Addressing Mobility Issues for Beginner

Hi,

I just started the F1 content and am really enjoying it. Since I'm brand new to the forums, please do forgive me if my forum search was insufficient and I'm posting a topic that has already been addressed at length.

At any rate, for the starting exercises I'm finding strength not to be too much of an issue but mobility to be a big one (like a lot of other folks).

• SL/PE2 (Elbow Side Plank Twist) - tight low back prevents me from twisting without rotating hips
• MN/PE2 (Straddle Up) - completely lack the flexibility in groin and inner-legs to sit up with straight legs/toes pointed off ground

More generally I've also identified shoulder extension and the swivel hips mobility to be woefully deficient but they are not in my specific programming routines at the moment.

My question to everybody is: "What should I do?"

Should I not even try and do reps right now and instead take the time to stretch? Should I count reps with inferior forum, progress to the next exercises and keep these areas as consistent areas to focus on improvement outside of the program? Are there additional mobility/stretch routines I ought to be doing; if so, how much time to allocate and what are the right stretches to do?

I'm not that knowledgable on programming/kinesiology and also have a tendency to be impatient, so I'd like to solicit the sage wisdom of those further down the road that myself. Thank you already for your insight, and my apologies if this post is superfluous.

My first answer is that the previous element that you cited have some degree of carryover.

e.g:

-SL PE1 uf correctly done improves a lot the ability to actively twist the body, how are your PE1, if you are new you should post (and we encourage you to do that) of the beginning element

-MN PE1>IM , how is your stiff leg windmill?

remember that foundation is a progression, previous element are a bases for the future. not enough efficiency will result on low results on following preparatory exercises.

I order to improve the range of motion are highly recommended stretch series, once a week every stretch program.

I was about to recommend the Stretch series as well Wesley.

Hi Wesley,

Definitely don't skip ahead in progressions. Work on deficiencies until they are fixed before moving forward. 

Can you post videos of your MN/PE1 and MN/PE1? That's where we should start looking for the deficiency. Perfecting those will take you a long way. Also, the stretch courses are going to accelerate your progress.  

Hmmmm... I must have done something wrong when I first set up the workouts for the mastery testing. It had me start on Step 2 mastery testing. Since I could do some of the reps, (albeit my criteria for calling a rep "okay" may have been questionable) it kept me there. I'll modify the workout scheduler to have it start back at Step 1 and then upload a vid. Thanks for the input! 

We will be waiting for your video Wesley.

Here is the aforementioned vid. I also put it up in the form check section and reference this thread. I posted the Russian Twists, Stiffed Leg Windmill, and Tucks. I need some work with the Windmill for sure. I'm totally new to it so I need to work on the form, but the flexibility in the legs is a killer for me. My folding forward (pike) hamstring flexibility is very good, but my flexibility in the inner leg/groin is heinous. I can do the tucks in terms of the strength component no problem, but as you can see I don’t have the shoulder flexibility to bring the arms all the way to the floor in supine position. Similarly with Russian Twists, I seem to get around pretty well, but the dumbbell is not touching the floor. I have chronic low back tightness that I’ve been attempting to address for the past few years with modest improvement.

So this is where my question concerning progression comes in. The way I understand the programming is that you fail reps for the strength component if the form is anything short of perfect and out-of-tempo with the workout videos. However, integrated mobility you just do the number of reps to whatever ability you can and as you move through the steps it will gradually improve. So in this workout should I “pass” everything and go to the next level? My flexibility for the twists needs to improve as does my shoulder flexibility for the tucks, however, 3 reps is way too easy; there’s not nearly enough load to promote adaptation.

I just want to get feedback so I know how to hold myself accountable. Thanks for viewing guys!

Russian twist: touch the floor every reps, hold chest open, keep knees together.

tuck up: heels and arms should touch the floor every single rep. pause in between the rep.

mn>IM requires a lot of refinement: both legs must be straight always, weight must be stacked over the shoulder all the time, fully internal rotation is required , the lower arm must be moved in between the 2 legs.

Thanks @Alessandro Mainente! I appreciate the critiques and will implement them.

@Everett Carroll

@Luke Searra

@Alessandro Mainente

Per my question concerning the integrated mobility/ROM? As I posted earlier, the strength component for many of the early exercises isn't a problem for me so I'd like to continue at least doing gradual progression while my body becomes more mobile and ROM builds. Is it okay if I continue to progress through workouts even if my ROM for the integrated mobility or even the exercise (for example shoulder extension in the tuck up in supine position) isn't there yet?

Thanks- I'd just like your opinions so I can hold myself accountable to counting reps when they should be counted or failing them when they should be failed.

-Wes

You don't want to move to the next progression until both strength and mobility are adequate. It is okay to move through the steps, as strength allows, until mobility catches up. If you reach step 9 and strength is there but mobility needs work, put the strength on maintenance and work hard on the mobility.

41 minutes ago, Everett Carroll said:

You don't want to move to the next progression until both strength and mobility are adequate. It is okay to move through the steps, as strength allows, until mobility catches up. If you reach step 9 and strength is there but mobility needs work, put the strength on maintenance and work hard on the mobility.

Another thing Everett has mentioned to me when I've had this problem (strength is good, mobility sucks) is to really work on mastering the movement, i.e. perhaps pause at the top for a few seconds as this will help with the mobility, too. I have the same issue on MN/PE2 straddle ups, and it has helped me a lot to go slow, focus on the form rather than rush through the movement with momentum. This will likely change how many reps you're able to do.

Thanks for the feedback guys. That all makes sense to me and aligns with my reasoning too! Patience is the name of the game.

I am also starting to have some mobility related issues with Foundation. I am about to go to the second de-load and I'm getting some very specific "hot spots" popping up in all the familiar places (shoulders, Achilles, knees, etc. - all old injury spots). I re-watched all of the strength and mobility videos and realize I have A) sacrificed strength form for progression and B) sacrificed mobility form for strength progression. This leads to a couple of questions. 1) should I take a few steps back after de-load and stay at lower levels until I can maintain form and mobility increases? If so, any suggestions how far back? 2) Would I be well served to add one of the Stretch Courses (probably Thoracic? - I am totally Kyphotic with a history of RC issues) AND dial it back until my mobility catches up? It should be known that I am doing a 5/3/1 DL workout once a week and running 3x a week although that will tapper as weather turns against me. 

Hi Kurt :

-if we are talking about the same exercise (PE) you can continue on the template improving mobility session after session.

-if you sacrificed the mobility of one PE in order to move forward to the next PE, then you should step backward on the previous unmastered mobility and stay there until mobility reaches at least the rom of the course.

Depending on your mobility and basing upon the structure of foundations probably the TB series is the best solution, shoulders limitation tends to need more specific exercises compared to lower limbs which are covered a bit more on foundations.