Tag Archives: stretching

Day 2 – Orbiting The Moon

Face it! You sit on your butt way too much. All that sitting makes your glutes useless. You need to wake them up and get the blood flowing down there. This is a simple technique I call “Orbiting The Moon.” I am using a Yoga Tune Up® Alpha Ball for this one, but you can use any ball you have lying around. The Alpha is the best one for the job though. Just like yesterday, check in/check out with a standing forward bend. Notice how close you are to touching your toes and notice how restricted you are in the glutes and hamstrings. Pay close attention to how much more range you have and how much better it feels when you’re done.

The technique is simple. Sit on your Alpha ball and slowly orbit the entire moon. I like to move out in concentric circles starting at my ischial tuberosity (a/k/a my sit bone). I move in a clockwise orbit for about a minute and then switch to a counter-clockwise orbit for the next minute. After about 2 minutes, switch to the other cheek. Breathe deeply and slowly. If it is too intense, you can do this standing and leaning against a wall.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on.  All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda).  Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation.  The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

The Ball Fucking Harder Challenge

I am really excited by how the #stretchfuckingharder challenge went last month.  So many people played along and posted pictures.  Even more people told me that they loved the stretches and did them and had their friends and clients doing them too.  Before I lose momentum, I am issuing another challenge: The #ballfuckingharder challenge. For the next 30 days I will be posting a new myofascial release/ball rolling technique each day.

If you want to play along I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on.  The large majority of the techniques I’m going to show will utilize the Classic, Alpha and Coregeous ytuballs but I will also show some techniques using other props as well.  The Yoga Tune Up® balls are soft, grippy, pliable and affordable.  Unlike lacrosse and tennis balls, ytuballs are designed for self massage and will greatly increase the effectiveness of the techniques.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy.  All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda).  Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation.  The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 1 of 30.  The Foot Schmear.  We are on our feet constantly and, if you are an athlete, you are running, jumping, kicking, squatting and generally applying high amounts of force through your feet.  Additionally, wearing shoes all days pretty much laminates your soft tissues into a tight mess.  The Foot Schmear will unglue your feet and make you feel refreshed and relaxed like a good foot massage.  As a bonus it will also improve your flexibility.

Check in/Check out: Bend down and try to touch your toes with straight legs.  Notice how far you get and notice how tight your hamstrings feel.  You should feel looser in your hamstrings and be able to stretch farther after rolling your feet.

The technique:  Place a Classic Yoga Tune Up® ball under the sole of your foot.  Step on it like you want to flatten it and then drag your foot slowly from side to side.  You want to imagine you are schmearing cold cream cheese on a bagel with your foot.  A new ytuball will be a little stiff, but after doing this technique a few times, you will break-in your balls and they will get nice and soft.  Inhale as you press down on the ball and schmear as you exhale.  You want to do this for 2 minutes on each foot and try to get every inch of the sole of your foot.

Day 1 of 30. The Foot Schmear from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Day 30 – Happy Baby

Congratulations! You made it to the end of the #30daypandachallenge. I knew you could do it. Your reward is a sweet happy baby pose. Lie down on your back and grab your feet and pull the tops of your thighs to the floor on either side of your rib cage. Your knees should be up by your armpits and your arms should be reaching up between your legs. Breathe deeply and try to flatten your back along the floor. Your inner thighs and hamstrings should get a nice stretch as you try to keep your shins vertical and your knees out.

Day 30 of 30. Happy Baby from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Here are the rules for the 30-Day Stretch Fucking Harder Challenge. Each day do the deep stretch, post it on Instagram and tag some friends to do it with you. Post your stretch with the tags: #stretchfuckingharder #supplepandas #30daypandachallenge Tag me @coachpanda. Come back here to my website or vimeo channel to see more details on each stretch and modifications and scaling options. Try to stay in each stretch for at least 2 minutes per stretch per side. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply and start gradually and move deeper over time. Back off if it hurts.

Day 29 – Suspended Cobra

I love back bends but they are very difficult for me. I find it very challenging to stay in them for a long time. Because I am very tight it takes a lot of effort to hold myself in some of these shapes. Cobra pose or Bhujangasana or the seal stretch is a classic yoga pose that stretches the hip flexors and abdominals and feels pretty amazing. Unfortunately, in order for me to get a good stretch, I need some assistance. The medicine ball under my stomach helps prop me into position so I don’t have to push so hard with my arms. Also the band overhead allows me to get pulled up and does a two-for-one on my shoulder and helps improve my overhead position. Externally rotate your shoulders, breathe deep and keep your legs as straight as you can. Enjoy!

Day 29 of 30. Suspended Cobra from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Here are the rules for the 30-Day Stretch Fucking Harder Challenge. Each day do the deep stretch, post it on Instagram and tag some friends to do it with you. Post your stretch with the tags: #stretchfuckingharder #supplepandas #30daypandachallenge Tag me @coachpanda. Come back here to my website or vimeo channel to see more details on each stretch and modifications and scaling options. Try to stay in each stretch for at least 2 minutes per stretch per side. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply and start gradually and move deeper over time. Back off if it hurts.

Day 27 – The Splits

The splits are the most iconic test of flexibility. We would be remiss if we did not endeavor to work on our splits this month. I love this setup from Kelly Starrett using the band to decrease the load and to keep our torso upright. Hook a heavy band to the pullup bar and loop it under your armpits. I suggest wearing a sweatshirt because the band can be rather uncomfortable. I also use an abmat under the knee because we are going to be here for a couple of minutes. Extend one leg forward and one leg backward, but try to keep the hips as neutral as possible. Sit tall and take deep breaths. After doing both sides, move to the symmetrical middle splits. I use the J-hooks to help support myself here in addition to the band. The splits are really intense so enjoy them.

The Splits from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Here are the rules for the 30-Day Stretch Fucking Harder Challenge. Each day do the deep stretch, post it on Instagram and tag some friends to do it with you. Post your stretch with the tags: #stretchfuckingharder #supplepandas #30daypandachallenge Tag me @coachpanda. Come back here to my website or vimeo channel to see more details on each stretch and modifications and scaling options. Try to stay in each stretch for at least 2 minutes per stretch per side. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply and start gradually and move deeper over time. Back off if it hurts.

Day 26 – Twisted Firelogs

Sometimes referred to as “Double Pigeon” this stretch gets into some great places in your hips. I call it “firelogs” because the shins should be stacked in front of you like couple of fire logs. The ankle should rest on the knee and the shins should remain parallel. If you cannot get your legs in this position, you should probably attempt the version at the end of the video. In this video I demonstrate a deep twist, but you can simply just stack your legs and fold forward and try to bring your head to the floor. So good. I hope this becomes one of you favorites.

Day 26 of 30. Twisted Firelogs from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Here are the rules for the 30-Day Stretch Fucking Harder Challenge. Each day do the deep stretch, post it on Instagram and tag some friends to do it with you. Post your stretch with the tags: #stretchfuckingharder #supplepandas #30daypandachallenge Tag me @coachpanda. Come back here to my website or vimeo channel to see more details on each stretch and modifications and scaling options. Try to stay in each stretch for at least 2 minutes per stretch per side. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply and start gradually and move deeper over time. Back off if it hurts.

Day 25 – Banded Uttanasana

Most people don’t really need a ton of ability to forward bend in their daily life. However, if you want to be able to do fun gymnastics stuff, you need a good deal of compression in this pike shape. This is something I’ve struggled with for many years and the best way I have found to improve is to use bands and weight. I really enjoy this variation. I hope you do too. Wrap a band around a post and walk away and bend forward. Lean away from the post and try to contract your quads and abs and pull your face gently to your shins. Breathe slowly and deeply and stay here for a couple of minutes.

Day 25 of 30. Banded Uttanasana from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Here are the rules for the 30-Day Stretch Fucking Harder Challenge. Each day do the deep stretch, post it on Instagram and tag some friends to do it with you. Post your stretch with the tags: #stretchfuckingharder #supplepandas #30daypandachallenge Tag me @coachpanda. Come back here to my website or vimeo channel to see more details on each stretch and modifications and scaling options. Try to stay in each stretch for at least 2 minutes per stretch per side. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply and start gradually and move deeper over time. Back off if it hurts.

Day 24 – The Grip Saver Stretch

CrossFit will destroy your hands if you let it. You’re grip is constantly getting worked which is awesome, but also terrible if you don’t take care of your hands and forearms. This stretch is one of the best ways to stretch out your digital flexors (a/k/a your grip muscles). Kneeling down on all fours, spin one of your hands around 180 degrees so the fingers are facing the toes. Grab each finger one at a time and gently peel it up off the floor. Use your thumb to confirm the first knuckle down to the ground as you lift the finger thus intensifying the stretch. Don’t forget the thumb! Stretch each digit for approximately 20-30 seconds. You’ll feel amazing after this.

The Grip Saver Stretch from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Here are the rules for the 30-Day Stretch Fucking Harder Challenge. Each day do the deep stretch, post it on Instagram and tag some friends to do it with you. Post your stretch with the tags: #stretchfuckingharder #supplepandas #30daypandachallenge Tag me @coachpanda. Come back here to my website or vimeo channel to see more details on each stretch and modifications and scaling options. Try to stay in each stretch for at least 2 minutes per stretch per side. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply and start gradually and move deeper over time. Back off if it hurts.

Day 22 – The Seated Trap Stretch

If you’ve been doing CrossFit your traps are sore. Going overhead, cleaning, and snatching put a huge demand on the trapezius muscle. This is a simple way to stretch it out and give your neck some relief. Kneel down and sit on your heels. Reach down and grab one of your ankles. Lean away from that ankle and look away from that ankles as well. Gently grab your head and use the weight of the arm to gently pull your ear toward your shoulder. Adjust your head position periodically to target different parts of your traps to stretch. Breathe deeply and don’t force this stretch. Just allow it to happen. If you can’t sit comfortably like this and grab your ankle, sit on a chair and grab under the seat or hold a light dumbbell in one hand.

Day 22 of 30. The Seated Trap Stretch from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Here are the rules for the 30-Day Stretch Fucking Harder Challenge. Each day do the deep stretch, post it on Instagram and tag some friends to do it with you. Post your stretch with the tags: #stretchfuckingharder #supplepandas #30daypandachallenge Tag me @coachpanda. Come back here to my website or vimeo channel to see more details on each stretch and modifications and scaling options. Try to stay in each stretch for at least 2 minutes per stretch per side. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply and start gradually and move deeper over time. Back off if it hurts.

Day 21 – Prasarita Padattonasana

This classic straddle stretch is called Prasarita Padattonasana. There are a lot of variations choose the one that allows you to stay in this stretch for about 2 minutes. You can start with the hands on the floor, grab your ankles, and eventually walk your hands through your legs. You can also add some resistance to this by taking a light weight behind your back. I’m using a training bar, but I recommend starting light by sliding a small weight over a pvc pipe. My favorite variation is to wrap a band around a post and grab it between your legs and lean forward. This mimics a stall bar stretch. Try to keep your feet pointing straight ahead and keep your legs straight. Breathe slowly and deeply and try not to tense up your neck and shoulders.

Prasarita Padattonasana from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Here are the rules for the 30-Day Stretch Fucking Harder Challenge. Each day do the deep stretch, post it on Instagram and tag some friends to do it with you. Post your stretch with the tags: #stretchfuckingharder #supplepandas #30daypandachallenge Tag me @coachpanda. Come back here to my website or vimeo channel to see more details on each stretch and modifications and scaling options. Try to stay in each stretch for at least 2 minutes per stretch per side. Remember to breathe slowly and deeply and start gradually and move deeper over time. Back off if it hurts.