Here at RPP we take great pride in getting our athletes in the best possible shape to succeed at their sport and mobility work plays a big role in our roadmap to getting them there. One thing I always stress to our athletes and parents is that even if you come and train with us for 2 days/week, at least I know you’re getting in some mobility work. Unfortunately, that’s not enough. That being said I want to make one thing perfectly clear…
“It’s not just what you do while you’re here, it’s also what you do when you’re NOT here”
Mobility is defined as “the ability to move the body freely into a desired position”. Many people get it confused with flexibility which is defined as “the capacity of a joint to move through its full range of motion.”
This certainly rings true when it comes to mobility work. Mobility is something that is lost fairly quickly. In fact, many athletes don’t even realize they’re losing it until they’re injured.
I spend countless hours preaching the importance of doing extra mobility work outside of the gym (at home, on the field). Unfortunately, most often I hear parents say “I tell him but he never does it”. This has led me to try a different means of getting the task done.
Beginning last fall (2016) we began providing all our athletes who receive an assessment, and are training with us, their own personal mobility program. The mobility program is provided complete with videos that can be followed and performed at home or on the field. Thankfully, you don’t need much in the way of equipment to do your mobility work. Hopefully this will make the pill easier to swallow.
Please note, however, not all athletes need extensive mobility work. Many of our taller athletes (6’3 and over) who have considerable amounts with laxity (excessive joint range of motion) need to get stronger through strength training but should be careful as to how much mobility work they do. For these athletes foam rolling may be all that’s really needed. Shorter stockier athletes generally have adequate amounts of weight room strength but tend to be a bit tighter from a mobility and flexibility standpoint. For these guys some foam rolling and mobility work to the lower half may be all that’s needed to help increase stride length and increase hip mobility. Getting a thorough assessment is really the best way to find out where you stand.
See ya’ in the gym…
