Shoulder Flexibility

[floorlover14]

Does anyone else have problems with shoulder flexibility?

I have been doing gymnastics for five years and it seems like my skills are never as good as they should be because of my lack of shoulder flexibility. No matter how hard I stretch my shoulders, I still have a shoulder angle. It's so frustrating because it makes it hard for me to keep my arms and legs straight on my backwalkover, frontwalkover, fronthandspring, and backhandspring. Over the last few weeks I have really been working hard to stretch my shoulders, but I don't really see any improvement. I am wondering if maybe I'm not stretching them the right way or something.

Is this a common problem?

What are some good ways for me to stretcrh my shoulders?

Is it possible that I will never get the neccessary shoulder flexibility to be able to do these skills the right way?

 

[JBS]

Everyone is built differently...some people are more flexible than others. I have always had very poor shoulder flexibility...but I was still able to perform skills. Every little bit of shoulder flexibility helps...so just keep working on it.

Check these threads:

shoulder flexibility - Search Results - The Chalk Bucket

 

[gymgirl1129]

I have the same problem. I don't know if mine are quite as bad as yours but it makes my cast handstand on bars really hard. I can keep my arms straight and don't usually have too bad a shoulder angle but when I need to open my shoulders all the way its really difficult while focusing on doing other things with my body. We do stretch them in our gym but I would love some other stretches I can do at home because I really want to get my cast handstand.

How we stretch is: Sit on your butt and put your hands behind you with striaight arms, fingers away from you, try to link your pinkies together, then scoot your but as far away from your hands as poosible. We also do this with our hands on top of panel mats. Then flip you hands around, and unlock your finger, bend your arms and lean back until you feel a stretch.
Here's another stretch I learned at camp, but you need a partner: Have one person sit on the floor in a pike with your arms up stright above your head. The other person stands behind you and pulls your arms back and can also push their knees into your shoulders a little to give a little extra umph.

Good luck with the flexibility and I hope this helped.

 

[lavinmeg]

I also have a lack of shoulder flexibility, so before doing bwo on beam my coach always makes me stretch my shoulders and they really do help. Go to the side high beam and place your hands on the side gripping the beam, lean down so your head is in between you shoulders. you should be stepped out a little. You can also try this against a wall.
Another shoulder stretch is to take one of the stretchy band things and hold it in you hands about your head with your fists facing away from you. Slowly rotate you shoulders backwards forcing your shoulders to rotate and stretch. THis is hard and shoulders seam resistant at first. The closer you bring your hands on this one the harder/better of a stretch it is .
The final shoulder stretch is in a back bend, it is not the best but it still works. Go into a bridge position and try to push your shoulders away. Make sure your hands are under your shoulders in the correct position. You can make this harder by making your feet farther and make your legs straight.

 

[BlairBob]

I would look through mobilitywod.com for any stretches you are not familiar with. Perhaps they will do something that your current repertoire is not.

 

[Typhoon]

I would recommend soft tissue work for the lat and the upper back. It gives an immediate increase in the range of motion. I would also second blairbob's suggest on the mobilitywod.com