Joint Mobility

CrossFit Journal (Video)

Once you mobilize the muscle, you mobilize the joint. In this video, movement and mobility guru Kelly Starrett presents two ways of mobilization with band distraction and compression/approximation.

The band acts as a force multiplier, he says while stretching an attendee at the trainer course with a resistance band.

“His capsule is thick and powerful,” Starrett says. “If I don’t put some kind of vector or encourage a different motion or a hinge going on there, I’m probably not going to capture that capsular piece, and this makes that much less effective for him. This really changes the game.”

Next is bringing together joint surfaces.

Starrett emphasizes the importance of dedicating time to mobility work.

“You guys know the 23:59 rule? ‘I stretched for one minute. I don’t understand why nothin’ changed.’ Well, ’cause for 23 hours and 59 minutes you did nothing else and your body was like, ‘Well, what’s the default?’” he explains. “One of the reasons this is very effective is that we reinforce this new range with movement. We immediately go train.”

10min 50sec

Additional reading: CrossFit Radio Episode 148 by Justin Judkins, published Dec. 1, 2010.