Dealing w/ shoulder immobility

[Feng_Li]

Coaches All,

How do you deal at the seminar with a trainee whose shoulder mobility prevents them from getting the bar into any kind of squat grip?

My wife (6'1", long arms) is trying to learn the lifts. She can barely put the bar on her back, with fully extended wrists and just the distal segments of her middle and ring fingers for grip (like the two-fingered rack position for the clean) in the widest possible position. Even this grip causes so much discomfort that she cannot focus on a squat. Attempting to narrow the grip or get more of the fingers and hand on the bar causes intolerable pain in (I think) the biceps and anterior deltoids.

She can sort-of put the bar into position for a high-bar squat, with scapulae fully adducted, forearms nearly perpendicular to the bar, and the bar under the forearms about halfway between wrist and elbow.

She's working on stretching her shoulders, but is there anything else we can do to get her squatting?

[Tom Campitelli]

Tough to answer without seeing the person. The vast majority of people can get a bar on their backs with some work. For those that cannot, there front squats (possibly with the crossed arms, or California-style grip), straps, and safety squat bars. How old is she, can she bench press and press overhead. How much weight?

[Feng_Li]

Age 31, no shoulder injuries. Has successfully pressed empty bar; could probably do 55-60 lbs. Forward torso lean at lockout is minimal. I haven't seen her bench press, but I have no reason to believe she can't.

[Tom Campitelli]

She should be bench pressing and also working on chin ups. All of this will help with strength and flexibility. Once again, without being there, or even seeing a video, I am flying blind.

[Feng_Li]

Understood, Tom. I appreciate your trying.