Blog #6: Mobility. Stability. Strength.
Thanks for tuning in to this week’s blog post from Session 41, a Naples Florida based personal training company designed to prevent injury and get you feeling and moving better. Blog #6 discusses three crucial aspects of fitness and wellness and why you should know about them.
Three Pillars to All Safe and Effective Movement.
We can boil a productive strength program to three main areas:
Mobility is defined as the ability to move freely and easily through a joint’s full range of motion. This is not to be confused with flexibility, which is the extent muscles can be elongated passively. Mobility refers free movement about a joint. Consider someone performing a single leg squat. They must have adequate hip and ankle mobility in order to get down into a full depth position, also known as a pistol squat.
Stability is defined by the ability to withstand unwanted forces. In the single leg squat example, a person must have the hip control to keep the pelvis and knee stable as they descend into the squat. If the knee collapses, the entire squat is compromised.
Strength is defined by the maximal force production muscles can produce. And finally, referring to the same example, strength would be the ability to push up and out of the single leg squat in a controlled manner.
We Must Have All 3…
No matter what you are training for, you should always work on each of these three disciplines in each workout session because neglecting even just one can cause problems later on down the road.
Without mobility, no amount of stability or strength will help stiff joints.
Without stability, no amount of mobility or strength will help a person better control their movement.
And finally, without strength, no amount of mobility or stability will help produce force or improve body composition.
A Sustainable Way to Train
Injuries can creep up on even the most dedicated athlete, which is why we need to have a comprehensive and balanced exercise program.
Begin each session addressing any mobility deficits with joint mobilizations, soft tissue mobilizations, stretching, and or eccentric lengthening, depending on your needs.
Next, enhance joint stability so that mobility can be better retained. In fact, instability is often the reason we were stiff in the first place. A well-known quote in physical therapy is “When we cannot achieve stability through natural means, our bodies will create it.”
Strengthen as you normally would with conventional exercises but now with enhanced movement quality and coordination.
By following this framework, we can effectively address what is holding us back, enhance joint function, and then integrate with strength to reinforce proper technique. This process is highly effective and proven, which is why it is the overall structure for personal training in all Session 41 sessions.
Let Me Give You an Example
Let’s say Henry is looking to perform squats and lower body strength today. However, he has particularly stiff hips, especially around the inner thigh (adductors), contributing to inwardly collapsing knees on the descent. These issues may seem minor to some people, but when suboptimal technique is repeated over many years, injury will likely occur as the result of microtrauma accumulation. Thus, a comprehensive training program is to not just perform more squats, as this will lead to many squats done badly. We need to take a step back and train smart.
Mobility: Henry would likely benefit from some sort of soft tissue mobilization of the adductors via foam roll, massage gun, or other means. Then we would want to follow this up with an eccentric lengthening exercise designed strengthen these muscles at their end ranges of motion. A great example of such an exercise is a Standing Pancake, which can be done with weight if tolerable. Strengthening through a desired range of motion is a scientifically supported mobility strategy that is equally or even more effective than static stretching.
Stability: Next Henry would want to address why these muscles were tight in the first place, and why the knees tend to drift inward into knee valgus. A likely answer is that the posterior and lateral hip muscles like the Glute Max, Medius, and Minimus are not functioning optimally. Weakness and dysfunction in these muscles will cause dysfunction at the knee, which could lead to stiffness that reinforces that movement pattern. Therefore, the most important thing Henry can do to enhance his movement quality is to add exercises like a Standing Fire Hydrant or Lateral Banded Squats into his routine.
Strength: Finally, Henry needs to strengthen with good technique to reinforce these changes. After making his corrections to form and technique, Henry can now perform weighted squats with good technique and a bright lifting-future.
Compare Henry to, let’s say, Jeremy. Jeremy doesn’t really prioritize proper form. He likes moving big numbers. And while he is aware of deficits in mobility and strength, he continues to add plates and reinforce harmful movement patterns. Jeremy is very likely to experience knee, hip, and low back pain after lifting sessions and will not be able to continue weight training indefinitely unless he changes his routine. Furthermore, Jeremy would be more likely be injured if he were to engage in other activities like distance-running.
I hope this blog gives you some insight into how to train more sustainably. Exercise should build us up as individuals and athletes, never descending to the point of causing pain and breakdown.
About the Author:
My name is Ethan Gendron, and I am a Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Session 41 LLC, a Naples Florida based fitness company. I am certified through W.I.T.S., an NCCA accredited institution. I have years of experience working with clients of all ages and backgrounds, ranging from seniors to children. My firsthand experience in training and competing in triathlons has given me insight into the practical application of biomechanics, mobility, and strength training for performance enhancement. I have a background in injury prevention, not by choice, and am passionate about helping others avoid chronic pain. No matter your current fitness-level, I believe everyone should think of themselves as an athlete and, therefore, train like one.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog for informational purposes only. Use information discussed here at your own risk. One should always consult a qualified Healthcare Professional before beginning any exercise program. Content published by Session 41 LLC should never be used as a substitute for proper clinical attention.
