Over the past couple weeks of observing athletes train specific workouts I haven’t seen before, I have always wanted to try them out for myself. Finally last week, Big Mike suggested that we get more familiar with these exercises. During our free time, the interns went through the motion.
Each of us were taught how to properly hip hinge, lunge, and squat using a PVC pipe. The pipe is used to guide you through the exercise using the correct technique. My fellow interns and I cued each other on technique using the PVC pipe. Mike then introduced us to using the proper form of “deadbug”. This workout was harder than it looked. After just a few minutes of reps on each exercise, my abdominal muscles felt sore. Going forward, I’m always going to be aware of having three points of contact as if I had a PVC pipe on my back.
This week, Dan demonstrated the correct form of Level 1 lower body exercises such as glute bridges, PVC hip hinges, assisted 1 leg SLDL, PVC split squat, assisted squat, and Keiser squat. I was more familiar with these exercises. Of course, with these exercises along with any other exercise, you want to find out whats working. For example, with glute bridges you want to drive through your heels. But, that’s not enough. You want to feel your glutes turn on. Sometimes using a mini band around your knees can help you use your glutes opposed to your hamstrings or lower back. In the future, I want to use these techniques to guide my friends, family, clients and whom ever else may be in need of proper form.
An exercise that I read about is called the 90/90 bridge with ball and balloon. This exercise is designed to enhance breathing, posture and stability in order to improve function and to lower pain of the person doing the exercise. This exercise is meant to increase respiration and limb movements. It also increases postural demands for stabilization. The Zone of Apposition (ZOA) is an area of the diaphragm that communicates to the inner aspect of the lower rib cage. The Zone of Apposition is important because it is controlled by the abdominal muscles and directs tension to the diaphragm. After researching the ball and balloon exercise I thought was very interesting and I would like to try it myself.
I’m interested in learning more about strength and conditioning in different ways using different types of exercises. Each week I’m learning about correct techniques that I can apply when I’m working with athletes. This up coming week I will create my very own coaching philosophy.