It’s all in the shoulders.

As bodybuilders we know that strength is only as good as the mobility behind it. Everyone has a story of a big for nothing dude taken to task in the school yard by a smaller scrappier opponent because he was too big to throw a proper punch. But despite being on the embarrassing end of a world star video, mobility can limit the amount of weight you can push, that’s right, true story.

When your lifting heavy ass weights, your back needs to perform 2 functions. One is to act as a sturdy base to allow you to control the weights overhead and the second is to move those weights, mobility. Your thoracic spine needs to be able to extend and push your chest forward for stability moves like squats but also rotate as your shoulders rotate. When your back and shoulders are tight that means the movement must come from somewhere else – this is usually the thicker vertebrate of the lower back, and that’s a no no. The range of motion there is limited to a few degrees, any more can spell big trouble. So, what’s a bodybuilder to do?

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In this latest video, Men’s Health Fitness director B.J. Gaddour takes us through some stretches to increase mobility for both the upper back and shoulders. Leading you with a pain free lower back as well as massive gains on the weight rack. The video starts out simple in the beginning but gets a little trickier as it goes along. Ideally the end position is what you would be in for an overhead snatch or squat but stick to it if you don’t get it the first part, the aim is progression not perfection.

Do this drill 5-10 times before any overhead lifts for ideal results. Check out the video below: