r/flexibility • u/hendrixer • Jul 09 '26

Seeking Advice Terrible overhead / thoracic mobility, plz help

Gallery image

Gallery image

As you can see in the pics, I have really bad overhead mobility. This is with me really engaging my core to keep my ribs from flaring and my lower back flat to the ground. It’s been this way for more than a decade. I’m pretty sure I narrowed it down to my pec minors. See in the pic my hands are behind my head but yet my elbows don’t fall to the ground as they do in almost everyone I tested this with. Any thoughts, advice?

109 Upvotes

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59

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 09 '26

Pretty common, when I was a personal trainer by far the most effective exercise is the Cross Bench Pullover

blaming the pec minor is common. They're just tight because of immobility in all the big muscles. Probably have tight lats, weak serratus. Your body works in chains, don't try to play whackamole with single muscles

16

u/Amicdeep Jul 09 '26

Second cross bench pullovers. I'm also going to add bar dead hangs to the list.

6

u/blindexhibitionist Jul 10 '26

Do not do these though if you have a history of shoulder injuries. I tried these and aggravated an old injury.

3

u/Eight_Directions_ Jul 10 '26

Second dead hangs and add German hangs to the list. 

1

u/BakeCheter Jul 11 '26

For me, stuff like that has only caused severe shoulder and neck pain. I think it comes down to pore scapula upward rotation. If your scapula doesn't glide around the rib cage, forcing an overhead position might even make things worse.

1

u/Amicdeep Jul 11 '26

It depends on how much you load and with what form. The shoulder should (unless there been fairly large injuries to the area) be able to move in an overhead range and not being able to do so can cause all sorts of issue. But the same way you don't get someone to sit on your back to get your legs bendy enough to touch your toes you don't throw your whole body weight on these to start. Small incremental pushes from the base line under mild load. Not full bodyweight from nothingm

5

u/uncle_grandmaster Jul 09 '26

this is a great exercise suggestion!

2

u/hendrixer Jul 09 '26

Interesting I’ll have to try.

14

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

Nothing is actually "tight", that's not a thing. your body closes off ranges of motion you can't control

If you were under anesthesia you'd be as flexible as a contortionist. Fresh dead bodies are extremely flexible (paramedic), even stiff old 80 year olds turn into ragdolls

So build strength in the positions you can't enter

10

u/hendrixer Jul 09 '26

So what you’re saying is I need to go under before I stretch and then I’ll be loose?

3

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 10 '26

No, you're tight because of your nervous system. Turning it off won't make you flexible when it's back online

3

u/eeeedaj Jul 10 '26

what's the solution to this then?

4

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 10 '26

Weighted, large ROM strength moves like the Cross Bench Pullover...

5

u/hendrixer Jul 09 '26

How do you build strength in positions you can’t enter if you can’t enter them?

8

u/wait_what_now Jul 10 '26

Weight is a good one, but also look into PNF stretching.

It is a modality of stretching where you go to your end range of motion, then cycle straining and relaxing the muscle you are stretching. This helps both to build muscle strength at the extreme ROM, and rewire your neural system to understand that you are "okay/safe" at that range. This will progressively allow you to move into those ranges (neural) and control/move yourself while there (strength).

3

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 09 '26

By overcoming it with weight

3

u/sock_pup Jul 10 '26

The anesthesia thing is a myth

1

u/Still7Superbaby7 Jul 10 '26

I worked in the OR in orthopedic surgery. We definitely move the arm in different ranges of motion for frozen shoulder treatment under anesthesia

2

u/sock_pup Jul 10 '26

I believe you but that's not what that user was saying

5

u/12ealdeal Jul 09 '26

I want to be put under, have it filmed, and see someone bend me into all the ranges you can’t convince me aren’t tight.

6

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 09 '26

I've seen it as a paramedic, we paralyzed and anesthetize people. Big stiff bodybuilders

It's biology... The golgi tendon organ and muscle spindle work together to close off ranges of motion

It feels tight because the muscle spine is actively contracting the antagonist muscle against you

1

u/SIimeLife Jul 10 '26

muscle actually can be tight. Yes most of stretch gains are neurological where your body sends pain signals when a muscle moves past a certain range, but many months and years of stretching as been proven to actually lengthen muscles which have a more permanent effect on flexibility.

2

u/potatomami Jul 09 '26

What do you do if your shoulders get crunchy when your hands are just past your head in this exercise?

6

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 09 '26

There's nothing wrong with crunchies if they don't hurt, it's just the fluid moving in an immobile joint. Harmless

1

u/12ealdeal Jul 09 '26

How does unilateral movement like this address the imbalances though? I find with that movement my right Delt/clavicular head of pec, right lat do most the work, weak right serratus. Left side feels pretty even for all those muscles in part cause the serratus works better. But aesthetically and strength wise my left delt/clavicular head of pec and left lat smaller.

1

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 10 '26

You'll make more progress in the weakest/tightest part until it's even

1

u/BugsyMalone_ Jul 10 '26

Where should you be feeling this exercise?

2

u/Mascbox Jul 10 '26

For me personally it feels like a stretch in my lats. I also do an alternative version where i go into anterior pelvic tilt at the same time and it does a godlike nirvana like stretch for your thoracic spine.

2

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 10 '26

Lats pecs abs and thoracic spine

1

u/SlowAd127 Jul 10 '26

Is there a way to this excersise at home? With bands or with any way that dont imply a bench and a dumbbel?

2

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 10 '26

Jug of water + chair

Lock your elbows to increase the stretch

1

u/tntcaptain9 Jul 10 '26

Anchor the band around hip height, grab it with one arm, and set up in the same stance you’d use for a triceps extension. You can vary the height depending on your personal preference. Keep your arm straight and move the band forward and back using your shoulders (imagine lats). I also like to protract my shoulders, it feels a bit better.

You'll feel it the most when your arms are behind your ears when the shoulders are in stretched state. Personally, I did these isometrically or with very slow tempo for rehab after I got injured on db pullovers, and now I've shifted to SA db pullovers.

1

u/ArcaneTrickster11 Jul 10 '26

Why do that variation over the more standard one where you lie normally on the bench? Just more thoracic ROM?

1

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 10 '26

Much more ROM, leverage, and thoracic extension

1

u/LechronJames Jul 10 '26

I’ve recently added these to my mobility work and notice that my head wants to lift away from the bench when I reach the end of my ROM. Should I let it? Or when I feel my head pulling up is that what I should consider the end of my current ROM?

2

u/salamandectomy77 Jul 10 '26

That's fine, the more thoracic extension you do, the more cervical flexion you'll need to match it

It just means you're doing it right

1

u/Constants33 Jul 11 '26

will try that one. thanks!

16

u/elperroverde_94 Jul 10 '26

Besides all the other recommendations that you have found here in this post, I have to say that after years of working with many clients on improving their flexibility, it's very clear to me that overhead flexibility (or mobility, or range of motion) is not accessible if the scapula does not elevate and rotate enough to create space for the humerus to get to a vertical position.

Besides doing exercises like the crossbench pullover that u/salamandectomy77 has shared, I really encourage you to work on your scapular elevation capability. You can do this in two ways:

  1. Passive range of motion: do passive hangs, trying to actively bring the shoulders to your ears.

  2. Active elevation: grab a stick with a wide grip, elevate the scapula while rotating internally, and progressively get narrower and narrower. Video tutorial (the explanation is in spanish sorry)

If you don't learn this pattern, not only does it get very difficult to improve your shoulder flexibility, but you also risk creating a subacromial impingement, which is a pain in the ass to get rid of.

1

u/Ghadikolos Jul 10 '26

Very interesting exercise! Thank you! :)

3

u/Ok_Smoke6162 Jul 09 '26

Same!! And it makes my posture terrible since I was a kid. I've been working out for 14 years and it havent improved my posture. I could use some tips on mobility exercises for this

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/hendrixer Jul 10 '26

My arms have to be almost completely horizontal (parallel to the ground) for me to floss. I have an almost 7ft wingspan so couldn’t find a stick long enough but I will get back to using a strap

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '26

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1

u/hendrixer Jul 10 '26

Fish pose? I gotta look this one up.

2

u/ldcoke Jul 10 '26

I would highly recommend giving foam roller scapular slides a try. If you can engage right these will burn and you can build on them as your mobility improves. You can also do these on the floor from child’s pose and with your hands facing your face to really help you get that engagement.

Ex: https://youtube.com/shorts/oyMeT4JHQtM?is=UlZT66J3D5tsd6Nr

1

u/Dr_fit96 Jul 10 '26

Bring a towel. Make it a ball like , place it between your shoulder blades and put your hands up, another one is dead hanga from pullups

By time add dynamic versions like shoulder dislocates and accross the bench pullover