Hypermobility: how straight is too straight?

Hey guys,

I'm having some confusion/issues regarding joint hypermobility and searched the forum for answers but couldn't find them. Recently I've been doing physical therapy for shoulder issues and the PT noticed that I have very hypermobile joints (especially knees and shoulders, but also elbows). She expressed concern over my doing straight arm/leg exercises with my joints hyperextended because it could cause damage to my ligaments over time, but I've read that for straight-arm strength training something along the lines of "even a little bit bent is still bent so stay vigilent and keep your arms straight". So should I straighten my arms/legs only as far as a normal person would be able to straighten them?

    I'm also a bit concerned with the hypermobility leading to joint laxity, instability, subluxations, etc. My shoulders and knees are my biggest concern. (i've subluxated my right shoulder dozens of times, which is why I'm in pt; I've subluxated my right knee only a few times and only when I was wrestling and my knee slid against the mat, so the PT said it was more of an issue of forced subluxation and not to be too concerned about it.) In the foundation work and also in H1, there are tons of exercises which I believe will help strengthen my shoulders and make them more stable, but I was wondering if there would be any more comprehensive joint strengthening work as far as the knees, maybe in the stretch series? Or should the SLS work be enough to stabilize my knees sufficiently?

Any answers are appreciated! Thanks!

Hyper extending elbows are not a problem for training straight arm strength. Several elite gymnasts have elbows that hyperextended to some degree. They key for everyone, regardless of elbow extension ability, is slow methodical progression to give the tendons time to adapt. "Straight arms" really means elbows locked, so if your elbows hyperextend you want to train straight arm strength in the hyperextended position.

SLS progressions should help with your knees - that's where I would start unless they cause you knee pain.

I have a lot of elbow hyperextension and I don't have any issues doing the straight arm progressions in the foundation series. If anything Planche leans for example where actually harder for me on the wrists at first, as the wrists are further back than what they would be if I had no elbow hyperextension. As long as you do it progressively your joints will adapt and Foundation is the smartest way to go about it that I've seen.

 

In my experience one exercise that I do recommend some care, as in do it with control and progress slowly is actually in H1 which is Shoulder Overgrip Dislocates, as it's quite a bicep stretch if you have elbow hyperextension (shoulder undergrip dislocates are much more confortable).