I love doing strength work and working in some mobility or flexibility work at the same time.
Why?
End range of motion strength.
I'll tell you what that means and why it's important in a second, but first...
Let's get into this workout!
End Range Of Motion Strength Workout Breakdown
What is the End Range?
Before I give you the circuit (you can just scroll down... haha)... what is end range of motion strength?
It's when you're at the fully loaded position of a strength exercise. For example:
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The bottom of a pushup
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The bottom of a squat
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The bottom or a lunge
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The top of pull up
For many exercises the end range is where you're the weakest and making the transition is the hardest.
Real fast, let's look at the squat.
Most women are limited in how deep they can go down because of their mobility and their end range of motion strength.
Improve your mobility... you can get lower.
Improve your end range of motion strength... you can go heavier.
Improve both... and you're body will move better and feel considerably better.
That's what we'll play with in this workout.
The Range of Motion Workout Circuit
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12 kettlebell deadlifts
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8 racked wide lunges
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8 kneeling windmills (forearm to ground)
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8 halos with squats
Your goal is to get 4 rounds completed.
Can you do it in 5 minutes or less?
It's pretty much impossible... but try to get all 4 rounds done if you have time.
In the filmed version of the workout... Dan changes things up on the fly and we do something pretty cool.
Come workout with me and let's do this together!
Let's break these exercises down.
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End Range Of Motion Strength Exercise Breakdown
Kettlebell Deadlifts
These are not designed as a mobility focused exercise. However, if you're like most women... you probably have very tight hamstrings, hips, and lower back.
If you work on deadlifts (correctly) you can increase blood flow and loosen all of these areas up... therefore increasing mobility.
Step 1
Stand over your kettlebell so it's between your legs and the handle is in line with your ankles.
It's going to feel like the kettlebell is behind you... however you'll soon see it's perfectly placed.
Stand straight up and squeeze your butt and flex your legs a little... you want your glutes engaged.
Step 2
Take your hands and tap your hips right on your hips bones. This will be your signal to move your hips back in space.
As you move your hips back... sticking your butt out... make sure you have a slight bend in your knees. This will ensure you engage your hamstrings and not your back muscles.
Pull the kettlebell straight up, keeping it between your legs... along your center of gravity line and maintain balance over your enter foot.
At the top of the deadlift:
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Squeeze your butt
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Lock your legs out
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And pull your shoulders back
Step 3
Work your way back down to the ground by starting with a slight bend in your legs as you stick your butt straight back.
Again... keep the kettlebell between your legs. Don't let it get too far in-front of your or you're back will engage as you're losing your center of gravity.
Let the kettlebell go all the way to the ground as you keep your spine straight.
I think it's important to put the kettlebell fully on the ground. Reset before you pull back up.
Kettlebell Racked Wide Lunges
This is a mobility focused strength exercise. Try to get into you hips more by taking a large step back.. without letting your forward knee get behind your ankle.
Step 1
Get the kettlebell in rack position.
Stand straight up and take a large step back into a reverse lunge. As you step back... make sure you keep your front knee pushed out laterally so the knee aligns with the outside of your foot.
Don't let your front leg's knee move behind your ankle. In fact... I prefer you keep it a little in-front at all times.
Step 2
Take the biggest step you can back and work to keep your hips square, facing forward.
Your mini-challenge is to see if you can get your back hip into extension. This is where the knee is behind the front your hip.
It's a great stretched position and end range of motion for the lunge.
Step 3
Press into your back toes and with as little momentum as possible... bring your leg forward.
Return to standing with both feet back on the ground.
During this entire movement, your balance will be tested and that is the sugar on top of a tough exercise as you'll get more muscle engage the entire time.
Kneeling Windmills (Forearm To Ground)
Now we're taking our mobility exercises up a notch.
Listen to your body on this exercise and only go to your hand if you lack the mobility. You'll get there through practice.
I suggest you start with a lighter kettlebell until you get used to this exercise.
If this is brand new to you... do it with no weight. Go through the movement so you can learn the positions.
Step 1
Get your kettlebell into rack position and step back. Put your knee on the ground so you're in a kneeling position.
Step back with the leg that's opposite of the arm that is holding the kettlebell.
Once you're in a kneeling position... press the kettlebell over your head and press it high.
Step 2
Make sure you watch the video and look at the picture for this... it's kinda of technical.
Look at your kettlebell the entire time. Push your hips back at a 45 degree angle as you hip hinge down.
Keep your spine straight and core engaged as you place your hand on the ground.
Step 3
Once your hand is on the ground and you're looking up at your kettlebell... continuing to press it high.
Hinge a little further and get your forearm down to the ground. This requires hip, glute, thigh, and core muscle mobility.
From there, brace and return to your hand and then back up so you're upright in the kneeling position.
The kettlebell remains pressed over your head the entire time.
This is an advanced exercise if you're never done it before. Make sure you watch the video and ask any questions in the comments of the YouTube video .
Kettlebell Halo Squats
I am breaking one of my rules here by combining two completely different exercises.
But this works so well and it's a great mobility based exercise.
Step 1
Hold your kettlebell upside down by the handle. Each hand is holding it's side of the kettlebell handle. The images will help here.
Take a good squat stance and brace up.
Step 2
Squat down and work on get as low as you can. The lower you can go during the squat better for your overall hip mobility. Just listen to your body.
Remain holding your kettlebell upside down. Nothing changes up yet.
Remember to slightly twist your feet into the ground and hold your torso tall. Push your knees out laterally so get more into your hips and mobility your groin muscles.
Step 3
As you come out of the squat and you're nearly standing straight up... you'll perform a halo.
Rotate the kettlebell off to the side. It's going to orbit your head.
As you move the kettlebell to the side... it will rotate behind your head. At this point it will be "upright"...
Keep rotating the kettlebell around your head until you back at the beginning.
Work hard to get the kettlebell behind you as far and low as you can. Even I fall into the trap of not going back far enough.
Alternate the halo direction for each rep.
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Ready To Workout And Stretch Your End Range Of Motion?
I hope you enjoy this workout and push yourself to test your mobility.
Be careful testing your mobility... especially with weights... don't push too far or hard and hurt yourself.
But see how far you can go.
Let me know how it goes by leaving a comment in the comments of the YouTube video.
And if you're looking for more mobility workouts, try these:
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