Seize the Training Day – Training Tip

Standing Figure-4 Hip Stretch: Small Adjustments, Different Results

I like this stretch because I can easily change what I feel by making small adjustments. At first, I often feel the stretch along the front and outside of my hip and thigh. When I gently press the inside of my knee downward, the stretch shifts deeper into my glutes and the muscles that externally rotate my hip. It's a simple way to explore different areas of hip mobility without forcing the movement.

I also keep my foot dorsiflexed throughout the stretch. For me, that makes my knee feel more stable and comfortable, so I don't let my foot relax or point. I move slowly, stay within a comfortable range of motion, and let my hips tell me where I need the stretch most.

One thing I've learned over the years is that small changes in body position can completely change where you feel a stretch. That's why I like to experiment with angles instead of assuming there's only one "correct" way to perform a mobility drill.

Good Mornings: Training Around Old Hamstring Injuries

Good mornings are one of the ways I've adapted my training after tearing both of my hamstrings.

With the load resting across my upper back instead of hanging in my hands, I can still train the hip hinge and strengthen my posterior chain while changing how the force is distributed through my hips and hamstrings.

I'm also standing on a wedge. Changing the angle of my feet changes my base and slightly changes how I move through the hip hinge. For me, this allows a little more mobility and lets me work around the "soft spots" left behind by my old hamstring injuries.

That doesn't mean it's the best setup for building maximum strength. From a biomechanical standpoint, it's not the most efficient position for lifting heavier loads. It's a modification that works for my body, not a trick to make the exercise better.

Because of that, I don't rely on heavy good mornings or Romanian deadlifts to build my hamstrings. Instead, I use exercises that let me train hard without aggravating old injuries, such as Nordic curls, short-range hip hinges, and other variations I've developed over the years.

I don't believe there's only one "best" exercise. The best exercise is the one that lets you keep building muscle while respecting the body you have today.

Your body changes. Your training should too.

Don't force your body to fit an exercise. Find the exercise that fits your body.

Bench Press Warm-Up: Serratus Activation

Before I bench press, I like to wake up my shoulder stabilizers with this simple movement.

At the top of the press, I keep my elbows straight and reach the bar toward the ceiling by spreading my shoulder blades around my rib cage. This is called scapular protraction, and it's a great way to activate the serratus anterior.

I don't do this to build a bigger bench press. I do it to prepare my shoulders for the work ahead.

This is not how I bench press. During my actual bench press, I do the opposite. I pull my shoulder blades together and keep them there throughout the lift. I call it keeping my shoulder blades married, not divorced. For me, that creates a strong, stable base to press from and helps keep my shoulders in a safe position under load.

After rebuilding both of my shoulders from rotator cuff tears, I've learned that shoulder health depends on more than just pressing heavy weights. Strong stabilizers and good control allow me to keep training consistently.

Think of this as a shoulder activation drill, not a strength exercise. Use a light load, move with control, and focus on quality rather than weight. Then, when it's time to bench press, set your shoulder blades, create your stable base, and press with confidence.

Small habits like this have helped me stay strong and keep training for decades.

Glute Session 4: squat prep

In this session, I'm using the squat rack as a reference point for my standing hip abductions. I lightly hold onto the rack for stability and use it as a target so both legs travel the same distance. It helps me avoid favoring one side over the other.

I also keep my knees lifted high, maintaining plenty of hip flexion. This shifts the emphasis toward the glutes and helps reduce the tendency to let the tensor fasciae latae (TFL) take over.

Another technique I use is isometric holds at the hardest part of the movement—the fully abducted position. Holding the contraction builds endurance, strengthens the mind-muscle connection, and keeps constant tension on the glutes.

This entire circuit takes only about three minutes.

It serves as both a glute activation warm-up before my front squats and a way to accumulate quality glute work throughout the week.

This is what I mean when I say I focus on frequency instead of waiting for one dedicated glute day. I keep my bands ready and fit these mini training circuits into my workouts whenever I can.

The days of crushing one massive leg and glute workout every week are behind me. There was a time when I could recover from brutal lower-body sessions two or three times per week, but that's no longer the smartest approach for me.

Now I periodize my training with performance in mind, not just aesthetics like a typical gym rat. I have phases where I push heavy and hard, followed by periods of what many people would call "soft training"—lighter, more targeted work that allows me to recover while continuing to build strength, muscle, mobility, and movement quality.

For the record, I'm currently performing the best front squats I've ever done with my deepest range of motion. I credit much of that progress to consistently strengthening my glutes, improving my hip mobility, and making these short activation sessions a regular part of my training instead of treating them as an afterthought.

Sometimes, less is more—if you do it more often.

Seize the Training Day.

— Pauline