Ep. #716: Sam Visnic on Mobility and Massage For Happier Joints and Muscles

“Hey bro, we’ve been stretching for an hour, can we start lifting now?” “Yeah right! We’ve only stretched our quads so far. It’s time for the hammies!”

Conversations like this happen between gym buddies everyday across the iron kingdom, but luckily I’ve never been part of one.

In fact, many people in the gym have noticed I don’t stretch much, and asked what my mobility routine is.

I’ve touted the benefits of a daily short yoga routine, but beyond that, I don’t do any stretching in the gym.

This may be surprising, because over the past decade or so, mobility work has become all the rage for lifestyle bodybuilders, powerlifters, professional athletes, and Crossfitters alike. Some people spend half their time in the gym just preparing to lift.

Why is it so popular? Is it really necessary?

To help explore the benefits of mobility work and find out what it can (and can’t) do, I’ve invited Sam Visnic onto the podcast.

Who is Sam, you ask?

He’s a certified massage therapist, expert on corrective exercise, and the founder of Release Muscle Therapy, where he specializes in helping people become pain-free through movement evaluations, techniques to re-learn proper movement patterns, massage, stretching, and more.

In this episode, Sam and I chat about . . .

• How do you get started with a mobility routine (and whether you need to)
  
• How and why people became obsessive about mobility
  
• Finding balance between mobility work and training
  
• How mobility can improve nagging aches and pains and why pain might not be caused by lack of range of motion
  
• Common pain problems and causes with the squat, deadlift, and bench press
  
• How to test your ankle mobility
  
• Foam rollers, massage guns, and other gizmos
  
• And more . . .
  

So, if you want to learn all about mobility work and how you can start nipping aches and pains in the bud, listen to this episode!

Timestamps:

7:05 - What are your thoughts on mobility work?

12:47 - What is your approach and how do you find a balance between gaining muscle and attaining mobility?

38:29 - What are some of the exercises that tend to create the most common problems?

41:38 - How can someone determine their ankle mobility?

45:21 - How about the bench press and its relation to shoulder pain?

47:41 - What are your thoughts on rotator cuff exercises?

56:22 - What are your thoughts on massage guns and foam rollers?

1:09:44 - Where can people find you and your work?

Mentioned on The Show:

Books by Mike Matthews: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

Sam Visnic’s Website: https://releasemuscletherapy.com/

Sam Visnic’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/releasemuscletherapy/

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