StrongFirst | A Drill for Stronger Abs and Better Body Control | StrongFirst @BeStrongFirst | Uploaded March 2023 | Updated October 2024, 11 minutes ago.
In StrongFirst, we practice controlling muscle tension and relaxation to improve performance.
The following drill was intended to improve my rock climbing ability, but in the end, it also helped me move more freely, and also created better mind-body awareness and control—something any athlete, not just a climber would benefit from.
As a rock climber, I’ve gotten into certain positions that make it hard to move. I can easily touch my elbow to my knee while standing in the middle of the gym, but when I’m on a wall and various muscles are tense, that same action can become quite difficult. This makes climbing an interesting challenge. You must learn to relax some muscles while keeping others very tense. For the past year, I’ve been playing around with drills in which I create tension with certain muscle groups while simultaneously relaxing others.
Here is a drill you can do on the floor or in a suspension trainer.
Experiment to find a chest fly width that you’re able to sustain.
Play around with creating tension throughout your body. For example, squeeze your glutes, pull up your kneecaps, press your hands down into the floor. For calf tension, push into a slight ankle extension as if doing a standing calf raise. Without moving, pull your pinkie fingers in the direction of your feet, and you’ll find further engagement.
Now, while trying to keep tension throughout the rest of your body, relax one leg—maybe even shake it out.
Then bring your knee up toward your elbow. Kick that leg back to position and find total body tension again.
Repeat on the other side.
You may need to rest and shake out the tension (“fast and loose”) before switching legs.
I’ve been performing this drill for a little over a year and have noticed improved mobility on the wall and the ability to stick to the wall better. Give it a try—even if you are not a climber.
– Derek Toshner, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor
–––
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Workshops and instructor's certifications - kettlebell, bodyweight, barbell. Be StrongFirst!
#strongfirst #kettlebell #barbell #bodyweight #bestrongfirst
In StrongFirst, we practice controlling muscle tension and relaxation to improve performance.
The following drill was intended to improve my rock climbing ability, but in the end, it also helped me move more freely, and also created better mind-body awareness and control—something any athlete, not just a climber would benefit from.
As a rock climber, I’ve gotten into certain positions that make it hard to move. I can easily touch my elbow to my knee while standing in the middle of the gym, but when I’m on a wall and various muscles are tense, that same action can become quite difficult. This makes climbing an interesting challenge. You must learn to relax some muscles while keeping others very tense. For the past year, I’ve been playing around with drills in which I create tension with certain muscle groups while simultaneously relaxing others.
Here is a drill you can do on the floor or in a suspension trainer.
Experiment to find a chest fly width that you’re able to sustain.
Play around with creating tension throughout your body. For example, squeeze your glutes, pull up your kneecaps, press your hands down into the floor. For calf tension, push into a slight ankle extension as if doing a standing calf raise. Without moving, pull your pinkie fingers in the direction of your feet, and you’ll find further engagement.
Now, while trying to keep tension throughout the rest of your body, relax one leg—maybe even shake it out.
Then bring your knee up toward your elbow. Kick that leg back to position and find total body tension again.
Repeat on the other side.
You may need to rest and shake out the tension (“fast and loose”) before switching legs.
I’ve been performing this drill for a little over a year and have noticed improved mobility on the wall and the ability to stick to the wall better. Give it a try—even if you are not a climber.
– Derek Toshner, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor
–––
Please subscribe to our channel youtube.com/user/BeStrongFirst
STRONGER TODAY special report BY PAVEL
FREE when you join our list
strongfirst.com/newsletter
StrongFirst: the School of Strength
Website: strongfirst.com
StrongFirst Forum: strongfirst.com/community
Facebook page: facebook.com/bestrongfirst
Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/StrongFirst
Instagram: instagram.com/strongfirst
Twitter: twitter.com/bestrongfirst
Online Courses
strongfirst.skilltrain.com
StrongFirst Training App
strongfirst.com/shop/strongfirst-training-app/strongfirst-training-app
Workshops and instructor's certifications - kettlebell, bodyweight, barbell. Be StrongFirst!
#strongfirst #kettlebell #barbell #bodyweight #bestrongfirst
