Joe D’s “Limber 11” (flexibility routine)

I can’t believe it’s been almost five years since I posted my original Agile 8 flexibility routine. For those unfamiliar with how that routine came about, here’s the quick story:

At the time, there were the “over-reactors” & “under-reactors” regarding flexibility. The over-reactors promoted very comprehensive flexibility routines, but most of these routines took over an hour to complete or required special equipment. The “under-reactors” were those who said, “F#ck it, I just wanna lift”, so they didn’t perform any flexibility what-so-ever. As with most things in life, the answer to the flexibility “problem” could be found somewhere in the middle of the extremists. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much (if any) practical information out there that covered this “middle ground”.

I pride myself as being a “voice of reason” in the fitness industry, so I wanted to provide a realistic flexibility routine that would help almost anyone. I realized that many people find stretching boring as hell, so if I was going to get them to actually do it, it couldn’t take all day to complete. So instead of coming up with the “War & Peace” of flexibility routines, I  decided to provide people with 8 simple stretches/mobility drills that easily flowed together and dramatically reduced low back tightness in under 15 minutes. The end result turned out to be a wildly popular routine that helped (and continues to help)  thousands of people worldwide that otherwise hated stretching!

I will be the first to admit that there is nothing “special” or “magical” about the Agile 8. But the “secret” to its success and longevity lies in the fact that people actually do it. This can hopefully be a lesson to all coaches and trainers regarding the power of simplicity. You can write up the greatest program in the world, but it aint worth sh*t if no one does it!

Now that I’ve explained the history of the Agile 8; I’ll explain the reasoning behind this blog post:

Since there are so many people performing the Agile 8 and our audience continues to grow daily, I wanted to ensure that everyone continues to get the most out of the routine. I thought it would be a huge help to make a video of the routine so people can see how to perform each exercise, instead of relying on written descriptions.

So, without further ado, I bring you the updated version of the Agile 8…

The Limber 11!  

 

The Limber 11

1. Foam Roll IT Band: 10-15 passes 

2. Foam Roll Adductors: 10-15 passes 

3. SMR Glutes (lax ball): 30sec. – 2min. 

4. Bent-knee Iron Cross x 5-10 each side

5. Roll-overs into V-sits x 10

6. Rocking Frog Stretch x 10

7. Fire Hydrant Circles x 10 fwd/10 bwd

8. Mountain Climbers x 10 each leg

9. Cossack Squats x 5-10 each side

10. Seated Piriformis Stretch x 20-30sec. each side

11. Rear-foot-elevated Hip Flexor Stretch x 5-10 reps (3sec. hold) each side

-Joe D.

PS – If you want to learn more about this type of stretching and mobility training, check out these two AMAZING resources: