Are You Flexible, or Are You Hypermobile? Stop Guessing. Start Training Right.
There is a massive difference between being flexible and being hypermobile. Stop guessing your mechanics, and start training your body the way it actually needs.
Watch the above video for Part 1 to understand if you’re hypermobile using The Beighton Test
If your joints bend further than everyone else’s, it is easy to assume you are just naturally flexible. But in the clinic at ATHLETIC INC, we frequently see athletes confusing optimal flexibility with clinical hypermobility—a misunderstanding that often leads to chronic joint pain and structural injuries.
If you are a hypermobile athlete, the way you train stability needs to look fundamentally different from your peers. Here is how to identify hypermobility and exactly how to train around it.
Flexibility vs. Hypermobility
Understanding the difference between these two traits is the first step in protecting your joints.
If you are hypermobile, your joints move beyond their normal, safe range because your connective tissue cannot reliably hold them in place. Because your ligaments are "loose," your muscles have to step up and do the heavy lifting to keep your skeleton stable.
That is why strength training is completely non-negotiable for hypermobile athletes. But how you build that strength matters.
Are You Hypermobile? The Beighton Test
Before we change your training, we need to know what we are dealing with. Physiotherapists use the Beighton Score to assess joint laxity. Test yourself using these five movements (scoring a maximum of 9 points):
Pinky Finger: Passively bend it back beyond 90 degrees (1 pt per side).
Thumb: Passively bring your thumb down to touch your forearm (1 pt per side).
Elbows: Stand sideways in a mirror—do your elbows hyperextend beyond 10 degrees? (1 pt per side).
Knees: Do your knees hyperextend backward when standing straight? (1 pt per side).
Palms to Floor: Can you bend forward with completely straight knees and rest your palms flat on the floor? (1 pt).
If you scored 5 or more, there is a very high chance you are hypermobile.
The Training Fix: Why Isometrics Come First
When athletes realize they need strength, they often jump straight into heavy, dynamic movements—deep squats, heavy shoulder presses, and full-range lunges.
For a hypermobile athlete, this is a mistake. Concentric and eccentric exercises move the joint through its full range, pushing you straight into the extreme end-ranges that your hypermobile joints already cannot control.
At ATHLETIC INC, our rule is simple: Control Before Range.
We start by building a foundation with Isometric exercises. Isometrics—like a wall sit or a plank—require you to hold a joint completely still under tension. This builds raw strength and neurological control in a safe, static position. Once that absolute stability is developed, then we can progressively load you through a full range of motion.
3 Isometric Holds to Start Doing Today
Watch the above video for Part 2 for our demonstration of the three isometric holds.
Integrate these three movements into your warm-up or strength routine. Aim for 3 sets of 30 to 45 seconds per exercise.
Isometric Split Squat Hold: Drop into the bottom of a split squat and hold. This strengthens your hip and knee stabilizers in a loaded, lengthened position. It is highly effective for athletes who need to accelerate, decelerate, or make rapid direction changes.
Isometric Hamstring Bridge Hold: Lying on your back, push up into a single-leg glute bridge and hold the hip extension. This isolates and strengthens the posterior chain—vital for swimmers, runners, and field sport athletes absorbing heavy forces.
Isometric Bear Hold: Get into a quadruped (all-fours) position, keep a neutral spine, and hover your knees just one inch off the floor. This strictly targets your shoulder girdle and scapular stabilizers, making it non-negotiable for sports with high overhead demands.
The Takeaway: You do not need more stretching. Your range of motion is already there. What you need is absolute control over the range you possess.
If you are constantly battling joint pain, or if you aren't sure how to safely build strength around your hypermobility, you do not have to guess.
Click the button below to book a consultation with Physiotherapist & Performance Coach Megan at ATHLETIC INC Singapore, and let's build a strength and rehabilitation program that actually meets the demands of your body.
Don’t Just Train Hard. Train Right. At ATHLETIC INC, we focus on bridging the gap between rehabilitation, performance, and long-term athletic development.
MEET THE AUTHOR
MEGAN FOO
Physiotherapist / Performance Coach
B.Sc. Physiotherapy (Hons)
Australian Strength & Conditioning Association Level 1
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Fluent in English and Mandarin
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