Gravity Fx Fitness

Since playing in a men’s basketball league recently, I’ve altered my workouts slightly to be able to compete and avoid injuries.

While my competitive days may be behind me, in my mind I still want to play my best, even if I’m 15-20 years older than many of the guys.  So today I started off with some self-massage with the Tiger Tail rolling massage tool and then some flexband stretching for my lower body.

Last week I had some tightness in my calf and want to avoid any major muscle tears.  I followed this up with more calf stretching with the Prostretch.  Next I did some interval jump rope training – 20 to 30 seconds on and then 20 to 30 seconds off for 5 minutes.

I followed this up with some bodyweight rows with the Bandit’s Loops suspension trainer, alternating with Power Plate pushup holds.  My elbow is still a little sore and this lets me maintain upper body strength without the eccentric contractions of doing the full movement.

While doing this, I picked one leg off the ground for increased core work.  By having one less contact point, it increases the stability demands on your midsection, which saves me from doing crunches and saves time as well.

Then I did some flexband squat-rows for some additional cardio work and then used the flexbands for lateral agility training.  Definitely need that for playing basketball.

I also mixed in some one arm grappler’s throws with the Ropes Gone Wild for more interval cardio work and to hit my obliques.  Doing these with one arm and the 1 ½ inch manilla rope is a great core exercise.

So all total, the warmup and workout lasted almost 45 minutes, making this workout doable by most everyone from a time perspective.  Not everyone over 40 can jump rope, but if you are still playing sports then you need to do exercises that prepare you for the sport, instead of just playing sports to try and stay in shape.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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Flexband resistance bands are a great tool for dynamic flexibility and core training.  I’ve used several different types of bands for training and these are the most versatile.

These bands resemble thick rubber bands and have a lot more resistance than typical therapy bands.  I found an article by physical therapist Dave Schmitz about four years ago and was intrigued by his training methods.

Most resistance bands are made of tubing and are good for upper body pushing and pulling movements.  He uses the flat bands for dynamic stretching and agility drills that I haven’t seen before.

In particular, he has a lower body flexibility routine that gets great results.  I have been doing Active Isolated Stretching with myself and my clients for a long time.  I used to use it with the local arena football team before they went out for warmups.

His method allows you to do this same type of active stretching with resistance bands, making the muscles more elastic and stronger at the same time.

In addition to bootcamp classes, Schmitz uses the bands for agility and core training.  High school football teams in Wisconsin using his methods have won state championships in recent years or finished near the top.

They are a great tool for distance runners who want to stay flexible and minimize the risk of overuse injuries.  Self-massage with the Stick and then doing his flexibility routine is a potent combo.

If looking for a great tool for home workouts, I can definitely recommend Resistance Band Training.  Its also something you can take with you when traveling.

Oh, by the way, Dave can do the front splits at 45 and is as agile as most professional athletes.  Look for the Total Flexibility Training package.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

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