84 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2017FLEXIBILITY IS ABOUTmore
than just touching your toes.
Rather, it’s the ability to control
your entire range of motion,
whether you’re loading a squat
or holding the yoga warrior pose.
Having great flexibility is one
of the most important building
blocks to achieve great, well-
rounded fitness. So remember: you
may poke fun at your mate who
skips leg day, but you should never
let a bro miss his flexibility work.THE TESTOverhead squat
HOWTODOIT:stand facing a wall
with your toes 5cm away from it,
raise your arms overhead and do
an unweighted squat.Olympic lifts and doing
plyometric work, which will
make you more explosive.
But it’s important to remember:
the more you lift, the more your
body craves flexibility work.
“New muscle fibres aren’t
automatically as flexible,” Lanier
says, so you need to maintain your
baseline flexibility. “It’s up to you
to make sure you maintain your
bendy bobcat pretzelness while
tackling heavier loads and time
under tension.”
That doesn’t mean you have to go
to Bikram yoga three days a week,
but you should work some reverse
lunges, side planks, deep and full
body-weight squats and foam
rolling into your daily routine.
It won’t take much time –
seriously, no more than seven
minutes – but it’ll launch you to
new heights in the weight room.
IF YOU FAILED: you might be the
strongest dude in the gym, but
without flexibility, you’re on
the express train to Injury-ville.
Without proper flexibility and
a full range of motion, you’re
throwing your entire body – from
your calves and feet to lats and
lower back – out of whack.
“First step: stop chasing heavier
weight,” says Underwood. Decrease
the weight 10% on all your lifts,
and focus on the mechanics of
your movement, achieving a full
range of motion and maintaining
proper posture for each lift.
We suggest doing 10 Cossack
squats five days a week, to build
strength and mobility: stand with
your feet very wide apart; turn
your left foot out so the back of the
heel is on the floor and the toes are
pointed up. Now squat on your right
leg, keeping the right foot glued
to the floor; repeat with the other
leg; that’s one rep.
Keep your back flat – never let
it curve at the bottom. After two
weeks, add kettlebells, holding
them close to your chest.Stretch yourself
FITNESS TEST CATEGORY 2:FLEXIBILITYKNOW SQUAT
To do it right, keep
your toes 5cm
from the wall.GOAL: squat without touching
the wall with your hands.Active straight-leg raise
HOW TO DO IT: lie flat on your back
in a doorway, positioned with the
doorjamb halfway between your
kneecap and hip. Pointing your toe
and keeping your leg fully straight,
lift one leg as high as you can.
GOAL: get your ankle through
the doorway.THE RESULTSIF YOU PASSED: “The guy who can
do these easily – bang! He knocks it
out, drops arse to grass, and doesn’t
touch the wall – has the requisite
flexibility to train heavier,” says
Underwood, so start working onTEST TO BE YOUR BEST