Any ideas on increasing your range of motion?

Glock13 · 01-14-2012, 11:53

I started lifting about 15 years ago. Since then, my flexibility/range of motion has went WAY down. I'll admit, I suck at stretching, but I am trying to get better at it. I am to the point where if I lie on a foam roller (running vertical down my spine) and put my arms out perpendicular to my body, they will not fall to the ground unless I put dumbells in my hands. I do this stretcha few times per day and I have also found that doing the same thing on an inclined setup bench also helps increase my flexibility in my shoulders/chest/upper body.

I also started doing these modified pushups where you keep your arms straight and just drop your chest/back down a few inches. This definitely seems to activate my back/rhomboid muscles and increase my range of motion.

What do you guys do? Do you use "weighted" stretches like I do to help you increase your stretches, etc?

Eyescream · 01-16-2012, 11:33

Best website ever for mobility and ROM stuff:

http://www.mobilitywod.com/

Big ups to strangepork.

BCR · 01-16-2012, 12:13

Those pushups are called scapular pushups.

I try to stretch my tightest areas after every workout and before I go to bed.

Thats my chest, shoulders (i do shoulder dislocators) and my hams.

But I'm still as stiff as a virgin on prom night.

Glock13 · 01-16-2012, 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCR

Those pushups are called scapular pushups.

I try to stretch my tightest areas after every workout and before I go to bed.

Thats my chest, shoulders (i do shoulder dislocators) and my hams.

But I'm still as stiff as a virgin on prom night.

What are shoulder dislocators?

BCR · 01-17-2012, 06:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glock13

What are shoulder dislocators?

These:

Shoulder Dislocations - YouTube

I do mine with bands cuz my shoulders are so tight.

remac · 01-17-2012, 08:49

Gonna sound funny but yoga. Been lifting and racing bikes for years. Don't stretch enough etc. Girlfriend boughth me the P90X system and I tried the yoga disc. Gotta say it was horrible! Felt weird doing it and it hurt like hell. But since I started doing it much better flexibility and range of motion.

Glock13 · 02-05-2012, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCR

These:

Shoulder Dislocations - YouTube

I do mine with bands cuz my shoulders are so tight.

Ok...I'm still loving the mobilitywod website...great stuff there. Have also tried the shoulder dislocators and I am not even close to being able to do that. My arms go about vertical above my head and that is it. Is anybody else not even close with these? I can't even fathom doing these with my flexibility right now.

Glock13 · 01-16-2012, 18:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyescream

Best website ever for mobility and ROM stuff:

http://www.mobilitywod.com/

Big ups to strangepork.

Awesome. That website might be exactly what I am looking for!

Glock13 · 01-18-2012, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyescream

Best website ever for mobility and ROM stuff:

http://www.mobilitywod.com/

Big ups to strangepork.

Eyescream! You the man! I did episode 356 today....EXACTLY what I was looking for...to a tee!

sappy13 · 01-17-2012, 10:46

iv lost some of my flexibility too and need to get it back. too young to be stiff. iv done the p90x yogo before and was bored to death, but it helped get rid of soreness and loosen me a little. My gf wants to start doing yoga at some point, so i might just go with her whenever she starts

Eyescream · 01-18-2012, 21:23

Eyescream · 01-18-2012, 21:24

I have supertight hamstrings and quads, and his suggestions have helped me a lot more than me fumbling around with a foamroller on my own would have.