Stretch Your Strength: Another Fascia Workout

This is a fluid workout that will get your body moving in all major directions and angles, focusing on major fascial lines and slings, and it takes less than 30 minutes to complete.

As a form of connective tissue, fascia provides protection and support to muscle tissue. Challenging your body with multi-directional and multi-planar movement is important for your body to be resilient to the demands that sport and life place on it. Changes in speed, angle and load are the three most important variables when it comes to training your fascia. The ability for your fascia to be elastic is important for injury prevention. Therefore, some elements of bouncing and plyometrics are used.

Warm-Up

3-D Lunge and Reach Series

Reps/duration: 60 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
Sets: 3

• Stand with your feet under your hips, arms at your sides.
• Step forward with your right leg and lunge forward with both arms reaching forward.
• Step back to start, then lateral-lunge with your right leg, arms reaching overhead to the right side.
• Step back to start and then transverse-lunge (lunge back diagonally) with your right leg with your arms rotating across your body. Return to start.
• Perform all three lunges on the same leg and then switch legs. Continue to alternate sides for 60 seconds of work.

Circuit 1

Perform each move for 30 seconds (each side as needed). Rest 30 seconds between moves, and repeat each move three times before moving on to the next move.

Push-Up With T Reach

• Begin in a prone position with your hands outside your shoulders, toes on the ground, forming one long line from your head to your heels.
• Perform one solid push-up. At the top of the push-up, open up to one side, reaching your top hand toward the ceiling.
• Bring your arm back down into your push-up position, then perform another push-up as you T-reach to the opposite side.
• Repeat and continue alternating for 30 seconds and then rest 30 seconds. Repeat this drill for a total of three sets.

Lateral Squat With Medicine-Ball Reach

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Hold a medicine ball at your chest.
• Slide your hips to the right as you bend your right knee and hinge through your hips, straightening your left leg. Sit back into your hips and press the medicine ball out in front of your chest.
• Press through your right foot back up to stand and pull the medicine ball back into your chest.
• Repeat, alternating sides.

Half-Kneeling Medicine-Ball Chop/Lift

• Start in a half-kneeling position with your left knee down and right leg up, as if you were about to propose to someone.
• Holding a medicine ball with both hands, start the ball down by your left hip. Drive your pelvis forward as you reach the medicine ball up and across your body, finishing over your right shoulder.
• Bring your pelvis back to the starting position as you bring the medicine ball back down to your left hip.
• Chop and lift for 30 seconds on each knee. Attempt to perform in a rhythmical fashion, gradually increasing speed and tempo.

Circuit 2

Perform each move for 30 seconds (each side as needed). Rest 30 seconds between moves, and repeat each move three times before moving on to the next move.

Reverse Lunge With 3-D Arms

• Stand with your feet under your hips.
• Step back with your right leg into a reverse lunge and reach both arms back overhead.
• Step back to start, then step your same leg back into a second reverse lunge, reaching both arms overhead as they sway and reach away from your moving leg. Return to start.
• Take a third reverse lunge with the same leg as you reach your arms overhead and twist your torso away from your moving leg. Do all the movements on the same leg, then switch legs.
• Repeat, alternating legs.

Kettlebell Farmer’s Carry

• Grab two kettlebells that you would consider on the heavier side but still manageable to hold. You also can use dumbbells.
• Pick them up with proper hip-hinging form, and stand up nice and tall with the weights hanging by your side.
• Walk forward holding the weights. Do not let the weights rest or slam against the lateral part of your thigh while walking.
• Maintain an upright torso with a proud chest and strong steps.

Cool-Down

Perform each move for 60 seconds. Rest 30 seconds and then repeat for another 30 to 60 seconds.

Crab Reach

• Start in a crab position, sitting down with your knees bent approximately shoulder-width apart.
• Place your hands down behind you with your fingers pointing away from your body.
• Lift your hips slightly up off the floor so that your arms and feet are supporting you.
• Take one hand and reach up and across your body, bridging your hips up to the ceiling as your eyes gaze toward your hand firmly placed into the ground, and take a full exhale.
• Bring your top arm back down and lower your hips back into your crab position, and then repeat with the other arm.

Photo credit: dima_sidelnikov, Getty Images
Video credit: Tom Casey, box24studio.com
Model: Sherri Swann, 24 Hour Fitness