Another midnight flow courtesy of @venus2bfab's 14 day #flowinto2017 challenge. Figured I'd do it in my Napoleon Dynamite pajama pants because, well, I can, and to drive home the point that you can do this anytime, anywhere, wearing whatever you want! No lululemon gear required ?
This was day 4, and it hit 3 things that I knew would challenge me: hip flexion mobility, end range hop flexor control/strength, and unilateral closed chain upper extremity work. You watch Venus go flow and and think, “oh yeah, that doesn't look so bad.” Then you give it a try and are left wondering if gravity is actually a real thing for her.
But, that's the beauty of these flows; modifiable for anyone. You'll see that I slow it down when stepping forward with my right leg so I can really explore and control the movement and try to fight for some more range, not simply use momentum to get through. As the flow went on I tried to make more of a concerted effort to get the flexion from my hip, not my back (especially with the right leg stepping forward), but it's difficult to correct without tactile or visual feedback. And honestly, I was trying to focus more on simply moving, not moving perfectly, and listening to my body. ZERO hip pain with this ?? When stepping through on both sides I tried focusing hard on engaging the core and hip flexors to attempt to pancake myself (bring my thigh towards my chest) and make clearing the floor that much easier. End range hip flexion strength/control is something that most folks are lacking (gymnasts are total masters at this), and is something we could all stand to pay more attention to. For all my crossfitters still resisting joining the flow, this will help with your toes to bar! ?
I find it so awesome that the flows introduce movements with tremendous carryover that might be boring to work on in isolation or perhaps that you're just tired of working on. I can't encourage you enough to join in on this challenge, even if you've missed the first four days. Flow your way to better joint health, or the hospital if you refuse to check your ego ? jk jk.
Try it. Film it. Post it. Tag Venus. Don't be shy. We're all in this together.