Weighted Mobility Exercises

 Why should you do mobility training? 

I actually LOVE mobility training. It makes me feel a whole hell of a lot better in my daily life - less stiff, more pliable, flexible and able to move with ease. 

There are several reasons you should include mobility in your own training:

Reduce Risk of Injury

Improve Performance

Increase Strength and Power

Benefit Posture

There's no doubt that mobility work will IMPROVE the quality of your workouts as well as the quality of your life. 

Have you ever seen someone who looks super stiff? vs. someone who looks mobile? Big difference, right? Imagine feeling more pliable! I'm all for feeling more comfortable in my own skin. I think it has a youth effect on the mind and body as well. 

What about the difference between flexibility and mobility? 

Flexibility and stretching involve lengthening your muscles, while mobility takes it one step further. Mobility training optimizes movement and performance by increasing the range of motion within your joints and surrounding muscles. It's being able to maintain strength throughout ranges of motion.

When you’re more mobile, you can train harder, recover faster, and perform better. 

I pick a few mobility exercises as part of my warmup and cooldown. There are a couple of days a week that I do strict mobility work with added weight. These are no joke. I have gotten pretty sore from these workouts, and they have made a big difference in the way I feel. I mean, I'm not getting any younger! Youth is forgiving, aging is not, so I am fighting it every step of the way. 

Here are some examples of weighted mobility. If you are to attempt these, please remember to go light, take it slow, do NOT go beyond your own range of motion - that will improve with time. (Please make sure you have medical clearance too; actually you should have medical clearance for anything I recommend on this page or that you read online for that matter). This is also a type of strength training so be mindful of how you perform each movement. 

Jefferson curl
Posterior chain mobility (on an elevate surface, slowly rolling up and down in a controlled manner, chin tucked, legs straight, going as far down past your toes or as far as you are able. do 5-10 reps.)

Seated barbell good morning
Hips/glutes, low back and hamstrings (with a barbell on your back, or use a broomstick or a PVC pipe to start, sit on a bench, legs wider than hip width, toes pointing slightly outwards, lean as far forward as you can with open shoulders and a long, FLAT back. Do not round! Do 5-10 reps, 1-2 sets)

Torso rotations with a medicine ball 

Core and back (lean forward, right, back, left, making a circle, and repeat in the other direction too. Do 10 circles in each direction)

Weighted overhead stretch

Shoulders and chest (laying on the ground with knees bent, a foam roller under your mid back, extend both arms holding a light weight in each hand or with a mini barbell. I would not use a loaded barbell here. Bring the weight as back as far as you can, while maintaining contact with the foam roller. Hold for 10-30 seconds, 3x)

Weighted prying squat
Hips, ankles (holding the bottom of the squat with a light weight, shift your weight back and forth, left and right, keeping your heels on the ground. Use your elbows to push your knees open. If you cannot go low enough for this, use something to elevate your heels. Hold 30-60 seconds, 2x)

Weighted ankle stretch
Ankles, Achilles (elevate on foot a few inches off the ground, using plates, or books, etc. Press your knee out as far past your toes as you can without your heel coming off the ground. Add a weight on top of your thigh close to your knee to add weight to the stretch. hold for one minute each side)

Give these a try and let me know how you make out. Remember, start light, don't start with too many reps or sets, and stay in your range of motion!

Your body will thank you for it, and your workouts will only get better.