Personal Training Thomas Nitschke

#mobilitymonday Frog stretch with hip internal rotation - one of my favorite hip mobility exercises at the moment. You may add the rotational component as a slow movement (video), you may hold the end-range position, work with weights, or combine with antagonist contraction. If you want to learn more, visit one of the mobilty classes at @athletikzirkel or @muskeltiere_ma (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CU4nOroM-hz/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mobilitymonday As promised: another preparational exercise for the deep squat. We target the bottom position this time. From a crab, try to move slowly through the deep squat assisting with your hands on the floor. Try to feel restrictions, sticky points, imbalances. Over time, decrease assistance with your hands and try to hold the deep squat position. By the way: it is an nice strength exercise… you will notice. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUDGTW_FNEI/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mobilitymonday To learn a movement that brings you from position A to position B, I try to work on it from both sides. You need to „own“ both positions. For the deep squat, I discovered with some of my clients that their mobility would allow for the bottom position. But they don‘t get there. In this case: start from the top. Use something to hold on to… just to create that feeling of safety. Squat to the depths you feel well with, move, experiment, try to loosen the grip, find balance, feel your body. Move closer to the bottom position over time. How to approach it from the bottom position? Next Monday 😉 (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTMd0Lrn1Gv/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mobilitymonday This week: a small (really small) movement to improve overhead mobility. Start in a kind of child pose, bring your arms forward, parallel, palms on the floor. Elbows straight, long back, long neck. Without moving your torso, press one hand „into“ the ground and lift the other one as high as you can. Thumbs up. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CS6wMYWn1g_/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mobilitymonday „Hips don‘t lie“ will be the motto for the (#gmbfitness) mobility classes this week. Looking forward to training with you tonight at the @athletikzirkel and on Wednesday at @melli_muskeltiere This mobilization in a 90/90 seated position will definitely be part of the program. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSWX_4cHFoV/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mobilitymonday Here is another not-so-fancy exercise: cross-legged sit-down/stand-up. Easy, right? Don‘t support with your arms. Fun fact: there seems to be a correlation between the ability to get up from the floor and expectation of life. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQYUd8GCpvv/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mobilitymonday I do like short movement sequences (or mini-flows) to address mobility aspects: during the day, as part of a warm-up, between sets or exercises. They do not need to be fancy. Check out this one (just one side). Which areas does it focus on? (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQGY1dsiaeo/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mobilitymonday Most trainees struggle with the cobra as it puts quite some strain on the lower back. Especially, when there is a lack of thoracic spine mobility. Actually, that‘s the area I try to target. My recommendation: try the sphinx, that is, a kind of cobra on your forearms. If you are able to reach the position without discomfort, try to bring your sternum forward and relax again. Repeat in a controlled way as desired. A nice fascia-oriented extension: lift and extend one leg at a time. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPihJLFopyE/?utm_medium=tumblr

#mobilitymonday After a little break, let‘s continue with hanging exercises. With the scapula pullup we saw a movement in the sagittal plane, with the side-to-side swing in the frontal plane. Today we look at rotation in a one-arm hang. Although a large portion of the rotation is created through the elbow (look at how you can rotate your forearm), there is still some movement in the shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint). Yet, the ability of the humerus to roll and glide in the socket of the shoulder blade is restricted in the overhead position. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/COaJherChQC/?igshid=nur1xl2he4yq

#mobilitymonday When it comes to shoulder mobility / overhead mobility, hanging is a wonderful option. Why not add spicing it up a bit? An alternating one-arm side-to-side swing would be an option. Additional grip strength, stabilization in different angles, reflexive work of rotator cuff muscles, and quite some momentum to trigger adaptations in fascial structures. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNARhJiCbyg/?igshid=1wuep1vrn806h

#mobilitymonday Short sequence, execution far from perfect. But an exercise that shows the close relationship between mobility and strength training. (Passive to active) hang to scapula pullup challenges shoulder and thoracic spine mobility AND prepares for calisthenics moves like the front lever. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMudfjPCA7A/?igshid=1so328cpm9it2

#mobilitymonday Let‘s complete the little series of exercises in seated position with an extension of the previous variant. In the stretch position (you might want to bend the knee slightly) push the heel into the ground and try to pull it towards you for 1-2s. Relax and recalibrate the stretch position. Repeat up to 10 times and then melt into the stretch. This combines the melting stretch with a contract-relax method (or active loaded stretch). The video just shows two different starting positions. Do you remember the hip-flexor / hamstring dynamic stretch combo half-kneeling? Any similarities? 😉 (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH7yEtmCrmg/?igshid=1ei05436zsi4k

#fasciafriday In a small series of mobility exercises, I introduced a few options for training in a seated position – ideal for seniors, in rehabilitation, or in case of movement restrictions. Why not applying such a regression to fascia training? This is a well-known exercise to foster elastic properties of the fascia thoracolumbalis and promote the gliding of its three layers. Establish tension in the upper body (think of sending your crown upwards) and lean forward. Especially, keep that abdominal tension. The lower back is slightly rounded (not in its natural lordosis). The video exaggerates a bit. Now, start to bounce lightly as if your lower back is a spring. It should be an effortless feeling as if your lower back lengthens and shortens. It is not the back muscles that lift you up. The abdominal muscles initiate a movement towards the floor and the connective tissue of the lower back draws you back up. You might want to lengthen and shorten one or the other side of your torso which makes you bounce left and right. As a beginner, start with one set and a very small number of bounces and leave 48-72 hours between exercise executions. Always stop if it does not feel good or if the effortlessness is gone. Later you may increase the number of sets with 1-2 min of rehydration break between the sets. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHz-KU6CuL9/?igshid=1xe98lbdj34it

Time for another homework for @animalflowofficial instructors with some new transitions. Just one half (one side) of a flow showing the movement variability. The planned class in our @athletikzirkel had to be postponed due to the current Corona restrictions. Stay tuned. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHfZ-E7iifC/?igshid=km4plf0kulyv

#mobilitymonday The third beginners exercise in seated position: a melting hamstring stretch. Extend one knee, pull foot and toes towards the shin, and lean forward until you feel the stretch on the back of your thigh. Long upper body, proud chest. Hold more than 30s and „melt“ into the stretch with deep and slow breathing. Try different foot positions to address your specific area of „stiffness“. Next week, we will add one component to increase effectiveness. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHXrBLKihX-/?igshid=14r589wq4pbf4

#mobilitymonday To continue the beginner‘s mobility series in a seated position, I use a similar starting position as last week. This time, there is just one hand behind the back. The other one tries to reach diagonally to create an upper body rotation. Try to keep the rear hand flat on your lower back. Focus on the rotation with a straight back in a comfortable yet challenging range of motion. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHFpfwZiQas/?igshid=1qpi9h49oghep

#mobilitymonday Another post inspired me to look at a beginner mobility exercise this week. It focuses on hip mobility as a starting point for the deep squat or for the pancake. The seated position allows for relaxed work, bent knees reduce hamstring strain, and the hands on the lower back help to keep a straight back / proud chest. (hier: Athletikzirkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/CG2T9X7iaAL/?igshid=7lwf8jqozqg8