Hey Reader,
How was the first week of the new cycle for you?
This cycle dropped the time per metcon on most days to allow for a faster pace and more intensity.
You probably noticed that even though you moved faster, you had no trouble sustaining the pace of your workout.
That's the beauty of the Max Aerobic Power progression we're running in the Bulletproof Training Program PRO program.
The foundation we built over the last 8-weeks is yielding big gains in fitness!
Your body learns how to more efficiently utilize oxygen and sustain power, which translates to improved performance and metcon scores.
This week, I'm reviewing my top 10 stretches for CrossFit athletes that I use to help my clients (and myself) move and feel great in the gym.
Keep reading to incorporate them into your training.
Deep Dive
10 Essential Stretches For CrossFit Athletes To Feel Great In The Gym
Stretching is often overlooked, but itβs one of the most powerful tools in your CrossFit toolkit.
When it comes to improving mobility and flexibility, a well-structured stretching routine can help you move better during workouts, making movements like deep squats, overhead presses, and Olympic lifts smoother and more efficient.
Improved flexibility means your joints can move through a fuller range of motion, allowing you to perform exercises with better form, which can have a direct impact on your performance.
Stretch #1: Couch Stretch
The Couch Stretch is a powerful hip flexor stretch that targets the quads and helps improve your squat mobility.
To perform, place one knee on the ground and the other foot in front in a lunge position, with your back foot elevated on a bench or wall.
Lean your hips forward to feel a deep stretch in the hip flexors and quads.
This stretch is ideal for opening up tight hips, making it easier to achieve better depth in squats.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #2: Pigeon Pose
Pigeon Pose is essential for loosening tight hips and improving mobility, especially after heavy squats or lunges.
Start in a high plank, then bring one knee forward and out in front of you, laying the shin flat on the ground.
Extend the other leg behind you and lower your hips towards the floor.
This stretch targets the hips, glutes, and lower back, enhancing flexibility and relieving tension.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #3: Active Bar Hang
The Active Bar Hang is great for stretching and decompressing the shoulders, while also building grip strength.
Hang from a pull-up bar with an active shoulder positionβengage your lats and slightly retract your scapulae.
This stretch helps improve shoulder mobility for overhead movements, making exercises like pull-ups and presses feel smoother.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #4: Thoracic Spine Extension Over Foam Roller
This stretch focuses on improving thoracic spine mobility, crucial for overhead lifts and posture.
Lie on your back with a foam roller placed under your upper back.
With your hands behind your head, gently extend your upper back over the roller.
This helps open up the thoracic spine, allowing for better overhead movement and reducing stiffness in the upper back.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #5: Supine Hamstring Stretch
The Supine Hamstring Stretch is perfect for increasing hamstring flexibility, essential for deadlifts and kettlebell swings.
Lie on your back with one leg extended and the other lifted straight up.
Grab the back of your lifted leg and gently pull it towards you.
Keeping the thigh where it is, extend the knee as far as ou can until you feel the stretch.
Then flex the knee to rest and repeat.
This stretch helps improve your hamstring mobility, reducing strain on the lower back during pulling movements.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #6: Cat-Cow
The Cat-Cow stretch is a simple yet effective way to improve spinal mobility and reduce tension.
Start on all fours, arching your back up (Cat) and then lowering your belly while lifting your head and tailbone (Cow).
This movement stretches the spine and improves flexibility, which is key for maintaining a healthy back during CrossFit movements.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #7: Saddle Pose Stretch
Saddle Pose targets the quads and lower back, providing a deep stretch through the hips and front of the thighs.
Sit on your heels with your legs bent beneath you, then slowly lean back onto your hands or elbows, or even all the way to the floor.
This stretch is excellent for increasing flexibility in the quads and improving overall hip mobility.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #8: Standing Calf Stretch
This stretch focuses on the gastrocnemius muscle (calf) and is great for improving ankle mobility.
Stand facing a squat rack or wall, place one foot against it with the heel on the ground, and lean forward.
You'll feel a stretch through your calf, which is crucial for movements like double-unders and running.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #9: 1/2 Kneeling Banded Shoulder Distraction
This stretch improves shoulder mobility by using banded tension to create space in the joint.
Attach a band to a rig, loop it around your wrist, and kneel down with the opposite leg forward.
Let the band gently pull your arm backward while keeping your shoulder relaxed.
This stretch is ideal for preparing your shoulders for overhead lifts.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Stretch #10: Hip 90/90 Rotations
Hip 90/90 Rotations are fantastic for improving hip rotation and mobility.
Sit on the floor with one leg in front of you at a 90-degree angle and the other leg behind you at 90 degrees.
Slowly rotate your hips from side to side, transitioning between internal and external rotation.
This stretch enhances hip mobility, which is vital for squatting and lunging movements.
Watch a demo (LINK)
Mobility vs. Flexibility
Stretching is a crucial component in enhancing both mobility and flexibility.
Mobility refers to how well a joint moves through its range of motion, while flexibility is about how your muscles lengthen and contract.
By incorporating stretching into your routine, you can work on both.
Improved mobility allows you to squat deeper, snatch better, and move more efficiently, while flexibility helps prevent stiffness and makes movements feel smoother.
When you stretch consistently, you'll notice improvements in how easily your body handles challenging WODs.
Stretching and Injury Prevention
While stretching wonβt directly prevent injuries, it does play an important role in reducing your risk by improving how you move.
When your mobility is restricted, your body has to compensate, often placing strain on other joints or muscles.
For example, tight hips might force your knees or lower back to take on extra load during a squat.
This can increase the risk of injury over time.
By stretching regularly and moving better, you're better able to disperse forces during complex movements, which indirectly reduces the likelihood of injuries to common areas like the shoulders, knees, and hips.
Enhancing Recovery Between Workouts
Stretching also aids in recovery by helping your body shift from a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) state into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state.
After a tough WOD or heavy strength training session, your body is in overdrive.
Engaging in a post-workout stretching routine calms your nervous system, reduces muscle tension, and helps promote blood flow to fatigued muscles.
This can accelerate recovery, allowing you to get back to training with less soreness and more energy.
How To Incorporate These Stretches
Integrating these stretches at the right times during training is important to getting the most out of them.
You can either incorporate them during your workout or use them as part of your cooldown routine.
Intra Workout:
Pairing stretches with your main movements for the day can enhance mobility and prepare your body for the specific demands of the workout.
For example, using the Couch Stretch before squats can open up your hips and improve your range of motion, allowing for deeper, more controlled squats.
By integrating stretching during your training, you'll target tight areas that may limit your performance, making your movements more efficient.
Post Workout:
Stretches are also ideal for cooling down after a tough CrossFit session.
After your workout, stretching helps relax your muscles, bringing your nervous system into a parasympathetic state (rest and recovery).
Static stretching will aid in recovery, reduce muscle tension, and promote blood flow to fatigued areas, helping you recover faster and prepare for your next session.
Final Thoughts on The Top 10 Stretches For CrossFit Athletes
Incorporating these 10 essential stretches into your CrossFit stretching routine will not only boost your flexibility but also help you move and feel fetter in the gym.
When done correctly, stretching can be an important part of training and staying healthy.
They routinely work for both myself and my clients in my 1:1 Pain-Free Performance and Bulletproof Training Programs.
If you want to up your stretching game then start with these today and stay consistent so you can feel the difference they make in your movement for yourself.
Ready to take your training to the next level? Try out these stretches and see how they enhance your workouts.
If you have questions about this week's deep dive or want a topic covered, reply to this email and let me know!
Read more about improving mobility for CrossFit (LINK)
This Week's Training
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Day 1 - 9/16/2024
A) Neutral Grip Pull-Up - 20X1; 3 x 2.2; rest :15 btw clusters and 2β between sets (progress load)
B1) Strict Press - 20X1; 3 x 10e; rest 1β and move to B2
*Progress load from last week
B2) Single Arm Ring Row - 20X1; 3 x 12e; rest 1β and move to B3
B3) Double Unders - 3 x 25-50 reps; rest :60 and move to B1
C) MAP 6 Mixed Modal Work
2 sets; rest 3:00
5 Min AMRAP
25 Cal Assault Bike
20 Thrusters 95/65#
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Be sure to snap a pic of your training and tag @WillMurtagh_DPT on social!
This week's Blog Post
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Modifying CrossFit WODs for Garage Gym Training 101
This article will be the ultimate guide to the essentials of modifying CrossFit WODs for your garage gym based on what I have learned as a CrossFit coach and as a physical therapist for 12 years.
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Before you go, here's how I can help you
1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program
My flagship 1:1 program is designed to eliminate your joint pain while elevating your CrossFit performance in less than 12 weeks without overhauling your training or missing time in the gym for rehab.
Book your free consultation - (LINK)
Bulletproof Training Program PRO
An upgraded version of the Free Bullet Proof Training Program (above) designed to help you increase your performance, develop your physique, and optimize your movement so that you feel great inside and outside the gym.
The PRO version comes with nutrition coaching, lifestyle coaching, demo videos, progress tracking, weekly progress check-ins, and all of my other paid resources!
30-day free trial only $7 - (LINK)
Book A Movement Screen
A 45-minute 1:1 movement screen to identify the root cause of your aches and pains.
This movement screen is the exact same one performed in my 1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program.
Book a virtual movement screen, and If we decide to work together to fix what we find, your movement screen is 100% free!
If not, youβll have the answers you need to reach your goals.
*Discount already applied*
Book Your Movement Screen Today! (LINK)
Talk to you soon, Reader
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Dr. Will Murtagh, PT, DPT, MS, CSCS, CISSN
Physical Therapist | Remote Fitness Coach
P.S. Want to eliminate pain while enhancing your CrossFit performance? Click (HERE) for a free consultation!
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