Active Recovery Part 2-Lower Body Sled Drag.....

 Ash Drags...

A few days back we spoke heavily about the importance of Active Recovery. Specifically theUpper Body Sled Drag. We discovered recovery while doing absolutely nothing but eating drinking and sleeping is very important, as long as conversely, you actively force the body to transport nutrients faster by performing techniques with much less intensity, and time, two and three times per week. With much more specific plans of attack centered around particular areas. 

This time we focus on the all important hip, glute and surrounding area. If you have been married to CF for as little as a week you will come to notice the importance of the hip. Its role is probably the most important of any other location of the body. Seconded by the mid line, and posterior chain, all working harmoniously to ensure we have a proper core to extremity output. 

The hip need be laced in multiple workouts a week. Cleans, deads, snatches, pull-ups, and many more all utilize its ability to express power. With this ability comes lots and lots of use. Use that is productive. Well worth it,and ultimately beneficial. While there is little chance for overtrainig, there is chance for under eating, and under recovery. Assuming you are eating enough, and stretching the hell out of this area daily, there are several weighted activities(only sled options in this post, more to come) to help move nutrients more rapidly. Stimulate enhanced mobility, and push out the badness faster. All the while making future training events more advantageous.

Forward:

Above Ash pulls deliberately through the forward facing plane. She just walks. Not run. Deliberately stopping the sled on every step. Never using momentum. Always starting from a dead stop. Always placing the foot far away from the body and pulling the ground toward you with your hips and glutes. Avoid momentum at all costs.

Lateral:

Jordan laterally tugs the sled in close to the same fashion. He belts it up, squats down slightly legs spread out, then pulls the ground with his hips to the side to stimulate a different plane of attack. He will obviously face both sides, and continue the deliberate hip dominant technique as above.

Rearward:

Above Ash faces the sled, and sets back into position. Again, the sled is drawn form a stop, void of momentum. This multi angular technique will ensure proper recovery of hip flexors, ductors, glutes, hamstrings quads and the like. Don't skip steps. Employ all available angles.

Buckled Over:

Jordan demonstrates our last lower body sled technique. He will hold the straps from the above bent position, and remain down to ensure full posterior chain activation. The pump achieved is intense, so start light. This pretty little item can be a great strengthener, or a great way to loosen a tight back, butt, and hips when they are screaming all too loudly.

Other Options:

There is a variety of other options not pictured. Attaching the straps to your ankles is another way to shift the pull to other ares of your body. You simply, pull the weight down, so placement changes, therefore stimulation changes. Play around. If you feel it somewhere you need to feel it...chances are, your right. 

How Heavy:

If we were going for strength, Id say super heavy, but we are going for restoration. Healing. So moderate will do. Find a weight you feel as though you could do indefinitely, but that is taxing slightly in the beginning. 

How Often:

As opposed to the upper body pull, which is utilized one time per week or so, it would do us all better to drag for the lower portion anywhere from 2-4 times per week. 

How Long:

Start timed, not for distance. Ten minutes at a time is a good intro, never really rising above 15 minutes. You could pull three minutes at each angle. Or select different angles for different days, and only work on two or three at a time. Experiment with this as if it helps recover by the method you choose...then we have surely done our job.

Don't let this little beauty fool you. Its quickly difficult. But also, quickly producing,with near instant gratification if done correctly. Don't be afraid to try new things in the hopes of betterment of body, mind, and soul. The first step in your drag...is an open mind.

Strength:

Front Squat

1,1,1,1,1

Compare Here

For Score:

5-Sumo Deadlift Highpulls 65/95

6-Hang Power Snatchs 65/95

7-Invetrted Burpees

AMRAP 12 Min

Post weight to comments, and rounds achieved. 

    

Comments

[Ken]

JB, I've really enjoyed these past few days posts - ur info always amazes me. Love the open mind is the first step thing on this one. The sled is most definitely something I need to be using based on my lower body inflexibility. As for the deficiency post, I've compared my mega multi-vitamin supplement info & I'm deficient in many categories still. Any multi's that u know of that might get us close or is this a situation we just need to do individual supplements to bring us up to snuff? Thanks for helping us help ourselves sir!

[jb]

Glad u dig.

For the sled...grab and go...it actually feels better when ur done...

For the deficient stuff, a multi is rarely the way to go....in fact Im working with some folks to try and bring us up to snuff as on some cool new things at our joint...but look to

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

it has all foods and counts. Put in the food you usually consume, then see where your deficent. Then simply buy the ones u may be lackin, and watch where you take em as far as with each other...then ur golden...bout 10min or of work, for a world of betterment...some folks I have just had slam zinc have wittnessed 10% time decrease

Progenex works this way....its really not a pro shake...it has pro in it for muscular apptitude, but it blunts the calcium chain effectiveley keepin Ca in the muscles letting them contract as they are suppose to...all about the little things.

Again...thanks for the compliment

[Keisha]

105/ 3 rounds(m)

[holly]

185 front squat PR (20 lbs)
6 rds!

[Joe Daddy]

235 front squat. Not good at all today for some reason
6 rds.

[runmelrun]

135 (PR)
4 rounds

[NP]

235lb FSq
5 rounds

[Ken]

I'll check it out - thanks Josh!

[heather]

Hey fellow PCF'ers - I've got a PCF only spin class on Monday nights at 8pm at The Studio Troy (Terra's place). A few of your fellow PCF'ers are already in this class and we have a lot of fun, work hard and sweat a ton. If any of you are interested in giving it a try send me an email heather_mccormick821@hotmail.com and I'll get you more information and find a date that works with your schedule.

And I promise...no burpees if you are late! :)

[jb]

Screw that...burpees are always in if ur late....and the class is fun Heather is a great instructor

[Amelia]

95# front squat... wow, just not good at those! :(

4 rounds! :) 65# SDHP 55# snatch.
But I did handstands!!! I never could have dreamed I would do handstands... I could barely do them as a child and now I'm 41!! :) very very fun!!!!!

[Bonnie Mac]

Go Amelia!

6 rnds

And check out Heather's class. It's challenging and good times!!!

[k]

amelia--awesome. idnt cf even better upside-down?

peppy-nice work on your first max day. front squats suck so you've gotten a tough one out of the way first.

aj-w what i saw tonight, your squat weight will surely go up fast. great job.

ken-now THATs dedication to better health. during the torential downpour at pcf tonight ken was workin on recovery in the street w the sled. great photo opp. i gave it a try when he was done and i must say that draggin the sled properly is kinda like yoga...waaay slow. not for the ADD among us...though, perhaps, we need it most.

[steve]

185 frontsquat pr. 95 sdlhp 65 hps love the inverted burpees. 5rdsM

[heather]

140lb front squat (PR)
8 rds

[Keena]

hey heather...i sent you an email..i'm interested in the spin class as i'm nursing a back injury and definately want to stay active during this process....thanks!
Keena
kanderson.rn@gmail.com

[Benny]

210 fsquat
6 rounds

[Ken]

245 fsquat PR
5 rnds
Thanks Kara, but your barefoot approach trumped me in the rain!
Great work & encouragement.

[Jon]

225 fsq
5 rounds

[Jen]

145# front squat
4 rds

[Betsy]

175 front squat
4 rds

[Supra Shoes]

I started blogging,a lot of things are not clear,can you help me,thanks.