EXERCISE 3. BALL TO THE WALL SQUATS WITH OVER HEAD REACH.  

 The Intrinsacore Method – Level 1 Beginners program Introduction Routine.

Ball to the Wall Squats with Over Head Reach.

This exercise is a ball to the wall , assisted jumping Jack without jumping . This exercise offers the range of motion of a jumping jack with the support and protection of the ball against the wall. With the ball against the wall and your back resting  over the ball, with its natural curve,  The ball allows you to sink down, deeply into the squat and adjust your wide knee position , while protecting your knees. This allows you to get a greater stretch in the inner legs and the hips at the bottom , starting position , in the wide knee squat.  You can touch the outside of your knees , reach down to the middle of your cavs or if you’re flexible enough, bring your fingers all the way to the ground.  If you’re trying to bring your  fingers all the way to the ground, you must take care to continue to round and contact your back to the ball , and maintain contact as you rise lifting your arms until they touch over your head . When your hands touch overhead, this is the end position and it should be the end of your exhale .

In the squatting starting position, when your hands touch the ground , lift your chest and keep your eyes directly forward, as if you were in the catchers position . If you reach for the ground and touch it with your fingers and you are looking at the ground and your chest is facing the ground and you cannot straighten your torso, raise your chest and look forward.  You are not flexible enough, to go this deep into the squat.  If this is the case, bring your hands back up to the middle of your cavs or to your knees and start from there .

Now in the starting position with your hands touching your knees , cavs, or the ground, take a deep breath and then rise up , lift your heels ,straighten your legs and spreading your arms out as far as possible to the sides . Continue to rise, lifting your arms until they touch over your head. This is the end position and it should be the end of your exhale when your hands touch.

This jumping Jack motion without jumping, is done in time with your breath . As you sink down inhale deeply as you rise up Exhale fully. As your hands touch your legs or the ground in the low starting  position, inhale and at the end of your exhale your hands touch overhead.

To add more strength and conditioning to this exercise lift your heels and stand on the balls and toes of each foot. Hold this raised heel position for the entire exercise, keep the heels raised while squatting down and keep the heels raised while extending up.

In the beginning do only 3 to 5 reps of this exercise. When you feel you understand the exercise and can pace it with your breath , then feel free to increase your repetitions, and the depth of your squat.

Enjoy!!!