Many movements in sports rely on diagonal myofascial “slings” that create a connection between one hip and the opposite shoulder.
Influencing mobility at individual joints is extremely important, but including “integrated” mobility work along these diagonal slings can address limitations that may not appear at the single-joint level.
This video is of a “1/2 Kneel Hip Flexor w/ Opposite Pec Mob” that taps into emphasizes the fascial connection through the front of the down-side hip, the obliques, and opposite pec.
A few notes:
✅ Set up by pushing the down side knee into the ground, rolling the tailbone under and shifting the hip forward to feel a deep stretch through the hip flexors.
✅ Grab the pole with the bottom hand palm down and the top hand palm up. Use the bottom hand to push the top back at ~45° angle above horizontal until you feel a big stretch through your pec.
✅ Each rep, attempt to push slightly further back to increase length/tension across the entire pathway. You can “take up slack” by sinking the hips further forward, and/or adding rotation through the t-spine.
Typically performed for 6-10 reps per side OR for 3-6 reps of alternating periods of 10s of holding a stretch, and 10s of pushing against the stretch (1-2mins of total tension).
Feel free to post any comments/questions below. If you found this helpful, please share/re-post it so others can benefit.
To your success,
Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com
P.S. For more information on how to assess movement and integrate specific strategies to improve mobility and movement quality in training, check out Optimizing Movement. Don’t have a DVD player? Send me a note through the contact page after you checkout here Optimizing Movement and I’ll get you a digital copy of the videos!
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Kevin has rapidly established himself as a leader in the field of physical preparation and sports science for ice hockey. He is currently the Head Performance Coach for the Boston Bruins, where he oversees all aspects of designing and implementing the team’s performance training program, as well as monitoring the players’ performance, workload and recovery. Prior to Boston, Kevin spent 2 years as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the San Jose Sharks after serving as the Director of Performance at Endeavor Sports Performance in Pitman, NJ. He also spent 5 years as a Strength and Conditioning Coach with USA Hockey’s Women’s Olympic Hockey Team, and has been an invited speaker at conferences hosted by the NHL, NSCA, and USA Hockey.
“I have had the privilege of interacting with Kevin Neeld for some years now. His depth of knowledge in the areas of Human Performance and Strength and Conditioning is only surpassed by his passion and enthusiasm for his profession. He truly is a great resource for anyone who trains athletes at any level.”
Pete Friesen, Head Trainer / Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Carolina Hurricanes
Adjunct Professor Duke University, School of Physical Therapy