Limbering question

[Daniel Taylor-Shaut]

So, every day I try to incorporate some door hangs (for lack of an in-home pullup bar) and deep squats. I do this to grease the groove and keep/improve mobility in my hip and shoulder joints. My question is whether I should use a range of motion I can manage which is wider and angled, and then slowly bring my arms and legs together? Or should I have my arms closer together while support less of my weight on just my arms; have my legs closer together with my feet facing forward and use a block to instead compensate for lacking achilles flexibility? Thoughts?

[Jason Dupree]

For the squats, I would not use the block, and make ankle mobility the priority. If you don't have the ankle mobility to squat, more hip mobility won't help much. And you'll get the active mobility benefits from using your anterior tibialis more without a block. Just hold on to something if you can't balance, and use less assisstance over time.

[Ryan Guy]

In regards to squats, lack of ankle mobility can be made up for, to some extent, via increased hip abduction and external rotation (i.e. wide stance, knees out). If you don't have a true ankle restriction/positional fault, you're better off just fixing the flexibility issue.

In the mean time, squat how you like. There is benefit in wider squats and assisted squats (i.e. heels raised, holding onto something in front of you, counterweight [e.g. goblet squat]). If your goal is to use the narrowest possible stance, I would do a mix of goblet squats and "holding onto something" squats both in a narrow stance while working out the ankle flexibility.

[Daniel Taylor-Shaut]

And for shoulder girdle strength, i.e. hanging and door hangs etc.

[Ryan Guy]

I assume you mean dead hangs or active hangs or something similar and your goal is to hang in that flexed shoulder position with your hands as close together as possible.

I would start wide and manageable and slowly creep in. You mentioned supporting some of your weight; could you elaborate? If it is to supplement a lack of strength or endurance, that's fine though I suspect my first suggestion to be preferable if it is possible. If it is to avoid pain, weakness (e.g. muscle imbalance, poor stabilization, etc.), or sundry odd sensations, that's just all bad.

Starting wide and working in will allow you the most favorable chance to correctly adapt to the position. Start with something that feels easy for a week or two then creep in. You'll be more likely to engage the correct musculature and give the ole connective tissue a small chance to adapt.

If your question wasn't about dead hangs and their variations, then I am a jack ass and I have included the following PSA as a form of penance.

Obligatory pain note because I'm pedantic:

Pain is always bad. Never work through it. If you notice any, hop off, rest, and reassess. If it continues, back off. If you can't do the movement without pain, rest for as long as it takes for the pain to resolve (e.g. days, weeks, months, years?) and try to find out what the problem is/was as there may be supplemental work that could help you rectify it and prevent the upcoming catastrophe. A professional's advice is also useful in the last case.

[Ryan Bailey]

Daniel,

I can totally relate as I've used hanging and squatting daily for hip/shoulders as well, with the goal to be able to feel like I am resting in the end range squat and overhead hand positions. Here are my thoughts:

Since learning of Dr. Kirsch's work at the Kirsch Institute for Shoulder Research, I have used a progression of hangs daily for the last year.  I have noticed nice improvements building up to the point of narrower grip (biceps to ears), attempting to keep ribs down, PPT, hip extension.  I can now rest comfortably 1 minute in this position.  For me, my focus is now GST progression specific and the issue is the interference with progressive hanging practice with Handstand 1 PE1 integrated mobility and Rope Climb PE1 element. As my active shoulder flexion and scapular elevation end range strength is crap.   Although my passive shoulder flexion has improved, I have had to place hanging skills on maintenance and I use it for warm up/cool down only.  This has helped the progression of Handstand mobility and RC PE1.  I hope this is an ok strategy as I'm sure hanging skills will be progressed further down the line in Coach Sommer's Foundations work?

[Mikkel Ravn]

Plenty of crazy dead hang variations down the line in Foundation, no need to worry too much about it now. K.I.S.S.

[Daniel Taylor-Shaut]

Yeaahhhh, I figured. I'm just impatient, haha; and wishing my SAS and BAS would progress as my leg strength is. But, yes patience at all costs.