Workout – Achieve Movement Mastery
How well do you move? Sure, you can take two stairs at a time on your morning run, but what about leaping over that huge puddle in the crosswalk when you’ve got a backpack or briefcase or groceries in tow? It takes both sensory awareness and motor skill to get from point A to point B under those conditions (not to mention when that cyclist takes a sudden right turn in front of you).
This workout is designed to engage not only your muscles but also your brain. Your joints need to be strong enough to handle launching you over that unexpected broken curb, and your nervous system needs to be able to control that sudden movement—or a change in direction—including doing so with load, if you’re carrying something. The movements in this workout will challenge your brain to understand where your body is now, the trajectory of motion you need, and how to move your body to get there, while your joints and muscles “learn” to move under variable circumstances.
Warm-Up
Workout
- Perform 12 to 20 reps of each movement before moving on to the next.
- Do the movements in sequence to complete one circuit; perform two to three circuits.
- Choose weight that’s heavy enough to create fatigue but not total exhaustion.
Segmented Burpee
- Begin standing with your feet under your hips, arms at your sides.
- Squat down, letting your arms come in front of you, then place your hands on the ground under your shoulders. Step your right foot and then your left foot back to come into a high plank.
- Step your right foot and then your left foot forward to come back into a low squat, and press through your heels to stand. Repeat.
Body Roll to Get-Up
- Begin lying in a supine position with your arms above your head.
- Use your core to roll your body over into a prone position, arms still above your head.
- Bring your hands down under your shoulders and press up into an extended plank position.
- Bring your right foot forward and then your left foot to come into a squat. Press down through your heels to stand.
- Reverse the move by coming back down into a squat, placing your hands on the floor, and stepping your right foot and then left foot back into an extended plank.
- Lower yourself back to the ground like you’re performing a push-up. Extend your hands overhead and roll onto your back. Repeat.
- Modify it: If your disruptors are high, start the movement on your side and roll to your stomach. This lowers neural demand and fatigue, to help maximize calorie burn.
Turkish Half Get-Up
- Begin lying in a supine position with your left hand at your side, your left leg extended straight, your right knee bent, your right foot flat on the floor and your right arm extended into the air above your shoulder.
- Press up onto your left forearm, keeping your right arm extended and directly over your shoulder.
- Come up onto your left hand and drive your hips up toward the ceiling.
- Reverse the move by lowering your hips, slowly coming back down onto your forearm, then onto your back.
- Modify it: Avoid the bridge position if your disruptors are high. This will reduce neural demand—and related fatigue—so that you can perform the movement and maximize calorie burn.
Dumbbell Hang Clean
- Begin standing with your feet under your hips, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs.
- Bend your knees to bring the dumbbells to knee height, tucking your chin to look at the floor about 6 feet in front of you.
- In one fluid motion, drive up onto your toes and upright-row the dumbbells up to chest height, letting your elbows lead the way.
- Flip your elbows under the dumbbells, and perform a squat to jump under the dumbbells.
- Reverse the move by coming up onto your toes and flipping your elbows back up over the dumbbells, slowly lowering them back in front of your thighs.
TIP: Keep the dumbbells close to your body throughout the whole movement to avoid performing a reverse curl.
Cool-Down
Photo credit: BONNINSTUDIO, Stocksy
GIFs: Mark Kuroda, kurodastudios.com
Model credit: Nieka Mamczak, 24 Hour Fitness