lnelson
05-12-2004, 10:35 PM
I thought I'd share with the forum participants a little exercise I made up called "Circling the torso with the extremities committed". This series of exercises are about exploring the range of motion with the torso and pelvis if both the hands and the legs are in a fixed position.
1) While in the Quad Squat position, circle the torso and pelvis up and forward and then down and back, as Coach Sonnon demonstrates in the Body-Flow videos when he talks about storing the energy in the joints. Now circle the torso and pelvis the other way.
2) Now in the same position, circle the torso and pelvis in a circle clockwise covering right and left, and toward and away from the floor.
3) Repeat items 1) and 2) in a Reverse Quad Squat
4) Now, from a right-side plank position (a yoga position--if you're not familiar with it you can Google it), circle the pelvis toward the floor and the feet and then away from the floor and toward the head (the elbows and knees will have to bend slightly). Reverse. I find it best if the plank is done in a Pilates "Snake" style, where if, for example, the right hand is on the floor, the left foot is on the floor, and the right ankle is crossed over the left ankle.
5) Now circle the pelvis "weeble-wobble" style (Rotate it up and and in front of the axis of the body and back down and behind the axis) Reverse.
6) Repeat 4) and 5) on the left side.
Half Quad Switches can be used to chain together the Quad Squat and Reverse Quad Squat circles. It is quite straightforward to go from a Quad Squat or a Reverse Quad Squat to a Side Plank "Snake" style--just leave the contra-lateral arm and leg fixed, and rotate the body into the side plank. So the Kinetic Chain possibilities are quite endless.
1) While in the Quad Squat position, circle the torso and pelvis up and forward and then down and back, as Coach Sonnon demonstrates in the Body-Flow videos when he talks about storing the energy in the joints. Now circle the torso and pelvis the other way.
2) Now in the same position, circle the torso and pelvis in a circle clockwise covering right and left, and toward and away from the floor.
3) Repeat items 1) and 2) in a Reverse Quad Squat
4) Now, from a right-side plank position (a yoga position--if you're not familiar with it you can Google it), circle the pelvis toward the floor and the feet and then away from the floor and toward the head (the elbows and knees will have to bend slightly). Reverse. I find it best if the plank is done in a Pilates "Snake" style, where if, for example, the right hand is on the floor, the left foot is on the floor, and the right ankle is crossed over the left ankle.
5) Now circle the pelvis "weeble-wobble" style (Rotate it up and and in front of the axis of the body and back down and behind the axis) Reverse.
6) Repeat 4) and 5) on the left side.
Half Quad Switches can be used to chain together the Quad Squat and Reverse Quad Squat circles. It is quite straightforward to go from a Quad Squat or a Reverse Quad Squat to a Side Plank "Snake" style--just leave the contra-lateral arm and leg fixed, and rotate the body into the side plank. So the Kinetic Chain possibilities are quite endless.