Need shoulder extension tips

Hi,

I've been doing Foundation, Stretch & Handstand for about 3 months now. Things are going well in general but I am still unable to perform a shoulder extension.

No matter how wide my hands are I can only raise my arms to about 45 degrees. Doing this does not feel like a stretch, it just feels like my muscles are working really hard.

Are there any modifications or alternatives I can do to make some progress with this stretch? This is holding me back from progressing and at this rate it might take me 5 years to get off PE2 (which is getting quite easy).

Thanks,

Shanon

Hi Shanon,

The best place to start is with a video submission. Also, how heavy is the bar that you are using? This one can take quite a while to improve but starting with too heavy of a bar can really slow progress. Looking forward to the video and to helping you get this one mastered!

I'm in the same boat; feels really challenging. Although I've been with this movement for only a few sessions so far (~3 months since starting f1). It feels like I really need to wake up some unused muscles for this to work. Going to be spending some time with this..

Hi Aki- Submitting a video for review is the best place to ensure your execution is correct. This one can be ver tough and your body will need time to adapt. Stay patient and keep using all of your course's resources to maximize your progress!

20 hours ago, Shanon McQuay said:

Hi,

I've been doing Foundation, Stretch & Handstand for about 3 months now. Things are going well in general but I am still unable to perform a shoulder extension.

No matter how wide my hands are I can only raise my arms to about 45 degrees. Doing this does not feel like a stretch, it just feels like my muscles are working really hard.

Are there any modifications or alternatives I can do to make some progress with this stretch? This is holding me back from progressing and at this rate it might take me 5 years to get off PE2 (which is getting quite easy).

Thanks,

Shanon

I'm sure you've read the forums that recommend that you begin with a very wide width and very little weight, then gradually shorten the width between your hands as your mobility improves.

Do not see this as a punishment (i.e., delaying your progress) but as an opportunity to fix a deficit that you didn't know you had. Having good shoulder extension is a fundamental requirement for more advanced GST exercises, particularly manna.

15 hours ago, Everett Carroll said:

Hi Aki- Submitting a video for review is the best place to ensure your execution is correct. This one can be ver tough and your body will need time to adapt. Stay patient and keep using all of your course's resources to maximize your progress!

Yeah I definitely will get to the review business asap, just got one videotaping riddle to solve before that. In the meanwhile I'm doing what I can to learn the right techniques on my own and to stay consistent. So far seen some nice development!

15 hours ago, John Kiggundu said:

I'm sure you've read the forums that recommend that you begin with a very wide width and very little weight, then gradually shorten the width between your hands as your mobility improves.

Do not see this as a punishment (i.e., delaying your progress) but as an opportunity to fix a deficit that you didn't know you had. Having good shoulder extension is a fundamental requirement for more advanced GST exercises, particularly manna.

For some reason I've missed this 'starting wide' point with regard to this movement. I just tried it, definitely helps getting started! I've been using about 1 kg weight attached to a dowel; would that be a suitable start?

21 hours ago, Everett Carroll said:

Hi Shanon,

The best place to start is with a video submission. Also, how heavy is the bar that you are using? This one can take quite a while to improve but starting with too heavy of a bar can really slow progress. Looking forward to the video and to helping you get this one mastered!

This is with no weight at all on the bar. I'll get on to recording a video submission.

12 hours ago, Aki Haapaniemi said:

Yeah I definitely will get to the review business asap, just got one videotaping riddle to solve before that. In the meanwhile I'm doing what I can to learn the right techniques on my own and to stay consistent. So far seen some nice development!

For some reason I've missed this 'starting wide' point with regard to this movement. I just tried it, definitely helps getting started! I've been using about 1 kg weight attached to a dowel; would that be a suitable start?

Use whatever weight that enables you to lift the bar to shoulder height. (NB: make sure your shoulders are retracted [i.e shoulder blades touching each other], depressed, and you're maintaining posterior pelvic tilt whenever you are performing this exercise.)

As a supplement to the regular shoulder extension, try this drill. Lie prone (i.e. face down) and hold the bar the same way you would have while standing. Try to raise the bar until its directly over your head from this prone position. If you're lucky, you might be able to raise it with no difficulty. In which case try to narrow the width of your hands until it becomes somewhat of a "struggle" to raise the bar over your head. If you can still raise the bar while prone, with arms at shoulder width, then add some weight to the bar until it becomes somewhat of a "struggle" but still doable. Focus on activating the upper back muscles (and not the triceps) when raising the bar. Continue this drill even after you've mastered PE2>iM.

I can now raise a 30 lb bar no problem from the prone position, but of course other things have helped with my progress, e.g. weighted dislocates and other F1/H1 mobility exercises that you'll encounter in the future.

You'll find this movement easier if you stretch out the pecs and do a shoulder extension stretch before you start working on them. After stretching, there will be less resistance and you will be able to build the strength easier and faster.

10 hours ago, John Kiggundu said:

Use whatever weight that enables you to lift the bar to shoulder height. (NB: make sure your shoulders are retracted [i.e shoulder blades touching each other], depressed, and you're maintaining posterior pelvic tilt whenever you are performing this exercise.)

As a supplement to the regular shoulder extension, try this drill. Lie prone (i.e. face down) and hold the bar the same way you would have while standing. Try to raise the bar until its directly over your head from this prone position. If you're lucky, you might be able to raise it with no difficulty. In which case try to narrow the width of your hands until it becomes somewhat of a "struggle" to raise the bar over your head. If you can still raise the bar while prone, with arms at shoulder width, then add some weight to the bar until it becomes somewhat of a "struggle" but still doable. Focus on activating the upper back muscles (and not the triceps) when raising the bar. Continue this drill even after you've mastered PE2>iM.

I can now raise a 30 lb bar no problem from the prone position, but of course other things have helped with my progress, e.g. weighted dislocates and other F1/H1 mobility exercises that you'll encounter in the future.

Aight, thanks for the pointers/suggestions! I'll put them to use next time with this movement