Overhead squat/snatch catch position flexibility

[Adam Lee Griffis]

I need any and all suggestions for helping shoulder flexibility during an overhead squat. I cant sit in the bottom position very comfortable without falling forward

[Mitch Medeiros]

I'd suggest taking a good look at your ankle mobility. Take a look at this video (WFS)...

http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/02/t...squatting.html

and do some searching around on mobility wod. Kelly Starrett is the man and has give the world a great free resource.

[Nicholas Ferrara]

Originally Posted by Adam Lee Griffis

I need any and all suggestions for helping shoulder flexibility during an overhead squat. I cant sit in the bottom position very comfortable without falling forward

I have had good luck with this stretch, position whatever. I get next to a wall, get my butt as close as possible and put my feet on the wall like I am in a squat position but laying on my back. You will feel a good stretch in your ham strings and calves, you then lift your pelvis off the floor and and you can feel the muscles in your core tighten up. Whatever squat position you are working on, you have your arms in the position. I still can't go as low as I can with a back squat, but I can overhead squat a whole lot further down than I could a week ago. I still have trouble with getting my arms correct with a front squat, still haven't found that magic stretch to get them more flexible yet, and I have some wrist mobility issues getting the bar in the correct position, hopefully that will clear up with normal crossfit activity.

Another thing that helped a lot was getting in some of the yoga poses for psoas release then psoas stretch. It is really helping my mobility, and I do all these stretches during the hand full of TV shows I watch. It is an amazing feeling when the Yoga Releases work, 100X better than a massage when you feel the muscle release.

[Brendan McNamar]

http://www.californiastrength.com/vi...-weightlifting

This should cover it.

[Jason Smart]

Brendan thank you very much. My rack position Is terrible. Can't wait to try this tomorrow!

[Sheldon Kreger]

Here's Hysen Pulaku's big secret LOL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy8ksh6VqoM

Seriously, though, the sport requires flexibility everywhere. If you really want to be in the bottom with something heavy overhead, you'll need hip, ankle, and shoulder mobility. Otherwise, you'll miss forward every time you try to get under the bar.

Can you post a video? How is your front squat? Can we see that, too?

-sheldon

[Adam Lee Griffis]

Yeah my front squat is pretty decent. I can get 375 with my butt on the ground in the hole and feel no pain, but once i get that bar above my head and try to go behind my ears my shoulders kill me

[Brian Strump]

Everyone's guess can be helpful, IF tht is your problem. Some medical practioners use the OHS as part of a total body assessment.

So, depending on your problem, you will be wasting alot of time chasing what you think may be your problem.

This article should help give you the big picture of what's going on, or going wrong during the overhead squat.
WFS
http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/m...e.php?id=55111

[Daniel Pope]

My favorite exercises for building mobility in the snatch and overhead squat with video demos: http://fitnesspainfree.com/?p=362

Huge areas that can limit your lifting technique will be the:

Ankles http://fitnesspainfree.com/?p=706
Hips (Plenty of vids in the above link)
Thoracic Spine (Upper Back) http://fitnesspainfree.com/?p=2642
Shoulders http://youtu.be/GIFASVbFtT0

I'd really hammer these areas as often as possible until the technique improves. I had terrible snatch technique and these stretches really helped immensely.

Hope that helps,
Dan www.fitnesspainfree.com