Squat Rx #5: Mobility & Flexibility
Hope some of you find it helpful.
Slow paced, but there are some nice tips in there. Thanx.
These videos are nice.
I have learned a bit from them.
Thanks man.
These videos are great, I've learned more than a bit from 'em and I just found them yesterday! I was recommended them by someone in my thread, Box Squat Form(if you have a chance, maybe you could drop by and give me some tips, its just down the page).
Also, I saw you said you were thinking aboud doing a video just on the box squat on youtube. Any idea if/when you’ll be able to do that? I’d be very interested as I can use all the help I can get. In the meantime, I’ll be watching SquatRX #5! Thanks! 
Love the vids, and the facility seems amazing. Do you own that?
[quote]SpeedStrength wrote:
I was recommended them by someone in my thread, [/quote]
That guy must be a dick! 
Nice work as always, Boris!
Boris, really great stuff man. Those glute/hip/it band stretches are freakin’ awesome. Just did them. Only wish I knew about them in years past as I have seriously tight glutes/hips.
Yeah, as someone mentioned, really great looking facility.
Cheers and I hope there’s more to come.
Thanks everyone - I appreciate the positive feedback.
If you have suggestions/preferences for future videos, let me know. I’ll make them as I have time, but I’m considering the following:
*box squats
*using bands and chains
*shoes
*squat variations
*performing a 1RM
*powerlifting equipment (wraps, belt, suit, briefs)
*thoracic flexibility
Thanks for the videos so far, they are very usefull for newbies and experienced lifters too.
Special exercisen on prehab/rehab for knees, hips, ankles would be very interesting as an instructional video.
Further exercises for the elimination of muscle imbalances that hold back or make the squat difficult.
Hey Boris,
I’m particularly interested in front squats, overhead squats, and pistols. Cheers to you.
[quote]Boris B wrote:
Thanks everyone - I appreciate the positive feedback.
If you have suggestions/preferences for future videos, let me know. I’ll make them as I have time, but I’m considering the following:
*box squats
*using bands and chains
*shoes
*squat variations
*performing a 1RM
*powerlifting equipment (wraps, belt, suit, briefs)
*thoracic flexibility[/quote]
Boris,
I noticed there were windshield wipers in Sqaut Rx #5. Aren’t those for lumbar mobility, something we don’t want? I only ask because I thought that EC and/or MR said recently that they would probably take that out of MM if they had to do it over again.
Great videos you posted. I learned a few things that have already helped me.
Thanks for doing this.
Arioch
[quote] I noticed there were windshield wipers in Sqaut Rx #5. Aren’t those for lumbar mobility, something we don’t want? I only ask because I thought that EC and/or MR said recently that they would probably take that out of MM if they had to do it over again.
Arioch
[/quote]
I was actually wondering the same.
[quote]Arioch wrote:
Boris,
I noticed there were windshield wipers in Sqaut Rx #5. Aren’t those for lumbar mobility, something we don’t want? I only ask because I thought that EC and/or MR said recently that they would probably take that out of MM if they had to do it over again.
Great videos you posted. I learned a few things that have already helped me.
Thanks for doing this.
Arioch
[/quote]
Thanks for the feedback! Here are my thoughts and I’d love to hear what you and others think of them.
I haven’t seen MM, so I don’t know what Eric’s take on windshield wipers are. Here’s mine: it’s a great exercise for lumbar and hip mobility and also the shoulder girdle if the upper body is anchored - things that I think will be of long-term benefit to people who squat heavy.
I hope that people who watch SQ Rx #5, don’t assume that every exercise or stretch is something you want to do directly prior to squatting. Some of the stuff should probably be reserved for a recovery day. I probably should have been more clear, but I didn’t intend for SQ Rx #5 to be a dynamic stretching routine - it’s more of a list of exercises and stretches for general hip/hamstring/lower back mobility and health.
Hey Boris, I think the issue was this: I believe Cressey/Robertson follow Stuart McGill, and do not advocate increasing lumbar mobility at all whether before a workout, or even on a recovery day. Thoracic mobility, by all means, but not lumbar.
The lumbar, according to McGill should not be stretched or made more “mobile.”
Cressey/Robertson did include twists and so on in MM that are probably safe if done absolutely correctly (by bracing the lumbar and not allowing movement there); however, as was argued back in forth in numerous threads, it was also thought that very few people on their own would do the twists correctly, and some cannot even do so with a trainer guiding them. Thus, they said that perhaps they should have left them out altogether.
In other words, it’s a bit of a controversial issue.
Thanks.
I’ve read some of Stuart McGill’s stuff on lower back and liked most of it.
I guess my non-MD opinion based on nothing except personal observation and experience would be that, in life, you twist… A LOT. Slow and controlled windshield wipers don’t seem to be that stressful to me, but hey, what the hell do I know?
I’m kind of glad to see that it is controversial, to be honest. There’s a lot of contradictory info out there - I was just looking over Steven Stark’s book on stretching again, for example, and, although he doesn’t come out and say it directly, it’s pretty clear he’s not a fan of ballistic and dynamic stretching. In fact, if you were to read his book and then go to any traditional martial arts class, you’d probably be wondering why they all aren’t hobbled or paralyzed by the stretching routines they follow…
I don’t know the answer. I just hope everyone will take away something from each of the vids and throw away what they don’t agree with or don’t need.
[quote]Boris B wrote:
I don’t know the answer. I just hope everyone will take away something from each of the vids and throw away what they don’t agree with or don’t need.[/quote]
Absolutely. It seems the more one learns, the more one realizes that there are very few - if any - truly hard and fast rules in the weight room. Just thought it was worth pointing out. Cheers!
Boris,
Have you considered doing a portion on wrist flexibility for both back and front squats?
Thanks.
[quote]eisenaffe wrote:
Thanks for the videos so far, they are very usefull for newbies and experienced lifters too.
Special exercisen on prehab/rehab for knees, hips, ankles would be very interesting as an instructional video.
Further exercises for the elimination of muscle imbalances that hold back or make the squat difficult.[/quote]
The videos are very helpful, thanks. My choice for a new video would also be on prehab for the knees and ankles especially, since MM covers hip mobility.
Doug64,
I’ve made Squat Rx #6 which covers some exercises for the knees. Generally speaking, ankles, unless your knees track really far forward of your feet, are not going to be stressed.
Chewie,
I agree. I was planning on doing a future Squat Rx vid on front squats, Zercher squats, hack squats, Jefferson squats, etc. Probably be a good idea to spend more than a segment on front squats. Thanks.