Many of us will know of someone who spends loads of time strength training however can barely touch their toes. They may lift heavy weights but when it comes down to mobility, they’re like a creaking old gate. Why is that? Is it their strength training which chips away at their flexibility, or are they simply not doing enough mobility work in the first place?
Clearly, it’s no good being able to squat heavy or deadlift our own bodyweight if we aren’t able to squat deep or hinge forward to any real depth. And if you aren’t able to balance (crucial for avoiding accidental falls), what good is being able to chest press the weight of a small child?
What Is Functional Fitness?
Functional fitness is all about moving well and also being mobile. However, what impact does getting stronger have on our mobility and does strength training make us less mobile and flexible?
This misconception about weight training leading to inflexibility has remained to be tenacious in people’s minds, in spite of the fact that studies as long ago as the 1960s and 1970s proved otherwise.
Studies conducted later have confirmed that properly performed strength training exercises serve to increase flexibility rather than reduce it.
Research About Strength Training
A recent study that compared static stretching and strength training found out the following:
- Stretching and strength training boosted hamstring flexibility to the same degree.
- Resistance training outperformed static stretching in terms of improving hip flexibility.
- Resistance training boosted strength around all joints while stretching did not.
This is a very important side note: Most injuries are owing to a paucity of strength around a joint, not poor flexibility. If you have the strength in order to avoid a fall, or catch yourself, you won’t overstretch the muscle. Strength training is superior to flexibility training in terms of injury prevention as you improve flexibility and strength simultaneously.
The Parallels Between Static Stretching And Weight Training
So, weight training could be comparable to static stretching for boosting flexibility. The key is to make use of full range-of-motion when you train. Partial reps as well as static holds won’t give you a boost in flexibility. For instance, doing full range-of-motion squats assists with improving hip flexibility. More hip flexibility, in turn, will, in turn, boost your ability to go deep on squats. Partial reps have their advantages, but they don’t build flexibility.
The one situation where weight training works counter to flexibility is if you build such large muscles that it limits movement of the adjoining joint. If you are carrying a lot of body fat, it may also restrict movement at a joint. However, you require massive significant amount of fat or muscle development for this to have a big impact on flexibility.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
If you want to learn more about strength training, you could really consider signing up for our Personal Training Diploma. Follow this link to read more.