Since science-based lifting got into the mainstream, there’s been a lot of talk about mobility training. However, athletes who are into resistance training over everything else oftentimes put mobility last on their list.
However, it turns out that mobility training is not only a good form of injury prevention – it also helps break plateaus and reach new PRs.
So, let’s talk about the basic forms of resistance training and how you can implement some mobility work into it.
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Types Of Resistance Training
Lifting, in a broader sense, is a form of resistance training. When we say “lifting”, we refer to some form of active training like weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, and everything in between. But the resistance doesn’t have to come from the extra weight. We can use our own bodies (and the kilograms of mass that come with it) to create the necessary resistance for muscle growth.
Let’s quickly go through the essential disciplines of resistance training (with or without the extra weight).
1. Weightlifting
Weightlifting can refer to, well, any activity that involves lifting weight. But, in a true athletic sense, it refers to the main two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk.
Both include lifting the barbell over the head. The former includes doing it in one motion, while the latter is a 2-step powerful lift. No matter, if you ever watched Olympic weightlifting, you surely noticed one thing – those lifters are strong and mobile.
To successfully execute these two powerful weightlifting exercises, all your joints need to work together to generate power. We can also notice that all of the weightlifters’ joints go to their range of motion (ROM) without losing power. This is what we call mobility.
2. Powerlifting
The most common powerlifting trio of exercises are squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. These compound barbell exercises also rely on your whole body working together to move as much weight as possible during the movement.
Powerlifting squats need to go below parallel. This means that, when you are at the bottom of the squat, the crease of your hips needs to be below the knee joint. That’s why all powerlifters go through an ankle dorsiflexion-building phase. Having decent ankle mobility is the key to a successful below-the-parallel squat.
In a similar fashion, deadlifts rely on hip stability and mobility for a healthy transfer of power through the legs. And, lastly, the bench requires solid shoulder mobility if you want to safely push that barbell up.
3. Isolation Exercises
Even though everyone benefits from isolation exercises, bodybuilders are their true masters. While not necessarily including extra weight, isolation exercises revolve around single-joint movement.
These, of course, include the legendary exercises like bicep curls and leg extensions, which hit the largest muscles (according to ego and anatomy, respectively). However, we can also find calf exercises, leg raises, and many more that require a certain level of mobility for successful execution. All in all, many isolation exercises require developed mobility around the biggest joints (ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders).
4. Calisthenics and Plyometrics
Lastly, we come to bodyweight resistance training.
In simple terms, calisthenics use slow controlled movements to load the joints and muscles. On the other hand, plyometrics rely on explosive bursts of movement to put extra tension on the body. Both are great at building muscle, and both require excellent mobility.
Because both of these disciplines require putting your body in specific positions (controlled and explosive), mobility is a must. For every centimeter you lack in mobility, you will have to compensate with a lot of strength and effort, which leads to disbalances quite quickly.
Mobility Training For Lifters - Why, How, and Where to Start?
It all starts with the feet and ankles
From a biomechanical point of view, we can look at the human body as a collection of joints and the supportive structure attached to them – muscles, ligaments, and tendons. When the joints align properly, compound movements feel and look amazing.
That’s why we have to start with the foundation – ankles (and feet by extension). Feet are the first to experience the force that comes from the ground, and if ankles don’t do their job properly, every other joint will have to compensate, which leads to wear and tear, and ultimately – injury.
Here are a few starting points from our library of knowledge:
Bulletproof your knees with the right mobility training exercises
Knees are specific joints because they do not exactly rotate as well as the other major joints. However, they are a connective joint between your shins/calves and your quads/hams. Due to all the forces that come with resistance training, knees are usually the first to suffer the wear and tear. And that’s why it’s best to tackle knee injury prevention by tackling the ankles and the hips.
Working on your hip flexors and your ankles is the key to strong and healthy knees. Here’s how to start:
Mobility Training Is The Key To Unlocking True Strength
Again, no matter the athletic discipline or sport you choose, you will have to work on your mobility if you want to remain strong AND injury-free.
Athletes who jump or run a lot need ankle and knee mobility more than anything. People who are into power and weightlifting spend extra attention on their hips and shoulders. And the calisthenics/plyo crew develops everything equally.
So, if you’re already deep into your training, but you neglected your mobility training, remember:
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best moment is right now.
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