Stability training is a ladder of progress – not a box to tick.
Stability is often overlooked or misunderstood in training, yet it’s a foundational component of both force production and injury risk management. Without adequate stability—particularly in key joints like the shoulder, hip, and spine—progress in strength, power, and skill becomes increasingly difficult.
An unstable joint can compromise movement quality, reduce efficiency, and increase the likelihood of compensatory patterns that lead to overuse injuries or acute damage.
Stability is not merely a secondary concern or a corrective afterthought; it’s a critical feature that supports every movement and performance goal. Ignoring stability leads to chronic joint pain, decreased athletic longevity, and diminished overall function.
The challenge lies in recognizing stability as a trainable quality that can be progressively developed, rather than a fixed limitation. This requires a strategic approach to exercise selection and progression that targets the neuromuscular control and muscular endurance necessary to maintain joint integrity under load and during movement.
How to train for stability.
- Time
- Distance
- Load
Increase the exposure, increase the adaptation.
There are three major vectors to increase the adaptive stimulus of stability training – manipulating time, distance, and load.
${component=BasicCard}Time
Time refers to the duration spent maintaining a stable position or performing repetitions at a controlled pace. It reflects the endurance and sustained neuromuscular control required to hold or repeat movements without losing stability.
Longer periods under stable tension challenge the muscles and nervous system to maintain joint integrity continuously.
${component=BasicCard}Distance
Distance describes the range of motion or lever length involved in an exercise, particularly when the joint is placed in less inherently stable positions.
Increasing distance means moving through larger arcs of motion or extending limbs further from the body’s midline, which intensifies the demand on stabilizing muscles to control the joint through a greater mechanical challenge.
${component=BasicCard}load
Load is the external resistance or weight applied during an exercise. Increasing load raises the force demands on muscles and connective tissues, requiring greater stability to safely and effectively control the movement.
Load progression is a critical driver of strength and stability adaptations over time. Whether slowly tacking on additional weight to an individual stability exercise or demanding full-body coordination through a single major compound movement, load is guaranteed to move the needle.
Unlocking stability: practical steps for building the right foundation.
Understanding the variables of time, distance, and load allows for deliberate manipulation of stability challenges to stimulate adaptation. Here are practical ways to incorporate and progress stability training across the shoulder, hip, and spine:
${component=Step}Use isometrics to scale time under tension.
Use isometric holds such as planks or split squats to build endurance and bracing ability. Aim for multiple sets lasting 30 seconds to 1 minute, performed 2-3 times per week. Gradually increase hold duration to improve sustained stability.
${component=Step}Increase muscular challenge with longer levers and ranges of motion.
Progress from static holds to dynamic movements that increase range of motion and joint challenge. For example, evolve the plank into exercises like ab wheel rollouts that lengthen the lever arm and require coordinated scapular and hip control.
${component=Step}Keep things slow and steady when progressing load.
Incorporate heavy bilateral compound lifts, such as back squats, to develop core and joint stability under significant resistance. Starting with a basic 5x5 strength program provides a solid foundation for long-term stability gains.