Tight Muscles = Poor Performance, Pain and/or Injury

I can't stress enough the importance of improving and maintaining mobility and flexibility.

Imagine driving your car with the hand brake on.  How do you suppose that would affect the car's performance and risk of damage?

Training with tight muscles is like driving with the hand brake on.  Do you have knee pain or back pain?  Chances are your hamstrings and/or quads are tight.  Unable to improve your max weight or circuit time?   Chances are your performance is compromised by tight muscles (lost power).

Stretching and soft tissue work (foam rolling, massage therapy, A.R.T., etc) will not only improve your performance, but relieve pain and prevent injuries.  It may not be as fun and exciting as the training, but it is just as important.