3-D Joint Rotations
This is Part 1 of 3-D Joint Mobilizations, a simple warm-up routine that will…
3-D joint mobilizations are NOT the stale joint rotations you rushed through prior to throwing dodgeballs at dweebs in high-school gym class. (If you were a dweeb, I'm sorry. I hope you got the job and the girl in the end, just like it happens in the movies.)
3-D joint mobilizations involve controlling your joints through the outermost limits of their articular range of motion while obsessively minimizing compensations. Part of me wants to say this definition makes 3-Ds sound more complicated than they are, but I'm not so sure. 3-Ds are mobilizations, and there's a difference between moving and mobilizing.
Moving is mindless.
Mobilizing is mindful.
To lessen the learning curve, I'll first show you how to perform two-dimensional mobilizations for every joint (as well as common compensations to avoid). After, I'll show you how to combine the 2-D mobilizations into the singular 3-D mobilization.
A few notes…
First, I do at least one 3-D mobilization for every major joint every single day to prevent joint decay. I do 2-5 reps in each direction. This only takes 5-10 minutes. I do them in the morning, which is the best time to do them. They wake up the entire body and serve as a general warm-up.
Second, I regress to the 2-D mobilizations often, especially when I'm struggling with (or feel stiff within) one piece of the 3-D mobilization. This might not make sense now, but it will later.
Third, cramping during 3-Ds is natural at first. Cramping is neurological confusion, a byproduct of entering an unfamiliar range of motion. Nothing wrong with stopping the mobilization, shaking out the cramp, and then starting over.
Fourth, pain is always a bad sign. Especially closing-angle “pinching” pain. (The closing angle is where the muscles are shortening and the structures are compressing into one another. For example, during a biceps curl, the closing angle is the eye of the elbow, where the upper arm compresses into the forearm.) The opening angle is where the resistance (“stretching”) should be felt. And it shouldn't be painful. These should only be done within a pain-free range of motion.
Fifth, 3-Ds should be done slowly. Moving is mindless. Mobilizations are mindful. Control is the name of the game.
Sixth, movement should be isolated to the joint being mobilized. This is difficult. Your body moves as a unit. Your body doesn't really know how to move one joint and only one joint. Too bad. When you're doing these mobilizations, you need to try.
Irradiation helps.
Irradiation is the act of creating tension across your entire body, starting with your belly. Brace your midsection and then radiate the tension to places in need.
- You might benefit from learning neutral posture. For the most part, when doing 3-Ds, you want to keep all of your joints except the one being mobilized in a neutral position. Knowing neutral positions will help you see when your body deviates from neutral.
SIDE QUEST
Second, irradiation helps.
SIDE QUEST
Seventh, feels good.