Rear shoulder raises

[James Kerslake]

I am trying to improve my shoulder mobility as holding a weighted bar behind my back and lifting up 90 degrees to horizontal is something I struggle with. I have been working on it for over 2 months now and still cannot elevate fully enough to progress. Does anyone have any thoughts on what exercises and stretches I could do to try and gain this last bit of mobility I need to get to horizontal?

Currently I use a broomstick with very wide grip to lift up behind, hold just above horizontal and stretch out my chest, I then bring the grip in by increments and do the same until I cant do it anymore. I also put my hands on a kitchen worktop behind me, squat down and try and keep my arms straight behind me as my shoulders drop, stretching it out this way.

I have definitely improved since when I started by a fair margin but I have hit a bit of a plateau now and dont feel I am progressing any more. What can I train to improve this?

[Andrew Long]

took me about 9 months to go from double shoulder width to about shoulder width doing it with a lightly weight broomstick 4 times a week every morning when I woke up + numerous pec stretching and rotator cuff exercises.  sometimes these things take time.  add a slight weight to the bar so you are strengthening those muscles and make sure you are not cheating yourself by rounding your back or craning your neck.  keep the shoulder blades retracted and externally rotate the upper arm.   start as wide as you can holding that position horizontal then slowly as it gets easier move the hands closer together..... throw in some pec and internal rotator cuff stretches with some external rotator cuff strengthening exercises and middle/lower trap exercises.  

or you could just get H1 and F1 working through those would help tremendously. 

[James Kerslake]

So I'm not the only one doing it with a broomstick ;-) Thanks for the tips, will start doing some of those extra stretches.

 

What do you mean by H1 and F1? Handstand 1 and Foundation 1? I'm doing both of those at the moment, stuck on progression three with H1 because of the above mobility problems though. F1 is progressing better. Was thinking about doing the Thoracic bridge stretch course too

[Mikkel Ravn]

Probably better to post this in the private H1 forum, as people will be able to give more specific advice relating to the exercise. This is currently posted in a public forum.