Range of Motion and Mobility

In athletes and deconditioned clients alike, range of motion restrictions are an ever-prevalent issue. Either the individual is not using a full range of motion in a given exercise because he/she wast taught to perform the movement as such, or he/she has severe mobility restrictions.

If you have the ability to train through a full range of motion and neglect to do so, you are doing yourself a disservice. Movements like the pull-up, squat or push-up are the most frequent examples I see in the gym. Men and women alike bust out a quick and sloppy set of push-ups without their chest touching the ground or their elbows fully extending. By using the full range of motion for these exercises, you are not only stimulating more muscle fibers (and therefore getting stronger), but you are also ingraining proper movement patterns into your brain that will be applied across the board.

Training through a full range of motion is extremely important in both injury prevention and treatment and developing strength to your maximum potential. As the famous Kelly Starett, doctor of Physical Therapy and owner of CrossFit San Francisco, warns us:

"If you have ankle pain, chances are good that your calves are tight and are pulling on your ankle, limiting your range of motion. If you have knee pain, chances are good that your quads, hips, hamstrings and calves (all of the musculature that connects to your knee) are brutally tight. It's no mystery why you have pain: You can't get into the correct positions or move with good form because you're missing key ranges of motion. Mitigating overtensioned systems using mobilization techniques feeds 'slack' to the 'injured' site, reducing localized joint pain by improving the efficiency of the system"

In a nutshell, if you're experiencing pain in any given joint, it's probably because you have some tight muscles and are therefore missing full range of motion in that area.

A good percentage of the people I've met have difficulty getting into a full squat because they lack the proper hip and ankle mobility. Before you can even think about putting a barbell on your back, you have to address your poor squat mechanics.

Fortunately for you all, there are many ways of correcting movement dysfunctions and restrictions in mobility. Tools like a foam roller, lacrosse ball, or bands are all useful tools in getting rid of tightness and other movement restrictions.

For more information on specific exercises to mobilize any given area, check out www.mobilityWOD.com.


Sources:

1. Starrett, Kelly. "Home." MobilityWOD. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
2. Starrett, Kelly, and Glen Cordoza. Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance. Las Vegas: Victory Belt Pub., 2013. Print.