Shoot For “Pretzel Status”: Why Mobility Really Does Make Your Movement
MOBILIZE EVERY DAY (more than once).
In our class settings, all you have to do is show up. Whether you are here for BRX, CrossFit, or Olympic Lifting class, the coach that is teaching will have a warm up already planned for you to compliment the day’s workout. That means they will target specific parts of your body that you’ll be using in the workout and make sure they are lose and limber to safely and effectively load.
BUT, just because we mobilize in class does not mean you don’t have to mobilize outside of class time. In fact, even elite athletes – actually, ESPECIALLY elite athletes- spend HOURS per week mobilizing in addition to warming up for their workouts. And mobility doesn’t have to mean just holding static stretches. These athletes are foam rolling while they watch TV, rolling out their shoulders and chest on the wall at work, stretching while they play with their kids on the floor.
All of these things are incredibly simple to implement into your everyday life and take almost no extra time because you do them while you’re doing the things you already do.
Why does mobility make your movement?
Well, I want you to think about that for a second. If you can’t get your arms overhead you’re sure as heck not going to be able to do an overhead squat with a PVC pipe, let alone a barbell.
If you can get your arms over your head but your shoulders are tight and you arch your back, you may be able to squat some weight but your maximum capacity will be severely limited because of that lack of shoulder mobility.
Want another example? Let’s talk basic squatting. Does your chest fall forward during an air squat? Chances are you have tight hips/hamstrings/quads/ankles.
A chest that is not nearly perpendicular to the ground at the bottom of an air squat will be unable to efficiently move weight – whether that is a back squat, front squat, goblet squat, overhead squat, wall ball, thruster… need I go on?
So you want to improve your movement.
I’m so glad you’ve decided to join the party. There are some GREAT mobility tools all around the gym that you can utilize while you’re here, and even some you can buy from us or online to continue the fun at home!
Pinky balls.
Literally little pink balls, they are firmer than a tennis ball but have the give of a bouncy ball. Perfect for targeting smaller, muscular areas (traps, upper and lower back, chest). The smaller the surface area of the tool, the more intense the feeling!
Bands.
We have a band of every color and size hanging on the wall by the garage door downstairs. There are banded stretches for literally EVERY muscle (and we do tons of them in class regularly!). Even if your coach hasn’t programmed banded stretches into the warm up, they are a great way to warm up shoulders, hips, ankles, hamstrings, and more.
Foam Rollers.
Use them. Start your warm up with a foam roll and then move into your static stretches to maximize your stretching benefits. Use them after your workout to flush out built up lactic acid and give your muscles a nice little massage.
Crossover Symmetry.
Issues with shoulder/back/trap/scap pain? The Crossover Symmetry is a VITAL tool for rehabbing any of these issues. Most likely, if you live your life at a desk (as most of us do), you’ve experienced some of the symptoms before and Crossover Symmetry is for you (well, everyone).
Subscription Channels.
Websites like ROMWOD and Movement Vault give you daily stretching routines to follow, as if having your own personal coach at home to guide you through, taking all of the guesswork out of it.
Need ideas on how to mobilize before or after workouts or on your own? Talk to your coaches! We are an arsenal of flexy knowledge, and even have some body part-specific mobility sheets behind the desk!
