Dedicated iron enthusiasts know that staying strong and gaining muscle isn't easy. Hell, there are so many training modalities to manage, diet, recovery, energy levels, correct program etc... that sometimes it feels like your need a 40 hour day and 10 day week just to manage your training.
One of the key elements that gets lost in the process is mobility. No I am not talking about basic stretching but a full program of assessing your mobility issues and then working regularly on rehab activities to elicit improvements.
I know mobility training doesn't sound fun, actually it often isn't and generally when you suggest it to the average guy in the gym they look at you like the proverbial red headed step child at a family reunion! But poor mobility can adversely impact your big lifts so ignore at your peril. Critically, impaired movement from posterior chain issues, tight hips etc translate to poor movement patterns in your big lifts.
Recently I experienced persistent back tightness following squat day. Fortunately I managed to take a quick video of my form side on and immediately noticed that at the bottom of my squat my back was going into flexion. Suffice to say after a quick analysis of movement pattern it was clear some pre-existing hip tightness issues were limiting my squat depth and I was compensating with some dangerous back flexion. Since then I have been working on a number of mobility stretches pre and post workout which has seen dramatic improvements in form in just a few short weeks.
Based on my experience the first key element is to assess your mobility. Some of you are fortunate to train at facilities where staff are versed in mobility assessments however I would suggest these gyms are the exception not the rule. If you don't have access to a well versed trainer or a physio experienced in weight training then I suggest hinting the Google machine for relevant websites. While there is a lot of rubbish online a couple of good sources do exist. Tony Gentilecore often has postings from his work at Cressey Performance with good videos of mobility exercises.
One that I find particularly useful is Kelly Starrett's blog mobility WOD: easy conversational blog dedicated to simple moves to increase your mobility. Importantly Kelly's style is straightforward and he blogs multiple times a week.
Once you assess your mobility issues its important to keep working on them daily. Yes it wont be fun, yes it is boring and yes sometimes it hurts but for the mobility impaired freeing up issues translates to bigger numbers under the bar and helps avoid injury.
Thomo
