STS 2.0: Mobility 1 & Mobility 2

Mobility 1 and Mobility 2 are part of Cathe Friedrich‘s STS 2.0 program which contains 26 workouts. I am doing the 12 week STS 2.0 rotation. The subtitle for the STS 2.0 program is Muscle and Recovery. These workouts are part of the Recovery. They are both very enjoyable mobility and dynamic flexibility workouts. Mobility 2 is more aggressive and intense than Mobility 1. Something to keep in mind if you are feeling really sore or drained. Then maybe you should opt for Mobility 1 even if the rotation directs Mobility 2. This DVD contains 2 premixes. They both combine the two workouts but you just do one then flow directly into the next one. Because of this, I recommend doing the premix that starts with Mobility 2 then flows into Mobility 1.

Mobility 1 is 19:29 minutes. Equipment: fitness mat. This is a feel good mobility session. Lots of dynamic stretches and range of motion. It starts a little more active to get you warmed up but then the level drops to more relaxing mobility and dynamic stretching. I really enjoyed this session.

1. Squats / Rotational warm up (squat crossing arms and touching knees with opposite hands, when you stand, open arms overhead and wide)
2. Alternate reaching arms overhead with a side bend when reaching
3. Alternate reaching one arm across body to opposite side; start rotating body to side as you reach
4. Shoulder rolls
5. Ragdoll position (roll spine into forward fold, hold forward fold, hands hold opposite elbow); slightly bend knees then straighten them; slowly swing/shift arms/upper body side to side
6. Lower into a deep yoga squat, hands wrapped around ankles, shift side to side
7. Return to ragdoll, bend knees then straighten them
8. In wide leg forward fold, bring both hands to one ankle, bend knee of opposite leg, shifting to side to stretch straight leg
9. Repeat #6
10. Wide leg forward fold with hands on mat
11. Repeat #6
12. Repeat #10
13. Downward facing dog; bend then straighten knees; pedal the feet; hold down dog
14. Deep runners lunge, one hand is on floor next to front foot, other hand is behind head (same arm as front leg), lower elbow mat beside front foot, then rotate torso reaching elbow to ceiling
15. Downward facing dog
16. Repeat #14 on other side of body
17. Child’s pose with arms extended in front of you
18. Thread the needle
19. Body wave (child’s pose, raise out of child’s pose while rounding the back and lowering body onto mat with hands under shoulders then push back into child’s pose)
20. Repeat #17
21. Scapular push ups (hold straight arm knee plank, push palms into ground while rounding shoulders then release, bringing shoulder blades toward each other)
22. Lay on back w/ knees pulled into chest and arms around shins, circling the knees to massage the spine
23. Lay on back with knees bent and feet on floor, arms are extended to sides in a T, rotate knees to side into a supine spinal twist
24. Same position as #23 but cross one ankle over opposite knee, rotate legs to side into a spinal twist
25. Still laying on back, pull knees into chest, arms are around hamstrings under calves, raise head bringing chin to knees and separating shoulder blades
26. Knee circles (on hands and knees, draw a large circle with leg, knee remains bent at 90 degrees)
27. Repeat #17
28. Scorpion (lay on stomach with legs together and arms extended to sides in a T, raise one leg and, with knee bent, bring it over to the outside of other leg and try to place foot on ground while keeping arms on mat)
29. Lay on stomach on mat, arms are crossed with hands stacked, rest chin on hands
30. 90/90 (sit on mat, both knees are bent at 90 degrees with one knee in front of you and one beside you, twist torso toward and past front leg, placing hands on mat, looking over shoulder)
31. Repeat #30 but walk hands out away from body while lowering head and chest toward mat
32. Groin stretch (butterfly pose)

Mobility 2 is 17:57 minutes. Equipment: fitness mat. This workout is more aggressive than Mobility 1. The exercises are more advanced and it is more intense. It is not a difficult workout though. It is definitely recovery level. This workout is full of mobility work, some dynamic stretching and even a bit of body weight strength work.

1. Arm swings with knee bends (swing arms from behind you to overhead while doing partial squats); do one arm swing and hold arms overhead, step to side and pull one arm down lat pull down style, return to center and swing arms again then repeat on other side of body
2. Shoulder rolls
3. Paint the fence wrist stretch (raise straight arms in front of you to above head with wrists bent down and when you lower your arms, flex wrists–hands imitate pain brush motion)
4. Wrap hands around soccer ball (circle hands as if moving around a soccer ball while also flexing fingers, closing them into a fist and rotating wrists)
5. Side lunge crawl (stand with legs wide, lower into a side lunge and shift side to side, alternating side lunges, staying low and walking hands along floor as you shift side to side)
6. Cossack squat bear crawl (start standing, step out into side lunge, rotate foot of straight leg so heel is on floor and toe points to ceiling, hold this position and fall forward, placing hands on mat and lowering the top of your head towards the mat, push back up into cossack squat then push back to standing)
7. Shoulder roll stretch (get on hands and knees, open arms wide with palms on mat, lower one shoulder toward mat, twisting other shoulder toward ceiling, alternate sides); continue this movement but hold shoulder to mat briefly and rotate arm so palm faces ceiling (see picture on front of DVD)
8. Half kneeling windmill (come into kneeling lunge but front leg is actually open to side (knee is bent at 90 degrees, foot on floor), rotate torso placing one hand on mat while extending other arm to ceiling; continue this move but go deeper, lowering forearm to mat
9. Seated hip flexor hurdle (sit on mat with legs extended straight in front of you, extend arms out to sides in a T, hold this position and lift one leg and move it to side as if lifting it over a hurdle 2x until leg is open wide to side then reverse the motion so legs are together again, repeat on other leg–hips remain facing forward throughout)
10. Hip bridge reach (lay on back, knees bent and feet on mat close to glutes, raise hips, raise one arm and cross it over other shoulder and above head, tapping floor, lower hips while returning arm to start, alternate sides)
11. Still laying on back, pull knees into chest, holding shins
12. Pigeon rock (figure 4/supine pigeon pose, rock hips side to side)
13. Wrist circle (on hands and knees, circle torso while keeping palms on floor and arms straight w/ elbows locked, fingers face in front of you); continue circles but change hand position so fingers face away from you
14. Still on hands and knees, hands are fists, rotate hands so palms face each other then back so palms face behind you, continue changing position of fists; continue this motion but with palms flat on mat, alternate fingers facing away from you with fingers facing in front of you (arms remain straight w/ elbows locked throughout)
15. Back extension reach (lay on stomach, elbows are bent and out to side with fingers at sides of head, lift head/chest/elbows and hold, open arms so they are in a V, return fingers to head and lower head/chest/elbows back to start); hold isometrically at top of lift while opening arms out to a V then returning them to behind head
16. Extended child’s pose (arms are extended on mat in front of you); bring arms beside body with palms facing ceiling

Premixes:

Mobility 1 + Mobility 2 36:12

Mobility 2 + Mobility 1: 36:14