The Elevated Roll

If you've read Becoming Bulletproof, you know that I like rolling. Rolling is one of those "reseting" movements that seems to help make a lot of good things happen in the body. If you have become really good at rolling and you want to find another way to roll that both challenges the body and offers some great benefit, I would like to introduce what I call the "Elevated Roll."

I first saw this movement at a strength training workshop that was led by Pavel Tsatsouline and Dan John. Dan John uses this move to help people learn the bridge portion of the Turkish Get-up. When I first saw Dan demonstrate this movement, all I could think about was "that's a suspended roll!" 

The elevated roll starts out in the pushup position. Then, just like rolling on the floor, you take one of your legs and reach back across your body until it starts to pull you over. Your leg will pull you over and find a resting place on the ground. As this happens, your same-side hand will leave the ground and rotate up towards the sky. When you have reached this position, push both your feet into the ground and reach for the sky with your pelvis. When you want to return back to the starting position, you just reach across your body with the arm that is pointing towards the sky. You have to REACH! Your arm does not weigh as much as your leg, at least I hope not. As you reach, you will pull your lower body back over until you end back up in the pushup position. This is hard to explain, that's why I've included the slide show!

I love this move because it is a rolling pattern under tension. Your core is engaged in the pushup position and then you roll to a high bridge position. As you roll, you get some good spinal mobility, and fascial stretching along your torso. If you are tight and you try this, you will know what I mean. You also get to really open up your hip flexors in the high bridge position. This not only feels good, it is good for you; especially if you sit a lot during the day. 

This is just one of those movements that makes you feel good. It offers both strength stability, rotational stability, and mobility. And, its rolling! Which, as you may know, I think is important!

Have a great week!

Tim