Health & Longevity: Why is Movement/Mobility/Even Stretching ignored?

[Bill Been]

Looking at the extremes to inform your opinions about the middle is a dodgy undertaking and your statement demonstrates why.

As Austin points out, the best competitors at the top levels of any sport are not there for recreation, stress reduction, cardio-respiratory health, or literally any other reason than to win. Some years ago, some collection of doofus journalists was shocked and appalled that aspiring Olympians, when asked if they'd trade 8 years of their lives for a gold medal, said "hell yes" in alarming-to-the-journalist numbers. People don't relate well to the champion mindset.

That's one reason your informing yourself and your priorities by examining the elite is inappropriate. The other reason is much more direct: you're not elite. And it's almost certainly the case that you never will be, no matter what you do. Viewing yourself as being in the early stage of a journey holding a road map that leads toward looking like an elite powerlifter because you also have a barbell in your hands and if you don't do methodical flexibility work you'll end up where they are......is silly.

[DeriHughes]

I know no powerlifters personally Mark, why do you ask? I'm only judging their movements from what I can see. Am I coming with a controversial statement saying that powerlifters are generally not particularly mobile? Please correct me if that's the case but from my understanding it's not.

Are you watching equipped powerlifters struggling to walk with their knees wrapped to draw this conclusion? Have you seen Owen Hubbard's arch when he sets up to bench 200kg? Seems pretty "mobile" to me.

With the exception of one female with diagnosed hypermobility syndrome, everyone I've coached has increased their "mobility" as a result of getting under the bar, including myself. This increased quickly when I started training, and has stayed pretty much the same over the years since. I haven't noticed any drop off in "mobility" since getting my squat to 600 and my bench to 400, despite entering my late 30s at the same time. My trainees in their 60s are significantly more mobile than their untrained peers. From the conversations I've had with others, these observations are extremely common.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Hurling I believe it's more complex than simply kicking; it's spontaneous moving when grappling without restrictions due to immobility, putting people in submissions which require quite a lot of mobility

I can only think of two techniques that required more mobility than I could easily muster. Both involved getting the legs up to strangle the other guy. I have pretty good mobility, even at 66, in my hamstrings, legs, and hips. Of course if I lost some more weight I'd be even more mobile. My shoulders are less mobile, but that has never stopped me from using my hands and arms to good effect in strikes, locks, or strangles. My lack of range in external rotation and wrist movement DOES make me tap sooner though.

but to go back to your point I must ask you a counter question: do you believe the "typical" powerlifter can perform a headkick towards someone in their own height?

I don't know if I'm typical, but I powerlift competitively, along with the Jujitsu I practice and teach, and I can kick that high. Like I said, my hamstrings are good to go. I try it out every few months or so just to see if age is imposing limitations on me. But the usefulness of a head high kick is limited. They are too slow to deliver by surprise and are generally telegraphed well in advance.

It might surprise you to learn that powerlifters come in all sizes, weights, and general parameters of other measures of fitness. Go to a meet some time and see.

[Matthew_888]

Essentially I agree with you and the method, strength is the foundation. My idea is that mobility and being able to move without restriction (which I believe need to be trained separately than strength training, because as I mentioned at the extreme of powerlifting people are just the opposite of mobile). So I am curious and interested what you Austin believe that should be trained beyond just strength training (Cardio?) because you mentioned there are other aspects as well.

The eternal cardio question.

You reached a very important moment when it's time to take a deep breath and buckle up for a good shake: reject all believes and hold on while looking carefully at all the great content Rip and friends have put out there. In a few weeks you will never write down such things again. For a starter I would suggest to take a look at their article Why You Should Not Be Running.. I am new to the game like you (bought my weightlifting shoes a couple of weeks ago) and boy, these guys have good arguments and above all it works. Hurling knows a thing or two about martial arts and the likes...

[Leanne M. Lloyd]

No one is telling you that you can't continue your martial arts and keep whatever level of "flexibility" or "mobility" that you want. Training is necessarily individualized for this exact reason. As an intermediate you determine what sport, activity, or lifestyle you are training for. Elite level power lifters probably don't care to be able to perform a head kick and thus don't incorporate martial arts or yoga into their training and who are you to tell them that they should because you value "movement"?

I move just fine with no stretching and there is nothing lacking in my "mobility" or "flexibility". After 20+ years of not stretching, I can still do the butterfly 90% as well as I could as a much smaller teenager (I just tested it to make sure). So, why do I need to stretch?

[Christopher Anderson]

I'm a powerlifter, and I can also do a split, take my palms and place them flat on the ground facing forward or backwards while bending over with my knees locked straight. I can also kick either foot straight above my head. I can do all of this with no stretching or mobility work involved beforehand. Your assumptions are unfounded and comments of powerlifters being "clumsy" is inaccurate. Also having known 0 powerlifters as you have admitted doesn't lend any credibility to your statement that "the extreme of powerlifting people are just the opposite of mobile." You're making these statements from a point of view that is based on assumptions of a group of people that you know nothing about. Stop that.

[Mark Rippetoe]

So, in response to your OP, these things are not ignored -- they are built in to the program as written. Doing them separately is a waste of valuable time.

[SSDino]

Hmm, well this changes my perspective on mobility quite a bit. I agree that you have many valid points so I'll try to take these into considerations and change my beliefs on it. In the end you got the experience and I can't argue with that: I don't have it, and I can only hope I will get strong like you guys and understand what you mean better. Austin I say that I agree with you because I also think strength is the basis for everything that we do. Sometimes you must try to argue for the perspective which you believe could have merit to see if it does, if you understand what I mean? I can rationalize why I think I have that belief from my experience training MMA, seeing people who are compact and not very fluid usually don't do as well against someone who does. I agree that this is a niche and perhaps not applicable to the general population in regards to just being a "optimal human" . Either way defeat admitted, thanks for the discussion

[Hobi]

I have strength trained 30+ years consistently(and competed in powerlifting) and its made me more mobile. I also ride a MTB really fast..... thus all the facts point to strength training making everyone more mobile and fast bike riders.

[Austin Baraki]

Hmm, well this changes my perspective on mobility quite a bit. I agree that you have many valid points so I'll try to take these into considerations and change my beliefs on it. In the end you got the experience and I can't argue with that: I don't have it, and I can only hope I will get strong like you guys and understand what you mean better.

...

Either way defeat admitted, thanks for the discussion

I'm impressed with you Dino. Good luck.