Monkey Pickers - a hanging compound movement

Ok here's goes a move that's as fun as it can be challenging.

Inspired by my daily walks through the zoo here in Hong Kong where I get to see the large numbers of buff-cheeked Gibbons moving with a grace that we humans rarely achieve. Primates will hang from a tree or a branch and reach down and pick up something off the floor to inspect it or pass it on to another member of their tribe in a way that I thought... really they're pulling off an inverted compound movement. Only they do it because they're hardwired to do it and thus they do it instinctually. We humans however need to work a bit harder to achieve anything near the same level of gracefulness and agility.

So... despite the difference in anatomy and musculature between us and our simian cousins... the result is today's movement. Monkey Pickers. Challenging core strength and grip strength. Continuous movement and conscious breathing are a big part of these drills. So important to work on every component of the moves to achieve a fluid and graceful conditioning movement. Give them a go!

IGNITE SC - lizard walks

Ok here's your Monday movement people!

Lizard walks... good movement for you straight out of the primordial soup. Continuing with the contra-lateral theme in many of my movements... this one is more challenging than it looks. What Komodo dragons make look easy... we as humans find challenging... so get to it and knock out a few sets for time or distance!

IGNITE SC - double helix

Here's an excellent compound movement that I want to share with you. It has a lot in common with a woodchopper movement... but you get to go more vertical. The internal rotation of the knee in the picking phase of the movement massively loads the supporting leg and glute. A good range of rotational motion through the entire torso is key to making the most of this powerful movement.

It's important to start out at body weight and understand the movement before you progress to even light weight. It's a very dynamic rotation movement. Also notice the rotation on the balls of the feet to facilitate the turn through the hips and the driving with the quads and the glutes.

IGNITE SC - dynamic warm up and stretch

Here's a good component for a dynamic warm up and stretch. You're moving on this one so it's not a deep held stretch... this is a pre workout stretch to get you going and limbered up before going into dynamic movements that involve the hip flexors and the hamstrings. Don't be in a big hurry to push your leg up as high as you can... just let it takes it natural course and get the muscles and tendons working and switched on. It will take you several steps to find your rhythm. Once you have it go for anywhere between 10-12 reps per leg.

More dynamic warm up videos to come. As you can see... even typhoon weather didn't get in the way of getting the vid out for my people!

IGNITE SC - horizontal rows

Here's a drill with a pulling movement that works as a counter balance to all the pushing movements that dominate more workouts. People often neglect this one because you don't normally stand in a mirror trying to flex your rhomboids/lats/traps. But if you want strong upper and middle back and good posture then you'll get a lot out of this drill.

A great exercise for improving strength while clinching in Muay Thai. The movement is one of the keys to develop a strong middle/upper back and it also gives a dose to the biceps as well. Because you work to keep your body rigid through the pull - your core gets a good workout because it's recruited as a stabilizer.

Horizontal rows can be done just about anywhere you can grip an edge and get your feet under... I'll post up more of the many variations on the horizontal row in up coming videos... but for now you've got no excuse for not rocking them out!