[youtube width=”550″ height=”309″]https://youtu.be/TvBDFmx10tg[/youtube]

In part 3 of the Power Athlete Warm Up Series, we showcase the first progression of our Jimmy Buffets.  Click on the demo above featuring the talented Chelsey Haardt at Power Athlete Headquarters.

Lets examine the set up:

• Assume a “ready” position
• Neutral head position
• Toes forward, slight bend in hips and knees
• Reach your hands as far in front of you as you can, and “smash” your palms together
• Extend and splay your fingers as far as possible

The cues I want you to focus on are:

• Maintain posture and position
• Depress your shoulders
• Protraction, retraction, rinse and repeat

Contrary to many of our other movements, this has less frills when it comes to cues.  The Jimmy Buffet warm up is an extremely valuable tool for athletes who are unfamiliar with how to organize their shoulders.  The movement patterns outlined in the video will force an athlete to work on retraction and depression of the shoulder girdle.

Let’s go through the cycle.  You should initiate the tracking of the heals of the palms into your sternum by retracting your shoulders, or pinching your shoulder blades together.  Be in control, you want to do this movement independent of your traps.  In fact, your traps should be completely relaxed throughout the entire complex; resist the urge to shrug.  As you reach end range of motion, rotate your hands into “prayer position” without losing shoulder position or engaging your traps.  From “prayer position”, slowly and smoothly reach your hands over one of your shoulders and try to touch your forearms and elbows together (aka fins to the left…fins to the right). This is where the Jimmy Buffet reference comes clear.  Maintain a rigid trunk and don’t allow your shoulders to twist.  Hold this position for about 2 seconds, return to “prayer position” then immediately perform the same movement over the opposite shoulder…fins to the right.  Two second hold, back to “prayer position”.  Turn you hands back out and reach away while maintaining retraction and depression.  Then, as you hit full range, end by getting extra distance by protracting your shoulders.

Tips to focus on:

• Relax your traps, have a coach or training partner there to poke them through out your progression and make sure they’re soft
• Smooth, slow and consistent movement
• Smash your hands together and extend and splay your fingers as far as possible throughout the entire sequence, don’t get lazy
• Don’t twist you shoulders during fins to the left or fins to the right

For the novice, this is an essential tool used to develop a movement utilized in the Power Athlete program.  For the advanced, this is a great way to reinforce proper position and posture.  It’s worth repeating this should be done (much like every movement) while maintaining proper posture and position throughout the whole body: neutral head, rigid trunk (ready for tummy slap), feet forward.

If this is “too easy” then mash your hands together as hard as you f*cking can.  Need motivation?  I once saw John Welbourn mash a dollar bill so hard between his palms it became a $50.  True story.

Try this pre workout.  Accumulate 1 to 3 minutes.

Remember mash your palms and relax your traps!

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