on the TRX straps and walk your feet out behind you so you are in a push-up position with your hands under your chest. From here, bend your elbows and lower your chest down towards your hands. Once in this position, push your body back up to the starting position by straightening your elbows.  

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles in your core, shoulders, and chest working.

 

COMPENSATION: Maintain an engaged core and keep your hips level as you perform this exercise. Do not allow your back to arch or your hips to hinge.

HOW: Begin this exercise holding onto both TRX straps with one hand by performing the “loop locking” method as demonstrated. From here, push into the TRX handle and slowly walk your feet away from you to assume a plank position with your body weight being through the arm holding the TRX straps. Hold for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your core and shoulder muscles working as well as your glutes to maintain the plank position. 

 

COMPENSATION: Push through your shoulder muscles to keep your scapular stabilizers engaged.

HOW: Begin by holding onto the TRX straps for this exercise. From here, keep your arms straight as you walk your feet back so you are in a plank position. From this position, bend your elbows bringing your fists towards your ears, and then straighten your elbows to return to the starting position.

 

FEEL: You should feel your triceps muscles working as you perform this exercise. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid hinging at the hips. Keep your hips and shoulders aligned in the plank position.

HOW: Begin this exercise on your hands and knees with your toes in the handles of the TRX. From this position, push through your arms and straighten your legs to assume a plank position. Once in this position, drive one knee quickly towards your chest and then alternate the knee to chest motion for the prescribed amount of reps or time. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your core, shoulder, and hip muscles working as you perform this motion.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your core engaged as you perform this exercise with a focus on not letting the TRX straps rock your body side to side.

HOW: Begin holding firmly onto the TRX with both hands. From here, bend your knees as you assume a squatting position. Using your arms and the TRX for support, push through your legs as you perform a jumping motion. 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles of your shoulders and legs working as you perform this exercise. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid pulling up excessively with the arms as you do this exercise. The TRX band is there for slight assistance and support as needed.

HOW: Begin this exercise holding onto a TRX band and slowly walk your feet forward until you are leaning back. From this position, pull your body forward as you bend your elbows pulling your wrists to your shoulders. From here, keep your shoulder blades squeezed back and rotate your fists up towards the ceiling performing external rotation of the shoulder joint. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your core and shoulder muscles working.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your core engaged as you perform this exercise and slowly control the descent from the top of the motion, do not let your body fall back quickly

  HOW: Begin in a half kneeling position with the knee closest to the wall planted and the opposite foot planted firmly on the ground in front of you. From here, grab a swiss ball and push the swiss ball into the wall at shoulder height using the outside hand. While maintaining pressure on the ball, bend your opposite elbow and bring your hand up to your ear.  Rotate that elbow out and away from the wall letting your eyes follow your hand. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your shoulder, chest , and core muscles working as you perform this exercise. You will also feel a nice rotation through your mid-back.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid leaning excessively with this exercise. Stay upright as you rotate with this exercise.

HOW: Begin leaning up against a wall with your knees bent in a wall sit position. Once there, shift your weight onto one leg and pick the other leg up performing a marching type of motion. Return that foot to the ground and alternate legs. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your core muscles working as well as your quads and other muscles of the legs. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid rocking the body side to side. Keep your torso upright and still while making the motion just come from your legs and hips.

HOW: Begin this exercise in a half kneeling position with one knee planted on the ground and the other foot planted firmly on the ground. From here, grab the resistance band, pull the shoulder blade back beginning in a retracted position, then pull the band back by bending the elbow to perform a row motion.  Return to the starting position.

 

FEEL: You should feel the shoulder muscles working along the shoulder blade as well as your core muscles working to keep you in an upright position. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting your body rock side to side as you perform this exercise. Keep the core engaged with your knee and foot firmly planted.

Timestamps

00:00 Start

00:57 What is the SI Joint?

1:42 Assess to see if you have SIJ dysfunction or pain!

2:04 What causes SIJ pain or dysfunction? 2:20 What can you do to help with your pain?

02:51 Bridge -Adduction

04:41 Sidelying Hip Abduction

06:03 Superman- Swiss Ball

07:14 Single Leg RDL

11:49 End

SI joint or sacroilliac joint pain or discomfort can be extremely frustrating! Lauren knows this well because she has dealt with it! Join us today as Lauren discusses with the SIJ is, explains the difference between SIJ pain and SIJ dysfunction, helps you figure out if you are dealing with SIJ pain and dysfunction and what can be done about it! We know from the research that regardless of if you are dealing with SIJ pain or SIJ dysfunction, working on exercise that help to improve our lumbopelvic stability (aka strengthening the muscles around our low back and pelvis) can be very beneficial when it comes to management of these symptoms! Try a few of these exercises and let us know what you think! Be patient with yourself! This is no small battle but with consistency, you will find the body can do amazing things!

Time Stamps

00:00 What muscles make up the calf complex and their importance with running!

1:09 Why is the soleus so important?

02:09 Bridge…but add in a heel raise!

03:28 Bulgarian Soleus Raise & the importance of soleus work!

04:40 Creeper Walks, you’re gonna wanna see this one because of the name!

05:27 Step Up – Heel Raise & gastrocnemius strengthening!

07:38 End

The calf muscles…such an undervalued group of muscles when it comes to running and endurance sports! Why? Well what if we told you that the soleus muscle has to be able to accept roughly 8x our body weight when running! That’s important! Strengthening for runners is important but strengthening the gastrocnemius, plantaris & the soleus is incredibly important for runners! If you are a runner or endurance athlete and you haven’t been strengthening these muscles then this video is for you! Join Lauren to learn more about why strengthening the calf muscles is so important and more importantly some exercises to do so!

HOW: Start in an all four position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet under your hips with your knees bent. From this position, push through your hands and feet to lift your knees off the ground slightly. While maintaining this, step back behind you with one foot rotating so that your stomach is now facing the ceiling. At this point, you are going to elevate your hips into a bridge position maintaining stability through the planted arm and both legs while reaching the non-planted arm overhead. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your hip, low back, shoulder, and core muscles working as you perform this dynamic movement. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your planted arm straight and shoulder strong as you rotate side to side while performing this exercise.

HOW: Begin laying on your back with your legs straight and holding a kettlebell in one hand with that arm straight. From this position, keep the kettlebell pressed towards the ceiling as you bring your body up to a sitting position. Return to the starting position and repeat for the given number of reps. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your abdominal and shoulder muscles working as you perform this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not use your uninvolved arm to press on the ground as you sit up, you want to use your core muscles as much as possible for this movement instead of pushing through your arm.

HOW: Begin in a seated position with your legs straight in a split position. From this position, reach your arms forward, hold for the given amount of time, return to the starting position and then reach towards each leg holding for the given amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You will feel a stretch through your groin muscles and your hamstring muscles. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your chest up while reaching forward and side to side to encourage a hip hinge movement, try not to round your mid back as you perform this.

HOW: Begin this exercise by laying on your stomach with your shoulders and mid back hanging off the edge and your legs serving as an anchor to the elevated surface. With your arms crossed across your chest, use your back muscles to lift your mid back and shoulders up towards the ceiling ending with your hips and mid back in a straight line. Hold for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles of your leg as well as your low and mid back working to keep your chest up and in line with your hips.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid lifting your torso too high up, the goal here is to have your torso in line with your hips staying parallel to the floor.

HOW: Begin laying on your back with your feet bent and holding a dumbbell with both hands at your chest. From this position, use your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders and mid back off of the ground.

 

FEEL: You will feel your abdominal muscles engaging as you lift your torso and the weight off the ground.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your feet planted on the ground as you perform this exercise.

HOW: Begin laying on your back with your knees bent and arms comfortably resting at your side. From here, straighten one leg and push through your arms and planted foot lifting your hips and low back off of the floor. Hold for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your core hip muscles and hip flexor muscles working to perform this exercise. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your hips elevated and level with performance of this exercise.

HOW: Begin laying on your back with a dumbbell in one hand. Press the dumbbell overhead by straightening your elbow and then lift your shoulders and head as well as your feet up off the floor with your legs straight while performing a flutter kick type motion with your legs. Perform for the prescribed time.

 

FEEL: You will feel your core and abdominal muscles working to perform the flutter kick position as well as your shoulder muscles working to keep the weight overhead.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not allow your back to arch as you perform this exercise.

HOW: Begin in a seated position on the ground with your hands comfortably planted under your shoulders and your knees bent with feet on the ground. From this position, push through your hands and feet to lift your hips off the ground a few inches. Maintain this position as you shift your weight forward onto your feet allowing the arms to come into a comfortable degree of shoulder extension. Hold for the prescribed amount of time and return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your core and hip musculature working to keep your hips up off the floor as well as a comfortable stretch in the front of the shoulders as you shift your weight forward onto your feet. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your hips elevated off the floor a few inches while you perform this exercise.

HOW: Begin in a seated position at the edge of the chair with a dumbbell in each hand. Spread your feet so that the dumbbells stay in between your legs. From here, hinge at the hips bringing the dumbbells down towards the ground. Push through your legs to maintain tension as you bring the dumbbells towards the ground. Once you reach the ground, push through the feet again and return to the upright seated position. Perform for the given number of reps. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles of your low back working as well as your shoulder muscles as they stabilize while performing this movement. 

 

COMPENSATION: Maintain a strong shoulder blade position to allow the motion to come from the hips with this exercise.

HOW: Begin laying on your stomach with your arms resting in the “pocket” area behind your back with your palms facing up and your elbows resting comfortably on the ground. From this position, lift your elbows off the ground as you bring your hands off the low back, straighten your elbows, rotate your thumbs towards the ceiling and bring your arms up overhead finishing with elbows bent and your hands resting on your head. Return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your shoulder muscles working with the performance of this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your gaze down as you perform this exercise and your core engaged minimizing an arching in your low back.

HOW: Begin in a sidelying position on an inclined bench. WIth the free arm, grab onto a dumbbell with your palm facing down. Lift the arm up towards the ceiling pulling with your shoulder blade. Return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles on the back of the shoulder and in between the shoulder blades working as you perform this exercise. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid letting your body rock as you perform this exercise. Maintain a strong core and avoid shrugging the shoulders as you perform this exercise as well.

HOW: Begin in a half kneeling position with one knee on the ground and one foot planted in front. With the knee that is planted on the ground, grab a dumbbell with that same arm and press the dumbbell overhead staying strong through the shoulder blade and the core. Return to the starting position.

 

FEEL: You will feel your core muscles working as well as your shoulder muscles as you press the weight overhead. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoiding leaning to the opposite side as you press the dumbbell overhead.

HOW: Begin seated on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each  hand. From this position, keep your arms straight and lift the dumbbells up to shoulder height. Return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your shoulder muscles working as you perform this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Maintain a strong core as you perform this and do not let your back arch off the bench or let your feet come off the ground.

HOW: Begin laying on your back holding a dumbbell in both hands. From this position, keep your legs straight and lift them several inches off the ground and lift your head and shoulders a few inches off the ground. From here, perform a chest press with the dumbbell by pressing the dumbbell straight up towards the ceiling. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your core muscles working as well as your chest muscles as you push the dumbbell overhead.

 

COMPENSATION:Keep your legs and shoulders elevated off the floor and avoid letting the back arch off the ground.

HOW: Begin with your back resting against an elevated surface such as a bench. From this position, lift your hips up by pushing through your feet. With your hips elevated, bend your hip and lift one foot off of the ground. Return that foot to the ground and lift up the other leg performing a marching f motion. Perform for the prescribed amount of reps. 

 

FEEL: You will feel your core, hip muscles, and hip flexors working as you perform this motion.  COMPENSATION: Keep your hips up as you perform this exercise, do not let them drop down.

HOW: Begin in a tall kneeling position on your knees holding a dumbbell in both hands. From this position, keep your core engaged and press the dumbbell up overhead. Return to the starting position.

 

FEEL: You will feel your shoulder muscles working and your core muscles working as well as you press the dumbbell overhead. 

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid arching through the back as you lift the weight overhead, keep your core engaged.

HOW: Begin in a half kneeling position with your front leg straight and your back knee bent and resting on the ground. Have both arms resting on an elevated surface to best assist with the split position.  From this position, slowly walk your feet out with your legs straight to assume a split position that feels most comfortable to you.

 

FEEL: You will feel a comfortable stretch in the hamstring and groin of the leg in front and in the front of the hip of the leg that is back. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your chest up as you perform this exercise.

HOW: Begin in a half kneeling position with your front leg straight and your back foot resting comfortably on an elevated surface such as a couch or chair. From this position, gently tuck your pelvis and shift your weight forward and back to feel a stretch in the front of the hip of the planted knee and the back of the leg with the front leg that is straight. 

 

FEEL:  You should feel a comfortable stretch in the front of your hip of the knee that is planted and a stretch in the back of the leg of the foot that is in front. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your pelvis slightly tucked and do not arch your back

HOW: Begin in a half kneeling position with your front leg straight and your back foot resting comfortably on an elevated surface such as a couch or chair. From this position, gently tuck your pelvis to feel a stretch in the front of the hip of the planted knee and the back of the leg with the front leg that is straight. Hold for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL:  You should feel a comfortable stretch in the front of your hip of the knee that is planted and a stretch in the back of the leg of the foot that is in front. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your pelvis slightly tucked and do not arch your back with the performance of this exercise.

HOW: Begin in a half kneeling position with your back foot planted on an elevated surface such as a chair or couch. From this position, tuck your pelvis and shift your weight forward onto the front foot, pause, and rock your weight back.

 

FEEL: You should feel a comfortable stretch in the front of your hip of the knee that is planted and a stretch in the back of the leg of the foot that is in front.  COMPENSATION: Keep your pelvis tucked as you perform this exercise and do not let your back arch

HOW: In a seated position with a resistance band anchored behind you, start with your hands holding the band overhead. From this position with your arms straight, pull the band down towards your lap stopping at shoulder height. From here, let the band assist with pulling your arms up overhead, pause for the given amount of time, and return to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles in the front of your chest working as you pull the band down towards your lap. As you let the band assist with bringing the arms overhead, you will feel a stretch through the underside of the arms. 

 

COMPENSATION: As the band assists with pulling your arms overhead, allow the motion to just come from the shoulder joint and do not arch the back.

HOW: Begin this exercise in a seated position with your ankle hanging comfortably off the edge of a table and the inner lower leg facing upwards. With the ISOTIB appropriately on your foot, lift your foot up towards the ceiling, pause for the given amount of time, and return your foot to the starting position.

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles of your inner lower leg working to move your foot into ankle inversion.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid having the motion come from your knee or hip joint. Keep your leg straight and relaxed with the motion only coming from the ankle joint.

HOW: Begin this exercise in a seated position with your ankle hanging comfortably off the edge of a table and the outer lower leg facing upwards. With the ISOTIB appropriately on your foot, lift your foot up towards the ceiling, pause for the given amount of time, and return your foot to the starting position.

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles on your outer lower leg working to move your foot into ankle eversion.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid having the motion come from your knee or hip joint. Keep your leg straight and relaxed with the motion only coming from the ankle joint.

HOW: Begin this exercise in a seated position with your ankle hanging comfortably off the edge of a table or elevated surface. With the ISOTIB appropriately on your foot, pull your toes up towards your face, pause for the given amount of time, and return your foot to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles on the front of your lower leg working.  COMPENSATION: Avoid having the motion come from your knee or hip joint. Keep your leg straight and relaxed with the motion only coming from the ankle joint.

HOW: Begin this exercise in a seated position with your ankle hanging comfortably off the edge of a table or elevated surface. With the ISOTIB appropriately on your foot, gently roll your ankle in counterclockwise or clockwise for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles of your ankle and foot working to help move your foot in clockwise and counterclockwise circles.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid the motion coming from your hip joint by keeping your leg stationary and allowing the motion to just come from your ankle joint.

Timestamps

00:00 What is the shoulder labrum?

4:45 Kettlebell Pull Through…What’s the goal?

5:36 Work on your shoulder stability with Carry – 90/90, Bottoms Up, Unilateral

6:47 Focus on regaining shoulder rotation with Shoulder Internal Rotation – 90-90, Band

8:27 End

 

Shoulder labrum injuries happen! Typically they are caused by one of two reasons. The first being a compressive type of injury, the second being a traction type of injury. Dive into this video to learn the difference between the two. What we do know about shoulder labrum injuries, and what we know REALLY well is that performing strengthening exercises with a focus on stability is crucial. Since the labrum helps to provide stability to the shoulder joint, with a labrum injury, we need to work on regaining that stability and neuromuscular control. Check out some of our favorite exercises for shoulder labrum injuries in this video!