How it works
Mobility training involves stretching muscles using special mobility-enhancing exercises. This may be holding, stretching, or making repetitive motions over a short period (usually 30 seconds or so.) The two most common mobility exercises are compound exercises and isolating exercises.
Compound stretching may use the body’s full range of motion to achieve strength gains across the body. Isolating exercises may stretch one muscle or a group at a time – such as bicep or hamstring stretches. This can develop strength and flexibility across that range of motion.
Benefits
Stretching and manipulating muscle tissue prior or after working out helps improve pliability – the “softness” of a muscle – which helps increases blood flow to the muscle. Holding certain muscles introduces tension into them and makes them more receptive to changes such as repair or hypertrophy (muscle gain.) It can also make your muscles more flexible, which gives you a greater range of motion. This can be useful in calisthenics, martial arts, and most competitive sports – as well as enhancing your daily life.
Mobility training also helps prevent damage to the muscle, which can present as aches, pains, and other ailments which may interrupt your training for days or weeks at a time.