Too Much Mobility?
Over the past 3 years I’ve taken on a new world of training. Together with my love for lifting heavy things I’ve developed the ability to teach and perform back somersaults, muscle-ups, front levers, handstands and I’m closing in on straddle planche, 1 arm chin-ups and splits.
During this journey the question is often asked, “How much mobility is too much?”
First let's look at our zbaseline.
It’s very likely that on average the human race is in the worst physical state it’s ever been in.
In a battle for survival in nature with ancestors it’s likely we would be able to walk, run, sprint, carry, climb, chop less capably than humans at any other time in history.
In fact even defecating has become a big problem for us modern humans partly because of our loss of performance.
Sure there are a handful of specialist athletes who we like to think are the best of all-time in their chosen fields. I think it’s probably unlikely that many of our athletes would stand up to the Greeks and Romans or unknown warriors of history but this is a debate for another time.
The fact is most of us are not elite and the only movement that we’re greatest of all time in is …. Sitting!
We can sit for longer periods than man has ever managed. Practice is built in to our daily routine from an early age, think car-seats, high chairs, and baby bouncers. This progress is maintained or accelerated through school and then driving to sit at the office for 40+ years before sitting back in the lounge chair to enjoy a few years of discomfort.
In fact many athletes become so tight in sitting muscles that even sitting becomes painful. Standing or walking for long periods of time is unbearable.
What adaptations has our body made to “Seated Life”?
Real MOVEMENT Endorsed Coach Brando Hassick - BodyByBrando - Sydney
Firstly we can think:
Forward head posture, eyes adapted to looking down and at things that are close, shoulders that are used to being in front of the body and not behind or above the head, rounded thoracic with lengthened muscles that control the shoulder baldes, rib cage extended, hyper lordotic back, (sway back) tight hip muscles at the front, weak bum and hamstring muscles, short hamstrings, groin and lateral hip muscles and tight calves.
There is a lot more but you get the idea.
This has become so normal that the ability to bend forwards and backwards and rest in a squat are now elite skills. Movements that were basics throughout history and even for physical culturists (movement lovers) 50-80 year ago are now seen as extreme.
Try telling any person throughout history that squatting below parallel was dangerous and they will surely view you as the most paranoid of witch doctors. All babies squat and that position has been used daily (probably every day by every person) throughout history until recent times.
Living in nature many more positions were required of out bodies.
BOTTOM LINE:
We can’t take normal from a 21st century living environment as a baseline.
So where should we be headed??
Lets look to ancient systems of human development. In the east mobility was a central component of movement development in martial arts and yoga. In other cultures it’s less clear how advanced mobility was but based on the time I spent with Mayan, Amazonian and Indigenous Australian’s we should be demanding more of ourselves.
How can we do it? Frequently going into the positions we want to master is the key. RealMOVEMENT has a set of movement basics that allow us to be ready for gymnastics, weightlifting and just about anything else life will throw at us.
We build strength for getting into and out of these positions to avoid creating weakness on the path to mobility.
Only by progressing towards these standards will you understand the joys of mobility and increased movement freedom.
If you're a coach and want more come to a workshop or apply to join the Elite Coaching community who are opening facilities, going online and working with professional sports teams around the world.
