Greg Mihovich
I am a 50something intermediate/advanced
exerciser, and like most people in my
situation, have a few tight body parts, and
have started to notice a bit of “creakiness”
here and there. So I decided to look around
for a joint mobility DVD. I wanted a DVD
with one routine I could perform in under an
hour, that didn’t overwhelm me with too
much material, and didn’t depress me with
Cirque du Soleil movements I know I can
never execute. “Amazing Mobility” by Greg
Mihovich fits the bill.
Like most DVDs aimed at the hard-core gym
crowd, “Amazing Mobility” doesn’t have
lavish production values. It is shot in a gym
with one fixed camera. The sound quality
isn’t the best, probably because there is
only one microphone in a large space, and
you can occasionally hear traffic passing
outside.
The DVD is chaptered from the main menu,
which shows Greg shackled by his ankles in
an upside-down crucifix position, an image
which I found rather disturbing. After a no-
fluff introduction by Greg, the DVD is
broken down into the following sections:
* Hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders
* Neck
* Torso and hips
* Knees and ankles
* More shoulders and hips — this section
has some nice full-body movements which
emphasise balance
* Bonus floor exercises
All the exercises are presented in a follow-
along format, with the exception of the floor
exercises. Greg recommends that you do 4-
10 reps of each exercise. He moves through
the exercises quickly, demonstrating
impressive agility and flexibility. For the
main workout, I was able to complete up to
10 reps following along at my own pace. By
following along in this way, then hitting the
“pause” button during the floor exercises to
get in 10 reps, I completed the entire DVD
in just under 40 minutes.
One of the things I like about “Amazing
Mobility” is that all the exercises are do-
able for anyone with a reasonable level of
strength and flexibility. The only one I
baulked at was the “Gymnastic Bridge”, a
backbend moving into an upside-down
pushup, in the floor exercises section, which
I didn’t think would be a good move for
someone with a gimpy shoulder. Other
positives are the focus on the typical
problem areas of shoulders and hips, and
the fact that you can get a thorough joint
mobility workout in under 40 minutes.
Throughout the DVD, Greg demonstrates
common errors in performing the exercises.
He uses imagery to explain the moves, such
as “imagine you are wrapping your body
around a pole” or “imagine your body is
between two walls”. He also turns to give a
side view where necessary, which means
that the fixed camera is not a problem.
The DVD comes with a little booklet
explaining the science behind mobility
training, and when and how to use the DVD:
as a general warmup before your workout;
as part of the Russian Morning Recharge
Routine (as this involves an alternating hot-
and-cold shower, I don’t think I’ll be trying
it any time soon); as an active recovery tool
if you are sore from the previous day’s
workout; or as a prehab/rehab tool. The
booklet also lists all the exercises in the
DVD.
Greg recommends that you perform
“Amazing Mobility” three times a week.
After doing either the full or partial
complex, I feel thoroughly warmed up,
flexible and energised.
All up, I would recommend “Amazing
Mobility” to anyone who wants a
straightforward, athletic warmup and/or
joint mobility routine. You can see a clip
from the DVD and order it from
www.undergroundgym.com
Instructor comments:
Greg Mihovich is the owner and head coach
at the Underground Gym which specialises
in martial arts and kettlebells. Despite being
incredibly strong and flexible — you can
find a video of him on YouTube performing
handstand pushups and feats of strength
with kettlebells — he emphasises
throughout “Amazing Mobility” that viewers
should go at their own pace and range of
motion. He also recognises that some
exercises may feel a little odd at first. Greg
speaks quickly and has a thick Russian
accent, which some may find hard to
understand. In all fairness, I think I should
also mention that he is hottie.
RedPanda
February 2009
