Lesser Known Mobility Exercises Every CrossFit Athlete Should Utilise

SHOULDER CARS (GOOD)

Taking this exercise in a very slow and controlled manner allows you to really focus in on challenging your shoulder and thoracic spine to create the motion. Use the following cues:

• Start lying on your side and knees at 90 degrees and arms extended straight in front of the shoulders
• Reach forward with the top hand to where the palm of the top hand is beyond the fingertips of the bottom hand
• Begin to move the arm overhead, maintaining contact with the ground with the fingertips
• When the arm is directly overhead, externally rotate the shoulder so that the fingernails are touching the ground and continue the movement behind the body (allow the thoracic spine to rotate)
• Slowly reverse the motion back into the starting position and repeat on the other side

SHOULDER CARS (BAD)

Moving through this exercise too quickly allows for other areas of the body to compensate (such as the lumbar spine) if shoulder mobility and thoracic mobility aren’t your strengths.

Regression

Place a foam roller in between your legs to help give your lats slack and allow you to achieve a greater range of motion.