I honestly before CrossFit most of us did not realize the lack of mobility that we all had. Mobility is not you squeezing between cars in at the Costco parking lot but the ability to get into the bottom of your squat or put something over your head and keep it in a stable position. Coming from a soccer back ground (mostly running) I have always had trouble with my flexibility and just moving well period. So over the years I have found some pretty good tools that I use regularly that have helped me along the way.

Power Bands:

You can find these in any CrossFit gym and online for pretty cheap and I use these almost every day. You can use these for stretching, resistance training and activation work. I usually go through the same routine every day to get my body ready for my workout. Here is my routine:

Band Pull Aparts w/ Red Band (30lb Band) – 20 Reps

Monster Walk w/ Red Band (30lb Band) – 40 steps in each direction

Front Rack Stretch w/ Green Band (65lb Band) – 2 minutes each arm

Hip Flexor Stretch w/ Black Band (100lb Band) – 2 minutes each leg

 

Foam Roller:

Sometimes mobility means doing some simple soft tissue work on yourself and the foam roller is the easiest way to do this. The foam helps relieve tension (myofascial release) in your muscles that may be tight or sore from exercise or life. I like to get on the foam roller before every training session. I have a routine that I go through but the main reason I use the foam roller is to help me find some problem areas I may not know about until I pass over them. When using the foam roller I mainly focus on my lower body and upper back. Here is my routine:

Full Routine Video: 

Piriformis – 10 passes each leg

IT Band – 10 passes each leg

Quads (inside and out) – 10 passes each part on both legs

Hamstrings – 10 passes each leg

Calves – 10 passes each leg

Upper Back – 10 passes

 

Sidekick Curve Tool:

This tool is a new addition to my bag. I have always been scared of any type of scrapping because of the possible muscle belly damage you can cause if you do not know what you are doing. This company makes a Bian Stone tool that is a little safer to use on yourself then some of the metal scrapers you see out there. I use this tool every night on areas that I cannot get to with the foam roller or need a little extra TLC. It has honestly kept my shoulders feeling really good. Every night I use it on my delts and lats. If you do any type of volume on your upper body this is an absolute must. Here is a quick video of the tool.

 

 

Richard Andrews

CF-L2