by Melissa Urban, creator of the famous Urban Approach To Squatting Heavier™
We are literally still on the plane, returning from our whirlwind fitness tour of northern California. We were able to cram a ton of good stuff into just two and a half days, hitting both Kelly Starrett’s Movement and Mobility seminar and Robb Wolf’s Paleolithic Solution seminar over the weekend. We’ll catch you up with all things Robb later this week, but as I sit here on the plane all crammed into an awkward typing position, I want to talk a little bit about mobility, the reminders I took from Kelly’s seminar and the things I’ve learned about my own health and fitness from Dallas.
I’ve been very lucky to have a physical therapist as my trainer. I’ve been aware of my own mobility, um, shortcomings for years now. My shoulders are all messed up from years of working at a desk, my hips don’t like to turn out because of who knows what, and my feet and ankles are starting to get cranky after a decade of 3-inch heels five days a week. We’ve been addressing these issues one at a time, as a supplement to my normal training routine. He does some PT magic on me, sure, but none of his “fixes” will take unless I take the initiative to maintain my newfound level of flexibility and range of motion. I know unless I foam roll after a tough session on the rings, my shoulders are going to be angry for a few days, and I’m acutely aware that my ankles are much happier when I wear Sambas instead of stilettos.
And yet, even with my very own PT looking over my shoulder before, during and after every workout… I still don’t do enough mobility work. I should be stretching and foam rolling at home. I don’t. I should be taking breaks at work and mobilizing my shoulders throughout the day. I get too busy. I should take that evil lacrosse ball with me everywhere and jam it in my hip rotators at every available opportunity. (It’s right here in my carry-on bag, in fact. I should be doing this RIGHT NOW.) But I don’t, mostly because that one hurts too much.
Maybe if I did it more often, it wouldn’t hurt so much. As our good friend Donna Dyson would say… Aduh.
We train SO hard… and yet I’d venture to say that all of us have some sort of mobility e-brake permanently stuck in the “up” position. I observed that at Kelly’s seminar, when only 3 out of 60 people in the room passed a simple hamstring flexibility test. As I told Kelly later that day, “One thing I took from your seminar… I’m all messed up, but so is everyone else.” For me, my top priority e-brake is hip mobility. I have tons of internal rotation, but very little natural external rotation. If you’ve been to Kelly’s seminar, you’ll know that muscles generate the most power in the middle of their range… and practically no power at their end ranges, either maximally shortened or maximally stretched. So for me, the necessity of turning my toes out to accommodate my giraffe legs during the squat shortens my external rotators to that “end range” position. As a result, I can generate far less power coming up out of the hole.
From Dallas: “The posterior chain muscles all work together when you squat. Hip rotators may not be primary movers, but they do function as hip stabilizers. Tight, weak stabilizing muscles in an exercise like the squat invariably leads to sub-optimal mechanics, which means you can’t generate maximum force, which means your squat numbers aren’t as good as they could be.”
And yet instead of working on tedious hip mobilization drills, I just think really hard about keeping my knees out when I squat. Want to know how well that’s been working? SO well that my squat has been stuck at the same 1RM for, like, 6 months now. Much like you can’t train your way out of a crappy diet, you also cannot willpower your way out of mobility restrictions. Of course, it’s not like my lack of external rotation is the ONLY thing keeping my squat numbers stagnant. Nutrition, training, sleep and other factors all play a role. But even if those factors were all perfect, hip mobility is my e-brake. And until I fix that, my squat will never reach full potential.
I’d bet my Lululemon collection that each and every one of our readers has something funky going on with one movement or another – a limitation, a quirk in your mechanics, or straight-up pain when performing certain exercises. And I bet the vast majority of you aren’t doing a damn thing about it, other than the Urban Approach To Squatting Heavier™ (i.e., spending an awful lot of time in the gym doing 5x5s with the e-brake on, wishing really, really hard that you could squat heavier). So here is your call to action, people… and I’m primarily talking to myself here. Start taking your mobility issues seriously. Find a good PT, spend some time with a qualified coach, watch some videos and try some of your own movement and mobility tests. Figure out what’s messed up, learn how those mobility issues are negatively affecting your performance numbers, and then commit to spending quality time every single day working on them. Sub out a training day for a movement/mobility/skill day, even. Stretch, roll and mobilize your way back towards full range of motion, and let me know what that does for your squat, your press, your deadlift. Best case – it fixes your mechanics, your lifts improve and you’re a stronger, happier person. Worst case – you’re merely more flexible, with less pain and stiffness during full range of motion. Win/win, people.
I’m hoping my daily hip opening drills will slowly but surely release the e-brake and bring my squat numbers up. If a quick test is any indication, my ballet-inspired turnout improved by a solid 15 degrees after just a few minutes of stretching… a sure sign my hip capsule is open to change. I’ll keep you posted here and test my 1RM again in a month or two to see if my mobility experiment made a measurable difference in my stats.
Got your own e-brake to deal with? Doing anything about it? Confess your mobility sins here.
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Fine. I’ll start rolling out my shoulders.
Damn it.
Well said – my squat definitely wouldn’t suck so much if I spent more time opening my hips. I really hate it when Kelly is right! :)
Yes, we all have issues! I’m working on my feet and hamstrings. I’ve been reading a lot lately about anatomy trains and fascial lines in the body. A simple 3-part explanation can be found here:
http://laurensfitness.com/2008/03/06/fascia-part-1-an-important-piece-of-the-pain-puzzle/
Explains why those who foam roll, love it! And, your hip mobility issues could actually be causing your shoulder problems. Only way to find out is to continue to work on those issues. Good luck!
Karla
I am one of those people that would not pass the basic hamstring flexibility test. No matter how often I stretch, I can never get improvement there. I’m sure that I’m “hamstrung” in many things because of it :(
Good Sir Andy,
Despite that what Kelly says is spot-on, and that almost all of us would significantly benefit from some basic hip and shoulder mobility stuff… we don’t do it. I told Melissa yesterday that I needed to (re)gain some muscle mass, so this month, I’m doing everything right. Sleep, tons of good food (no GOMAD!), smart training, and LOTS of mobility stuff. You with me on this?
I know I’ve got one heck of a history when it comes to jacked-up mobility (and the hamstring injuries to prove it), so I’ve been doing this every workout:
Pre:
dynamic mobility drills
K-Star’s hip & shoulder routines from the recent Journal videos
CFWU (x2) and Burgener Warm-up
– insert WOD here –
Post:
Coach Rut’s 8 Greats
rope “dislocates” (ugh, don’t like that term)
K-Star’s PNF-style “non-stretching” for quads, hams, calves, pecs, and lats
foam roller on quads, hams, glutes, calves, and back
and “The Stick” on all facets of my legs, plus lats and forearms
No wonder my workout takes me an hour and fifteen minutes every time! But I’m waaaay more mobile than I was, which makes me happier all day long… and, my squat depth is better than it has ever been, my knees are getting better, and my pullups and overhead work are getting easier.
I made a decision a few months ago to back off of the Quest for the Weekly PR, and take it back to fundamentals… i.e. Mechanics, Consistency, Intensity. It was getting impossible to ignore my mechanical limitations, and thirsting for intensity without mechanical integrity was creating injuries, which isn’t a good recipe.
I still get bummed sometimes, because my squat numbers are about 25 pounds less than they were, but hey, who knows the number but me? I’ll get back there, in time. What matters more is that my quality of life is through the roof, and I’ll take that over a number jotted in my log book any day.
Adam,
That is an AWESOME thought process there. The Quest for the Weekly PR is noble, but misguided, so I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that you’re setting that aside. And yes, your squat number is… just a number. But it’s a number that will IMPROVE as your mobility and mechanics improve. Kudos to you for training/recovering smarter than most people I know (myself included, sometimes). Keep it up!
Been using Defrancos agile 8 when I’m not a complete lazy bastard which is pretty rare. Sometimes you just want to get in and get out. And since I’ve stopped most crossfit nonsense, not as bad as I used to feel especially in the shoulders. Of course when I go to bed at times and either the right or left hip is screaming I tend to curse my laziness.
Okay. Fine. I’ll STRETCH the bloody hamstring. HAPPY? ;)
Hmm…. maybe this is why whenever I squat more than once in the same week everything feels tight, tired, and weak. But my foam roller hurts me! (so good, but it still hurts!)
Dallas –
I’m totally in! I’m going to put a hold on my GOMAD project until I’m happier with my mechanics, mobility etc. I’m also going to stop doing some movements that I know reinforce bad habits for me (barbell press) and replace them with alternatives (KB press, Band presses etc). And many more TGUs!
Andy, that’s awesome. I’m going to focus on good movements that I’ve more recently (and mistakenly) shied away from in favour of Things I’m Good At (DL, rowing, PC, jumping on tall stuff). So for me, February is the Month of Things I Suck At. Like… OHS, TGU, FS, press, weighted dips & pullups, KB snatch… the list goes on and on. But first and foremost, I need better body maintenance/recovery habits. Not techniques, just habits. Sucks when you know the good stuff but simply have poor habits about using them. February is MY month. Glad you’re with me.
Could someone please explain the foam roller for me? Also, how big is a lacrosse ball? Lacrosse isn’t huge in Australia and was wondering if there’d be something that i could use in it’s place.
Cheers, can’t wait to hear about the rest of the weekend.
Adam
great idea. I’m going to see if my affiliate has foam rollers, otherwise, I’ll spend time stretching post workout (as I’m usually out the door pronto) for at least as long as I warm up. @ Dallas, btw, back is good to go, took major time off, did some heat modalities as well, I’m very deconditioned, will suck a$$ for my L1 Cert next weekend, but I don’t care, I need those back muscles in top condition so as not to suck for the rest of my life. Thanks for the tips
Roelant
Montreal,QC
Melissa/Dallas,
I know I have “junk” going on that’s impeding my CF progress. I have junk in my ant. delt that won’t go away, I have a knot between my shoulder blade and spine, and then there’s the hip flexor stuff that comes and goes.
I’m hunched over a desk right now with a lacrosse ball right next to me, but I haven’t seen anything i do make any positive change. I’m doing what you and KStar tell me to do but I’m still broken, it still hurts. What gives?
Adam,
a lacrosse ball is about 2.5in in diameter (6.35cm?) of hard rubber. I’m sure you can find a substitute. Tennis balls are good too, but aren’t as evil
Renee,
I hear your frustration LOUD and CLEAR with stubborn, lingering injuries. I’ve had a few of my own over the years, so I feel your pain. If consistent, frequent mobility and body maintenance work hasn’t resolved your symptoms, you’ve probably got some postural or movement-related dysfunctions that could be preventing you from normalizing your tissue health/structure, and thus causing ongoing pain. An evaluation by a physical therapist who “gets” what we (CrossFitters) do would probably be helpful in assessing your limitations and the causative factors that prevent you from being painfree. I’m not licensed to practice PT in Mass, but I could function as a really, really qualified S&C coach/consultant if you were interested in connecting at some point. In the meantime, keep up the body maintenance work.
Best,
Dallas
I have started taking an intermediate/advanced yoga class twice a week in hopes of gaining some mobility. Have you ever heard of anyone getting results from doing this?
@Allison: Sure thing! Yoga is great for stretching and improving flexibility, but (as Dallas can explain better) there are a bunch of issues that stretching alone won’t fix. For example, I’ve got some serious knots in my shoulders, and no matter how much I stretch the area, those knots are not going to break up unless I get a massage or hit them with the lacrosse ball. So yoga is a good start, but your best bet is to attack your mobility issues with as many tools as you possibly can, and that means stretching AND other mechanisms like foam rolling, massage, etc.
Perfect timing! I had the fortune of spending Christmas with a family friend who has 25+ years experience teaching ballet & jazz. I knew she was good at spotting body misalignments, and I got her help. Turns out I have so much hip turn-out she’s only seen it in about 4 other people in all her time dancing, but I can’t turn in worth crap. She also spotted a mild scoliosis in my spine that is only evident when I’m doing a backsquat and people see the barbell is leaning to one side, and I discovered on my own why my feet are so messed up! (i.e. Genetics!)
Bottom line: I’m working on fixing a hormone imbalance first (my “weight loss e-brake”, discovered after Paleo + Crossfit wasn’t working), and once that is worked on, I’m hightailing it to a PT / Rolfer that comes on good recommendation from other Crossfitters in Seattle. Why only one thing at a time? My health insurance doesn’t cover any of it. Thank god I’m an engineer.
Great post Melissa. I’ve been lucky enough to set up a training/nutrition barter with an athletic therapist…she’s been doing some active release on my piriformis (among other rather personal areas!)..which HURTS like HELL! But has resulted in a totally different and improved squat. We discovered a misalignment in my SI that has been causing my left side to lock and my right side to get strained from doing all the work. I though the prob was my right side..wrong! Working with her has really helped me take a more serious approach to my mobility and given me some new ways to help my clients. I’ll say it: loose hips and shoulders=PR’s on CF Football Total!!!!!=happy guy.
Thanks for the advice, Melissa! I’ve been foam rolling but not really sure how to do to get the most out of it. I’m planning to try some of the exercises from the Crossfit Journal article, “Tuning the CrossFit Athlete – Part 2.”
One question though … how the heck are you using a lacrosse ball on your hip rotators? Are you just using it like a mini-foam roller, rolling it around by hand?
Good morning Melissa and Dallas!! I just wanted to say it was a pleasure meeting you both last weekend! You guys are a serious combination of knowledge and talent!! The mobility and recovery was a serious eye opener for me! It makes total sense that flexibility and mobility plays a huge role in those physical skills we try to tackle and improve daily. I have been turning my clients to your site for valuable information. Thanks again you guys are very inspirational!! Hope to see you guys soon!!
Good lord. Go out and PLAY. Play with your kids. Play with someone else’s kids. Pick up a new sport–anything that gets you moving about in all directions.
If you dropped CF as your “sport” and started playing, your shoulders would come alive again and you would cease to have these niggling limitations because (gasp) you’re actually using these muscles. Running straight ahead and doing movements that only involve vertical displacement don’t get this done.
Thor, another vote for the Agile 8.
Gant,
I totally agree that play and real-life (i.e. work) applications of our fitness are a great way to avoid the nagging overuse-type injuries we get when we only do ____________. It doesn’t matter what ___________ is, even if it’s “elite fitness.” I’ll go on record saying that practicing for “elite fitness” isn’t enough. While splitting wood, ice climbing, judo, soccer or climbing trees won’t cure you of all your structural ills, it’ll go a long way to helping you remember what’s FUN about life, and why we exercise in the first place. If we did more rotational and multi-planar movements, we’d all be better off. They might not generate maximal power, but I still think that have an important place in our “training careers”. Thanks for chiming in.
@Gant: Play, get outside, do real sports instead of just trying to be a gold-medal exerciser. We’re always grateful for that particular reminder. But all the play in the world doesn’t entirely excuse you from, say, stretching. Bet you stretch as part of your judo training, right? So while “playing” is a GREAT addition to the mix, and can do quite a bit for flexibility, strength and overall fitness… it’s still just one piece of the mobility puzzle.
Austin,
Thanks for the kind words. Glad we could be a resource for you and your clients. Hope to see you at some point as part of our Whole9 Nationwide Tour! :)
My hamstrings and hips in general have always been tight. Sometimes it’s bad enough that I get some referred pain in my lower back. I’ve got a lacrosse ball that I’ve been using and I stretch my hamstrings (not often enough) but even those two together don’t seem to get it 100%. I’ve been considering taking up yoga specifically to deal with this.
Melissa and Dallas, thanks for providing this forum.
I’ve found a leather Softball works good … also bought a high-density 36″ foam roller on the Internet and cut it in half to have one at work/gym and one at home to roll. I searched yahoo on “roller therapy” and found great examples of how to use the roller. And it has been a life-saver, along with deep massage, on trigger points from lifting.
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/feel_better_for_10_bucks
http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_91_A_PageName_E_ArticleMyofacialRelease
Dallas, I too need to put on some weight/mass. I did the whole GOMAD thing for about six weeks, but got tired of the way it made me feel. So, now I’m looking to do it by eating clean. However, I’m running into a problem: I’m getting tired of food. Do you have any suggestions for packing in the calories while avoiding burn out?
Chris,
I hear you. Eating enough Good Food to gain mass, especially if you’re a “hardgainer”, can be a lot of work. Greg Everett and Robb Wolf have a couple good mass gain articles in Performance Menu (on gaining mass), if you’re interested. I eat a LOT of fat, and plenty of protein, and since I’m lean and insulin-sensitive, I’m not afraid to use some starchy veggies like squashes and sweet potato as carb sources, either. Good (dense) fat sources include coconut milk, pastured butter, high-quality tallow, and maybe some olive oil for variety. Also, it’s worth mentioning that not all humans have the potential to be huge Viking types, and if that’s you, you might consider shifting your focus to an activity that more closely matches your body type. Just a thought. Hope this helps.
Melissa- it’s been about 9 months since you wrote this. How is your hip flexability now? Did your squat go up?
Elizabeth – thanks for checking in. You know, my squat HAS gone up (I pulled a set of 5 at my last 1RM about a month ago) but my training and mobility work has been sporadic at best during these last 9 months. With our travel schedule, I feel like I get a month or two of solid training (on a regular schedule), and then I’m off and running playing catch-as-catch-can with training for the next month or two. Progress is hard to measure (and efforts are hard to track) when your schedule looks like ours.
I’ve gone back to my yoga practice, however, in an effort to continue to improve mobility/flexibility. It’s harder than I remembered – five years of lifting and neglecting my mobility work haven’t been kind to my hamstrings OR hips. But things are starting to move in a positive direction, and I’m looking forward to seeing what a regular yoga practice will do to improve my lifts as well. Keep you posted (in another 9 months, probably).
Best,
Melissa
It’s hard to find knowledgeable people in this particular topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks