Flexibility

I find that common sense tends to be pretty uncommon in the weight room. There is no better example than when it comes to lifting through a full range of motion. Whether you’re an athlete whose aim is better performance or a body builder who is looking for size and symmetry, a full range of motion during your exercises is a key to success, career longevity, injury prevention, and health.

Let’s take the common sense approach: if you’re flexible, you can extend your working range of motion. If you can lift weights through a greater range of motion (i.e. “ass to grass” during a squat), you will recruit more motor units and stress a greater amount of tissue. This will translate into stronger, bigger, muscles and more mobile joints.

Just think of “That Guy” who you always see at the gym: the one with the huge arms, shoulders, and pecs but no back; the same guy whose bench press goes most of the way up and half of the way down. The guy who (if he ever bothers to do legs) probably only squats to 90 degrees. Or my personal favourite, chin ups that don’t see the chin ever go below the elbows!

The point of being flexible is that it allows you to really use your muscles. As an athlete, you’re not going to be fast and fluid with your hip flexors in a knot. As bodybuilders, you’re not going to look very good if your pecs are so tight that your shoulders are practically attached to your sternum. Fluidity and strength over the full range of your muscles allows you to get the most bang for your buck.

The best way to achieve this is by including an active warm-up, lifting through the full range of motion that each muscle group can accommodate, and doing a thorough post-workout stretch. An active warm-up may include a combination of moderate self myofascial release (SMR), such as foam rolling; ballistic or dynamic stretching; and movement preparation or muscle activation. Lifting through the full range of motion (concentric and eccentric) necessarily stretches the muscle, fascia, and tendons. The goal, however, is to train the nervous system to handle greater loads while the muscles are in their stretched positions. This will increase flexibility and strength over the entire range of motion. Finally, a post-workout stretch of the tissues that have been trained is a great way to solidify the adaptations in flexibility that you have just encouraged through proper resistance training. It is only natural for our bodies to want to tighten up after training, therefore a solid session of PNF stretching or static stretching post-workout will help to train the nervous system to adapt to the new muscle length.

There are studies that suggest there is an optimal timing for each type of stretching. The general guidelines are as follows: dynamic stretching pre-workout; light dynamic stretching during workouts; PNF and static stretching post-workout. You can also develop a PNF and static stretching program for off-days and recovery days to enhance flexibility. Many athletes have even turned to yoga for ideas on how to stretch properly. While it may not be necessary to consult the yogi masters, adding in some flexibility component to your training is a great way to enhance your performance, reduce the risk for injury, and optimize your physical health. I’ve seen many injuries that were the result of poor flexibility and weak structures.

Just look at Olympic lifters and gymnasts. Those guys are jacked, flexible, and stronger than an ox. If you don’t think an Olympic lifter is flexible, just take a moment and think about what it takes to be in a perfect full squat position, chest up, knees out, butt scraping the floor, hands outstretched overhead, holding a couple hundred pounds right above your skull.

Stay strong.