Mobility and Asymmetry Training

Introducing the single dumbbell overhead squat!

Team!
This post was inspired by a movement that my amazing coach, Erika Snyder, snuck into my personal programming last week! So, in kind, I am sharing it with you.... with a little twist of my own! 
Enjoy! 
-Carla

For mid-life women, a strong core becomes paramount to maintaining the functional movements for everyday living and any athletic pursuit by creating a strong foundation for the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that stabilize our joints as our hormones change. Hand in hand with core strength is mobility, which maintains safe movement in our joints, aids recovery, and prevents injury.

This workout features the single dumbbell overhead squat which is an excellent core strength-building movement that also challenges shoulder and hip mobility. Watch the video carefully, taking care to focus on even weight distribution over your entire foot and keeping the biceps muscle of your extended arm close to your ear, which maintains the weight in the midline along your center of gravity.

Select a very light dumbbell or even a shoe if you are trying this for the first time. The most important thing is to execute solid mechanics. Do this movement in the mirror first and compare it to the video points of movement. Once you are ready, select a weight (or even just a shoe!) that will allow you to do the repetitions of each round in 1-2 sets. This weight will be different from what you choose for the single-arm kettlebell/dumbbell swing.

Warm-Up

AMRAP 5 minutes (perform each movement in sequence for as many rounds as you can in 5 minutes)

• 10 air squats

• 20 high knee runs (Right + Left = 1 rep)

• 20 mountain climbers

Single arm kettlebell/dumbbell swing and overhead squat progression

• 5 single-arm dumbbell deadlifts (each side)

• 5 single-arm kettlebell/dumbbell swing (each side)

  TIP: Watch the video!!! Keep the back flat, chest up, hinge at the hip, engage the hamstrings and squeeze the glutes and quads as you swing the dumbbell to eye-level. The lower back is rock-stable (as if your spine is a steel rod) and is only providing stability. There should be no pressure here.

• 10 single-arm overhead dumbbell squat (using a light dumbbell or a shoe)

Movement Practice

Take 5-10 minutes to select your weights for the single-arm kettlebell/dumbbell swing and the single-arm overhead squat. Select a weight that allows you to do 7-10 consecutive repetitions (without alternating sides) unbroken.

Tip: The overhead squat weight may need to be much lighter than you think as this is more of a mobility challenge than strength. You may need to stick with the shoe, and that’s ok!

Workout

How To: Perform each movement in sequence for 15 repetitions, then each movement for 12 repetitions, and so on)

For Quality Repetitions (not for time)

15 - 12 - 9

• Right side: Single-arm overhead squat

• Left side: Single-arm overhead squat

• Right side: Single arm kettlebell/dumbbell swing

• Left side: Single arm kettlebell/dumbbell swing

Cool- Down

10-minute Shoulder Opening Stretch