Luttrell Physical Therapy

Fix your front squat. Many people struggle with front squats due to lack of mobility. Most people new to fitness or those who work desk jobs struggle to get into a proper front rack position and often complain of wrist pain during front squats. While some tension in the forearm may lead to pain in the wrist most often the reason is due to lack of mobility in the shoulders and thoracic spine. In order to get into a front rack position where we can rest the barbell on our shoulders without pain we need to have shoulder flexion above 90, elbow flexion and good shoulder external rotation in that position. In other words we need to be able to touch our thumb to our shoulder with our shoulder above shoulder height. Then we also need to have the ability to rotate our forearms away from our shoulders so we can help balance the bar on the shoulder. Most times what I see is lack of shoulder external rotation and poor lat mobility being the biggest limiting factors to proper front rack positioning. Often the compensation will be over extension at the lower back or just not able to get the bar to rest on the shoulders so it is held in the wrist. The other part of the front squat that people often struggle with is the same as any squat: poor ankle mobility so they are not able to keep heels on the ground and squat down. I did a little mobility workout to work on these areas. Check it out below

15 min EMOM
Min 1 30 secs ea side banded lat stretch with external rotation of shoulder
Min 2 Load mobilization w/ KB (hold shoulders against the ground, do not press up)
Min 3 Same as 2 switch arms
Min 4 Banded ankle distraction (all directions)
Min 5 Same change legs

If you have any questions or need more help with mobility please reach out. Call/text (737) 757-0130 or email [email protected]

As a physical therapist I know that it is important to complete exercises for accessory muscles, those small muscles, improve mobility and improve mechanics in order to maintain a healthy body for the long term. At the same time I find it difficult to stay consistent with these because they are not as fun as doing a workout and doing things like stretching is just uncomfortable. That being said this is something I am trying to get better at.

This video is my attempt to make some of my accessory exercise or if you have been in PT before home exercises a little more fun.

Workout
21-15-9
Banded hip hinge
Cals on bike
Banded W’s to OH w/ ecc Y

This is for quality and not time so movements should be crisp. It was a good way to get movement work in with little fatigue and strength overhead under fatigue.

I am going to try to get more post like this out is if I can make this stuff a little more fun and easier to commit to.

Have questions or want to make your home exercise program more fun contact me and I will make a workout out of your HEP. Call or text (737) 757-0130 or email me at [email protected]. Also check our gym https://elevatefitnessclub.com and join us for a free week!

Knee pain during or after squatting?

Check out these quick easy self assessments to see if you are lacking in mobility that could be hindering your squat mechanics.

The most common reason for pain during squatting is poor technique and poor technique is often due to lack of necessary mobility. As a physical therapist two common areas I see limiting athletes from normal squat movement patterns are the ankles and the hips. The two assessments in the videos are a quick way to screen to see if you need to improve your mobility or maybe change up your squat stance.

The first video is looking at what is called closed chain dorsiflexion which is how far can the knee go over the toes without the foot coming off the ground. In this test you will be one hand width away from a wall or pole. Your goal is to be able to touch your knee to the wall without your heel coming up off the ground. If you can do this then you should be able to get into proper squat depth but if you can not you may need to work on calf muscle flexibility or ankle joint mobility.

The second video assesses hip flexion and what hip width is best for your squat stance. Everyone is built differently so it stands to reason not every squat stance is created equal. Your goal is to be able to flex your hip past 90 degrees without a pinch sensation in your hip or your butt coming up off the ground. If you feel that sensation then play around with different angles of the hip. If you are limited with all angles then you may need to improve hip flexor mobility or do some distracted hip flexion exercises.

Give these quick assessments a try to improve your squat mechanics and figure out what areas you may need to workout to eliminate pain during squats.

If you are experiencing pain or would just like to improve your mechanics to set a new PR contact me at [email protected] or visit my website at https://codyluttrelldpt.wixsite.com/luttrelldpt for a Free 20 min assessment