Author Archives: Coach Panda

Tight neck muscles are the bane of my existence. My forward head position pulls everything else out of alignment. Every inch my head sits forward of my spine puts extra pounds of pressure on my neck. “The Vulcan Death Grip” is one of my go-to moves to relieve neck stress. I place a Yoga Tune Up® classic ball in the “Bermuda Triangle,” the space bordered by my neck, clavicle and trapezius. I bend over and press the ball into a wall at about the height of my bellybutton. I perform slow deliberate movements with my head to stretch the muscles over the ball. This is a great release for the scalenes, the trapezius as well as the first rib.

Check in and check out with your overhead position. If, like me, you have a forward head position, lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Relax and let your shoulders and head rest. Notice where your head position is when you are on your back like this. I started noticing that my head cranks back like Pez dispenser when I lie on my back and I end up looking at the wall beyond my head. This is because of my forward position and bad posture. When I release my thoracic spine, neck and/or shoulders my head sits neutral and my gaze is at the ceiling right above me as it should be.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 17 of 30. The Vulcan Death Grip. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Today we are going after the QL, the quadratus lumborum. This lower back muscle can cause a bunch of problems if it gets tight and inflamed. The QL is connected to the psoas, the diaphragm, the illium and the floating ribs and when we roll it out we improve breathing, hip function, posture and decrease back pain. The move is called “The Drunken Hawaiian” and is performed with a Yoga Tune Up® Alpha ball. You first need to locate the QL by placing the ball on your back in the soft area below the ribs but above the pelvis. Lie on your back and place the ball in the sweet spot just on the back of the waist. Drop your knees over to the side like you passed out and slowly move your hips like you’re doing a hula dance. You want to feel the ball pressing in laterally toward the spine from the side of your waist as opposed to just lying on top of the ball and having the pressure go from back to front.

Before and after doing this you should check in and check out with a standing forward bend. You should have some improvement in your flexibility after this. Also notice your breathing before and after and see if you breathe more easily.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 16 of 30. The Drunken Hawaiian. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

You probably do situps. You do “core work.” You spend a ton of time working on that six pack. But do you ever take the time to give the abs a good roll? Do you ever say “thank you abs for working so hard to stabilize my spine and make me look good, now what can I do for you?” Say thank you to your abs with “The Twister.” Show them some love. Take a Coregeous Ball® from Yoga Tune Up® and place it under your belly button and lie prone on top of it. Take five to ten deep breaths breathing into the belly and pushing the ball out and then exhaling and letting the belly relax and the ball nestle its way deeper inside. Then to do The Twister, hold the ball in place and start to spin your whole body clockwise or counterclockwise. The motion should create a vortex of shear forces around your abdominals as the ball grabs the skin and twists it like gigantic Indian burn. You will feel a pinching of the skin. Keep going until you run out of slack take a big breath and hold it for a few seconds. On the exhale see if you can rotate a few more inches. Take another deep breath and then unwind yourself. This technique is powerful. It will unkink the knots in your rectus abdominus and also massage the organs inside. You might find it uncomfortable at first, but afterwards you should feel warm and relaxed and maybe even sleepy. Continue to do The twister for a few minutes changing ball placement and direction.

Lie down on your back afterwards and close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. You should feel a great sense of relaxation. This a great way to end your day and get ready for some deep sleep.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 15 of 30. The Twister. from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

The Thoracic Spine can get really stiff and impede the proper functioning of your shoulders. It can also cause you to look like a creep if it stays stuck in slouchy position. You need to get after it regularly with a pair of Yoga Tune Up® balls. Place the two balls in the tote and lie down on top of them. They should be side by side in the middle of your back with one ball on each side of your spine. You can give yourself a wonderful massage on your back and create some movement between all those vertebrae. Start with some sustained compression by just staying still and slowly bridging your hips up to create some pressure. Then gently use your feet to create a back and forth motion moving the balls up and down your back in one to two inch segments. Then switch to a side to side motion as you gentle roll over to your right and then slowly to your left.

Check in and check out with your breathing as well as your overhead position.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 14 of 30. Upper Back Attack from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Your quads need more than just a foam roller but smashing them with a barbell is inelegant. Using the Alpha ball by Yoga Tune Up® allows you to get deep into the nooks and crannies of your thigh and hit the different angles that you need to hit to get all the knots out. Lie prone and place the ball just above the knee. Slowly bend and straighten your knee to move the muscle over the ball. Internally and externally rotate your hip to change the placement of the ball. You will be able to access the vastus lateralis and IT band as well as the vastus medialis and sartorius fibers. Gradually move the ball up the thigh to give the quads a complete rolling.

Check in and check out with a squat to see how your knees and hips feel. You should feel great after this.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 10 of 30. The Quadzilla from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

This is a classic Yoga Tune Up® exercise from my teacher Jill Miller. It’s simple and effective. This move will turn your day around. Use a pair of classic Yoga Tune Up balls and place them behind your trapezius muscles as you lie down on your back. Bridge your hips up and chill. You just want to stay here and create some sustained compression as you breathe deeply. Time and pressure are the agents of change. Less is more when it comes to this move. If you want to increase the intensity, lift your arms overhead. You can try some gentle rocking side to side or turning the head slowly. If the intensity is too much stand up and do this move against the wall.

Check your overhead position before and after and you should see a great improvement. Also look at yourself in the mirror before and after and you might even notice that your shoulders are hanging lower.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 9 of 30. The Trapezius Tamer from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.

Stretching your hamstrings is not enough, you need to massage the tissues to increase the blood flow and release the knots that form in the muscles. I like to use a Yoga Tune Up® Alpha ball because it’s big and gets deep into the hamstring. Also the ball allows me to massage my muscles in ways that a foam roller can’t. Sit up on box or a bench and place the ball under the back of your leg. I like to move my leg side to side so the ball strums across the muscle fibers. I work from the attachments by the sitting bones down to the back of the knee. I also move from the inner to the outer thigh catching some adductors as well as the IT band.

The sciatic nerve runs through the hamstring so keep your leg relaxed and bent and stop rolling if you feel sudden tingling or numbness. Don’t be afraid to lean some weight into your leg with your hands if you find a good spot. I like to get an oblique vector on my hamstring and press down to plow the entire muscle mass off axis. Super intense and effective. Also you can try contracting and relaxing hamstring to get a PNF stretch.

Check in and check out with a standing forward bend. You should find that you have more range of motion after a good roll.

The rules for the Ball Fucking Harder Challenge are easy. First, I recommend getting some Yoga Tune Up® balls to roll on. All you have to do is post a pic or video of yourself doing the technique and tag me (@coachpanda). Use the hashtags #ballfuckingharder #30daypandachallenge #supplepandas #pandiculation. The challenge is even better when you share it with friends so tag your friends to play along.

Day 8 of 30. The Pressed Ham from Force Distance Time on Vimeo.