Less difficult to more difficult = muscle activation in positions you wouldn't otherwise be able to access.
Dropped in to @bigeasycrossfit this morning, met some super friendly people, hit a dope WOD, then continued my hip rehab.
My right hip external rotation has always been ? (I'm fairly certain there's some structural stuff going on there) but after injuring my hip a few weeks ago it got even worse. Remember, ya can't rest your way to a full recovery. Gotta get after whatever you lost.
In the first part of the video I demonstrate how much less ER I have on my right hip vs my left. In the second part I demo how leaning back allows for more hip ER than when I'm sitting up (different tension in the capsule, different length-tension relationship of tissues, and a little bit of cheating by rotating my pelvis ?). I have the green superband to prevent myself from cheating the movement and thinking I'm lifting my foot higher by simply flexing my hip more.
The last part of the video I demo one of my favorite ways of training, as I go from a position with less demands, to more while maintaining tension in the target area. In this case, my right hip.
Now, I realize there isn't a HUGE difference in the amount of motion, but it's enough, and I can feel the difference. I could have also put something under my right foot and made sure my foot stayed raised above it for the duration of the movement (aka a passive range lift off for those of you familiar with FRC). Hip is about 85% of the way better. Patience is a virtue. #Maestrofied *note: I am not trying to get my right hip ER to match my left hip ER, because as previously stated, the majority of the limitation at the right hip is likely secondary to long-standing boney changes. I am however trying to get my R hip AROM to match what it was prior to my injury a few weeks ago.*
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