Flexibility vs. Mobility: Which Is More Important for Weightlifters?

As a former soccer athlete, I can vividly remember coaches stressing the importance of stretching. For YEARS I would stretch my hamstrings and hear comments from my teammates about how poor my flexibility was. But it never once hindered me while lifting weights. Ever since I retired from soccer and took on weight training, I've almost never stretched and been totally fine. So what gives? Today, we’re breaking down flexibility vs mobility and which may be more beneficial for weightlifters. 

What is flexibility? 

We all hear this word thrown around frequently; whether it’s in reference to someone unable to touch their toes or a gymnast who can kick their leg over their head without issue. 

By definition, flexibility is the ability of your muscles and soft tissues to PASSIVELY stretch and lengthen. It is a STATIC position measured by how far a joint moves with assistance. Think a partner assisted hamstring stretch when laying on your back, or a standing quad stretch where you bring your heel towards your glutes and hold it. 

Flexibility is driven by muscle length, tissue elasticity, and your nervous system's tolerance to stretching. The goal is to temporarily improve your range of motion. Static stretches are held for time, usually between 30 seconds and 1 minute. 

What is mobility? 

Mobility isn’t talked about nearly as much as flexibility, probably because most people don’t truly understand what mobility is. When mobility is used in conversation, it’s usually used to describe someone who’s hypermobile, like a gymnast or ballet dancer. 

The definition of mobility is as follows: It’s the ability of a joint to ACTIVELY move through its full range of motion with control. It occurs where bones meet (think the ball and socket of your shoulder joint) and is a combination of the joint moving freely before being limited by the flexibility of the surrounding soft tissue. 

Mobility is a combination of a joint moving through its full motion, muscle flexibility, AND requires adequate STRENGTH AND NEUROLOGICAL COORDINATION to use that range of motion safely. (More on this shortly)

Why is mobility so important for lifting weights? 

Great question! Having adequate mobility is essential for weightlifting for a two major reasons:  

First, it allows you to perform the exercise of choice at its full range of motion. Recent research in the last few years has supported performing exercises at full range of motion to improve muscle hypertrophy (growth). A deep squat is going to get more stretch on the quads and glutes, potentially leading to greater muscle growth. 

Additionally, having good mobility can potentially reduce your risk of injury during weight training. Imagine trying to perform a heavy squat but your hip mobility is limited. You may try to compensate with using your low back by rounding it. If you can even slightly reduce this risk of injury by being more mobile, wouldn’t it be worth it? 

What everyone gets wrong about mobility for weightlifters!

Being able to perform a full depth ass-to-grass bodyweight squat is technically good mobility. But what if you can only achieve half the depth when a loaded bar is placed on your back? Where did all that previously demonstrated mobility go?

Remember earlier how I said mobility also requires adequate strength and neurological coordination? If you don’t have the proper strength to perform the loaded exercise through full range of motion, you’re going to have to compensate or cut the depth. This is where many weightlifters fall short. 

This is also where ego lifting is observed. You know the guy at your gym with 5 plates on the bar, only to perform a ¼ squat. He doesn’t have the strength or coordination to perform that movement at full depth. He would most likely be better off lowering the weight to get more depth, which may lead to greater hypertrophy. 

THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION! Weightlifters (or anyone who’s active and lifts weights), pick a weight that’s challenging enough but can be performed at full range of motion. This will not only potentially lead to more muscle growth, but can increase your mobility over time through exposure. 

How do I improve my mobility? 

As previously mentioned, performing the exercise of choice through its full range of motion is better than any static stretch. If necessary, perform the exercise unloaded to begin preparing the joints for loaded exercises. 

I can’t stress this enough: YOU WILL GAIN MORE MOBILITY FROM PERFORMING THE EXERCISE THROUGH ITS FULL RANGE THAN HOLDING A SUSTAINED STRETCH FOR TIME!

You can stretch all day, but it won’t lead to the improvements you would expect with the amount of stretching you have to do. Over time and with graded exposure, your body will learn to control the weights with better coordination and control, leading to greater range of motion and mobility.

There's really no need to perform 15+ minutes of mobility every day (unless you really want to). Perform a proper dynamic warm-up, progressively add weight to the bar, and go through the greatest range of motion in the exercise you can tolerate before form begins to breakdown. With consistency, you're well on your way to improving your mobility!

Still need help with improving your mobility? 

At Strive Performance and Mobility in West Ashley, our Doctors of Physical Therapy are trained and experienced in working with active adults looking to improve their mobility. Our clinic is in a gym, so we have the equipment necessary to get you moving better and pain-free so you can return to your previous level of function. You will work 1:1 for a full hour or more with a Doctor of Physical Therapy!

We're a cash-based clinic, so there's no insurance companies telling us how to run your plan of care!

If you’re interested in working with us or want to get more information, schedule a free phone consultation or reach out to us on Instagram. We look forward to working with you!