A lot of strength training myths have kept people out of the weight room and stuck to the cardio machines. However, most of the negatives of weightlifting are just that; myths. One of the most common of these myths is that weight training makes you stiff, but this isn’t necessarily true.
Weight training done properly will not make you stiff. In fact, it can enhance flexibility by giving you the strength to move in and out of your flexible positions. Weight training is also recommended by the CDC for preventing muscle lose with age and for maintaining youthfulness.
Where This Myth Came From
The idea of weight training making you stiff and “muscle bound” can be rooted all the way back to the World War 1 Era. According to Dr. Mel Siff, the world became very isolated with their information, including research in exercise and performance. This isolation has lead the eastern and western nations to focus on close but very different aspects of performance; strength training and cardiovascular exercises respectively. Because the US put most of their research on cardiovascular exercise, cardio became the foundation of athletic training. Strength training never got the recognition it deserved. In fact, athletes between 1920s and 1990s were encouraged not to lift weights at all.
The US didn’t have much research on strength training, so the only exposure coaches had to weight lifting was from bodybuilding and strongmen. And what do these two have in common? These men were very big, very strong, but can also be seen as slow and lacking agility. This is where the term “muscle-bound” came from; having such large and obstructive muscles that you sacrifice athletic skill.
When the Myth Was Dispelled
The “muscle-bound” myth was hit hardest after the iron curtain fell in 1990. All of the strength training research that was originally kept secret was shared across the world. The US learned how to apply strength training in a way that does not result in a slow and uncoordinated athlete. Of course, this isn’t to say their were no good american athletes before 1990. However, the difference in performance saw an obvious boost after we’ve learned proper strength training application.
How To Avoid Being “Muscle Bound”
1) Exercise With The Fullest Range of Motion You Can Control
What is Range of Motion?
Range of motion (ROM) refers to how much movement you can get from specific joints during exercise. For example, when you do a bicep curl, you start with your arm folded at the elbow, then straighten the arm to bring the dumbbell down. This motion from a completely bent elbow to a completely straight arm is your full range of motion.
There are two type of ROM:
Passive Range of Motion (Flexibility): A range of motion you can achieve only with the help of something external, or from your other limbs. The leg stretch in the following picture is a good example because most people can take their foot and basically touch their glutes. However, they can’t do that without the assistance of their arm. That’s what makes it passive.
Active Range of Motion (Mobility): A range of motion you can achieve without external help; you can use your own strength to get into that position. Most people can take their arm and reach completely overhead like they’re trying to touch the ceiling. However, some people, especially the older they get, don’t have the strength to do that. However, if someone took their arm and pulled it straight over their head, they can hit that position. In this case, this person has the passive range of motion, but not the active range of motion to do it by themselves.
Avoid Using a Shortened ROM Unless You Need It
If you’re capable of a full range of motion, but only train in a partial range of motion, you’re definitely going to get more stiff. The only reason to use a partial range of motion is if a full range of motion causes compensations.
Squatting is a great example of this. Let’s say someone is so mobile that they can get their hips way below their knees. This is informally called an “ass-to-grass” squat, or simply a deep squat. However, this person then decides to compete in powerlifting. Part of powerlifting competitions is to squat as much weight as you can for a single rep. On top of this, you only need to get your hips in-line with your knees to count as one rep. This is called “hitting parallel” since the upper leg is parallel with the floor.
If this person decides to only practice a parallel squat without ever doing a deep squat again, he’ll lose his ability to do a good deep squat. This is one way weightlifting can make you stiff. In this case, it isn’t a bad thing since he’s training in a way that matches his sport. However, the average person who is not in a sport would benefit from the deep squat.
On the other hand, let’s take someone who can’t even hit parallel without compensating. The three main squat compensations include the knees caving in, the back rounding forward, and coming up on your toes. All of these may get you further down, but compensation means you’re putting a lot of stress on the wrong muscles. This can lead to injury if done too often. Instead, this person should stick to their partial squats and incorporate mobility exercises to make their squat deeper.
2) Add Mobility Exercises to Increase Active ROM
What Are Mobility Exercises
Mobility exercises are special movements made not only to increase flexibility, but also the strength to move in and out of the increased range of motion. Contrast this with stretches; stretches simply loosen muscles that are too tight, which only increases passive range of motion. While stretches do have their place before and after exercise, mobility is the only way to increase ROM on major exercises like the squat.
Best Mobility Exercises for Different Body parts
Most of the exercises below come from Mind Pump Media’s Prime Pro Webinar. They explain each of the exercises in great detail, so check it out if you’d like to learn more. Below is an exercise for each major area of the body that can use more mobility. Each video is also from Mind Pump Media, so see their youtube channel to show support
Ankles: Combat stretch
Hips: 90/90
Thoracic Spine: Lizard with rotation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=344P6dRrys4
Shoulders: Handcuffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fw5-1nvLb4
How to Incorporate Mobility Exercises Into Your Routine
Here’s a simple way to go through your mobility routine:
- Start with the ankle exercises
- Complete 5 slow reps on each side
- Continue with the hip exercises and do another 5 slow reps
- Keep working up the body, only doing one set of each exercise.
After the shoulder exercise, you’re done!
You should be doing this at least once a week, especially before each workout. For better results, do it multiple times a day. Anywhere between 3-5 times a day spaced out evenly throughout will be perfect.
3) Exercise in Multiple Planes of Motion
The last tip for preventing workout stiffness is to exercise in multiple planes of motion.
What Are Planes of Motion?
Planes of Motion describe which in the 3 dimensions your body is moving in. The 3 dimensions – or planes – are:
Frontal Plane: moving forward and backwards
Sagittal Plane: moving side-to-side
Transverse Plane: twisting movements
Most people limit themselves by sticking to frontal plane movements. Examples include:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench Press
- Overhead Press
- Pullups
- Lunges
- Crunches
- Rows
There are many more examples, but it’s likely that 90% of your routine is in the frontal plane. This can limit your mobility because certain muscles are activated more depending on which plane of motion you’re using. If you only strengthen the frontal plane muscles, the sagittal and transverse muscles will be too weak for real-world movement. We say “real-world” because the world is 3-dimensional, so you have to train in all 3 dimensions to utilize your full mobility.