FlowFit® and tight hip flexors

[sammy baby]

All,

I'm finally getting a little deeper into FlowFit® after too long putting it off, and I've noticed a couple of problems in my movement.

1. In the springing twist, I find it difficult to reach behind myself and find the floor. In order to make contact, I need to lean way back and project my knees forwards, which would really worry me if it were a weight-bearing exercise.

2. I actually find it a bit difficult to get my knees close enough to my chest when doing spinal rocks to be able to come back all the way to my feet, although it's easier if i use my hands to pull them closer.

After messing around for a while, I realized that there seemed to be a common thread: in the initial "trinity squat", my butt isn't coming down as close to the deck as Scott's in the video, so I have farther to go reaching behind me (as in the springing twist). From reading powerlifters discussing the squat, I'm guessing that this relates to tight hip flexors, which I think would also explain the problem with the spinal rocks. (And would make sense, given that I'm lordotic.)

Any advice from the forum on how to increase my depth? Are lots of slow bodyweight squats the answer, or would something else work better?

Many thanks,
Sam

[Coach Flanagan]

It sounds like on the springing tripod, you just need to practice level 2 longer before progressing to level 3 and 4.

The best practice to improve your spinal rock is your spinal rock. You may want to consider trying level 1, using the prop, on that too to see if that gets in a little bit deeper into the hip flexors.

You may also want to try the "Flock of Pigeons" flow from Prasara.

Lots of repetitions of bodyweight squats wouldnt do a thing as what you've described is a range of motion impediment, not a muscular-endurance defecit.

[sammy baby]

Lots of repetitions of bodyweight squats wouldnt do a thing as what you've described is a range of motion impediment, not a muscular-endurance defecit.

Sorry - badly phrased on my part. What I really meant was lots of sitting in the bottom position of the squat, "in the hole", to try to get deeper.

Thanks again,
Sam