Wrist flexibility

[Oldster]

I'm curious if anyone know about specific wrist flexibility stretches. Over the years of work I've lost so much of my wrist flexibility that I can't even get into position for a pushup. My wrists just won't bend that far. Forget racking a power clean or a clean grip for front squats, they just don't bend. Some of it has been from work related injuries, probably most now that I think about it.

If I make a fist and bend it forward, there is little wrist flexion. My knuckles probably don't move 2" forward even bending so far that pain sets in. Maybe its from hanging on to a truck steering wheel for so many decades, I'm not sure.

So are there any specific stretches outside of just pressing on one hand with the other?

Thanks.

[yorick]

I know that Rip addressed wrist flexibility for the front squat in SS 2nd ed., probably in 3rd too. He outlined a way to stretch them with the bar.

When I was getting my wrists accustomed to front squats, I would put my palms flat on a wall and slide them downwards gradually. I think you can do this with your fingers facing up or down to get a slightly different stretch (slide the hands up the wall if fingers are pointed down).

You could try wall push-ups with your wrists at various angles until you can eventually do a regular push-up.

[Foobar40]

A little goofy, but the best I can find in the short time I have at work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwqB...eature=related

That said, if you stretch them a little bit every day and they don't stretch out reasonably quickly, you may want to have them checked. It could be a structural limitation that stretching won't help and could possibly aggravate.

[Mr_Rogers]

A little goofy, but the best I can find in the short time I have at work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwqB...eature=related

I saw a video of Dan John instructing people how to do some lifts and was doing similar stretches.

I think the stretch yorick is referring to is the tricep stretch (from the PC chapter, I don't recall any other but my memory is horrible). For what it's worth, I have an easier time racking the bar when I remember to do it and I've fractured my right wrist four times (football, hockey x 2 and basketball) as a teenager.

[Mark E. Hurling]

We're roughly the same height, size, build, and weight. My wrists are the same as yours, inflexible as bricks. Every guy even near our size jujitsu I have ever encountered is the same way, and one or two are even less flexible than I am. So I think it just comes with the territory of a big bone structure. But we use four stretches to warm up before beating on each other in the dojo, three of which are useful for everyone.

1. Hold your right hand palm down. Reach over with your left hand and place it on the back of your right hand. Push your hand down as far as you can just before pain starts and bend your wrist down. Then the other hand.

2. Hold your right centered just over your sternum, elbow down, with your pinkie side facing inward. Reach over with your left hand so that your fingers wrap around the base of your right thumb and center your left thumb on the back of your right hand. Put a good bend on your right wrist as you use your left hand to turn your hand and wrist down and counterclockwise as far as you can before the pain starts. Switch hands.

3. Hold your right hand straight out in front of you with the palm up. Be sure to keep your right elbow straight the whole time. Reach over with your left hand and grab your right fingers. Bend your fingers down toward the ground. Switch hands

Then shake your wrists and fingers out like your are trying to air dry them to get all the circulation going in case some of the stretching restricted it. Take it easy on these especially at first. You may get more flexible later, but don't try to force something until you get used to them after a few weeks. You can screw up your wrists and fingers pretty good if you get too ambitious too soon with this stuff. You can also use it as a gauge of how much hurt this stuff can put on yourself or someone else when used in a non-theraputic manner. Like we do in mushin ryu.

The advice Rip gives in SS:3 isn't bad either. It's just somewhat narrower and more specific to making the rack position of the power clean more achieveable. These stretches above are more generalized in nature. The Perfesser might find them useful if she is prone to carpal tunnel from too much typing.

[BillBrownley]

Unless there is an underlying structural problem, I think the key is doing one or all of these everyday and being patient. Something we old guys excel at. You also search Kelly Starretts mobility WOD. He has some good there.

Are you two giants thinking about the Rippetoe Invitational?

Thanks, Bill

[Mark E. Hurling]

Thinking? Absolutely. I have to marshal our money carefully though as much as I may want to be part of the RipCon. I'm going to the seminar in Costa Mesa next month, and I will have to discuss this event with the Minister of Finance and Undersecretary of Defense AKA, Dearly Beloved. It's always possible Rip may find me to be so obnoxious in person that I may render myself persona non grata. Unlikely I know, but possible.

[D.W.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e032AQ-mOA

There are some useful methods here to get to a front squat rack position.

[BillBrownley]

I highly doubt it. It would be cool to see everyone.

[Oldster]

Wow, what great info here guys! I appreciate it. It is going to take some time going through all this. Looks like wrist flexibility really can happen.

As for Rippetoe Invitational, I'm not too much up on that. I haven't had a chance to say anything but the Perfesser had hernia surgery about 2 weeks ago and it turned out to be much much more than they expected and her healing has been slow. But now that I don't have to be helping out (consider that catering to her every whim and desire!) she is on the 'puter getting caught up on school work. I get about 15 minutes total per day on the 'net.