Matthewismith

Matthewismith I talk about mobility for performance
Coach to Olympic gold
Train with me in the Mobility & Flexibility Toolkit

06/09/2026

Most people don’t struggle because they do too little, they struggle because they do too much.

Flexibility isn’t free work you can just stack on top, it creates fatigue just like strength training does.

Start with 1 to 2 sessions a week, track it for 6 to 8 weeks, then adjust. The best progress I see usually comes from doing less, not more

01/09/2026

One of the most common misconceptions in flexibility training is thinking that stretching helps your muscles recover - it’s not true. Flexibility training damages muscle fibres just like strength training does. Same fatigue, different trigger.

Swipe to see what’s really getting stretched in a side split.
27/08/2026

Swipe to see what’s really getting stretched in a side split.

21/08/2026

A common mistake when trying to improve the bridge… is to only train the bridge itself.

Limited shoulder flexibility is a really common reason many people cannot get into a bridge.

If your score in the Leahy Shoulder Flexion test is less than 150 degrees, I recommend to focus your efforts on your shoulders.

Improve them first and then integrate it back into the very compound multi joint movement that is the bridge.

16/08/2026

When it comes to front splits we break it down into three distinct levels - each building upon the previous one.

Beginners: touching your toes & unlocking your hip flexors
Intermediate: touching down the front split & learning the techniques involved
Advanced: oversplits, active front splits & head to toe

Let us know in the comments which level you are.

12/08/2026

If you’re not getting deeper, increase your time under stretch.

Adding another rep or 2, or just 5-15s extra hold time will help you improve your capacity in the stretched position.

Swipe to see what’s actually getting stretched when you fold forward.
06/08/2026

Swipe to see what’s actually getting stretched when you fold forward.

02/08/2026

The scapula is a “floating joint.” It doesn’t rely on a bone-to-bone joint for stability; it relies on force couples between our muscles —specifically the traps and serratus anterior.

If this system is imbalanced, your mobility could be capped. Identifying an imbalance and strengthening the force couple can unlock further mobility.

28/07/2026

Most people stretch their shoulders without knowing what’s actually limiting them. Change the arm position and you can see which muscle is being stretched. Test first, then target the real limiter.

23/07/2026

Most people just throw themselves backwards into a bridge. A better bridge comes from creating space first by expanding, lifting up and over, and opening the front of the body.

In this video I break down the three visualisations that help you do exactly that.

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