Mobility vs. Stability

Stability is about controlling movement and protecting the joints, while mobility is about being able to access a joint’s full range of motion safely. It is important to practice and continue to improve both to maximize performance. In this blog let’s do a deep dive into how to train for each and how increasing both mobility and stability will help see better results.

Stability vs. Mobility in Strength Training

What is Stability?

Stability refers to the ability of a joint to resist unwanted movement and maintain control through a range of motion. In strength training, stability is crucial because it allows you to maintain proper posture and alignment while performing exercises. Stability depends on the strength and coordination of the muscles surrounding a joint to support it and control movement.

Key points about Stability:

• Static stability refers to the joint’s ability to stay stable when not moving (e.g., maintaining a solid, locked position in a squat).
• Dynamic stability refers to a joint’s ability to control movement and maintain control through dynamic actions (e.g., maintaining balance during a single-leg deadlift).
• Stability involves strength, motor control, and neuromuscular coordination.

Example in Strength Training:

• Core stability: The ability to stabilize your trunk and pelvis during heavy lifts like squats, deadlifts, or overhead presses. If your core isn’t stable, your spine may lose proper alignment and increase injury risk.
• Shoulder stability: In exercises like the overhead press or bench press, the shoulder joint must remain stable to prevent injury and ensure the muscles can properly execute the movement.

What is Mobility?

Mobility, on the other hand, refers to the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion (ROM) with control. It’s a combination of flexibility (how much a muscle can stretch) and strength (how well you can control that range). In strength training, mobility is key for performing exercises properly and efficiently, especially when deep ranges of motion are involved.

Key points about Mobility:

• Mobility is about active movement—how well you can move through a joint’s ROM, not just how far you can stretch a muscle.
• It’s a blend of flexibility and strength—you need both to access the full range of motion safely and effectively.
• Mobility is crucial for performing exercises correctly and maintaining joint health over time.

Example in Strength Training:

• Hip mobility: For squatting deeply, you need good hip mobility to ensure your knees track properly, and you don’t round your lower back.
• Ankle mobility: In exercises like squats or lunges, adequate ankle mobility allows for proper depth and alignment of your knees and hips.

How Stability and Mobility Work Together in Strength Training

While mobility and stability are distinct concepts, they are complementary and work hand-in-hand during strength training.

• Mobility without stability: If you have good mobility but lack stability, you might be able to perform exercises through a full range of motion but may lack control, which could lead to joint instability and injury. For example, having great shoulder mobility but weak shoulder stabilizers (like the rotator cuff) could lead to instability during overhead pressing movements, increasing the risk of shoulder impingement.
• Stability without mobility: If you have great stability but poor mobility, you might be strong in certain positions but unable to access optimal ranges of motion. For instance, tight hips can limit your squat depth, even if your core and lower back are stable, leading to inefficient movement patterns and compensations.

In other words:

• Stability helps protect your joints from injury by providing control during movement.
• Mobility allows you to access the necessary range of motion for proper form, so you can perform exercises effectively.

How They Apply to Specific Exercises

Here’s how stability and mobility play out in a few common strength training exercises:

• Squats:
  • Mobility: Good hip, ankle, and thoracic spine mobility is required to achieve depth and keep the proper form (e.g., knees tracking over toes, chest up).
  • Stability: A stable core, hips, and knees are necessary to maintain alignment and prevent injury as you squat down and stand back up.

Why Both Matter for Athletes:

1. Performance Optimization:
   • Stability and mobility enable you to move more efficiently and perform lifts or dynamic movements with better form and control.
   • For example, better hip mobility means you can squat deeper and more effectively, and good core stability allows you to transfer force more efficiently during a clean or snatch.
2. Injury Prevention:
   • Stability ensures that the joints remain safe and protected during movement, while mobility ensures that you’re not compromising joint health by forcing them into positions they can’t support.
   • Ankle mobility (to prevent compensations) combined with knee stability (to prevent compensations) combined with knee stability (to prevent valgus collapse) can drastically reduce the risk of knee injuries during squats.
3. Long-Term Athletic Development:
   • Good mobility and stability allow athletes to train harder and smarter over time, reducing the risk of overuse injuries and helping them develop optimal movement patterns.
   • For example, if an athlete’s squat is limited by poor ankle mobility, they may overcompensate by letting their knees collapse inward—leading to long-term issues in knee health. However, correcting the ankle mobility and stabilizing the knee can improve squat form and performance.

How to Train Stability

Stability Exercises: Focus on strengthening the muscles that stabilize your
joints, such as core stability work (e.g., planks, bird dogs, dead bugs) and joint
stability drills (e.g., single-leg exercises, stability ball work). An example to train
ankle stability would involve standing on a pad or pillow single leg. Your muscles are working to keep everything in line to not let you fall.

How to Train Mobility:

Dynamic Stretching and Drills: Work on movements that actively take your joints through their range of motion (e.g., hip circles, shoulder dislocations, ankle rolls).

Strength-Based Mobility Exercises: Incorporate exercises that engage muscles while challenging your mobility, like deep squats, lunges, or kettlebell overhead presses.

Joint Mobility Drills: Practice controlled, deliberate movements that target
specific joints, such as shoulder mobility drills or hip openers.

Banded Distractions: Using a band to apply a distraction force to create space and facilitate movement around the joint.

Coach Miranda

The Rack Athletic Performance Center