Overhead Pressing is a very challenging activity to complete correctly. It tends to be a frequent source of pain in gym goers and is something that is often caused by limited mobility.
Normally you should be able to achieve 180 degrees of shoulder motion. Limitations to this range of motion may come from the spine, shoulder blade or shoulder joint.
A good self-clearance test for shoulder mobility can be conducted as follows. Start by standing with your back to the wall, elbows straight with low back touching the wall. Aim to reach overhead touching your thumbs to the wall without bending your elbows or arching your low back. If you cannot complete the exercise without the above compensations you probably need to work on your mobility! For video instructions, click HERE.
One useful mobility drill specific to the test that you previously attempted is “angel wings”. Lying on a lengthways on a foam roller, aim to follow the key coaching cues from the clearance test. Keep your elbows straight, low back in contact with the roller and aim to reach an overhead position with your thumbs touching the ground. Repeat daily for 20reps or so to assist with progressing your shoulder mobility!
For video instructions for these exercises, go to our You Tube Channel - HERE.
For video instructions on how to Shoulder Press properly, go to our You Tube Changel - HERE.
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