#018: Designing a Mobility Program that Works

Show Notes

I see athlete’s get caught in a constant cycle… It goes like this…

1. They have pain, dysfunctional movement or lack ROM.
2. They use a modality that provides short-term relief.
3. They do their session, using sub-optimal positions.
4. Their session ends and they walk to their car and drive home.
5. They do it again the next day.

Stop wasting your time!

Outline:

1. Defining Mobility + 3 Mobility Truths
2. Assessing Your Mobility
   1. Muscle Tightness vs. Shortness (Mobility Techniques that Pair with Each)
   2. Identifying Your Problem Areas
3. Designing a Mobility Program
   1. Mobility Inside & Outside the Training Session

Defining Mobility: 3 Truths About Mobility

Mobility: Range of Motion + Torque

Truth #1: Mobility is anything that helps you move better

Truth #2: What works is what lasts.

Truth #3: A strong, enduring stimulus is what drives change: Tension & Time

Read: Why Your Mobility Isn’t Improving

The Key: Do things that challenge mobility but don’t cause joint strain

Assessing Your Mobility

Part 1: Muscle Tightness vs. Shortness

Tight: Carrying tension – low grade contraction – CNS input 

• Relaxing Protocols → Foam Roll, Lax Ball Smashing, Scraping, Self-Massage, Trigger Points, Cupping, Passive Stretching, 

Short: The muscle is actually lacking length

• Higher intensity protocols → PAILS & RAILS, active static stretches (stronger stimulus), dynamic & ballistic stretching in warm-ups

Part 2: Identifying Problem Muscle Groups

Fascial Lines (mobility is a systems issues)
• Anterior vs. Posterior
• Upstream or Downstream

Identify stretches that will work for your problem areas.

Designing a Program

Outside of Exercise (or) Post-exercise Program
• Mainly static stretching with longers holds (>60s)

Warm-Up for a Training Session
• Active Stretches with Short Duration (long holds reduces power output)
• PAILS & RAILS
• Positional Holds
• Dynamic Stretching
• Combine these with Plyometrics to minimize power dropping

My Sample Session

My target areas: 
• Hip Flexors (quads & hip flexors)
• Shoulder Flexion (pecs, biceps)
• Front Rack (T-Spine, Lats, Triceps)

Outside of Exercise

Desk Athlete Mobility Checklist (2:00 per Element / or as time permits)
• Hip Flexors: sitting too long
• Shoulder Flexion: hands on keyboard a lot
• Front Rack: Too much screen time (forward head, rounded back)

Target Specific Weaknesses: 3-Step Process

1. Do a massage or smash, simply as a way to pull out the CNS response → goal to relax
2. Static Stretch where I get really deep (deep not as in ROM but in that pain or muscular tension isn’t “in the way” of me getting a really good stretch)
3. Load that new range (to give it a reason to stick around)

Example 3-Step Process
3 Rounds
-0:30 Foam Roll Lats (per side)
-1:00 Kettlebell Anchored T-Spine Opener
-0:15 Wall-Facing Handstand Hold, Shoulders Fully Open

During a Training Session

1. Thermogenic Warm-Up: Easy Aerobic Work, ~5:00, often Nasal
2. Movement Prep (Dynamic Mobility Work): Alternating Lizard, Up-Down to Down-Dog, Calisthenics like Walking Quad Stretch or Knee Hugs, ZOAR Squat Sequence 2.0
3. Active Stretches that I need (not every session):
   1. Push Jerk: Elevated Cat Pose with max effort shoulder extension
   2. If Front Rack: banded front rack stretch (or) front squats with straps
4. Plyometric or Sprint Activity: Retain / Regain RFD (Rate of Force Development)
5. Strength
6. Conditioning & Accessory
7. Cooldown: Flush & Static Stretching 

Next Steps

A lot of people just become more overwhelmed when presented with all this information and still don’t know where to start.  It’s called “Paralysis by Analysis.” And that’s exactly why I created this program…