We talk a lot about mobility/flexibility/range of motion. It’s an absolutely essential quality for healthy, sustainable, and effective movement. But sometimes we lose sight of the real purpose behind it all.

Flexibility is a useful adaptation, but only insofar as we can use that adaptation. Given that movement is our bread and butter, it makes sense, then, that our flexibility should lend itself to movement. While the most stiff and immobile among us may never need to worry about this phenomenon, there is such a thing as too flexible. Or, put another way, flexibility alone is not enough.

When we set our sights on flexibility, the unspoken subtext is that we are aiming to increase our range of motion and our strength through that added range of motion. One might call this quality “stability.” It’s great that you spend 30 minutes every day tugging on your hamstrings to make them longer, but what happens when your lengthened hamstrings are asked to move a heavy load, or to contract under high forces? Suddenly the protective qualities of flexibility have been reversed.

Weightlifting provides a perfect example of the necessity of strength through end ranges of motion. If I have the flexibility to sit in a rock-bottom squat, but I am missing the leg and hip strength to to support or move any load in that position, do I really have any business occupying that deep squat position? Or take the overhead position as an example. If I have the thoracic and shoulder mobility to hold my hands in the overhead position of the catch in a snatch, but I am unable to control the position of my shoulders or support the weight with my upper back and shoulder muscles, am I really able to use that flexibility?

Unless your end goal is party tricks where you fold yourself in half or wrap your foot behind your head, it’s in your best interest to look beyond range of motion alone. We want you to be flexible, yes; but we want you to be able to use that flexibility, too.

- PS

8/25/17

• Split jerk - 1rm

Then...

• Make 3 attempts at the following complex for load:

• 10 DB single leg RDL (10/leg)

• 10 DB hang squat cleans

• 10 DB front rack reverse lunge (10/leg)

• Rest as needed between attempts