Disclaimer:
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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
symptoms (hip pain during squats)

Lower back pain from anterior
pelvic tilt

Falling forward during a back squat
End position
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

Difficulty keeping upright in a high
bar squat and/or
conventional/clean deadlift

Shoulder pain and individuals with
rounded shoulders
End position
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),
back of the upper thigh
(hamstrings)
Start position
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

Sacroiliac dysfunction and
piriformis syndrome

Excessive tension in the glutes
and/or lower back
End position
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

Chronic hamstring and calf tension
with limited ankle mobility

Lifters that are more posterior
dominant (tighter lower back,
glutes, hamstrings and calves)
End position
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)

Difficulty rotating the torso
(reaching for something behind
you)

Rotating during exercises such as
squats, deadlifts or any overhead
movements (jerks/snatches)
End position
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
(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
End position
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
pectoralis muscle
Start position
Muscles Stretched:

Pectoralis major and minor (chest
muscle), anterior deltoid (front of
the shoulder)
Indications:

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
End position
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

One sided neck pain and/or one
shoulder being more elevated than
the other

Rounded shoulders and/or
anybody with shoulder
impingement
End position
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
position in front of you
Start position
Muscles Stretched:

Pectoralis major (chest), anterior
deltoid (front of shoulders)
Indications:

Anybody experiencing limited
shoulder and overhead mobility

Excessive muscular tension in the
chest and shoulders

Rounded shoulders and shoulder
impingement related symptoms
Execution of the exercise
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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