New blog at wisconsinbjj.com: Muscle Mass and Flexibility
Here’s a quick one I wrote for wisconsinbjj.com
Somewhere along the line being muscular became synonymous with being stiff, inflexible and unable. This is due primarily to the pec-obsessed bodybuilders of the 1970s and 1980s, who spent hours and hours bench-pressing and doing endless flys, tightening down their chests and shoulders until they couldn’t raise their arms above their heads. In fact, the bench press was rarely, if ever used before the 1960s. There is actually a direct correlation between the rise of the usage of the bench press and an increase in rotator cuff injuries.
It is not the muscle mass itself that causes inflexibility, contrary to popular belief. It is, as mentioned before, the usage of too many anterior (front of the body)-focused movements and a lack of posterior (back of the body) movements. Additionally, as the chest and shoulders tighten down, overhead movements such as shoulder presses and overhead squats become increasingly difficult (if not impossible), and are thereby ignored and eventually avoided for fear of injury.
These overhead movements become incorrectly villainized as damaging movements, when in reality it is the use of these chest-focused movements that tighten down the upper body and greatly increase risk of injury. That is not to say that these movements should be forever avoided, but instead used in moderation with muscles that improve the strength of antagonist muscles. In the case of chest/shoulder movements, pulling movements such as pull-ups (done correctly), bent-over rows and snatches are extremely beneficial.
There is no such thing as becoming musclebound. There is, however, a real risk of limiting flexibility in pursuit of a singular goal such as large muscles or a higher bench press. Balancing a strength training program with equal parts pressing, pulling, and squatting combined with sufficient mobility work will maintain flexibility while increasing strength, ensuring longevity and balance in your training.
