Getting Strong by Getting Mobile Day 1

Warm-up
Myofascial Release:
Mostly foam roller, some lacross ball

Stretch/Activate:
3 sets Hip Flexor/Rectus Femoris paired with Glute Bride x 10
3 sets Piriformis Stretch w/ Band paired with Side Clams/Fire Hydrants
X-Bands Walks

Core:
RKC Planks 2 x 30 seconds

Strength/Hypertrophy:
Hip Thrusts - BWx10;  BWx10;  BWx10
90/90 Split Squats - BWx2; BWx1; BWx1.  See http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/the-90-90-split-squat/

Notes
Very humbling night.  This took 1 hour and I was working my ass off the entire time.  This session looks like nothing - and it really is nothing, but I cannot overstate the effort I put into doing this shit right.  For the first time, I'm truly trying to tune into what is going on with these exercises.  Years of sitting at a desk, at the libary, at home, have royally fucked my posture.  This shit is painful to get through, and I'm no stranger to hard work or discomfort in the gym.

Gabe was right - "its not just WHAT you do, but HOW you it."  Every warm-up/lower body exercise I post I am studying intently before performing it in the gym.  Side Clams for instance.  Easiest the gayest/most pussy "exercise" known to man.  They are simple to do, but are you really feeling your gluteus medius being activated?  I certainly wasn't.  I don't even know what the fuck my gluteus medius is. So, I kept taking the lacrosse ball to my piriformis and stretching that shit until I could start to feel the glute medius activated during the clam.  And this actually excited me.  By the time I got to Planks my glutes were already so fried I was shaking uncontrollably.

The finale of the night was the 90/90 split squats.  Essentially, this exercise entails putting one foot in front of the other and touching your knee to the ground (see the video for the actual cues).  Guy pulls 495x2 one month ago.  Guess what?  He can't do a split squat correctly.  Its not a strength issue, its that my body literally can't get into that position.  It took every ounce of effort I had to do those 4 total reps, and my front knee was still traveling a little bit.

With that said, I left the gym feeling invigorated.  The muscle fascia around my hips felt like it was pummeled with a meat pulverizor.  But it felt good.  Tons of open space in my hips.  I have a long way to go, but I love having a firm direction in my training right now.  This is Day One. I cannot fucking wait to truly fix some of these issues,no matter how long it takes.  I never lose sight of why I'm truly doing this: a raw, natural, elite powerlifting total.  Here I come mother fucker!