I’m having fun challenging conventions, so I’m just gonna run with it! Last week it was pull-ups, this week it’s the one-rep max. It’s a staple of program design and a standard test that most everyone uses to test performance and improvement. But for most of us, it really doesn’t matter.

Have you ever wondered, “why do I hate working out”? Most people know they should get more exercise, but that usually doesn’t help them make it happen. The truth is you hate working out because it’s unnatural. Human’s haven’t need to workout to stay in shape until very recently.Continue reading→

Don’t worry if you’re having trouble getting up off the floor. There’s something you can do to regain that lost mobility. Especially for people who are at risk of injury from a fall, safety is extremely important when rebuilding the ability to get up and down from the floor. You may need supervision or help from a professional when performing these movements. Also, check with your doctor to ensure these movements are safe for you to perform

The Workout For Getting Off The Floor

This workout starts from the top and works it’s way down. The movements all start from standing so there is as little risk of ending up on the ground as possible. The first movement is a hip hinge.

This is a simple, foundational movement that retrains the muscles of your hips so that you can engage them correctly again. When performing a hip hinge it’s important to flex at the hips instead of the spine. Start with very small movements and make the movement larger as you get stronger.

You need to find the crease of your hip to ensure you’re performing the movement correctly. The easiest way is to put your finger on your bellybutton and trace straight across to your side until you locate the top of your pelvic bone. Once you’ve found the peak of your pelvic bone, trace straight down until you find the point of your hip.

Now that you’ve found the point of your hip, trace around to the front of your leg and place the side of your hand at that position. Now when you perform hip hinges, try to pinch your hand between your leg and pelvis. This will help keep you from flexing your spine.

For movement number two you’ll need a wall. Stand with your back against the wall and take a very small step forward. There should only be an inch or so between your heels and the wall. Start by performing a hip hinge and as soon as your hips start to flex, push your hips back so your butt touches the wall. Now reverse the movement. As you get stronger you can step further away from the wall.

For the last movement you’ll need a chair. For this movement you’re just going to sit down in the chair using the techniques from above. Make sure to select a chair that’s high enough that you don’t have to use a lot of momentum to get up from and that you don’t plop down into. The movement needs to be controlled all the way down and all the way up.

If you find that you can’t control the movement, either you chair is too low for you right now or you’re not ready to use the chair and need to spend more time on the wall. Take your time and don’t rush the process.

Initially do 3 sets of 10 reps every single day. As you get stronger, you should be performing these movements several times throughout the day. Don’t overdo it at first and make yourself sore. It’s important to practice daily!