Disclaimer:

The techniques, ideas, and suggestions in this product are not intended as a substitute
for proper medical advice! Consult your physician or health care professional before
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Introduction

Welcome to Mobility 101: The Ultimate Guide for Powerlifters, Olympic Weightlifters &
CrossFitters!

As lifters, we spend countless hours in the gym working out and asking our bodies to
perform. However, equal, if not more attention should be placed on recovery and
stretching. It is quite common for us to leave stretching until the end of the workout, or
perhaps telling yourself to stretch before bedtime and it never gets done.

There are numerous of different mobility drills and exercises available and it can be
quite overwhelming and confusing. This book is designed to outline my top ten
favourite mobility and stretching exercises to help you save time and obtain all the
benefits of mobility training.

What is mobility?

The term joint mobility refers to how well a joint (where two bones meet) moves before
being restricted by surrounding tissues such as tendon and ligaments (and sometimes
bones).

An example of when mobility is seen is when somebody complains about a

pinching/sense of blockage in front of the ankles during a squat. In this case, the two
bones (talus and tibia) are not properly articulating along each other and causing a lack
of mobility.

Benefits of mobility

Now that we understand what mobility is, we can see how heavily the body relies on
mobility.

Mobility can help prevent injuries from happening and re-occurring along with keeping
the joints healthy and safe. Proper and regular mobilizing of the joints can help joints
stay lubricated, increase range of motion of the joints and is amazing for soft tissue
health (tendons and ligaments).

Mobility vs. Flexibility

These two terms are often used in the fitness community and the meaning is frequently
confused with each other.
Mobility has to do more so with how the bones articulate with each other and more
reliant on ligaments whereas flexibility has to do with the range of motion in a joint and
the length of the muscles that cross that specific joint.

An example of flexibility is feeling a sense of tension in the hamstrings when trying to

touch your toes. However, a lack of mobility when touching the toes can be seen by
rounding of the lower back due to the poor movement of the bones in the ankle (from
compensation).

Why is mobility and flexibility needed?

Both of these two components are needed in order to properly function and for joints to
move efficiently.

Often times these components are lacking due to repetitive motion, poor posture,
incorrect form and a lack of mobilizing and stretching. The problem is we spend too
much time throughout the day closing our bodies (i.e. texting on our phones, hours in
front of the computer, etc.) and not enough time mobilizing and reversing the process.

Adequate mobility is needed to ensure proper joint health and movement. If a joint
suffers from a lack of mobility, it is very common to see a joint above/below it
compensate and create false mobility. An example of this is the hips being too immobile
from sitting all day which forces the lower back to open up in simple movements such
as a squat.

Flexibility is needed to ensure that the muscles are healthy and that joints have an
adequate amount of flexibility. Limited flexibility is usually seen in lifters with poor
exercise selection with a lack of overall mobility training. An example would be a
powerlifter that only bench presses and has poor flexibility in their shoulders and
difficulty reaching behind them.

Examples of joint mobility restrictions:

 Ankle Joint: somebody squatting and having difficulty keeping their heels flat
on the ground (puts more pressure on the front of their feet)
 Knee Joint: hypermobility in the knees can be seen when the ankles and hips
become too stable. This increases the chances of receiving injuries such as ACL,
MCL and LCL sprains
 Hip Joint: folding forward from the hips during a squat with difficulty sitting
"down" into a squat
  Lumbar Spine: hypermobility in the lower back is often seen when the hips and
thoracic spine becomes too immobile. This can be seen during a deadlift and
with the lower back excessively rounding backwards
 Thoracic Spine: lifters having difficulty keeping their chest up and torso upright
during exercises such as squats and overhead press.
 Shoulder Joint: issues grasping the barbell during a squat which can be seen
by compensating the shoulder by hyper extending the wrist and potentially
leading to elbow pain
 Cervical Spine: having the head pulled forward and out of alignment, causing a
lack of neck movement (i.e. checking blind spot when driving)

Tips to keep in mind:

1. Perform these exercises and stretches dynamically (with movement) prior to a

workout. If done post-workout, these exercises can either be done statically (no
movement) or dynamically.
2. Hold these stretches anywhere from 30-60 seconds per side or until a sense of
relief is felt
3. Slowly ease into these stretches and always stretch to the point of tension, never
pain!
4. If you are experiencing any burning, numbness and/or tingling, stop the exercise
immediately.
5. Do not wait until there are restrictions before you start mobilizing. Start
stretching and mobilizing to prevent these issues from starting!

Examples of when poor mobility is seen:

Squat:

 Ankle Mobility: rounding of the lower back (posterior pelvic tilt) and/or sitting
too far back during the lowering phase of a squat
 Hip Mobility: folding forward from the hips and/or experiencing chronic hip
flexor tension
 Thoracic Mobility: difficulty keeping the torso upright and/or rounding of the
spine during the squat
 Shoulder Mobility: poor rack position and issues keeping the upper back tight,
often times the wrist will be seen hyper extended to compensate
Bench Press:

 Ankle Joint: may restrict your hip drive as pulling your feet towards you may
cause limitations to the ankle (more common in powerlifting setup)
 Hip Mobility: same as above, lifters may also experience the glutes coming off
the bench if they have poor hip mobility
 Thoracic Mobility: may cause chronic lower back pain as the lumbar spine will
be forced to compensate to create an arch (more common in powerlifting setup)
 Shoulder Mobility: shoulders and/or head may be seen coming off the bench
and rolling forward which places unnecessary force on the shoulder joint

Deadlift:

 Ankle Joint: issues setting up the deadlift correctly and could cause rounding of
the lower back
 Hip Mobility: same as above, lifters will also experience tight hamstrings during
the starting phase
 Thoracic Mobility: rounding of the middle back, especially if the lifter has
shorter arms
 Shoulder Mobility: not often seen, however, limited shoulder mobility could
cause difficulty with keeping the shoulders pulled back during lockout
Hip Flexor Stretch:
1. Kneel on the ground with both legs
bent to 90 degrees with the
shoulders directly over the hips

2. Place the same side arm as the

rear leg up with the thumb facing
backwards

3. Gently squeeze the glutes until a

gentle stretch is felt

Start position
Muscles Stretched:

 Quadriceps (specifically rectus

femoris) and Hip Flexors (tensor
fascia latae, iliopsoas)

Indications:

 Chronic hip flexor tension

 Hip impingement related End position

symptoms (hip pain during squats)

 Lower back pain from anterior

pelvic tilt

 Falling forward during a back squat

Incorrect (leaning back)

Wall Slides:
1. Stand or sit against a wall with the
entire back touching the wall

2. Place the arms to the side with the

elbows bent to roughly 90 degrees

3. Reach both arms overhead while

keeping the forearm/arm in
contact with the wall

Joints Mobilized: Start position

 Thoracic spine, shoulder joint and

shoulder girdle

Indications:

 Poor posture and desk job workers

 Lifters with limited overhead

mobility and issues arching during
a bench press End position
 Difficulty keeping upright in a high
bar squat and/or
conventional/clean deadlift

 Shoulder pain and individuals with

rounded shoulders

Incorrect (forearms off the wall)

Seated Lotus Stretch:
1. Sit on the ground and place the
soles of the feet together
2. Pull the feet in towards the groin
as much as you can and let the
knees drop to the ground
3. Slowly hinge forward from ONLY
the hips until a stretch is felt

Muscles Stretched:

 Inner thigh (adductor magnus), Start position

back of the upper thigh
(hamstrings)

Indications:

 Lifters with hip discomfort and

opening their hips up during sumo
deadlift

 Knees caving in during a squat or

deadlift End position
 Chronic inner knee pain

Incorrect (rounding of the spine)

Pigeon Stretch:
1. Sit and place one leg in front of
you and bend to roughly 90
degrees

2. Extend the opposite leg backwards

while keeping the chest up and tall

3. Slowly lower the hips towards the

ground until a gentle stretch is felt
in the buttocks

Start position
Muscles Stretched:

 Piriformis (buttocks), iliopsoas (hip

flexors - rear leg),

Indications:

 Sciatic type symptoms originating

in the lower back and referring
into the leg
End position
 Sacroiliac dysfunction and
piriformis syndrome

 Excessive tension in the glutes

and/or lower back

Incorrect (forward rounding of the spine)

Standing Calf and Hamstring Stretch:
1. Stand in front of a squat rack/wall
and position the heel as close as
possible to the edge of the wall

2. Straighten the body by standing

upwards and place the hand on
wall for support

3. Slowly hinge forward towards the

wall with only the hips until a
stretch is felt in the calves
Start position

Muscles Stretched:

 Gasctrocnemius and Soleus (calf

muscles), hamstrings (back of the
upper thigh)

Indications:

 Butt wink (posterior pelvic tilt)

during a squat and/or deadlift End position
 Chronic hamstring and calf tension
with limited ankle mobility

 Lifters that are more posterior

dominant (tighter lower back,
glutes, hamstrings and calves)

Incorrect (heel too far from wall)

Open Book Stretch:
1. Lay on your side with both knees
together and bent to roughly 45
degrees

2. With your arms stretched out in

front of you, place both palms
together

3. While keeping the knees together,

open your arms, bringing the top
hand to the opposite side until the
back of the hand touches the floor Start position

Joints Mobilized:

 Thoracic spine (rotation) and

lower back

Indications:

 Lack of overall thoracic mobility

(specifically rotation) End position
 Difficulty rotating the torso
(reaching for something behind
you)

 Rotating during exercises such as

squats, deadlifts or any overhead
movements (jerks/snatches)

Incorrect (knees coming apart)

Modified Hurdler's Stretch:
1. Sit on the ground with one leg
fully extended in front of you with
the other leg bent and pulled
towards the groin

2. Place one hand on the thigh (of

the extended leg) and keep the
chest tall

3. Slowly hinge forward from the hips

while reaching the hand towards
the foot until a stretch is felt Start position

Muscles Stretched:

 Hamstrings (back of the upper

thigh), gastrocnemius and soleus
(calf muscle)

Indications:

 Lifters experiencing butt wink End position

(posterior pelvic tilt) during a
squat from excessive hamstring
tension

 Difficulty setting up during a

deadlift with lower back rounding

 Poor hip and ankle mobility

Incorrect (rounding of the spine)

Standing Chest Stretch:
1. Stand and place one arm on a
squat rack/wall slightly higher than
90 degrees with the legs in a
staggered position

2. Slowly lean forward and twist

away from the arm until a stretch
is felt in the chest

3. To intensify the stretch, squeeze

the shoulder blades together to hit
the different heads of the Start position
pectoralis muscle

Muscles Stretched:

 Pectoralis major and minor (chest

muscle), anterior deltoid (front of
the shoulder)

Indications:
End position
 Excessive muscular tension in the
chest muscles

 Poor shoulder and overhead

mobility

 Difficulty getting into a strong

back squat rack position due to
shoulder mobility

 Rounded shoulders and shoulder

impingement symptoms
Incorrect (elbow below shoulder level)
Levator Scapula Stretch:
1. Sit on the ground and place one
hand underneath the buttocks
with the palm facing upwards

2. Rotate the head away from the

arm and tuck the chin in towards
the chest (pretend to sniff the
opposite side armpit)

3. Place the opposite hand behind

the neck and gently pull down to
assist the stretch Start position

Muscles Stretched:

 Levator scapula (behind the neck),

upper trapezius (upper back)

Indications:

 Anybody experiencing chronic

neck tension and headaches End position
 One sided neck pain and/or one
shoulder being more elevated than
the other

 Rounded shoulders and/or

anybody with shoulder
impingement

Incorrect (not sitting on the hand)

Shoulder Dislocations:
1. Grab onto the ends of a
broomstick or resistance band (the
wider you grab, the easier the
exercise)

2. With the elbows straight, raise the

broomstick over your head and
bring it behind the body until it
touches the lower back

3. Reverse the movement and bring

the broomstick back to the starting Start position
position in front of you

Muscles Stretched:

 Pectoralis major (chest), anterior

deltoid (front of shoulders)

Indications:

 Anybody experiencing limited Execution of the exercise

shoulder and overhead mobility

 Excessive muscular tension in the

chest and shoulders

 Rounded shoulders and shoulder

impingement related symptoms

End position
Conclusion

This book was designed to help the readers improve their mobility and flexibility
through a series of different exercises and stretches and covers the muscles and joints
that are often restricted.

Implementing these stretches before and after your workout can help prevent injuries,
promote longevity in your sport and most importantly, increase your quality of life!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to personally contact me at

james@lustrengththerapy.com

For more information on stretches and exercises for lifters, follow me on social media
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