PUBLISHED ON Dec, 17, 2024
Weekly Workout: Stretch-Strength Movements for Stiffness
Feeling stiff is a common frustration, especially if you’re frequently at a desk or in repetitive postures. While typical stretching can relieve stiffness temporarily, stretch-strength exercises go further, helping alleviate stiffness long term by training your muscles, tendons, and ligaments through their full range.
With these movements, you’ll not only improve flexibility but you will also get measurably stronger in all of the areas that matter most.
In this week’s workout, we’ll walk through seven powerful stretch-strength exercises designed to unlock common areas of tightness and build overall strength.
1. Incline Nordic Curl
Incline Nordics target the hamstrings, especially at their lengthened position, reducing stiffness in the back of the legs and improving flexibility and strength in the knees.
How to Perform:
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Set up your Hyper Pro or similar equipment to support your ankles while your knees rest on a bench.
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Lower yourself forward by keeping your torso straight, and descend as low as you can control.
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Use your hamstrings to pull yourself back up to the starting position.
2. Reverse Nordic Curl
Reverse Nordics stretch and strengthen the quads and tendons around the knee, supporting flexibility and longevity in the lower body.
How to Perform:
- Kneel with your feet flat behind you and lean back, keeping your core engaged and body straight.
- Lower yourself as far as you can, feeling the stretch in your quads.
- Use your quads to bring yourself back up to starting position.
3. Full Range Pullover
How to Perform:
- Lie on your Hyper Pro in Incline Nordic mode with a light dumbbell or weight in your hands and your arms extended above your chest.
- Slowly lower the weight behind your head until you feel a stretch in your shoulders and upper back.
- Return to the starting position in a controlled manner.
4. Slant Squats
The slant squat emphasizes the quads in a fully lengthened range, improving mobility in the knees and ankles while increasing strength; perfect for reducing lower body stiffness.
How to Perform:
- Stand on the front part of the Hyper with your heels elevated, keeping your knees in line with your toes.
- Slowly lower yourself into a squat, aiming to reach a deep position to feel the stretch in your quads.
- Push through your feet to return to standing.
5. 45-Degree Back Extension
This exercise strengthens the lower back and hamstrings while promoting flexibility in the posterior chain, helping relieve tension in the lower back and reducing stiffness.
How to Perform:
- Position yourself on your Hyper Pro in 45-Degree Back Extension mode.
- Lean forward to lower yourself, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings and lower back, then raise back up by engaging your glutes and hamstrings.
- Control the movement throughout for maximum benefit.
6. QL Raise
The QL raise targets the lateral core and lower back, improving side-to-side mobility and relieving tightness in the lower back and hips.
How to Perform:
- Lie on your side with your lower arm on a bench for support, and lift your torso using your obliques and Quadratus Lumborum (QL) muscle.
- Hold briefly at the top, then lower back down with control.
- Repeat on each side.
7. GHD Sit-Up
GHD sit-ups strengthen the core and hip flexors while stretching them in an extended range, countering stiffness and tightness in the front of the body.
How to Perform:
- Secure your feet in the GHD (glute-ham developer) setup on the Hyper Pro or a similar machine.
- Lower your torso back until you feel a stretch through your core and hip flexors, then use your abs to pull yourself back up.
- Focus on a controlled motion to engage the entire range of your core.
Conclusion
⚠️Full Routine—Screenshot for quick reference!
- Incline Nordic Curl 3 x 5-8
- Reverse Nordic Curl 3 x 5-8
- Full Range Pullover 3 x 10-12
- Slant Board Squats 3 x 10-12
- 45-Degree Back Extension 3 x 12
- QL Stretch 3 x 8
- GHD Sit-Ups 3 x 5
Incorporating these seven movements into your weekly routine is a game-changer for reducing stiffness. By training your muscles and joints in an extended range of motion, you build resilience, control, and lasting flexibility.
Make this routine a staple 2-3 times per week and enjoy a more mobile, comfortable body that’s ready for anything.
All of these movements can be done in less than 30 minutes and with ONE compact machine—the Hyper Pro!
Ready to say goodbye to stiffness?
Grab your Hyper Pro, and let’s get moving!
