This month, we'll wrap up the series on mobility. It's time to get down to practical application of these principles.

Programming mobility work for group classes comes with the same challenges as programming the other physical attributes. It can be difficult to tailor mobility work to widely varied individual needs, plus you may have no control over what days a client will attend. To combat this, I put mobility work two places in every class: the warm-up and the cool-down. At times, it will make up part of the day's main workout as well.

Warm-up

There are several phases to our warm-up. I start with some light aerobic activity to bring the body temperature and heart rate up. I only do 3 to 4 minutes of this, because we'll then go right into a mobility sequence that will continue to raise body temperature and heart rate.

I use several standard mobility sequences based on what the demands of the main training focus will be. Clients learn these sequences quickly, as we repeat them often. I change and evolve them periodically, but they stay the same for long blocks of time. I'll elaborate on some of these sequences later in this article. They are dynamic and have a flow component. I may add locomotion work into the warm-up depending on the day's workout, and I may also add specific stretches or short amounts of soft tissue work.

The goal of the mobility work here is to reduce the short-range stiffness in the muscles, decompress and lubricate the joints, prime the ROM needed for the main training and address common movement impediments. This last point is very important and should not be underestimated. A good coach instructs this part of the session with as much focus as the main part, and can modify or adjust the movements best for each person.

The final part of the warm-up is the specific movement prep for the day's main work.

Cool-down

My cool-downs have three main goals. We want to release the tension from the training session, improve ROM and mobility, and counter-condition or pre-hab the main joints used.

I will use a few stretches or movements here, often stretches that evolve into mini-flows. Each instructor has latitude in how this plays out based on personal preference and time available. A very simple strategy is to use 2 to 3 movements that all have a common point or position. (See the second part of this series for more basic flow info). Have the class practice each movement. Once everyone has done 5-10 reps of each movement, then have everyone flow through the movements randomly for 2 minutes or so.

I find that using no more than 2 to 3 movements seems to work the best. If you are teaching a specific mobility class, then you can definitely add more.

In the workout

There are days that mobility work shows up in the day's main training. These are recovery days: low intensity, longer duration work done to speed recovery or as a deload before a coming challenge. Traditionally, recovery work is a long slow monostructural work, such as a 30-minute row. We can do better. You'll get better blood flow and lymph movement from doing multi-dimensional mobility work, plus you'll be improving mobility and joint stability at the same time.

Though I have no rules here, I usually start and end the session with some traditional monostructural work. 8-10 minutes is plenty. This gets the heart rate up faster, and then we begin the mobility work. Here is an example of a mobility based recovery day:

Row or Airdyne: 10 minutes at Z1 pace (conversational)
+
3 trips each:
Walking Ginga Lunges
Strict Inchworms (+ 8 mini-steps @ end range)
Spider Crawl
Dragon Twist Walk
+
Windmill+Turkish Get-Up+Arm Bar Combo (Use 18, 26 or 26lb kettlebells—an intentionally light weight). 20 reps/arm, slow and steady. Switch at will; keep shoulder packed at all times.
+
Squat Sequence #2 x 15 rounds (see below)
+
Deck Squats: 5 x 10, rest 5 deep breathes between sets
+
Run 10 minutes at Z1 pace (conversational)

This workout will take around 50 minutes, and on a day like this I'll do only this; the workout is the warm-up and cool-down. You move through the list of tasks at a constant but low intensity pace. Notice the use of an external load (the kettlebell) in some of the work done.

Mobility and flow work can also be used as conditioning once a trainee is very experienced in the movements and can do them with speed. Extended burpee-type movements and rolls are particularly effective here.

Example sequences

Squat Sequence 1

The basic squat sequence we use is depicted in the 8th and final clip in the example video from last month (starting at 3:09). It's based on a sequence from Ido Portal, but I've evolved it into more of a flow. This sequence addresses ankle ROM, hip rotation (both internal and external), toe/foot mobility, low back mobility and more. Check it out here

Squat Sequence 2

A newer one. We'll do each exercise one time for 10 reps during the initial block until everyone is familiar with it and has developed some ability. Then, it will evolve to a flow such as in this video

Ginga Lunge Stretch L/R
Rotate into Cossack Squat R/L
Twist to Reverse Cossack Squat L
Twist back to Reverse Cossack Squat R
Twist back to Mountain Climber Twist L/R
Squat OH Reach L/R
Grab toes, stand Hamstring Shift L/R x 2
Repeat

These are just some examples, but I have sequences for running, shoulders, knees, wrists, elbows and more.

Periodization

I like to think of periodization as planning. For best results, you need to plan out your mobility work just like any other part of your training. For an athlete with a season, this is the first priority for me. After a rest (or "transition") period, I begin training with mobility improvement being the number one goal if the situation warrants it. The volume of strength work will be lower if this is the case, and what strength work we do will be supportive of the mobility goals.

Of course, each situation is unique and requires a different plan. In general, I use soft tissue work and stretching protocols in the first phases of mobility training. The stretching protocols used will depend on the training age of the athlete or client, e.g. I wouldn't use isometric stretches for a new client. As the cycle progresses, we move gradually into flow work to solidify the gains in ROM. Once the strength and/or conditioning work moves to the forefront, I cycle mobility work back to maintenance mode. Quick flow work at the end of a workout is a very efficient way to do this.

If you are simply training for health and longevity, then mobility work should play a large part in your training. I'd suggest doing a varied joint mobility routine every morning. Start simple and over time move to more complex movements. You can conclude a DROM session with a bit of flow work if you have the time and space. Once you have developed better movement quality, you can reduce the time spent here. I often just do a 3-5 minute session these days, as I have now done this type of training regularly for 10 years. Alternatively, you can start your workout with quick DROM work.

If you are just beginning mobility training, assess yourself to see where your main deficiencies lie. Prioritize them and attack just one or two at a time. Similar to the off-season athlete, use soft tissue work (either self-administered or professional, if needed) and stretching. Perform full ROM strength exercise. Finish with just a bit of flow work to solidify and coordinate your gains. Shift toward less soft tissue work and stretching and into mostly flow work over time. Finally, try to learn skills using your new ROM. This is where mobility can become strength, speed, or power training - think gymnastics or Parkour.

Performing mobility work in focused blocks is the best way I've found to make quick and lasting improvements. This is true of your own training as well as group classes. If you are programming for a group class, pick a focus and make sure there is frequent work on that area for 6 weeks. If you are programming for yourself or individual clients, I like using a short session done 2-4 times daily if you want to see fast results. (You can use the same mini-workout, just vary the frequency.)

That about wraps it up. There are many methods and details, and what I am using is always evolving. At the very least, I hope I've inspired you to look at optimal mobility a little differently.