Effective Mobility Training
Mobility is a physical ability that describes joint-specific range of motion. More accurately, high-quality mobility includes ranges of motion (especially end-range) that are pain-free, stable, and have adequate motor control. Movement that is restriction-free is nearly universally beneficial and is a common goal that we all tend to share. This is because improvements in mobility almost always have positive implications for both health and performance. Unfortunately, the pathway to improve mobility is riddled with red herrings.
If mobility is joint-specific range of motion, then we need to be keenly aware of the primary tissues that can create or restrict range of motion under normal, healthy conditions—the muscles. Many will be fooled into believing that the nervous system is at fault for decreased mobility. However, the nervous system is only secondarily responsible. The cascade of events that lead to detriments in mobility are as follows (the simple version):
1. Muscle disuse (length-specific).
2. Shortened muscle tissue.
3. Hyperactive nervous system.
4. Decreased mobility.
5. Pain and joint tissue degradation.
As previously stated, there are many red herrings in the attempt to improve mobility. Many of these are industry-driven and often involve strategies that address the third step of the cascade of events, a hyperactive nervous system. These include but are not limited to tactics such as static stretching, activation drills, massage (often “myofascial release”), cupping, needling, vibration and percussion, joint distraction and mobilization, and the list goes on ad infinitum. The primary issue with all these strategies is that they do not address the start of the cascade of events—the root cause. Only addressing the nervous system will typically create a temporary, pseudo-improvement which will soon return to back to baseline. Without any real alteration to physiology, these nervous system tricks lead nowhere.
Let’s address the root cause of the issue. Understand that muscle tissue is extremely adaptive (and therefore, maladaptive). Muscle tissue is in constant flux and is always attempting to adapt to the physiological demands being applied to it. When there is a cessation of overloading demands, they begin to degenerate (think of an astronaut in prolonged zero gravity). One specific form of disuse that leads to degradation is length-specific disuse. This type of disuse literally leads to muscle degeneration longitudinally (length-related properties decrease). If the root cause of the problem is distilled down to its very essence, then loss of end-range strength is what leads to loss of mobility. That is correct: mobility is a strength-related physical ability.
Real, effective mobility training involves strength training that utilizes specifically selected exercises that include stretched muscle lengths with a force vector that emphasizes that stretched position. When high-quality, well-programmed strength training (e.g., exercise selection, technique, tempo, progressive overload, etc.) is applied, the muscles hypertrophy longitudinally (literally grow longer) and result in greater mobility about the joints they control. Even better, all aspects of the nervous system (proprioception, activation, motor control, coordination, and timing) simultaneously improve. Mobility training is strength training—the kind that is aimed at length-/position-specific weakness.
Takeaway Points:
>Mobility is joint-specific range of motion, and it is universally desirable for health and performance goals alike.
>Changes in muscle tissue architecture and subsequent length-specific weakness is the root cause of decreased mobility in normal and otherwise healthy joints.
>Most industry-driven modalities only create temporary changes to the nervous system and do not lead to long-term, durable changes in mobility.
>Because muscular architecture and its succeeding physiology is the catalyst leading to diminished mobility, progressive overload must be applied to create the desirable adaptations for improvement.
>Length-/position-specific strength training improves all aspects of mobility when properly programmed and performed.