Hey guys,

I don’t know about you guys but my body is crushed after yesterday’s “strength reset”. I’m glad I did it, but now I’m sore and some of my joints are tight. However, that’s why it’s called a “reset”. Occasionally, you have to have that hormetic stress response imposed on your body. Usually we get that from hard training at DMA so I hope you all too appreciate the good ole physical stress from your workouts.

As a result, our goal today is to work on range of motion, at a slower pace, to unwind some of the tightness in our joints, but still keep our bodies in motion. It’s only Tuesday after all!

Range of motion is crucial in martial arts. Speaking from a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu perspective, without the proper range of motion you’re not only more susceptible to submission attacks but your transitions will be slow and predictable. You can also think of your range of motion as how freely (and comfortably) you can maneuver your joints through different planes–Dr. Sam how far off am I here?! A jiu-jitsu example might be when someone is about to pass your guard and your opposing side leg can rotate and block your opponent from finishing their guard pass. I’m sure those of you who practice BJJ can think of a time where you felt limited in your mobility here. Super sore, stiff muscles do not help with this.

Cue today’s workout. Less impact and stress on the joints and more motion, at a slow pace. I think you’ll still find this to be challenging without damaging your “hardware” as much. We have the rest of the week to do more of that 🙂

———————————————————————————————————-
Range of Motion Day

Sun Salutations x 5 (Youtube this if it’s new to you)
***starting slow, and moving the whole body with light stretching
KB Turkish Get Ups – slow pace for 60 seconds – x 5
***pick a medium/lighter weight kettlebell or dumbbell for this – emphasis on timing and movement – (also Youtube this if it’s new)
15 Minute Run – slow pace, emphasis on good flow and soft impact on your joints
***advanced runners can shoot for 2 miles as a goal
———————————————————————————————————-

For others, just use the run as a smooth, low impact way to get a sweat in today. Stretch your legs a bit, and do not overdo it. We have much more work to do this week.

Share feedback. I look forward to hearing it.

Best,
Scott
District Martial Arts