Neck Retraction/Extension With a Band

I’ve seen many people get a little over zealous when it comes to handstand push-ups and end up landing on their head a little harder than intended. Our necks aren’t really designed to have a lot of load place on them, especially dynamically. Often times that can cause the nice C-shaped curve in our neck to reverse under load, and that’s not good. This exercise should be done any time after you do HSPU in a workout to help strengthen the neck, retrain your position (posture), and recover from the movement and demands placed on your neck during a workout with HSPU.

Open Book/Half Moon

The overhead walking lunges and HSPU will place a ton of sustained pressure on your upper back and low neck. These two gentle movements will help everything loosen up and allow you to do the next exercise a little easier. Start with the open book and if you can do that easily, move on to the half moons. Do this one nice and slow, paying close attention to your breath. Here’s the video for this progression.

Thoracic Peanut

After the last two movements, you should be ready for the peanut. This one is a staple in a lot of my rehab protocols. You’ll need two tennis balls or two lacrosse balls taped together. Here’s a video to show you how to do that. Note that two lacrosse balls will be a lot more intense than tennis balls. This protocol will be pretty great.

Couch Stretch

Lets help your hip flexors and quads recover. Grab a bench, couch, friend, or chair and stretch out your quads and hip flexors. This will be pretty vital, especially if you plan on re-testing this one. Most people are familiar with this one, but if not click this link for a video.

Get Adjusted!

This workout is very intense on the spine. Loading from the top down, sustained loaded extension, and- let’s be honest here - lots of extension while grinding through the HSPU can very easily lead to spinal fixations, pain, and dysfunction. Chiropractic adjustments can help you recover not just your spine, but your nervous system too. Our office specializes in athletic performance.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR OPEN ATHLETES!

We want you to perform your best in the Open and beyond, so here’s a special offer for you! Use the link below to schedule a new patient evaluation. In the box that asks your reason for visit, write “Open 2019” and your exam is on the house!