Do Functional Movements to Increase Flexibility

Who would have thought that actually doing functional movements is the best way to improve your flexibility?

A lot of people struggle with their squats (front, back, overhead) but fail to address the main problems - it is usually because they go too deep into their squat in the quest for "depth" or a "legal" squat.

What ends up happening is the butt wink - which some people think is ok. I have thought a lot about this and I basically disagree. Whilst the butt wink (posterior pelvic tilt) can be "safe" if it is minimal and never reaches true flexion, ultimately it slows the progress of your strength because you have to build so much more erector spinae strength just to control the movement enough to develop more strength.

Squat until you start to feel the pressure in the front of your hips. This is your "early warning sign" that you have run out of hip flexion and will now start the butt wink. Work on getting that position better AT THAT POINT. Be specific in targeting the muscles that are tight or overactive in THAT POSITION.

The same goes for all the movement - overhead work, deadlifts, handstands etc etc. The more your practice perfectly, the better your flexibility will become 🙂