I hate stretching, but I must admit that working on my mobility has helped me in the gym.
Im a better lifter for it.
Before I installed any of these apps, I knew a few things about my own mobility.
I do Olympic-style weightlifting, and I know that I can easily sit into a deep squat.
In short, I move okay for a weightlifter, but Id make a poor gymnast.
Lets see if these apps can pick up on my strengths and weaknesses.
GOWODs mobility test is the only one of the three I tested that isnt based on video analysis.
As you move the slider, you are shown a corresponding frame of the video.
The tests mostly measure passive mobility, or what you might call flexibility.
Thats not a mobility problem, thats a physics problem.
How I scored on the GOWOD test
I got an overall score of 78%.
Aside from the wall squat, my results seemed to accurately reflect what the tests were trying to measure.
Theres me not being able to touch my toes.
As for what to work on: My postchain is first priority, and hips are second.
These descriptions are great for understanding how mobility training will benefit you.
Better postchain flexibilitywouldhelp me with pistols, now that I think about it.
I learned something today.
The rest of the explanations are hit-or-miss.
GOWODs workouts
The free version of the app includes an exercise library.
You cant search by body part, but each exercise is labeled with the muscle groups it stretches.
(So you would need to know that your glutes are part of your postchain.)
(They also have longer options.)
GOWOD costs $107.99 for the year, or $11.99 monthly.
The process was about as quick and easy as the GOWOD test, taking 10 to 15 minutes.
It did ask me to do aPVC passthroughand gave me a low score on my pectoralis flexibility.
(I ended up with an 81% there.)
It has no idea about my poor internal rotation on the right side.
I did not have a foam roller handy, because this was supposed to be a no-equipment workout.
WODProof is $99.99/year or $19.99/month and offers a seven-day free trial.
The test basically involves doing an overhead squat.
Hands above your head, youll squat down facing the camera, then facing right, then facing left.
A voice guides you through the process, asking you to take a deep breath while holding each position.
Youll end up holding each position for a five to ten seconds.
I suspect thats intentional, to check that you canholdthe position.
I kind of hated it.
At first, it told me I had three issues.
I read about them, didnt like what I saw, and redid the test.
I got a similar score, but this time with two issues.
Only one matched between the two tests, even though they were taken minutes apart.
Shit, they caught me.
Im impressed that this otherwise kind of janky test picked up that aforementioned issue both times.
No, my ankles are great, thank you.
The section on back arch suggests poor ankle mobility as one of the potential causes.
Youre just guessing, man.
So, I guess thats the first order of business.
The in-app stretches are presented as follow-along video routines.
Rather than building a routine from scratch, it recommends videos from its library.
First up for me is a 48-minute routine called Spartacus that includes yoga poses with hip and shoulder stretches.
Cool name, but I dont have nearly an hour to dedicate to stretching.
Just give me a quick routine with some shoulder stretches!
The video has a voice guiding you through, like you might expect from a yoga class.
Pliability costs $179/year or $17.95/month, and there is a 7-day free trial.
Going through the workouts, I leaned toward GOWOD againbut this is also a matter of preference.
Each app missed something big.
GOWOD picked up on a mobility issue with my right shoulder but didnt have a plan for fixing it.
Similarly, WODProof and Pliability missed my hamstring flexibility issue entirely.
Pliability cant decide if theres something terribly wrong with my hips or nothing wrong with my hips at all.
Theres no way to relate my progress in the gym to my progress in the mobility app.
Theres no equivalent to that here.
So thats really a limitation of mobility apps as a concept, not a shortcoming of any particular app.
But I think its an important caveat.
