Going Mobile

Since the beginning of the New Year, our coaches are working on finding ways to help you develop and grow. Our target is to help you become fit, but that involves many things besides just coaching your form on movements and making sure that you're putting forth effort during workouts. 

Maybe you've noticed that you have been having trouble reaching your goals. You come to the box and put in the work. Your nutrition has been, for the most part, on point.  Yet, at the end of the day you find yourself just shy of where you want to be. You want to be able to lift more weight, do workouts more quickly, and increase your overall performance. First of all, it's important to be patient in this process. The results WILL come, but you have to stay patient and stay consistent. With that said, there may be a really big piece missing in your approach to fitness. We believe that mobility is a major limiting factor in people's ability to perform and improve. 

We challenge you to ask yourself what your primary focus is when you are at the gym. Not many would say that MOBILITY was their principle focus. Now, we aren't telling you that you have to put the barbell down, drop the kettlebell, stay off the rig, or keep away from the rower. However, we would ask you to consider that mobility may be one of the primary factors that is limiting your performance. 

Defining Mobility: “The ability to move or be moved freely and easily”    
(Oxford Dictionary).  

 Look at the definition and think about the last time you attempted to get into a front rack position. Or  the last time you tried to keep your head and back upright in an air squat.  Did it feel "free" or "easy"? When evaluating that, It's likely easy to recognize that your mobility is in fact limiting your performance. 

​   Through periods of inactivity our bodies begin to lose the properties of flexibility we experienced in our youth (at least some of us).  This inactivity causes our shoulders to experience pain under the stress of moving the barbell into the front rack position. This lack of mobility makes it difficult to get below parallel in our squats.  If our mobility limits our movements then we are losing movement integrity and that will decrease our overall efficiency and ability to break-through to higher levels.  

    While increasing your activity will help you open those tight joints, mobility must be intentional as well. Coming by the box a few minutes before the start time is a great opportunity to open joints in preparation for the workout, while staying just a few minutes after using the warmth in the body to help loosen for next time. A GREAT way to focus on your mobility and recovery is to get into one of our YOGA classes (it's included in your membership). 

Over the coming weeks we will be working with you through the blog, and in the gym to help with your mobility and recovery. 

    Obviously, any list on a blog will not be all encompassing, and if you are doing these for the first time it is best to consult with a coach.

​Here are some tips

To begin - upper body mobility movements can include:  

• Banded Movement to help with regular tension.  
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAYray4xbe4
• PVC - Great to do at home, or at the box.  Go by a local hardware store and pick up a 5-6 piece of 1-1.5” diameter PVC pipe.  This allows for you to control tension to the mobility exercise.  
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAUFxcsW5SU
• No Equipment Required.  Forearm and Wrist mobility limitations affects almost all positions.  
  • https://www.wholelifechallenge.com/relieve-your-wrist-forearm-pain-mobility-exercises/

    Our Coaches look forward to helping you develop greater mobility and function in our bodies to continue our question for fitness!