Bodybuilding and mobility exercises? yes. Despite their large size, bodybuilders are surprisingly mobile. After all, you can’t lift heavy weights for a living without having to some degree of mobility.
As a fitness writer and trainer, I’m constantly navigating the balance between time spent at my desk and doing what I preach in the gym—prioritizing movement. But while I can happily be found throwing a barbell around my local CrossFit class (see what happened when I trained like one of the UK’s best CrossFit athletes), finding time to relax and stretch is a whole different ball game.
With that in mind, I decided to plop myself down on one of the best yoga mats to upgrade my recovery routine with some quality hip mobility stretches and exercises. And what better person to turn to than bodybuilder Opie Vincent, an athlete from a mobility and recovery app flexibility (Opens in a new tab)which focuses on teaching yoga, rehabilitation, mindfulness, and more.
Find out these stretches that help tight quadriceps, or read on to find out what happened when I put this bodybuilding recovery routine to the ultimate test.
Mobility exercises: Why are they important?
Movement exercises play a pivotal role in keeping your joints healthy, allowing you to perform activities using your full range of motion; This is critical to keeping your body stable, safe, and injury-free during your workout. But people confuse the meaning of flexibility with mobility.
According to the International Sports Science Association (Opens in a new tab)Flexibility refers to your for muscles The ability to ‘passively prolonged. Through a range of motion, such as performing a hamstring stretch. On the other hand, mobility is an ability subscriber To actively move through a range of motion, such as the distance you can open your hip, for example. Mobility also represents control of your motor, which is key if you’re using dumbbells over your head.
Whether you’re an avid gymnast or prefer to master the deadlift in the gym, work on your mobility And the Flexibility can improve your athletic performance, help you lift weights, move better, and become more efficient and effective as an athlete. Can’t you love him?
Obi Vincent’s mobility exercises for hip pain
Vincent is one of the leading fitness content creators in the UK and considers streaming navigation an important part of his routine. “The beauty of training and movement is that we can see that change every single day,” he says.
“For me to perform at my best, practicing my movement is a non-negotiable part of my training. The flow of mobility I provide is ideal for pre-, post- or post-workout days and can be easily incorporated into all training plans.”
1. Travel seated across the leg
This stretch strengthens the muscles in the back, knees, and ankles, and opens the hips, thighs, and outer thighs. Extend one leg if a squat cannot be achieved.
- Start sitting
- Cross your legs so that your right shin is in front of your left shin
- Lean forward allowing your back to round and your head to hang freely
- Walk your hands as far as you feel comfortable
- Walk your hands back, then slowly bend back at your elbows to reverse the stretch, gently lifting your chest and hips
- Move between the two
- Switch legs every 10 reps and repeat. Wait up to 1 minute to do this negative stretch.
2. The seal / Sphinx
This pose lengthens the muscles of the abdomen and hips and straightens the spine.
- Start by lying down facing the floor
- Place both hands outside of your chest
- Lie on your forearms, lift your chest toward the ceiling
- Allow your head to relax as you lift your chest and allow your abdominal muscles to smooth toward the floor
- Wait up to 1 minute.
3. Dragon mode
This stretch mobilizes and stretches the hips and quads to avoid any tightness.
- Stand upright, then step forward into a lunge position with your back knee resting
- Reach up with both hands and lift through your spine, then drive your hips forward while keeping your core tight
- Avoid overextending your back
- Bend away from your back leg until you feel a stretching sensation in your quadriceps muscle.
- Hold for 20-30 seconds. Change 2-3 times on each side.
4. Sumo squat
This pose activates muscle groups throughout the lower body including the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes and lower back muscles.
- Start standing with your feet slightly wider than your hips and toes
- Squat as far as your mobility allows
- Press your elbows into the inside of your knees and press your hands together in a prayer position
- Allow your hips to sink toward the floor while keeping your chest and heels firmly engaged
- Avoid turning your knees in. Roll on the ball of one foot and then shift your weight to the other foot. Keep moving between the two.
5. Rolling bathroom mode
This pose will help release your hips and lower back muscles and improve flexibility.
- Starting on all sides, cross your right leg forward with your heel behind your left wrist and your right knee behind your right wrist
- Extend your left leg behind you, then bring your hips toward the front
- If your butt won’t touch the ground, slip a block or pad under it for extra support
- Slowly lower your chest forward over your leg
- Try to maintain a 90-degree angle with your front leg. If you feel any pressure in the knee or are having trouble maintaining the 90-degree angle, move your front foot closer to your body to feel the stretch deeper in the hip
- Spend 1 to 2 minutes on each side, switching between pushing your chest into your knee for 10 seconds and relaxing
- Practice tucking the toes of your back foot under and rolling the ball of your foot.
I Just Tried This Bodybuilder’s Mobility Workout For Quadriceps Pain – Here’s What Happened
Tight hip muscles, hamstrings, glutes, and a weak core contribute to common injuries like lower back pain and knee pain because other (overused) muscles have to pick up the slack. Given that many people lead sedentary lifestyles or work sedentary, it is easy for these muscles to become weak, underused, and tight, which increases the chances of injury.
In an effort to separate exercise into the day, I unfortunately neglect pre-workout mobility exercises and post-workout stretching (I know, bad posture for a PT). I consider myself fortunate to have very open thighs, but I sometimes feel pain in my hip joint and have difficulty achieving full range of motion in my back squats (when the body is back-loaded and more of the back-body is working).
I decided to put hip mobility exercises to the test to see if they could help me definitively. I initially performed this stepping routine dynamically, moving between each exercise for three rounds. Then I would grimace my way through three minutes per stretch, passively. The whole time, I focused on my breathing (well, I tried) using each exhalation to bring down more of the stretch. But did it help?
yes. But practicing this routine for once won’t do much. Search (Opens in a new tab)It is suggested that stretching exercises only have a short-term effect on our muscles, so you will need to include this routine regularly if you want to benefit in the long term. However, I did notice better range of motion in the squat (my only criterion for this routine) and surprisingly less pain. Time will tell how useful these mobility exercises can be, but I am already noticing freer movement and also enjoying the 15 minutes I spend on myself.
Next: I just tried this yoga for knee pain training and this is Lower back stretch Amazing for back pain.
Opie Vincent
Obi Vincent is one of the UK’s leading fitness content creators who has developed global appeal due to its unique blend of conditioning and bodybuilding training. flexibility He has several smart mobility flows that use a combination of yin yoga, specific movement flows, and stretching to reduce the risk of injury and tightness, and improve the functioning of your body.
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