Hierarchy of Mobility, Strength, Power, and Conditioning

Are you trying to work on power, but lacking the necessary strength and mobility? 🧐

(This post is inspired by and adapted from an article I read on Strengthcoach.com)

I wanted to break it down in squash terms, so we can understand why exercises such as jumping lunges aren’t always suitable for everyone. I have nothing against the exercise itself (unlike burpees😤), they just need to serve the right place and PURPOSE for the right population!

When in doubt, ask yourself, is this doing more harm than good?

Let’s take the lunge (and jumping lunges) as our example…

Mobility:

This is the ability to get into the position. Can you get into a proper lunge position without compensating? This means no tipping over, no knee buckling inwards, no leaning forwards.

Strength:

If you can do a proper bodyweight lunge, can you perform the movement with external load? While strength is needed to PRODUCE force, its biggest benefit which is often overlooked is to ABSORB force. Think of this as your braking mechanism. People don’t get hurt jumping, they get hurt landing! This is crucial, because if you don’t have the strength base, you will likely get hurt when progressing to the later stages of power & conditioning.

Power:

Power is the ability to produce force (strength) with speed. Now that you’ve built up your strength, how FAST can you move? (The more powerful you are, the faster you can move a heavier mass).

Conditioning:

Conditioning is repeated power… with good form. We often refer to biking and running as conditioning, but in a squash sense, your conditioning specifically relates to your ability to move well on the court. For how long can you reproduce solid, powerful lunges with good form?

Make sure you focus on mobility first, and then strength, before trying to work on power. You'll get more out of your training process and reduce your risk of injury!