Mobility Exercise of the Week: Supine Banded Shoulder Flexion on Roller

Written on June 22, 2018 at 8:00 am, by Eric Cressey

The supine banded shoulder flexion on roller is a new shoulder mobility drill I came up with that is really growing on me quickly. Effectively, it's an alternative to a back to wall shoulder flexion for those who may struggle to "compete against" gravity as they take the arms overhead in the standing position.

In this drill:

1. The foam roller provides feedback for posterior pelvic tilt, thoracic extension, and a more neutral cervical spine posture.

2. Gravity assists the individual into overhead motion to overcome stiffness through the lats, teres major, long head of triceps, inferior capsule, pec minor, etc.

3. The fact that the roller doesn't impede scapular motion (like the wall or floor would) makes it easier to achieve some scapular posterior tilt as the arms go overhead.

4. The supinated grip drives some shoulder external rotation, placing the lats on stretch in the transverse plane so that folks can't "cheat" the movement by letting their hands drift toward the midline.

5. The band creates some posterior rotator cuff recruitment,

I'll take this over a few sets of ugly band pullaparts any day. What's not to like?

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