Shoulder flexibility?

[XTrainer]

I notice that most good lifters, heck most lifters period, can lock their arms out overhead even with their ears or perhaps even further behind their head. When I raise an arm overhead, my flexibility only allows me to raise my arm so that my arm (at the elbow) is about 3 inches short of vertical, with some effort. I first took notice of this problem when I started doing overhead squats, and as you can imagine, OHS are quite difficult when you're holding the weight slightly in front of you rather than vertical or even sligthly behind the head (as mosy Oly lifters do).

What causes the flexibilty issue, and how can fix it?

I don't know if this means anything, but I'm pretty flexible otherwise. I'm long-legged but I can still reach down and grab my toes without bending at the knees, I squat ATG routinely, I can lay on my back and touch my knees to the ground next to me ears (it's a stretch we do for jiu-jitsu) and I can kick to the head in martial arts training as well...but I can't even raise my arm to perfectly vertical.

Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sounds to me like your shoulder ligaments are tight. Mine are too, and I have a little stenosis in my upper back, so I can't do OHSs either. Just for reference purposes, overhead squats are just like squats and presses in that the bar will be in a vertical relationship with the scapulas and the mid-foot, so that most people will have them behind the head at the bottom.

Fixing it is another matter. If conventional stretching hasn't helped, there are talented PTs that know how to release the joint capsule with a stretch they can apply to your shoulder. You just have to find one that knows how.

[XTrainer]

Thanks for the reply. I think it's great how you help all of us out.

Can you explain what you mean by "releasing the joint capsule?" What, physiologically, happens?

[mick in mpls]

I notice that most good lifters, heck most lifters period, can lock their arms out overhead even with their ears or perhaps even further behind their head. When I raise an arm overhead, my flexibility only allows me to raise my arm so that my arm (at the elbow) is about 3 inches short of vertical, with some effort. I first took notice of this problem when I started doing overhead squats, and as you can imagine, OHS are quite difficult when you're holding the weight slightly in front of you rather than vertical or even sligthly behind the head (as mosy Oly lifters do).

What causes the flexibilty issue, and how can fix it?

I don't know if this means anything, but I'm pretty flexible otherwise. I'm long-legged but I can still reach down and grab my toes without bending at the knees, I squat ATG routinely, I can lay on my back and touch my knees to the ground next to me ears (it's a stretch we do for jiu-jitsu) and I can kick to the head in martial arts training as well...but I can't even raise my arm to perfectly vertical.

Thanks.

Hey, I'm not sure, but A.R.T. might be worth looking into. I just started with a new chiropractor who does this and it's been amazing for my sciatica. They might be able to help you with this too. Just a thought.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Best I can tell, the single session stretched out my capsular ligament to the point that I can now carry overhead in good lockout on the side I had done, while the un-worked-on side is still short of lockout. I have to assume that the change is in the ligament itself. Don't know how, but the genius behind this is Dr. Kelly Starrett, my buddy at San Francisco CrossFit.

And thanks for thanking me. Many people think I am harsh.

[XTrainer]

Wow, that's very interesting. Looks like I need to do some reading. Is there any particular reason you still have an "un-worked-on" side? Is there some sort of undesirable side effect to this operation?

Harsh? You're helping people out for free, who are they to complain?

mick, thanks for pointing out A.R.T. I have talked to others about that in the past, but forgot about it. I'll look into that, too.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have an un-worked on side because Dr. Starrett lives in SF and I haven't had time to go get the other one done yet.

My harshness is in lieu of pay.