BRO! I don’t care about stretching I just want to get yoked! 😒
Maybe most people don’t phrase it like this (please don’t), but this is a very common theme we hear from people as they begin exercising.
You likely aren’t super excited about going through mobility work because you think you need to maximize your time lifting weights in order to get stronger or build muscle.
Here’s what no one told though, you have to be able to use the muscle before you can make it stronger or bigger.
What do I mean by that?
Here’s an Example
Let’s take someone who wants to build back strength and muscle. Naturally the pull-up is a great exercise to add in for doing just that. However, when we evaluate this athlete we realize they cannot put their arms directly overhead. When they try they begin leaning back or arching their back. If this person hung from a bar, because their shoulders lack the range of motion necessary, they would hang with their back arched and shoulders in a position ripe for injury. If they did a pull-up with the shoulders in this bent position and hands not directly over the shoulder they would use muscles not designed for the specific purpose of pulling from directly overhead. This means they fail to get the full benefit of the exercise and the strength gains meant to come along with it.
So where do we go from there?
Well we don’t stop pulling all together! We simply need to use exercises that require the range of motion the athlete currently has. There are plenty of movements that don’t require the hands being directly overhead. BUT, we also incorporate hard work focused on developing more range or motion and therefore more access to more muscle. The more muscle you can use the more you can strengthen and build.
Interested in seeing what mobility you need to work on or how to incorporate it into your training? Reach out to a coach with your questions here.
