Thoracic Spine Mobility and Exercise Selection

A very common problem in people with shoulder mobility issues is tightness in the Latissimas Dorsi. The Latissimus Dorsi is a large mid back muscle which aids in adduction. This issue is identified when a person can't lift their arms above their head without the lower back over extending.

When it comes to resistance exercises for this specific dilemma, I don't advise people to perform direct lifts above eye level. This includes all shoulder press and pull up variety's. This may cause damage to the lumbar vertebra. Second of all, I use unilateral (single handed) exercises as this allows the participants to perform rotational movements of the thoracic spine to improve mobility and the comfort of the exercise.

Exercises to consider are the land mine press, the single hand gym ball chest press and the single hand seated row.