Mobility

27-05-2021

by Scott Lomas

Mobility is essential because it prepares the body for the stress we put it through when playing sport or exercising. It is vital for reducing the risk of injuries, improving technique and range of motion. Good mobility is a non-negotiable, whether you want to lift weights or just live a relatively pain free life

So many people go straight to the weights without considering mobilising first. All too often, as an example, I see gym rats jump straight on a bench and start pressing 60kg before doing ANY mobilising. This isn’t macho or impressive, it’s ridiculous and these are the guys who end up with frozen shoulders or stiff necks. Same for squatting and people getting dodgy knees or lower back pain

As well as preventing injury, mobilising will maximise our potential for range of motion and therefore improve our chance of getting stronger and/or producing hypertrophy.

At the very least you should be doing 2-3 basic shoulder movements with bands, a glute warm up and a dynamic lower body routine. Then whatever your exercises are for the day, you perform a few sets of the movement pattern with zero to little weight to prepare the body for the bar path it’s about to resist against.

There are countless mobility tools/movements to do; there are generic ‘covers all bases’ movements that should be incorporated daily, but then there are more specific moves depending on where you struggle for stability or range of motion.

For example, my squat day consists of a 20 minute warm up before ANY weight is on my shoulders.

Best advice is to speak to a recommended coach and build a warm-up routine together.

If you want to get fitter/stronger/healthier, do not neglect mobility. It is all about longevity!

This article is in the following categories:

• Training & Coaching