Now that you have assessed your mobility, where do you go from here?

Well, this is where stretching, mobility, and strength come in. Our shoulders are an intricate network of tendons, muscles and nerves that capsulate the joint. Just a sliver of tightness can inhibit movement and cause pain, hence why we need to be diligent with our mobility.

If you assessed your mobility (if not, check out part 1), 3 out of the 4 assessments require similar stretches due to their similarity. They are the shoulder flexion, seated wall slides, and external rotation assessments. All three movements are usually limited by a tight latissimus dorsi, pectoralis muscle, subscapularis, and teres major.

Stretches are usually held for 2-3 minutes and should be completed at least 20 minutes a night.

Shoulder flexion/External rotation/Seated wall slides

PVC lat stretch on bench

Archer stretch (with a red band)

PVC shoulder external rotation

Internal rotation

Concerning internal rotation, this range of motion is mainly limited by a tight infraspinatus, teres minor, along with possible joint dysfunction.

Supine shoulder flexion and internal rotation with a lacrosse ball

Lacrosse ball cross-body stretch against the rig

Standing pec stretch against the rig

Kneeling rhomboid stretch

Sleeper stretch

Coach Karina Wait

B.S. Kinesiology, Human Performance

CrossFit Level 1

USAW Sports Performance Coach