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UNDERGROUND ARTICLES

Range of Motion

By Greg Mihovich

Range of motion is a lot more than just holding a stretch now and again. It
consists of three separate, yet interconnected components:

Active Range of Motion

If you would lift your leg up without any help from your arms and slowly put it on
the bookshelf of, let’s say shoulder height and than take it off that would be a
classic example of active range of motion: you are using your muscles, your
strength to get in and out of a specific position.

That is why it is important to utilize full range of motion in all weightlifting and
bodyweight exercises that you do, as it makes you more flexible. Exercises like
Overhead Squat, Dips and Deadlifts will not only strengthen you, but will make it
easier and safer to get into “extreme’ positions.

Dynamic Range of Motion

If this time you would dynamically swing that leg to the height of the book shelf
that would be a classical example of Dynamic Range of Motion: you are using
inertia and momentum to get to a specific position.

Usually the workout would start with some sort of non-weighted Active &
Dynamic Range of Motion exercises. That specifically prepares your body for
DYNAMIC work ahead.

Static Range of Motion

If you would use your arms to put your leg on the bookshelf and than hold it there
that would be a good example of Static Range of Motion: you are using external
force or object to get into a specific position.

Usually the workout would end with some Static Stretching. That helps your
muscle to relax after all that tension and return to their normal length.

Putting It All Together

The greater the difference between your Active, Dynamic & Static Ranges of
Motion the more potential you have for an injury. Usually, it is normal for Dynamic
Range to be the greatest one, for Active Range to take a close second and for
Static Range a close third. If you observe a different picture than you should work
on your weaknesses.

The reason why Range of Motion is N#1 on the list of Compound Conditioning
cornerstones is simple: if you cannot move from position to position with ease
and pain-free you are not fit, no matter how much weight you can lift on that silly
bench of yours.

In the beginning of your training Range of Motion practice will be a grueling and
hard work. Most of my clients spend as much as thirty percent of their overall
training on Range of Motion practice during their first month of training to build a
solid base of what I call “effortless pain-free mobility”. That ensures their long
term training success.

The more time I spend training myself and my clients the more I realize the vital
importance of including a comprehensive Range of Motion practice into your
exercise regimen on regular basis. It serves as a great rehabilitation tool from
existing injuries or complications, but, even more importantly, it is one of the best
means of PREREHABILITATION, or in other words, prevention from injuries in
the first place.

To summarize:

Make sure to include all types of Range of Motion practice into your workouts.

Start your morning and a workout with Active and Dynamic Range of Motion
exercises and finish your day and a workout with some Static Stretching.

Perform all of your exercises through their full range of motion to avoid
developing tight spots in your body.

Greg Mihovich
Performance Enhancement & Combat Arts Specialist
www.UndergroundGym.com

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