Mobility

I blame myself. It's just plain irresponsibility on my part. I could come up with some of the coolest, most effective workouts ever, but I'd still be disappointed in myself. I have failed you guys as a trainer/coach/whatever you call me behind my back. Why? Because I have neglected incorporating a a greater focus on mobility. Sure, every now and then I tell you guys to get on a foam roller or a lacrosse ball, but that's not enough. I might offer a few drills or stretches, but still some of you appear lost now and again. I went to an awesome seminar dedicated to this stuff and all I've done is offer casual advice here and there. And you all deserve better damn it. Then again, just because you deserve better, doesn't mean you're going to enjoy it...

Yes, specific mobility exercises and protocols will become staples in our daily routine. How many of you are uncomfortable in the bottom of a snatch or overhead squat? Who's got a weak shoulder press or split jerk? Who's rack position in the front squat or clean still sucks? Who's got tight hamstrings? Who's got back, knee, or shoulder pain? You all fall somewhere along this spectrum - maybe not Eric and Jess so much, but I'll get to them later.

Here is a quick list of reasons why mobility work will pay dividends in our training:

1) Injury prevention
2) Improved recovery
3) Better force production and muscle utilization
4) Increased range-of-motion
5) Better dance moves

That last one hasn't been scientifically proven yet, but I imagine it's gotta be true. In short, improved mobility will help make you a better athlete. HMS (160lbs) has pretty solid flexibility and he overhead squatted more than Nate (220lbs) yesterday. And trust me, HMS is not exceptionally strong (BURNED!).

As for Eric and Jess, they are an excellent juxtaposition of mobility with strength and mobility without strength (sorry, Jess). And although Jess is not terribly strong (yet), her likelihood of injury is extremely low because of her excellent flexibility. While its important to achieve optimal ranges in various movements, it's also necessary to be strong at these ranges. Eric is a great example of this - 17 years of gymnastics will do that.

We will begin this conquest of mobility this week with Joe DeFranco's Agile Eight warm-up routine. Steps 1-4 will be covered on Monday, while 5-8 will be done on Tuesday.

No, this is not glorious shit. It's not as fun as getting a PR on a lift or metcon. But if you wish to continue hitting PR's while improving the way you look and feel, this is what you need to do. Why? Because...

Mobility is serious business.