5 Tips to Improve Your Mobility for Weightlifting
Written by Jared Enderton
Mobility plays a crucial role in weightlifting as it can significantly impact your performance and help prevent injuries. Here are five tips to improve your mobility for weightlifting.
How to Improve Mobility for Weightlifting
Tip #1: Pause at the bottom of your lifts for 3-5 seconds.Â
Do this on every single rep. Aka we just have to spend more quality time there! For some of you it might not be rock bottom depth yet and that’s ok – just go as low as you can and pause! This will slowly open the body up and you’ll be surprised how much more your body is opened up about three to four months of this.
Tip #2: Ride it down.
Next time you “accidentally” power snatch or power clean it (instead of squatting it) do a PERFECT overhead squat or front squat afterwards. Most athletes accidentally power it – then just drop the bar. Nooooo. Take your time and still make it a quality rep by squatting it slowly and PERFECTLY. This builds muscle memory and lets your body know that you need to squat it the next rep.
Tip #3: Warm up SMARTER.Â
Get to the bottom of your squat and hold for 1-2 minutes, that’s a start. Or put a bar on top of your knees and sit in the squat to really warm up your ankles. Just make sure you get to the bottom of the squat and spend some time there before actually snatching or clean & jerking!
Tip #4: Get a coach!
A coach can assess what area you struggle with the most mobility wise (ankles, hips, thoracic spine, etc). This can allow you to search and find more area specific stretches or routines to focus on to expedite your mobility process as it relates to the lifts.
Tip #5: Sit BETWEEN your legs, not on top of your legs!Â
Your squat/catch stance is everything. Try widening your stance slightly and pointing your toes out more. This will allow your hips to sit BETWEEN your legs more, which limits how much ankle and hip mobility you actually need!
Since each athlete’s mobility needs may vary, it’s important to address your specific limitations and work on areas that are restricting your movement patterns. If you’re new to weightlifting or have existing mobility issues, consider working with a coach to create a personalized mobility routine that suits your needs.
