Malik Stretching Against WAll

When I see some speed coaches or mobility coaches on these popular podcasts say shit like you don’t have to use complicated lifts such as Olympic weightlifting because it takes too long to learn or just use mobility drills to increase the athlete’s mobility…

It frustrates me because most rather take a hamster wheel shortcut and safe approach than to demand greatness and build great durable athletes.

It is a fact that weightlifting is the best mobility exercise for increasing range of motion for real world sports.

A few athletes before they train with me go to yoga religiously and they will tell you point-blank that weightlifting has increased their range of motion and mobility tenfold compared to yoga.

That is not to knock yoga because yoga has its place. This is just simply the truth.

It boils down to really two things:

  1. What are you using Olympic lifts for?
  2. Are you qualified to teach Olympic lifts?

“It takes too long to learn and teach athletes these lifts.” is just an excuse like not tenderizing the meat for a burger patty.

One can choose to either be average or be remarkable.

Tremendous explosive power and quickness are built with Olympic Lifts which is utilized in the first 10-20 meters, which directly correlates to most sports like hockey, baseball, football, soccer, you name it.

The athletes who have a tremendous first step can hit a hole quicker, knock someone off the puck faster, get out of the box faster in baseball, steal more bases, the list goes on.

The best and the safest way to attain mobility is under load.

Many of the mobility drills don’t address the suppleness, flexibility, and dexterity that weight lifting exercises demand and cultivate.

If you can not manage redistribution of mechanical energy while falling, making a sharp cut while running in sport or in real life for that matter you will get hurt.

If you can not react and utilize your stretch reflex mechanisms underload through large amplitudes range of motion you will get hurt.

When the time comes to express powerfully and explosively in the untrained ranges of motions you will get hurt.

“If you stretch a spring and release it, it will spring back.” ~ R. McN. Alexander, 1988