I don’t think I need to convince anyone that mobility and flexibility are crucial aspects of any fitness regime. I probably also don’t need to point out that mobility training goes a lot further than just static stretching these days. But whether you like PNF stretching, dynamic stretching, partner-assisted stretching or anything in between, I think there is a missing link in many mobility routines.
Integrating Mobility with Strength
I’ve mentioned previously that a lot of technique and strength improvements can be attributed to the learning effect. Individual movements are challenges for us to master, and our mobility will determine how we tackle those challenges. For example:
- Someone with better ankle mobility will have a more upright squat;
- You can go lower on a Romanian deadlift if you have better hip mobility;
- Improved shoulder mobility will increase the range on your dips.
These are just examples of how improving mobility might alter the movement you’re performing, but there’s no guarantee that it will happen automatically.
Let’s say you want a more upright squat, so you set to work on improving your ankle mobility. Even if you manage to generate measurable increases in your ankle mobility, you won’t just magically start squatting with a more upright torso; you need to re-learn your approach to that movement. This is especially true at challenging weights, as you’ll probably default to the movement pattern you’re strongest in.
Improving mobility is one ingredient in a larger recipe: you won’t get the most out of it until you integrate it with your movement skills. These mobility supersets will help you develop your mobility and apply it to the right movements.
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Ankle Mobility – Knee-to-Wall plus Plate Touchdowns
Knee-to-walls are used to improve ankle dorsiflexion – the act of bringing the toes closer to the shin. We most commonly see this in practice with squatting, as the knee travels over the toes.
Improved ankle dorsiflexion is highly sought after by most people who squat regularly, or perform the Olympic Weightlifting movements. It’s typically an area where we see lots of limitations, which is attributed to the fact that we just don’t use move our ankles in this way very often – as the saying goes, “use it or lose it”. This is often blamed on modern footwear and our lifestyle.
When working for more ankle mobility its easy for the arch of the foot to collapse to get more movement. This is very hard to mask on a single leg exercise, as the foot collapsing will often cause the knee to move inwards and balance to be lost. This makes the plate touchdown perfect for loading our newfound ankle range and making sure we don’t compensate through the arch of the foot. Training one-legged can also recruit the muscles around the hip that help stabilise the knee, which provides some back-up for the arch of the foot.
| Knee-to-Walls | Plate Touchdowns |
| 1. Kneel on a mat or something comfortable for the knee. 2. Use a squat rack or something sturdy to support yourself. 3. Make sure your toes are pointing straight ahead. 4. Work on maintaining the arch of your foot. 5. Rock your knee over the middle toes as far as you can without lifting the heel or losing your arch. 6. Repeat x10-20 You’ll see a bunch of banded variations of this exercise on Youtube, so feel free to experiment. | 1. Choose an elevated surface. Exact height will be determined by your mobility, strength and control. Perform this barefoot, to get feedback about your foot position. 2. Perform within arm’s reach of something stable to adjust your balance if need be. 3. With your standing foot near the edge of the elevated surface, squat down until you can gently touch your heel to the floor, making sure that the knee of the standing leg is tracking over the middle toes. 4. Start the bend at the knee, but sit the hips back a little to maintain balance. 5. Drive up to return to standing. 6. Repeat x10-20 |
Hip Mobility – Mountain Climbers plus Reverse Nordics
As a ball and socket joint, the hip should be a very mobile joint. As a result, there are a range of different facets to hip mobility – mobility in the glutes, groin, or hamstrings to name a few. For now, I want to focus on the quads and hip flexors at the front of the hip.
For years, tight hip flexors were blamed for a range of movement problems, from back pain to tight hamstrings. While this has been somewhat debunked in favour of strengthening these maligned muscles, it’s still important to maintain mobility here.
Mountain climbers are great because although we are stretching the hip flexors on the straightened leg, we’re also getting into the back of the hip on the bent leg. This can lead to a nice stretch around the hamstrings and groin, and it feels great after a day at the desk. Add in the upper back rotation and you’ve got some great bang for your buck. If you look at it from the bent side, the end position also looks somewhat like your squat; you’re sitting deep into your hip while lifting your chest as much as possible. This is a great bit of movement preparation.
Reverse Nordics are technically a quadriceps exercise, as we’re bending and straightening the knee as our main source of movement. As the name suggests, the quads are made up of 4 muscles, the longest of which works not just at the knee but at the hip too, assisting the hip flexors. This means that when we rock back into a Reverse Nordic with knees bent and hips extended, we can get a great stretch through the front of the thigh and the front of the hip. It may not solve all of your hip mobility problems, but it’s a start.
| Mountain Climbers | Reverse Nordics |
| 1) Assume the pressup position. 2) Take a big step forward on one side, placing your foot outside your hand. 3) Try to maintain a neutral arch in your lower back, and stick your chest out. 4) Experiment with resting the back knee, or holding it off the floor. 5) Lift the hand closest to the front foot up to the ceiling. Follow it with your eyes. 6) Repeat x5 each side. | 1) Place a foam roller under the shins, and find a comfortable position for the ankles. 2) Start in your tallest position. 3) Squeeze your glutes and keep the abs tight, to resist arching your back. 4) Slowly rock back through the knees. 5) Once you’ve got the greatest stretch in the quads and hips you can without losing form, push through the foam roller to return to an upright position. |
Implementing 2-3 sets of these pairs into your lower body warmup should be relatively quick and painless, but the rewards should be well worth it. In the next part, we’ll be covering core and upper body mobility.
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