Learning mobility exercises and release techniques goes hand in with learning the actual crossfit movements. It has to start from very beginning when learning basics of training any method. Many times mobility exercises are needed even before some movements can be performed properly. And it’s not only for beginners, as there’s plenty of reasons why it’s so important to practise them regularly – avoiding injuries and maintaining the ability to train and to progress being the main ones.

1. Mobility Basics for
CrossFit
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2. As an athlete you have
the responsibility to
take care of your body
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3. What you need
• foam roll
• small ball (we use lacrosse balls)
• rubber band
• box
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4. Upper back
Upper back muscles tend to get sore and stiff especially among people
who sit a lot during the day and in top of that practise CrossFit, which
consists of a large amount of overhead movements, pull ups and more.
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5. First movement
For the first exercise you need a good foam roll. Lie down on a matt or
on the floor, place the foam roll under your upper back and start rolling
as shown in the pictures. Keep your hip elevated to get the pressure in
the right muscles. You can keep your arms crossed on your chest, or
hands behind your head, however you feel works the best for you. And
whatever mobility or recovery exercise you are doing, remember to
breathe.
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9. Second movement
For the second exercise for the upper back you need a small and hard
ball, so that you can reach the muscles between your lats and your
vertebra. Lie on the floor with the ball placed so that it massages the
right muscles when you move your arm up and down as shown in the
pictures. You will feel it when you find the right ones..
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14. Lats
Next in our mobility series are two basic exercises for our latissimus
dorsi muscles, also called as “lats”. These muscles are often sore
among crossfitters, as the training program usually includes a lot of
pull ups. Stiff lats prevent you from properly performing overhead
movements, which are also widely represented in CrossFit training.
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16. To perform the following exercises you need, again, a foam roll and on
top of that a rubber band. For the first exercise, lie on your side on the
floor and place the foam roll under your armpit as Stefanie shows in
the pictures. Your other arm must be outstretched, your hand palm
facing slightly towards the ceiling. Use your other arm to keep you in
balance and elevate your hip a bit to get pressure on the right muscles.
Keep your other knee bent and use your legs to roll on your side. First
lean forward (chest towards the floor) and then lean back (back
towards the floor). When you don’t feel that you progress, move the
roller lower towards your hip.
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19. The second exercise is stretching the same muscle group. Attach the
rubber band somewhere high, the easiest option is the rig at your gym.
Grab the rubber band as shown in the pictures, take a few steps back
and lean forward against the opposite leg. To find the right position
and to reach the right muscles can be bit tricky at first, so try different
variations. The stretch can be either a long and a deep one to recover
your muscles or an active stretch to prepare you for a workout.
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23. Glutes
Next we will cover mobility exercises for your gluteal muscles, also
called “glutes”. Stiffness in this muscle group can lead to different
symptoms and pain in several movements, most commonly squats
and deadlifts. To avoid that, do yourself a favor and practice these
exercises regularly. Most lower back issues are caused by too tight
glutes.
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24. For the first one you need a lacrosse ball (or something similar). The
exercise is simple, sit on the floor the ball placed under your glute. Let
your knee move towards the floor and then gently lift it up again.
Start with 2-3 minutes per side.
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28. The second exercise is a stretch. Take a box, or a table with suitable
height will do as well. Put your other leg on the box like shown in the
picture, keep your hips facing straight forward, same direction as your
shoulders. Your shinbone should be placed perpendicularly to that
direction.
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30. Lean forward until you feel the stretch. If your glutes are stiff or the
box is high, you might feel it without leaning in so much. Stretch for 3
minutes each side.
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32. Quads & hip flexors
For the first exercise you need a barbell. Sit down on the floor with
your leg stretched out like Stefanie’s in the two pictures below. Take
the barbell, and place it on your quad, ans start rolling the barbell
slowly towards the other end of the muscle. Come back slowly, and
repeat several times. Do the same with the other leg.
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35. The second exercise is also called as “couch stretch”. For this, you can
use a wall, a box or even a couch. The picture below is showing a
variation of the stretch, but your position can look a little bit different
depending on your mobility. If you are very flexible, you probably are
closer to the wall and more upright. But don’t arch your back too much,
and try to feel the stretch in your hip flexors, not quads. Repeat for
both sides. Try also to do this as an active stretch before squatting or
olympic lifting, it’s an effective way to open up your hips.
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37. That's a wrap!
This was it, our little guide for the 8 most important mobility exercises
every crossfitter should practice regularly. Keep these in mind when
visiting the gym, do them often and you will move, recover and feel a
lot better.
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38. About WODconnect
WODconnect is a product built by a Finnish company, Kisko Labs.
WODconnect’s first customers came from Finland, but it now serves
athletes and gyms from all over the globe. In addition to workout
tracking, WODconnect provides gyms with booking, membership
management, payment and billing solutions.
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39. Contact
For more information contact WODconnect’s co-founder, affiliate
owner and head coach at CrossFit Herttoniemi: Antti Akonniemi
(antti@kiskolabs.com / +358 40 505 1909)
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