Weight training makes you bulky, muscle-bound and stiff. True or false?

Perhaps heavy lifting still conjures images of lumbering slothful behemoths, hulking around the darkest confines of the gym- Matthew Muscat Inglott

It’s been a while since I’ve had to answer this one. Many coaches would have answered true about 10 years ago; some might still, but things have thankfully changed in today’s sports, exercise and fitness industries.

We now know that more muscle means more horsepower if we train right, but terms like tight and stiff still have the nasty habit of creeping into many of our discussions about heavyweight training.

This is a shame, because it is not weight training itself, but rather lack of flexibility training that makes us stiff. Performing the right weight-training exercises can actually increase flexibility, and we will have a look at some of these magical moves later. In the meantime, however, where did this terrible reputation come from?

Perhaps heavy lifting still conjures images of lumbering slothful behemoths, hulking around the darkest confines of the gym, heaving massive dumbbells and rusty iron weights. Excessively big and bulky men tend to look slow and cumbersome, and despite super-developed musculature, appear decidedly unathletic to the casual observer.

We associate athleticism with agility, grace, flexibility and functional power.

So the question is: are these qualities any more lacking in large men than they are in the average Joe?

If we want to hone specific components of fitness, then we must employ training methods that exploit those same components.

Whether you lift heavy or not, perform flexibility training and you will become flexible; neglect it and you will become stiff. In short, don’t stop lifting big weights because you want to be more flexible; just start training your flexibility too. Do this right and you will be both strong and flexible, without having to sacrifice either.

For lifting weights to be effective, we must still strive to lift correctly. Performing the same exercises all the time, never varying your movements, performing the incorrect technique and failing to exploit complete ranges of motion are all factors that may negatively influence your results.

If certain functional movements are neglected in your programme, then it would be unreasonable to expect increased flexibility through those same movements.

Think of a door that is rarely opened, and when it is, never more than a few inches. As the years go by, without maintenance we could expect the hinge to deteriorate, becoming old and rusty. Violently swing the door all the way open suddenly one fine day and the rusty old hinge might crumble altogether.

Now think of an arm that is never raised overhead, and the effect on its associated shoulder joint. Ouch.

Lack of flexibility can cause the more immediate problem of forcing our joints into dangerous positions, increasing our risk of sustaining injury during everyday tasks.

If the back is stiff, we may fail to maintain a neutral spine position when picking things up off the floor, increasing the risk of pulling a muscle in the lower back or injuring a disc, as in the case of a slipped or more appropriately, herniated disc.

Lack of mobility in the shoulders could lead to pulled or torn tendons or rotator cuff muscles when attempting to lift things overhead or performing any DIY task involving the hands positioned over the head.

So whether you currently lift weights or not, and consider yourself too tight, start incorporating some flexibility training into your workouts now by trying these two stiff-busting weight-training exercises:

Overhead squats. Grab a light empty barbell or a broomstick if that’s too challenging for now. Grip the bar with a wide grip, sliding your hands out towards the edges as far as they can go. Raise it up over your head and keep it there with your arms perfectly straight at the elbow.

Now squat down as far as you can, keeping your weight set predominantly over your heels and the bar directly overhead at all times. As you descend, you will notice the tightness in your shoulders and back. Explore that zone of slight discomfort before standing back up again.

Strive to keep your back straight and chest up proud and high throughout. Perform 10 repetitions, rest and repeat for another two sets. Over time, you will be able to descend further.

When you can perform a full squat movement all the way down without dropping the bar forwards, it’s time to start moving your hands closer together. If you can do this with a 20-kilo bar, descending all the way with your hands at shoulder-width grip, consider yourself seriously supple.

Good mornings. This move is similar to the squat. However, we engage the hips far more than the knees. Think of bending over to touch your toes, only holding a bar draped across the back of your shoulders, and you must keep your back straight.

With feet positioned hip-width apart, push your hips back while keeping your lower back tight and chest up as high as possible throughout. Imagine you are trying to touch the wall behind you with your butt, and the wall in front of you with your chin, keeping your weight predominantly over your heels.

Bend over as far as you can without losing the tight back/big chest position and stand back up by pressing your heels down through the floor. By keeping your back tight throughout, you will notice an extreme stretch in your butt, and hamstring muscles, which run along the back of your thighs.

info@noble-gym.com