The Primary SMR Techniques

 

Practice these 3 movements Every Week The 3 PrimaryExercises Practice the three SMR exercises displayed below at least once each week to maintain proper hip, back and shoulder function. Just like there are 3 colors in art that you can make all the other colors with, the 3 primary SMR exercises are the most important self-care exercises to do on a weekly basis to maintain proper function and range of motion. By practicing these three movements you find your ‘trouble areas’ that make the greatest impact on your movement. From these three, you then move on to the 20 secondary exercises, then the 47 extended exercises. By using the right techniques and tools on a regular basis, you can keep a small problem from becoming  a much larger one. You can get details for each movement by clicking the image. It is likely you will need to stretch each day and possibly do these and other SMR exercises for your “trouble areas.” The three movements below are part of the foundation that you build on, and you should revisit them often. Click here to see all three SMR Categories. Click here for a printable download of the 3 primary SMR exercises and strategies for using the primary, secondary and extended movements.

Quads Roll Primary SMR Movement #1 This is by far the most important area for you to address on an almost daily basis. As athletes, we tend to be ‘quad dominant.’ One of the quadriceps muscles in the center of your thigh (the rectus femoris) attaches to BOTH the kneecap and the front of the hip. If you allow your quads to lock up from doing lots of work and virtually no stretching, all hip and knee movements will be compromised. You will develop dysfunctional movement compensations with other areas of the body to accommodate the lack of range of motion or strength in your overly tight thigh muscles. This is a recipe for disaster, and is COMPLETELY preventable. Do the following movement as often as you can, but the absolute minimum is once per week. Click here to download a printable PDF of the NEW 2013 Quads Roll(updated video coming soon). The Quadriceps

Adds Roll Primary SMR Movement #2 This is the second most important area for you to address on an almost daily basis. If your knees tend to fall inward when you squat or land on a jump, your adductors may be too tight or shortened. This leads to excessive wear and tear on your knees, hips, and lower back. Make sure you take a little time each week to ensure that your inner thighs aren’t the cause of your poor mechanics when walking, squatting, and jumping. In addition, many athletes tend to be ‘quad dominant.’ However when the inside quadriceps (the VMO) locks up with too many trigger points, the knee ‘buckles.’ To compensate, you’ll tend to shorten your stride, pull harder with the adductor muscles to keep your leg in close, and shift your weight to the other leg. This is a recipe for disaster, and is COMPLETELY preventable. (again, back to those tight adductors and bad mechanics) Do the following movement as often as you can, but the absolute minimum is once per week. Click here to download a printable PDF of the NEW 2013 Adductors Roll(updated video coming soon). Vastus Medialis Oblique

Lats Roll Primary SMR Movement #3 This is the third most important area for you to address on an almost daily basis, yet many of us will see faster improvements in this large region than in the previous two. The target of this movement is the largest back muscle that attaches to the back of the hip, much of the spine, many of the ribs, and the upper arm (the latissimus dorsi). You are addressing many other muscles that lie under or cross this large muscle as you work from your shoulder to your hip. All of these muscles help or hinder proper breathing. When the lats in particular lock up, they will keep your arm closer to your side and not allow you to easily raise your arms overhead. This is a recipe for disaster, causes all kinds of neck and shoulder issues, and is COMPLETELY preventable. Do the following movement as often as you can, but the absolute minimum is once per week. Click here to download a printable PDF of the NEW 2013 Lats Roll(updated video coming soon). Latissimus Dorsi

Group SMR Tip These three movements are also the preferred SMR techniques you should use just prior to a workout. They will address the greatest number of major muscles in the least amount of time. Pick one or two to do just prior to your dynamic movement drills. Spend 3-5 minutes working through the muscles for each side of your body.