Forget The Finish – How’s Your Start?
GUEST POST BY DAN ALLAIRE
I attended a Movement and Mobility Certification this past weekend in Boston and I thought I’d share the big takeaway from the weekend. We tend to not spend enough time working on our flexibility. One of the reasons Mr. Flexibility gets picked last to work on is he is the least sexy of all the 10 physical skills we work on at Caveman Strong. There is no flexibility PR or flexibility for time type exercise unlike his buddies, Strength, Speed, and Power (the other skills feel left out so I will mention them here in no particular order; endurance, stamina, coordination, accuracy, balance and agility)
When we work on flexibility the routines are boring, tedious and often don’t feel very good…BUT…the more we work on them the better output you’ll get in those Olympic Lifts we all work so hard at. What if I told you being more flexible will add to your deadlift or back squat PR….now do I have your attention? Does not being super flexible mean you cannot hit some impressive and heavy lifts, NO…but they would be even more impressive if you worked on those tight hamstrings, quads, pecs, etc… Think of it as driving your car with the emergency brake on, it can be done but is not the most effective way to drive.
Also ignoring or neglecting those tight areas can lead to injuries or performance problems. You see, people don’t get have a problem all of a sudden; they are created over time after repeatedly moving poorly.
This is why the coaches work so hard at getting you set up properly. If you begin a lift or movement “out of position” the lift or movements is missed or executed with minimal efficiency. It is impossible to correct a fault once the body is under a “load” of any weight, making the start position the most critical. Once you start to pull on a clean or a snatch you cannot adjust mid lift, it just can’t be done. Same goes for any other weight related movement. If you start a deadlift with a straight back but didn’t take the proper breath and your back starts to round halfway you cannot reset mid lift. That’s why the coaches are always telling you to take a deep breath with your mouth so you can fill you belly with air, stabilize the spine in neutral and be safe when lifting. Where flexibility comes in handy, is getting in the right set up or start position. If you cannot achieve it, do some mobility work to stretch the right part of the body to get it.
Flexibility/Mobility work should be done EVERYDAY for about 5-10 minutes and only focus on 3 areas max. Day one, maybe do your hamstrings, quads and calves. Day two, work on your lower and upper back and shoulders, day three, the ankle and wrist along with your hips. Keep it simple but keep doing it. Since the mobility stuff tends to suck (those lacrosse balls can hurt) we don’t encourage you doing the entire body. Focus it on the lifts that challenge you the most at the start position and loosen up those areas. If you don’t know how, ask one of the coaches for some mobility wods or exercises to help those tight areas and they’ll be glad to help out. Also these “stretching” exercises are not normally included in your warmup, they should be done after your workout or even at home if you have a foam roller and a few different balls to roll on.
Remember, to truly eliminate the tightness in your body and become, as K-Star puts it, a supple leopard, there are no days off and it can always be done in less than 15 minutes. So get to know those lacrosse balls, foam rollers and rubber bands, they could be the key to hitting that elusive PR you’ve been chasing. STOP DRIVING WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON!
