Men over 40 can add the scorpion stretch, a floor based mobility exercise, to combat lower back pain and promote better movement.

Spiderman to Scorpion: Eb and Swole

To start, lie face-down on the floor, with your arms extended out on either side. Bend your left knee toward your glute, then squeeze the muscle to raise your left leg straight up, keeping your knee bent. Bring your left leg across your body—if you're able, try to touch the floor on the other side. Your torso will raise off the floor, but don’t let your hands move. Rotate your head along with the movement. When you’ve brought your left foot as close to the ground (and eventually, your right hand) as possible, hold the position for a beat. Then, slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the same movement for the right side of your body to complete one rep.

This month-long, full-body kettlebell workout routine uses compound exercises to challenge you to move like an athlete. 

The Warmup

Do these 2 movements as a circuit, with no rest between sets. Do 3 sets. 20 seconds per exercise.

• Chest-Supported Good Morning
• Bottoms-Up March

Strength Circuit 1

Do 3 sets of this circuit. Rest 45 seconds between moves, 90 seconds after each set.

• Dead-Stop Swing (8-10)
• Split Jerk (8-10 per side)

Strength Circuit 2

Do 3 sets of this circuit. Rest 45 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds after each set.

• Racked Reverse Lunge (8-10 per side)
• Staggered-Stance Deadlift (8-10 per side)

The Finisher

Do these 2 movements back-to-back with no rest between sets. Do as many sets as you can in 5 minutes

• Figure 8 to Hold (3 sets of 10)
• Kettlebell Clean (3 sets of 8)

Anti-rotation exercises build core strength by helping you resist force pulling at your sides. Here's how that can make you a stronger runner.

• Bird Dog With Yoga Block
• Weighted Offset Dead Bug
• Plank Pillar March
• Pallof Press
• Single-Arm Press With Balance
• Single-Arm Swing

To set up, grab a pair of dumbbells. You'll be able to lift heavier weights than when you do a traditional lateral raise—but start light until you nail the form. Stand up straight and tall holding the weights, squeezing your glutes and abs to create full-body tension.

Start with four sets of six to eight reps.

The half-kneeling kettlebell windmill is a challenging abs exercise that you can do to work your core and build shoulder stability.

Three sets of six to eight reps should work, as each should take about two to three seconds to get through each rep.

This high-intensity workout is anything but boring - time flies by as you jump, twist, and lift. Celebrity trainer and Barry’s Bootcamp instructor Astrid Swan McGuire created a 20-minute scorch session that works every muscle in your body. You will have tons of fun

Here are seven stretches to do after lifting sessions for the areas of the body we often forget about.

1. Half Kneeling Lat Stretch

Position yourself close to a post and get into a lunge—or a half kneeling position. With your outside arm, reach over your head and grab the post. Place your inside hand below that. Then lean away from the post and into your outside lat.

Hold for 1 minute per side. I find this stretch particularly useful after a big pulling session.

2. Bottom of the Feet Massage

I like massaging them by rolling them out on a lacrosse ball.

3. Simple Wrist Stretches

Spend a good 30 seconds in each of these two positions and make sure you keep your elbows straight on both of these.

4. Frog Stretch

Though I often see people stretching their glutes, hamstrings, and quads, I rarely see people stretching their inner thighs and groin.

Hang out for at least a minute after a big squat day.

5. Shoulder Extension Stretch

I like this dowel shoulder extension stretch. The narrower your hands are on the dowel and the higher you can raise your hands, the deeper the stretch will be.

Spend 1 minute in this position.

6. Dowel Sit

Grab a dowel and place it behind your knees and then sit down on your shins. Every 20 seconds, roll the dowel one revolution until you’re eventually down at your Achilles.

Spend a solid 2 to 3 minutes working your way down your calves. If you do a lot of running or jumping, this one is particularly useful for your calves.

7. Low Back

This is just a dead-hang hold from a bar.
Spend 1 minute or so in this position. This is particularly useful after a big hamstring and glute lifting session.

Strengthen Your Hip Flexors

• Sit to Tuck
• Hip Flexor Strengthening
• Hip Flex to Squat
• Hip shrimp
• Squat Walk

Below are four awareness exercises to improve mobility through the pelvis.

So you want to get mobile. You have dreams of dropping into a deep squat with ease, of being the person that can fold forward into a pancake position. Or maybe your goals are a little less lofty. Maybe you just want to be able to bend down and not feel like things are going.

Here is a powerful Russian pullup program adaptable to any level of ability. The fighter pullup program can double or triple your pullups in one month.

The 5RM Fighter Pullup Program
Day 1 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Day 2 5, 4, 3, 2, 2
Day 3 5, 4, 3, 3, 2
Day 4 5, 4, 4, 3, 2
Day 5 5, 5, 4, 3, 2
Day 6 Off
Day 7 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Day 8 6, 5, 4, 3, 3
Day 9 6, 5, 4, 4, 3
Day 10 6, 5, 5, 4, 3
Day 11 6, 6, 5, 4, 3
Day 12 Off
Day 13 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
Day 14 7, 6, 5, 4, 4
Day 15 7, 6, 5, 5, 4
Day 16 7, 6, 6, 5, 4
Day 17 7, 7, 6, 5, 4
Day 18 Off
Day 19 8, 7, 6, 5, 4
Day 20 8, 7, 6, 5, 5
Day 21 8, 7, 6, 6, 5
Day 22 8, 7, 7, 6, 5
Day 23 8, 8, 7, 6, 5
Day 24 Off
Day 25 9, 8, 7, 6, 5
Day 26 9, 8, 7, 6, 6
Day 27 9, 8, 7, 7, 6
Day 28 9, 8, 8, 7, 6
Day 29 9, 9, 8, 7, 6
Day 30 Off

1. Back Squat 1:00
2. Deadlift 2:12
3. Bench Press 3:16
4. Pull Up 4:15
5. Facepull 5:00
6. External Rotation 6:10
7. Lunges 6:40
8. Push Up 7:55
9. Overhead Press 9:06
10. Lying Tricep Extension 10:30
11. BB Curl 11:53
12. BB Row 12:49

Look, everyone wants to do the fun stuff, but you need to pay attention to the pitfalls of ignoring how your body is supposed to move because it will bite you in the ass.

1. Shoulder Controlled Articular Rotations, (CARS)

2. Cuban Rotations

3. Work Your Extension

Most folks have terrible shoulder extension. Shoulder extension is a seriously undertrained range that your shoulder should have.

Improve your shoulder mobility and boost your running economy with a few simple moves. 

Scapular Push-Up

Start facedown on mat, tuck your toes, then prop yourself up on forearms with elbows under shoulders. Lift hips off the mat, keeping your back straight and abs tight. Clasp one hand around your fist to form a triangle with forearms. Keeping core engaged, bring shoulder blades together and lower chest, stopping when your forehead touches your fist. Push down through forearms to draw apart shoulder blades and return to starting position. Complete 3 sets of 6 reps, resting 30 seconds between sets.

T-Spine Rotation

Lie faceup, knees bent, and feet planted on the floor. Extend right arm to the side, palm facing down. Press right arm into the floor as you slowly drop your legs to the left. Use left hand to gently pull knees toward the floor. Hold for 3 seconds, then return to starting position. Complete 12 reps per side.

Resistance Band Chest Opener

Start in a tall kneeling position, arms at sides. Grip the ends of a resistance band, palms down, and pull it apart to create tension. Keeping elbows straight and maintaining resistance on the band, lift arms overhead. Pause for 1 second, then return to starting position. Complete 2 sets of 10 reps, resting 30 seconds between sets.

Arm Swing

Start in a tall kneeling position, arms at sides, elbows bent 90 degrees, hands in loose fists. Draw one elbow back as you drive the other elbow forward, then immediately switch arm positions. Continue to alternately swing arms back and forward, mimicking the motion of arm drive during running. One swing is one rep. Do as many reps as possible in 20 seconds. Complete 4 sets, resting 30 seconds between sets.

Arm Circle

Start in a tall kneeling position, arms extended out to sides at shoulder height, palms facing down. Make small, clockwise circles with arms, initiating the movement from the upper arm/shoulder joint. One circle is one rep. Do as many reps as possible in 30 seconds. Complete 4 sets, resting 30 seconds between sets.

You can train your body to bend the same way you train it to be strong: systematically and progressively.

When I began practicing yoga thirteen years ago, the sensation of stretching was extremely uncomfortable. There are two things that have helped me significantly over the years:

Focus on which joints are involved in the action, and isolate those joints.
For instance, when I do a pancake stretch, I do not feel my hamstrings or my calves. I feel my abs. A lot. This is because I focus on flexing at the hip while keeping my legs strong. A pancake stretch is simply seated hip flexion with the legs wide. Once I am settled into the position, I breathe, inhaling for a count of four and exhaling for a count of six, for 30-60 seconds. Breathing calms the nervous system and overrides the part of your brain that says, “no! I don’t want to be here!”

Get into a position near the point of stretch and do something there.
If you are working on hip extension (pure hip extension, not lumbar extension), get into a tall half-kneeling position with your right leg back. See if you can set yourself up so you feel strong with a sense of the beginning of a stretch in your right hip. As you exhale, raise your arm overhead. Inhale, lower the arm down. Perform 6-8 repetitions and switch sides.

Many people think they have tight hips. But is it tightness? Or is it something else?

If you practiced folding forward to touch your toes regularly for three weeks, you would notice it getting easier.

Maybe what you are experiencing is actually hip weakness.

Youtube videos:

• Sit to tuck
• Hip Flexor Strengthining
• Hip Flex to Squat
• Hip Shrimp
• Squat walk

The kettlebell swing is an incredible exercise that can help improve your hamstring and glute strength to power through workouts and runs. 

https://hmg-h-cdn.hearstapps.com/videos/bm-meghan-firstset-kettlebell-swing-1575493786.mp4

Proper bar position in the low-bar back squat results in a favorable back angle that facilitates hip drive.

Mark Rippetoe gives an explanation of the grip and bar position in The Squat as detailed in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training.

More information available at www.StartingStrength.com

This 7-move circuit from trainer Yusuf Jeffers will strengthen your hips to prevent injuries and improve running efficiency.

Hip Controlled Articular Rotation

Hip Raise With Lateral Leg Lift

Over-Under Hurdle Walk

Seated Leg Lift

Single-Leg Glute Bridge With Leg Lift

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Standing Hip Hinge With Rotation

Take on the Men's Health 30-Day Kettlebell challenge for a full month's worth of workouts using just one kettlebell that will help to build muscle and more.

Improve your posture and optimize arm swing with these shoulder exercises.

• Push-Up to Shoulder Tap
• Dumbbell Front Raise
• Dumbbell Lat Press-Down
• Mini Band External Rotation
• Mini Band Pull-Apart