Move of the Week - Dumbbell Split Stance Swing to Step Overhead Press with Rotation - 10/24

This weeks move on the week is going to test those small connections we are always looking for in the gym. These small corrections may feel tedious and maybe even sometimes unimportant, but they lead to the biggest changes in how we carry ourselves in our everyday life. When we recorrect years of bad habits and bad movement we find ourselves in less pain, moving more freely, and feeling better in every aspect of our life.

Some of the major goals we are working on with this split stance swing is going to be footwork. Making sure we are planting our feet correctly through the hinge to swing. Our stride should be making us feel grounded and strong helping us with stability and able to engage proper muscles. One thing we will be cueing the most is making sure the back heel doesn't hit the ground as we come into our swing. Making sure our front leg is doing the work to drive us forward through our glute to get us to our overhead press standing position. As we step forward we will pull those feet together to help brace and make us stand tall and stable.

Next we will be looking for our best elevation and posture. This helps us move through our full range of motion more fluidly and help protect our joints like our shoulder and back. When we elevate this helps us naturally connect to our core and be able to brace through the swing making sure we are still in control of the movement. Coming into the hinge, elevation means we aren't dropping our chest to the floor. As we step through into the press, elevation will help us stand tall, not flair our ribs, and get a nice clean press overhead without overworking our shoulder. Elevation is key in all movement to be successful in relieving joint pain.

This move also provides a good opportunity to continue working on sequence. We will work on fluid movement through the swing to step press, pause, and then work on our thoracic rotation. Maintaining tall posture, pulling back through space with our rib cage, over the front leg to create a strong core connection before going back into our swing.

This swing will give us a great opportunity to continue practicing something we are familiar with but also add a challenge to finding those small changes and continuing to work on our compensations. Take the time to really engage with this movement and understand what we are feeling, what we should be feeling, and how to make those small changes to find that mind body connection.

Here's your checklist:
​
1. Start in your best split stance and posture
2. Focus on the front leg in the swing being the main driver
3. Take time at the top to work on your thoracic rotation
4. Feel the momentum of the movement to pull you through the step
5. Have fun learning!