Issue 066

September 2010

Paul McVeigh is a sports scientist and professional fighter, and is ranked the number one bantamweight fighter in Europe. He trains fighters out of The Griphouse gym in Glasgow, Scotland

Ever seen a baby squat? They have pretty awesome technique. Fast forward the same person 80 years and, chances are, that technique will have deteriorated a bit. We begin life with more joint mobility than we ever need. Over time, activity, inactivity and injuries start to affect your ability to move.

Lack of mobility is not just for your grandparents – many of us have lost mobility in certain joints, despite being fit and active. Impaired joint mobility is just one factor which can limit movement patterns (like the squat) but it can be corrected quite quickly. 

Why should you care? Well, if you can’t get off the crapper without the aid of an upper body lean, a radiator or an elaborate system of pulleys, chances are you are not the high-level athlete you consider yourself to be. If there is a mobility problem at a certain joint the body is going to compensate by getting that mobility from somewhere else, and that’s when problems occur. This is the idea behind strength coach Mike Boyle’s ‘Joint by Joint Approach to Training’. 

The Joint By Joint Approach

The idea behind this approach is that you are a stack of joints, and these joints are designed to either be mobile or stable. The joints tend to alternate between requiring mobility or stability as you move up the body. When a mobile joint loses its mobility, the nearby joint picks up the slack and loses some of its stability. 

THORACIC SPINE (UPPER BACK) MOBILITY

LUMBAR SPINE (LOWER BACK) STABILITY

HIP MOBILITY

KNEE STABILITY

ANKLE MOBILITY

So if your ankle gets jacked up and loses mobility your knee becomes less stable and more prone to overuse injuries. The problem lies with your ankle but it’s your knee that takes the hit. In the table above we have identified three supposedly mobile joints that could be the root of your knee, back, neck or shoulder pain. Let us look at how we can ensure these three joints keep moving optimally.

The Ankle 

The ankle can lose its mobility in a number of different ways. You could roll it, you could bash it off someone’s elbow, or you could be in love with ankle supports. Whenever an ankle loses its mobility it becomes less effective at absorbing contact with the ground and this leads to your knees taking a kicking when you run or jump.

The wall ankle mobilization is a great way to keep your ankle moving well. Keep the heel down and drive the knee towards your middle toe and little toe.

The Hip

A mobile hip is integral to strength development. If you have good hip mobility then congratulations you get to play with those cool multi-joint exercises I keep banging on about. The hip needs to be mobile in lots of different planes to prevent problems at the knee and lower back. Jiu-jitsu guys in particular have a tendency to develop very mobile lumbar spines and subsequent back pain. When performing the exercises below, ensure your back stays out of it by maintaining your lumbar curve and keeping your abs tight.

The first is the wall hip flexor mobilization. This is a mainstay in a lot of my warm ups. 

Next, we have the lateral squat. 

And to conclude our hip series we have the squat to stand. This is probably the best exercise for improving your squat depth.

The Thoracic Spine

The rounded shoulder posture is as common as cauliflower ears and bad tattoos within our sport. This is the posture that is adopted when boxing, wrestling and playing guard. It also may account for why neck and back injuries are common in combat sports. To limit the damage we could be doing, we need a thoracic spine that is mobile in both extension and rotation. Sit up straight, and try these exercises.

MOBILITY WARM UP

WALL ANKLE MOBILIZATION – 10 REPS EACH SIDE

WALL HIP FLEXOR MOBILIZATION – 10 REPS EACH SIDE

LATERAL SQUAT - – 6 REPS EACH SIDE

SQUAT TO STAND - 10 REPS

FOAM ROLLER THORASIC EXTENSION - 10 REPS

SIDE LYING THORASIC EXTENSION ROTATION - 6 REPS EACH SIDE

This topic is vast. I’ve offered some generic quick fixes that should keep you moving well, but the topics and ideas discussed in this article are no substitute for individual assessment and programming from a strength and conditioning specialist.