4 Ways to Bulletproof Overhead Position for CrossFit
Like many other overhead sports, the number one injury in CrossFit is shoulder injuries. The shoulder accounts for about 26% of all injuries in CrossFit, which is even higher than baseball, where the shoulder still ranks number one but at 16%. So why is this?
Well, for one, the shoulder is the most unstable joint in the body. Stability is sacrificed for mobility. The shoulder is amazing at the range it can cover, but that comes at a cost. That motion must be controlled, and if not, problems can occur. The most vulnerable position for the shoulder is overhead. Overhead motion is a complex sequence that includes all four joints of the shoulder, two other influencing regions (Cervical and Thoracic Spine), and contributions from numerous muscles for achievement. Therefore, it is no wonder why performing in this space leaves us most susceptible to injuries. If one joint, region, or muscle lacks ability, then other parts of the chain have to compensate. This can then lead to a domino effect resulting in an issue.
On a professional level, I have been seeing this a lot lately, so I thought I would put together some of the best and most widely used exercises and provide the reasoning behind them. This can then allow athletes to stay healthy and perform their best in the gym. The best injury is the one you avoid.
1. Tight Lats
Tightness of the Latissimus Dorsi is a very common issue in overhead sports. The Lat attaches to the arm, shoulder blade, and even the low back. Its massive coverage means it can influence a lot of motion. The particular issue here is its connection to the shoulder blade. If the Lat is tight, it will keep the scapula in a depressed position. This is one of the primary actions of the Lat. To feel this for yourself, have your hands at your side and push them towards the floor; you should feel the Lat activate.
Since the action of this muscle is to depress the shoulder blade, it counteracts scapular elevation. Elevation is crucial for good overhead positioning. Therefore, we should aim to lengthen the Lat. Great stretches for this include a Prayer Stretch and a Banded Lat Stretch. You should aim to perform the stretches for 3 reps of 30 seconds and repeat that 5 times per week. Mobility work takes time; the muscle tissue and joint structures need to adapt to a new elongated position. Immediate results can be seen, but you will likely wake up closer to baseline the next day. More permanent results begin to show up around the 3-week marker. So be diligent and consistent.
2. Thoracic Spine Stiffness
Give this drill a try for me. Round your back as if you are sitting in the worst posture imaginable. Try to raise your arm overhead. It is probably very difficult, and achieving full motion was likely not possible. Now sit upright and raise the arm. Better, right? This drill highlights the role of the thoracic spine in achieving good overhead position. If the thoracic spine (the mid-back) is unable to extend, the shoulder gets stuck. I see this a lot with my desk workers who like to train CrossFit.
The way out of this is by utilizing both static and dynamic stretching. Static stretching can open up new ranges of motion, but dynamically moving through it can help you own it. The Prayer Stretch actually doubles as a great thoracic extension stretch. Dynamically, the Moose Antler works wonders. It targets both thoracic extension and rotation. Rotation is needed more for single-arm overhead motions like a dumbbell snatch. The more reps, the better for dynamic mobility, so feel free to do 30+ reps on each side for the Moose Antlers.
3. Scapular Upward Rotation
Half of your overhead mobility comes from the shoulder blade, which also acts as a foundation for the shoulder itself. Therefore, if the shoulder blade fails to get into a good position, the shoulder is compromised. I mentioned above how the shoulder blade needs to elevate to assist your overhead motion. In addition to elevation, it needs to upwardly rotate. Training the muscles that perform upward elevation is therefore important. The main muscles here are the Upper/Middle/Lower Traps and the Serratus Anterior. A simple yet efficient exercise for this is the Wall Slide paired with a Shrug. This will provide good activation of all the upward rotators and work great as a warm-up.
4. Scapular Posterior Tilt
Posterior tilting of the scapula refers to the shoulder blade's ability to tip backwards. This is necessary for any overhead movements that go past our mid-line, such as swings, wall walks, snatches, and overhead squats. The enemy here is the Pec Minor. This is the smaller sibling of our Pec Major, the muscle we typically associate with the chest. The Pec Minor attaches to our ribs and then to our shoulder blade from the front. Tightness of the pec minor pulls the shoulder blade forward, thereby limiting backward tipping. Desk work and sedentary posture can lead to significant tightness in this muscle.
A great combination for working on this motion is using a lacrosse ball to release the Pec Minor, followed by performing simple Wall Y's. The recommendation is to spend about 1-2 minutes rolling the muscle, and then perform 10-15 Wall Y's. Research shows that strengthening a muscle through its full range of motion can improve flexibility as effectively as stretching. This concept works brilliantly here. Give this a try before doing kipping and snatches, and see if you notice a difference.
Conclusion
And there you have it, 4 proven ways to bulletproof that overhead position for CrossFit. Not all of them may be necessary for you, but for the most part we can all use 1-2 of them. Give them a go if your overhead position has caused issues for you in the past and see if they help. Thanks for reading!
