Add Basic Flexibilty / Mobility Program

What I'm missing in the Dr. Muscle app is mobility, stretching, and progressions.

For example if you can't do barbell squats you work yourself up to one. For example goblet squats - bench squats - full barbell squats. While working on ankle / hip mobility. Sure I can read about it ( and I have done so) it would be beautiful to have an app who did all that thinking for you 🙂

I completely agree Sebastian and Marc.

We're implementing flexibility and mobility routines this week! And I'd love to get your advice. Would you like to be able to automatically cue a mobility routine before your workouts? Otherwise, how do you see yourself using it? Any special request(s)? Now's the time! If you're getting this by email, click here to leave your comment: https://muscle.userecho.com/en/communities/1/topics/258-add-basic-flexibilty-mobility-program

Carl,

I think 2-3 sets of dynamic stretching is the key before workouts for most people and according NASM and most research I’ve reviewed on the last 10 years on the topic. Static 30-60 seconds 2-3 sets of you time for that post workout.  The pre workout dynamic would be a good start.

You sound like you and I are close in age. Not sure if you remember a lot of this stuff was created for occupational health due to overuse injuries in manufacturing then later was modified for athletes. I had to health coach 2 years ago at a plant and the athletic trainer had the employees stretch 4-5 times a day on the line. Along with changing muscle groups and intensity. Thought that was really interesting.


If you need more info let me know or review the pioneers and leaders in this area like physical therapists who popularize the term mobility: Gray Cook or Kelly Starrett.

Below is what Gray Cook says who created FMS and SFMA:

Mobility Does Not Equal Flexibility
It’s important to note that Mobility is comprised of three factors, which are collectively represented by the degree of which one can accurately maintain proper alignment through a specific movement pattern. Mobility is not your ‘flexibility’ as Gray Cook clearly points out. Mobility is the combination of flexibility of the soft tissue, the range of motion of every joint and the neuromuscular coordination involved in creating the specific movement.


I see myself using it very much like the Cardio exercise section of the app (so it's categorized) but can be added individually.  I don't see myself doing some stretching or dynamic warm ups prior to exercise (but you could add each mobility drill before any actual exercises to accomplish that)

Or you can pick each mobility exercise individually (across the shoulder stretch)

I'm primary interested in adding my own or using a canned routine to just get mobility into my life.

Cardio was a great addition.  Stretching or Mobility could be a category with exercises to pick from based on reps or time based.  I keep looking at this M-F Bullet Proof Your Shoulder exercises and wish I could add then to Dr Muscle for tracking purposes.  

if i may, i'm not a fan of static stretching and newest studies that came out are not in favor for it either.

altho some dynamic and banded mobilizations, are great, if you want to static stretch before a workout,

keep it breef 30sec stretches for 2-3 sets

now for the new feature what would be great is a 10 minute dynamic mobility(band) warm up for lower body on lower body days 

and an 

10 minute dynamic mobility (band) warm up for upper body on upper body days.

the best man that could get you started in the right direction is probably Trevor Bachmeyer from Smashwerx

you can find him under "smashwerx" on instagram/facebook/youtube

Great question and one I’ve studied extensively.  Let’s go to experts who popularized the term and have defined mobility work since many confuse it with stretching or flexibility.

Gray Cook who is a physical therapist is the worlds foremost expert in it and he has the functional movement system that physical theorists or nurse practitioners or MD’s can use which is SFMA. FMS is the version that most personal trainers and strength and conditioning coaches used in pro sports.

“Defining a Role
Mobility is your ability to physically get into the right position and accurately move in an intended pattern or also referred to as your biomechanical efficacy in alignment and movement. In other words, do you have the range of motion, flexibility and neuromuscular coordination to perform an exercise or task with proper form? You need to answer this question with a ‘yes’ if you want to perform your best.”

Gray Cook physical therapist has one of the top certification courses In continuously seeing physical therapists get with some of the latest research.  It’s like their version of advanced cardiac for us nurses, mid levels, and doctors.

We need to put ourselves in the most optimal position. No matter how many squats to generate the most power output, decrease injury, and build muscle.

I got my certifications through NASM in personal training and have gone or studied all of the major strength and conditioning certifications. NASM was created by a physical therapist which is why they lead the entire industry in corrective exercise. I follow a lot of their principles along with Kelly Starrett DPT who also popularized mobility work to the masses and has the famous book Supple Leopard.

1. What’s your goal with Mobility Work? 

Here’s a few examples:

A. I’m 4 weeks post op with a major knee surgery so my goal with rehab is a slightly different goal then when I get back to high level weight training performance.  So my surgeon and PT and almost you review will say 4-6 stretch times for long periods of time so you get the soft tissue moving. So if I want to grab something from the floor or put my shoes on I have to get my ROM back.


I had to hit 120 degrees or more consistently in PT along with 0 or degrees of leg straightening. No matter how many squats I do the scare tissue will form and I stiffen within 2-3 hours. So for this kind of surgery 10-20 minutes every few hours is crucial which allows me to squat and grab something from the floor is postop week 4 plus who wants a surgical revision of you don’t hit 120 degrees of flexion.


B.  Prehab: I was able to turn my injury around a ton before my surgery by getting a Gonimeter and measure my hip rotations, knee flexion, and straightening. I followed a ton of physical therapy work by the Prehab Guys, Joined Doc Jen’s Mobility Methods program, Kelly Starrett, and Recovery One.

I began doing what top level PT’s are saying who are very athletic like Kelly Starrett and Doc Jen. They recommend being able to hold a deep squat at the bottom for 5-10 minutes.  I love the video of Kelly squatting years ago for 10 minutes with ease with one of the best squatters in the world at the time. You have to be able to get in that position and hold it. He also made that quad stretch with your foot up on a bench very popular which used. Anyhow, I’ve read many posts from others on Doc Jens site and I’m not alone but I was able told my deep squat 5-6 minutes and was able to do light squats again before surgery with bone to bone rubbing. So it worked, it’s documented, and was amazing since I had to stop for months before surgery.

C.  Performance Model:   Being NASM certified as a trainer and corrective exercise specialist we have a process for our clients we use. In a simple explanation it’s usually dynamic stretching to reduce the side effects of power loss from stretching before we lift but to get ROM.  After the workout static stretching. 

D. Corrective Exercise Model by NASM: If I need to work on a muscle imbalance then we do more foam rolling to inhibit the nervous system, static stretching, then activation, and integration.

I’d more than likely have a dynamic work or both a dynamic and static option for pre and post workout.

https://blog.nasm.org/certified-personal-trainer/training-relevance-of-flexibility

https://prehabexercises.com/mobility/

https://www.yourorthomd.com/orthopedic-knowledge/stretching-is-more-important-than-walking-after-knee-replacement