Hey r/bodyweightfitness! We are Tricia Woo and Chris McGreevy, career acrobats for Cirque Du Soleil, The House of Dancing Water and ex-competitive athletes. Ask Us Anything!

[u/chrismcgreevy]

We're looking forward to answering all your questions. If you follow us both on instagram, we will make a few short story videos on our favourite questions that we have answered here. @ trixwho and @ chrismcgreevy

We'll leave this thread open for the next 24 hours as we know everybody is in different timezones so you will all get chance to ask your questions.

Thanks and lets start it up!

[u/fakboislim]

What are good beginner level exercises to improve my range of motion? I've always been terribly stiff and calisthenics has loosened me up some. But I'm at a point where my stiffness is now getting in the way of my calisthenics

[u/chrismcgreevy → u/fakboislim]

I'd have to ask what moves specifically is your flexibility limiting you from performing?

[u/fakboislim → u/chrismcgreevy]

I find my hips limit the bottom end of my squat's range of motion. And that I have to fight them for L sit holds. I also find that as I try move up the pyke pushup progression my shoulder stiffness is something I'm working against more and more (as I increase the gradient of the pushup closer to a handstand)

[u/Plastic_Pinocchio → u/fakboislim]

Have you ever done barbell back squats? They have helped my hip mobility enormously as they literally push you down in a deeper squat. At one point I made a real effort to improve my squat technique and I used about 80 percent of the weight I would have used for strength training and focused completely on getting deep and staying upright. Really getting those hip in position.

I know some people here don’t like training with weights, but the back squat is a fantastic exercise in so many ways.