Cradle to Cossak Squat to Strider with Rotation

The Hips Don’t Lie

I cannot state how important hip mobility is to high performance training and bodybuilding.  The ability to “open up the hips” is one of the characteristics that distinguishes an athlete’s ability to move: to be agile, to change directions sharply and powerfully, and to quickly accelerate. Hip mobility is equally important for squatting and dead lifting.

Unfortunately, the typical mobility exercises can often become monotonous as the athlete’s fitness improves and he/she becomes more proficient in performing them.  By combining several mobility exercises we can make the movements more challenging by introducing a level of complexity, as well as increasing the core and cardiovascular work associated with the warm up.

In the video below, Dr. Cholewa demonstrates how to combine three movements:

1. The figure four cradle to activate the sartorius and dynamically stretch the hip abductors and periformis
2. The lunging Cossack squat to dynamically stretch the adductors while activating the abductors, glutes, and core musculature
3. The strider with extension rotation to dynamically stretch the hip flexors, hamstrings, and pecs while activating the thoracic spinal extensors, trapezius, core musculature, and glutes.

Perform one to two sets of 6-10 repetitions prior to agility, plyometrics, or lower body training.

By Jason Cholewa, Ph.D., CSCS

Like Big Red Physical Performance on Facebook

Follow Jason Cholewa on Twitter

Connect on Linked In