Panda

I was at a family gathering with people I haven’t seen for many many years. There were some older retired men, probably in their early 70’s. Shaking their hands left me feeling like a 12 yr old girl! What’s going on? My 450 DL seems to have done me no favor in this regard. Yes they all worked various hard manual labor type jobs day in day out, is it just purely a conditioning adaptation? I'm curious as to the mechanism, as I assume there would have been little progressive overload? Just the same shit every day over and over. I guess I’m just jealous of their true man hands!

Mark Rippetoe

I think you're just impressed with normal men, since there are so few of them to interact with. It's good that you noticed.

NicholasAstro

I’m a trades pipe welder. In certain situations at work (welding overhead or uncomfortable fixed positions) I tend to get bound up. I have full range of motion on all pressing movements.

Assuming someone desires greater flexibility outside of training, is there a method of increasing flexibility (I’m talking very minor improvements, not full on yogi shit) that can be safely performed without subjecting yourself to problems during the barbell lifts?

My situation pertains to the upper body. Specifically my shoulders. Rotating either shoulder internally or externally with arms extended 50-100%.

Mark Rippetoe

Do you do chins? Do you have trouble hanging from the bar in full extension?

Maybach

To the extent to which mobility is trainable, it is primarily trained as a strength based adaptation: you train your body to support the joint through the increased range of motion. You could try loading the range of motion you're dying to achieve, and stretching into it until you achieve the ROM you desire (the way you do with immobile people and the squat and deadlift, for example).

It'd be interesting to know exactly what you are after. You say you are "bound up": do you mean your muscles just cramp? Or there is a position you can't achieve that you are trying to? If the former, the press will eventually fix that. If the latter, what is that position? Can you not rotate your shoulders when your arms are extended? I don't think anyone really can based on how the shoulders are built, but maybe I'm misreading you.

NicholasAstro

No, I have not been training chins. I am able to hang from the bar in full extension. I’ve found when training chins I have trouble recovering from the training/occupational stress on my forearms (using an angle grinder all day).

As such I was curious how many I could perform untrained, and completed a set of 12 just prior to this post. For what it's worth I’m pressing 205 for 5x3 @183lbs bodyweight.

Mark Rippetoe

I guess you need to train chins, and work on your mobility at the hang position. But really, I don't know what you're asking.