Road to shoulders Wall Extensions - questions

Hi All!

I read about wall extensions, the mobility exercise proposed by coach Sommer in this topic.

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/846-wall-extensions/

I tried it and I found it simply impossible. It is definitely a chimera for me! No chance to place my forearms vertical and in contact with the wall. So I realized that I have a severe lack of mobility that I would like to fix.

I read that a typical regression could be to perform this exercise on the floor.

Here's a pic.

In the top pic , I tried to put my forearms on the floor but that was my best. Very embarassing!!!

While Bringing some 1 kg weights (bottom left pic) I noticed that after about 2 minutes I was able to do place my forearms in contact with the floor.

After 5 minutes (bottom right) I retested with no weights, and I definitely improved my ROM. but we are still too far!

This is a pic of about a month ago, and I've been following the advice to hold this position for at least 5 minutes, in order to be able in future to place my forearms in contact with the floor with no weights. Luckily I see some improves!

Actually I should say that the use of weight is my idea. Moreover, after these 5 minutes of static position, I  perform "floor" extension, still using weights.

Could it be reasonable to use weights to allow me to get my forearms on the floor?? I was planning to reduce more and more the weights till I will be able to do that freely. Once I will be able to perform even floor extensions with no weights, I was thinking to be ready to move on the floor.

Could it be a good plan?

Another question: should wall extensions improve my shoulder flexion mobility??

Thanks to all!

wait the end of F4 for RC and HBP , after all the pieces of the puzzle will be placed together. wall extension are extremely good when you train for rings. if you approach them prematurely you can experiment impingement pain.

Alessandro Mainente said:

wait the end of F4 for RC and HBP , after all the pieces of the puzzle will be placed together. wall extension are extremely good when you train for rings. if you approach them prematurely you can experiment impingement pain.

I see! I thought it could be a good exercise to improve faster shoulders mobility, I didn't guess it was such an advanced exercise.

 Good to know! Thanks Alessandro!

Hey Mauler!

Have you tried foam rolling for your mobility? That helps me a lot!

Honestly, I don't understand your obsession of wall extensions. They're not that good. If they were, they'd be in fonudation courses. My wall extensions has improved a lot by foam rolling, stretching and dislocates. It takes time though!

Even if you choose to play around with these sometimes, not as a part of your workout, you need to make sure you have no tightness in the range of motion. Even clicking is a bad thing. And make sure that it is the weights that are pushing your forearms to the floor, not you actively pushing them down. Relax into the exercise and let the weights do the rest.

But as Alex said, you should should probably wait for later or at least have a professional evaluate whether or not you are ready for them

Hollow Man said:

Hey Mauler!

 

Have you tried foam rolling for your mobility? That helps me a lot!

 

Honestly, I don't understand your obsession of wall extensions. They're not that good. If they were, they'd be in fonudation courses. My wall extensions has improved a lot by foam rolling, stretching and dislocates. It takes time though!

the inability to correctly perform the wall extension is a clear sign of muscles imbalance between anterior and posterior muscles chain. the most productive way is fix this imbalance with active range of motion exercises. then work specifically on them.

 

 

wait the end of F4 for RC and HBP , after all the pieces of the puzzle will be placed together. wall extension are extremely good when you train for rings. if you approach them prematurely you can experiment impingement pain.

Wall extensions are part of the beginner shoulder flexibility online class, so I think Coach doesn't consider them advanced.

They aren't advanced, but Alex is right that if one tries to force them there is risk of impingement.

The weighted static holds the OP is doing are fine, but to try to do wall extensions (in this case weighted supine floor extensions) that way would be foolish.

I stopped to feel anterior shoulders pain only after approximately half bodyweight cuban. that is a milestone of shoulders mobility.

Cole stated something really interesting, and I strongly believe in this point. force something over a unsafe or unknown range of motion creates a good level of risk of shoulders instability during the movement.