# Increasing mobility



## nissan11 (Jun 10, 2015)

Is mobility and flexibility the same thing?

Today at the end of my leg day I decided I would try overhead squats. With just the bar, I found it very difficult to execute all parts of the movement. When I started to squat, my elbows wanted to bend and my shoulders, back, and especially rear delts felt really tight, forcing the bar towards the front of my head.
If I tried real hard to keep my elbows straight while squating, it felt very awkward at my feet, and feet actually started to tilt in and the outside of my shoes were off the mat. What can I do to get better in this area? Should I just keep doing overhead squats with the bar until I get comfortable, or is there a stretch that will help?


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## HydroEJP88 (Jun 10, 2015)

I'm thinking both will help 

I feel that if your muscles and tendons are stretched and loose it should make it easier to properly execute the proper form. 

Then again I could be wrong lol I do know stretching my hips, legs and lower back helps me tremendously with my squats and deads.

Maybe a seasoned veteran can chime in


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## MrRippedZilla (Jun 10, 2015)

Sounds like your overall flexibility is just very poor for that specific lift - is there any reason in particular that your doing overhead squats?

You need to start looking at Olympic weightlifting sources to help you with this; those guys practice mobility work daily & overhead squats are a key part of their training.

I recommend the Catalyst Athletics youtube channel as well as Greg Everett's book "Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes". The Catalyst Athletics website will also give you a bunch of useful articles on mobility drills. 
Getting into the habit of following Glenn Pendlay isn't a bad idea either.


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## HydroEJP88 (Jun 10, 2015)

Awesome I'm going to check into them too, you can never read too much. 

I would thank you through the board but it won't let me


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## BigGameHunter (Jun 10, 2015)

x2 on rips comment.

If this is an exercise your really wanting to do I would not do it at the end of a work out.  Your increasing your chances of an injury IMO. I recommend using the bar first until your comfortable with the movement.


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## nissan11 (Jun 10, 2015)

I don't necessarily really want to do the exercise, but I think I should be flexible enough to at least do some olympic lifts with good form, but necessarily heavy weight.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Jun 10, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> I don't necessarily really want to do the exercise, but I think I should be flexible enough to at least do some olympic lifts with good form, but necessarily heavy weight.



Olympic lifts require a lot of flexibility. Not everyone will be able to do them regardless of how much you work on mobility.


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## MrRippedZilla (Jun 10, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> I don't necessarily really want to do the exercise, but I think I should be flexible enough to at least do some olympic lifts with good form, but necessarily heavy weight.



Why do you feel that you should be flexible enough for the oly lifts?
Unless you plan on actually doing the lifts permanently as part of your current routine, I see no reason for you to waste time on this - especially if you consider that Oly lifters do daily mobility drills and it still takes months, if not years, to see any sort of permanent improvement. 

You should have enough flexibility to accommodate your current workout routine & daily lifestyle. 
No more, no less.


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## PillarofBalance (Jun 10, 2015)

^^^ I like this guy


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## Tren4Life (Jun 11, 2015)

PillarofBalance said:


> ^^^ I like this guy




I like his avi


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## PillarofBalance (Jun 11, 2015)

Steelers4Life said:


> I like tren



Yeah man we know.


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## TriniJuice (Jun 11, 2015)

When i wanna increase mobility i add lotion.....


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## DocDePanda187123 (Jun 11, 2015)

PillarofBalance said:


> ^^^ I like this guy



I told you you would 

One of the smartest individuals I have come across


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## nissan11 (Jun 11, 2015)

What is wrong with wanting to be more flexible?

Is having more mobile shoulders not a good thing? It sure seems like a shoulder with more mobility would be less susceptible to injury no matter what the movement.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Jun 11, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> What is wrong with wanting to be more flexible?
> 
> Is having more mobile shoulders not a good thing? It sure seems like a shoulder with more mobility would be less susceptible to injury no matter what the movement.



Too much mobility is not a good thing. It can decrease joint stability among other things leading to a possible increased rate of injury.


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## DieYoungStrong (Jun 11, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> What is wrong with wanting to be more flexible?
> 
> Is having more mobile shoulders not a good thing? It sure seems like a shoulder with more mobility would be less susceptible to injury no matter what the movement.



In Powerlifting, we want to be just loose enough to perform the lifts. Being to Loose is not good in strength sports. 

If you really want to do Oly lifting, you need a good coach and a team. Powerlifting is technical enough. Oly lifting is on a whole other level...


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## bugman (Jun 11, 2015)

"Becoming a Supple Leopard"  is another good read.  I was introduced to it by a friend when she saw my front squat arm position.  I couldn't raise my elbows and she almost screamed at me in the gym because she thought i was gonna drop the weight.


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## MrRippedZilla (Jun 11, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> What is wrong with wanting to be more flexible?
> 
> Is having more mobile shoulders not a good thing? It sure seems like a shoulder with more mobility would be less susceptible to injury no matter what the movement.



Being more flexible & having more mobile shoulders for WHAT exactly?  

Being flexible & having mobile shoulders for your current lifestyle & routine is a good thing, beyond that its unnecessary.
Your assuming that being more flexible just for the sake of it = less injuries
When what actually happens is that you increase your risk of injury (as Doc alluded to) and you actually risk decreasing your overall strength since flexibility <> strength are on completely opposite sides of the spectrum. 

You seem determined to pursue this complete waste of time of an endeavour so by all means go nuts  
Just be aware that, as DYS said, you will need to hire a professional coach because 99% of people have no idea how to properly execute the Oly lifts - never mind actually programme mobility drills. 
You will also need to accept that it is going to take a very, very long time to see any permanent improvements.


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## nissan11 (Jun 11, 2015)

I have learned that Oly lifting and mobility/flexibilty is the devil, and I will stay far away from it.
Thanks.


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## DieYoungStrong (Jun 11, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> I have learned that Oly lifting and mobility/flexibilty is the devil, and I will stay far away from it.
> Thanks.



It is not the devil, but you need to approach both with a plan and a goal. If your goal is to do Oly lifting, have at it. Just be sure to get a good coach and a team.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Jun 11, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> I have learned that Oly lifting and mobility/flexibilty is the devil, and I will stay far away from it.
> Thanks.



It's not the devil but Oly lifters only work on flexibility enough to be able to perform in their sport. They don't say hey I need more flexibility just bc. They need to perform the Oly lifts and thus have a need for a certain amount of mobility. From what you've told us you don't have this need and by pursuing it you'll increase your chance of injury as well as hamper your strength gains. 

An example is hamstrings and the squat. For some arbitrary reason you want more hamstring flexibility and therefor do stretches for them everyday like nobody's business. After 3months you're so flexible you can touch your face to the ground bending at he waist and keeping your knees locked. Pretty impressive right? Well what about your squat? Power out of the hole in a full ROM squat requires strength in the hips but also relies on the stretch reflex of the hamstrings. As you go down to parallel or lower the hamstrings are eccentrically contracting or stretching and storing kinetic energy. Once you drive up out of the hole this stored energy is used to bring you up. Well if you have excessively flexible hamstrings bc you just wanted flexible hamstrings they don't stretch as much and one loses out on stored kinetic energy which in turn reduces the amount of weight one can squat which in turn makes one weaker which in turn makes  one less of a man since one will now be squatting pussy weights compared to before. 

Cliff note: be a man and squat and worry about the flexibility you need not that you want. 

If you want to do Oly lifting by all means get a coach and learn the movements correctly. It took me 2yrs of training myself to earn how to clean somewhat correctly and even after two years I'm still not great at them bc I wasn't trained under the watchful eye of a USAW coach.


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## MrRippedZilla (Jun 11, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> I have learned that Oly lifting and mobility/flexibilty is the devil, and I will stay far away from it.
> Thanks.



I strongly recommend you look up the definition of the word "context" because you clearly have no concept of it. 

Oly lifting was actually my introduction into the world of resistance training back when I was 14, so I know exactly how much dedication it takes. It is not something you can just casually start doing here and there - unless you enjoy ****ing around in the gym to waste a few hours. 

Why do Oly lifting if you don't plan on actually getting on a proper Oly programme with a coach to guide you?
Why work on your flexibility if it isn't actually an issue for you in your current programme or daily lifestyle?

The answer to both of those questions is: ****arounditis


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## nissan11 (Jun 11, 2015)

That all makes sense. Thanks. 

I also have some discomfort in the same area if I do wide grip pull ups and bottom out the eccentric portion too fast. Is there a stretch I can do to help this?


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## PillarofBalance (Jun 11, 2015)

nissan11 said:


> That all makes sense. Thanks.
> 
> I also have some discomfort in the same area if I do wide grip pull ups and bottom out the eccentric portion too fast. Is there a stretch I can do to help this?



What area? Rear delts? Back?


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## nissan11 (Jun 11, 2015)

Rear delt, it's a pretty sharp pain. It mostly happens in my left shoulder and might have something to do with my shoulder surgery I had 3 years ago to have a cadaver ligament grafted in. It's defenitely not the area of the surgery since that was the front of my shoulder, but I was not able to exercise it for 6 months. I worked back real slow per instruction of the surgeon and PT and have not had any other issues with that shoulder since then, though.


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