If you have a red band, you are not alone. This is a common band among athletes at Get Fit and a tough one to overcome! The trunk stability push up corresponds with this band and can be any extremely difficult exercise to perform. During this exercise we are looking to see if the core can stabilize while performing a series of events.

What is this test assessing?

• This test is looking to see if you are able to perform a movement with the upper body all while having no movement visible through the hips and spine. We are looking to see if you are able to stabilize the spine while performing an upper body push movement. How well you can recruit your core/central pillar stabilizers while doing a symmetrical upper body push helps us coaches determine if we need to be cautious with certain exercises.
• Ideally, checking to see if you can lift yourself as one unit, rather than leaving your hips behind 🙂
• This test also analyzes spinal extension and checks to see if there is pain associated with it.

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

If you are one of many to receive a red band, we want to be cautious when performing challenging core stabilization exercises, as too much stress can be put on the lower back, therefore leading to back pain over time. Ouch!!!

Examples of exercises not performed with a red band:

• Pushup from the ground (MAGIC BAND PUSHUPS can be completed though!)
• Burpees
• TRX pushups, TRX Atomic Crunch, TRX Knee In, TRX Mountain Climbers (anything with feet suspended)

Well, how can I work to get out of this band? I want to do some of those exercises!!

We are looking to safely help strengthen your central pillar to allow yourself to complete more challenging exercises when appropriate. No sulking allowed, rather let’s try and focus on doing these two personalized exercises daily!

1. Lower Body Rolling

Purpose: Improve core strength and timing while moving through rotary stability patterns

How to perform:

• Lay on your back in the supine position with arms overhead
• Raise your R leg and start crossing it over the body
• Begin to roll your body over towards your left using nothing but the lower body
• Continue to rill until in the prone position on your stomach

Repeat: Roll back and alternate sides for 1 minute

2. Slow Pledge Pushup

Purpose: To improve torso stability

How to perform it:

• Start in a pushup position with hands directly under shoulders and feet wide for stability
• While pushing the floor away and keeping the hips as still as possible, slowly raise the R hand to the L shoulder, tap, and slowly bring back to the starting position
• Alternate to the other side

Repeat: 10 total repetitions; 1 tap to each shoulder is one rep

​Cheers to some rolling and pledging today,
Coach Cari

The orange wristband corresponds with the rotary stability test that took place in the quadruped position. This test helps us coaches analyze the functioning of your pelvic, hip, and shoulder girdle stability when combined with an upper and lower body movement. The ability to complete this exercise tells us that you’re transferring of energy from the lower body to the upper body during and exercise should be performed well, with minimal risk of injury.

The focus on this movement pattern is more so STABILITY, where the Active Straight Leg Raise and Shoulder ROM tests demonstrated your MOBILITY.

What is this band for?

The orange wristband protects you from potential injury during explosive movements (listed below). When there is a possible disconnect between the upper and lower body, a less than ideal result may occur. Through proper core stability exercises, we can work to make things smooth and efficient from head to toe!

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

Power movements are done carefully and may be avoided to stay injury free.

Examples of exercises not performed with an orange band:

• Sandbag cleans
• KB squat to clean
• KB swings

Well, how can I work to get out of my band? I want to do some of those exercises!!!

Core stabilizing exercises should be performed often, so often that you may even begin dreaming of them!

1. Walkouts

Purpose: to strengthen the abdominals

How to perform it:

• Begin standing with feet hip/shoulder width apart
• Reach for the floor while keeping the legs straight and beginning walking hands out until in a pushup position
• Pause with hands directly under shoulders
• Slowly walk hands back towards your feet and stand up completely

Repeat: 1 minute

2. Slow Mountain Climbers

Purpose: to strengthen the abdominals while in motion

How to perform it:

• Start in a pushup position- hands under the shoulders and with the ankles, knees, and glutes squeezed together
• Slowly bring the right knee towards the right elbow for 3 seconds
• Slowly bring the right knee back towards the other leg for 3 seconds
• Repeat with left leg
• *Focus on keeping your hips stable to minimize your hips from rocking side to side

Repeat: keep alternating legs for 1 minute

Let's conquer this band together,
Coach Cari

I am writing this blog in hopes of explaining the importance of the white wristband that some of you may wear fashionably around your wrist. Although some of you know of an existing or previous shoulder condition that may be hindering your mobility and shoulder range of motion, many of you feel pain free and pressing overhead may not cause any uncomfortable sensations when performing that motion. Lots of factors come into play when performing our shoulder mobility test- the test checking to see if you should be wearing the corresponding white wristband. Don’t be ashamed and don’t become discouraged, as there are many ways to work your way out of this band and improve mobility in your upper body!

What is this band for?

• This test asses:
• Scapular mobility and thoracic spine flexibility
• Shoulder mobility in a combination of motions: internally rotate and adduct one shoulder while externally rotating and abducting the opposite shoulder
• Symmetry between left and right sides
• A red flag on this test is attributed to limited ROM or pain! Some of our red flags would include having slouched posture/ rounded shoulders – possibly from sitting in a chair all day (which can result in shortened latissimus dorsi and pectoral muscles), a previous injury and or scar tissue buildup, or having pain while performing the impingement test

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

We want to be cautious of overhead exercises! The current status of limited shoulder mobility or shoulder pain can result in compensation by utilizing mobility of the spine to perform the exercise (which will then make for a very unhappy back over time!).

Examples of exercises not performed with a white band:

• Overhead pressing of any sort: with resistance bands, dumbbells, etc.

This is where becoming best friends with the two exercises listed below: Open Book and Quadruped Extension Rotation will be important. Also, remember to take warm up seriously on the training floor and focus on your breathing. Belly breathing is very important and helpful in order to unnecessary tension out of the shoulders and traps.

1. Open Book

Purpose: to improve mobility of the thoracic spine

How to perform it:

• Lie down on your side, bring your top leg forward and anchor it down on foam roller
• Stack both hands chest height
• Reach the top arm forward, slowly rotate the top arm back while following that hand with your eyes
• Slowly close it back up

Repeat: 1 minute on each side

Don't do it: if you experience pain during the exercise

2. Quadruped Extension Rotation

Purpose: to improve extension & rotation in the T-spine

How to perform it:

• Get onto all fours: hands and knees, and sit your bum back on your heels
• Slide your left elbow back so it is touching your left knee and place your right hand behind your head
• Begin with the right elbow touching the left elbow and then begin to slowly reach the right elbow up and back rotating at the thoracic spine (follow the elbow with the eyes)
• Slowly close back up

Repeat: 1 minute on each side

Don't do it: if you experience pain during the exercise

Happy stretching,
Coach Cari

I think it is time we have the bands talk. Every single person who steps on to our training floor is required to go through the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) first. This is important for four big reasons:

1. It shows us how YOU move as an individual 
2. It shows us how to train YOU safely in a group setting
3. It is an injury prevention tool
4. It is a measuring tool

So let’s breakdown the big four so that we can be on the same page and keep you training safe.

1. It shows us how YOU move as an individual

Ever looked in to personal training – like 1 on 1 training? Do you have any idea how costly it would be to train that way 4 times per week? You’d be looking at a minimum $240 PER WEEK. Yes, almost $1000 per month. That’s a lot of dough! It is unnecessary at Get Fit NH BECAUSE of this screen. When we screen you and we assign you bands that means that ANY COACH can look at your wrist and identify what exercise is safe for you and what exercise is not so safe right now. That means even with 30 students in the room I can look at your wrist and know who should be doing exactly what exercise. Everyone has different ailments and limitations – it is important for us to know that and individualize your training. It is a scary thought that most training facilities don’t do this.

2. It shows how to train YOU safely in a group setting

It is the same thing with your movement patterns. Your FMS revealed that something isn’t moving the way we were designed to move. If we continue to load that we will eventually breakdown and get hurt. Wear your bands. Don’t sneak exercises that aren’t safe for you. We want to keep you training safe and this is the best way to make sure that happens.

3. It is an injury prevention tool

4. It is a measuring tool

Bands are NOT a punishment. In my opinion, you are punishing yourself by not wearing them and doing exercises that are not appropriate for you right now. It is not a judgement on you or your fitness level – it is what keeps you safe. I can point you to a number of students who disregarded their bands and ended up with injuries and were out of training, because of it. That sounds like the real punishment to me!

Let's keep you training safe!
Coach Meagan

Many of us who train at Get Fit have been assigned specific wrist band colors to wear during training, based on their results on the Functional Movement Screen! What I want you to know is that these are not a punishment and you should not feel poorly wearing your bands.

What we do ask is that if you have been assigned bands, that you wear them! This assessment helps both the coaches and you! This screen allows us to become educated on how you move, what is safe for you, which areas you can improve, and what movements you’re not ready for quite yet. Our overall purpose here is that we are preventing injury! Because no one came to us to get hurt, right?

Well today, I am going to talk about our yellow wrist band friends.

What is this band for?

This is a common question from our new members but I feel that we often forget the importance of this band, or don’t have all of the knowledge that we could have about it!

The yellow wrist band corresponds with the Active Straight Leg Raise, that was performed while laying on your back. This test asses:

• If you are able to disassociate the lower extremity and maintain a stable torso while doing so
• Flexibility in your hamstrings and gastroc-soleus
• Ability to maintain stability through pelvis while actively extending the opposite leg
• Hip mobility of the opposite leg, combined with lower abdominal stability

A lack of mobility of the hip flexor in the opposite hip, poor functional hamstring flexibility of leg being raised, and core stability can all be factors that lead to an issue- and there is when we add the yellow band.

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

We want to be cautious of powerful hip dominant exercises, as the current flexibility/mobility status of the hamstrings and hip flexors, and lack of core stability, could lead to injury!

Examples of exercises not performed with a yellow band:

• Loaded deadlifts without the toes elevated
• Kettlebell swings
• Kettlebell clean
• i.e. explosive movements and exercises that are demanding too much on some of our problem areas

Here is where doing a little bit of extra credit work outside of your training time may be necessary. Listed below are stretches/corrective exercises that can be performed to help to improve hamstring/gastroc-soleus flexibility, hip flexor mobility, and help you to work on your core stability.

Bent Knee Leg Lowering

Purpose: To improve core stability and flexibility of the hamstrings

How to perform it:

• Lay on your back with your right leg straight and your left leg bent with your left foot flat on the floor
• Pull the toes of your right foot toward your shin
• Keeping the right leg straight, take 3 seconds to lift the leg as high as you can while keeping it straight without your knee bending
• Take 3 seconds to lower your leg

Repeat: 10x on each leg

Don't do it: if there is pain or popping in the hip or spine

Band Leg Lowering

Purpose: To improve core stability with hip separation, also improving flexibility of the hamstrings/gastroc-soleus of leg in band

How to perform:

• Grab a resistance band or towel and place it around the instep of your left foot
• Lay in a supine position and raise both legs as high as you can while keeping them straight
• Keeping both feet flexed, slowly lower your right leg towards the floor
• Slowly raise the right leg back up to the starting position

Repeat: 10x on each side

Don't do it: if there is pain or popping in the hip or spine

When should these be done? Daily, either at home or before/after class!

I hope this was helpful and next week I will be sharing some information on the white wristband!

Get stretching,
Coach Cari