Research Corner - Q&A Wall Sit w/Arm Raise by Gray Cook | Date Released : 24 Jan 2008 0 comments Print Close Question: I have a very strong client in good physical shape. However, she has a minor anterior tilt and a forward head/protracted shoulder posture. When performing the Reebok assessments, all the ones she had difficulty with kept pointing to doing the wall sit with arm raise. She finds this exercise very difficult and cannot perform it correctly. As her arms raise, she feels strain in her lower back. How do I assess whether tight lats and protracted shoulders are causing the inability to do this exercise or tightness in the lower back and core stability? What exercises can I do as a prerequisite to the wall sit arm raise? Answer: First, it does sound like tight lats, but that is not the only issue. I could use this space to discuss how we clinically evaluate tight lats, but that will not solve your problem. Problems are rarely isolated. It is human nature to want to blame one thing, but it is never that simple. Look at it as a limited movement pattern - you must fix the pattern, not just the parts of the pattern. The wall sit is the correct exercise choice. You just need to make some modifications. To modify the exercise until she improves, elevate her butt and leave her feet on the ground. They do this in yoga when people have tight hips. We use something that is about eight inches by eight inches with thickness ranging from two to six inches. Supporting the thighs will also help. We start them on a lift of six inches and reduce it by one or two inches as things improve. A one inch board or exercise mat cut to size works well. Only slide one arm up the wall at a time, and take note of the tightest side, if there is one. Focus on symmetry. Use a stick to create a passive traction stretch and progressively lower the butt. This stretch will help break the bad pattern, but it will take something like dead-lifts to change the posture. Stretching rarely changes posture. It requires breaking an old pattern (wall sit) and making a new pattern (dead-lifting). Most trainers don't use dead-lifting and modified dead-lifting as much as they should. We did a DVD called Secrets of the Core - The Backside that teaches this in detail if you have technical questions. I've included two pictures below to help you visualize the move. Note, in Figure 1, the individual does not have a butt lift. I attached this picture so you can see the single arm passive traction stretch. Don't forget to do something to reduce muscle tone before you stretch. I prefer the stick over foam roll for lats (Figure 2). Figure 1 Figure 2 Back to top About the author: Gray Cook Gray Cook, a practicing physical therapist, has spent his entire career refining and developing functional evaluation exercise techniques. His interests have led him in two directions. The first was in the field of reactive training techniques starting with his Masters thesis. His work was developed into a journal article that was the foundation of a nationally recognized continuing education course for physical therapists and athletic trainers. The course is offered through the North American Sports Medicine Institute and the information ultimately became a book chapter. Gray’s second contribution was in the form of functional movement screening. This tool is not so much an evaluation for individuals entering rehabilitation as it is a screening tool for individuals participating in sports and fitness activities. Gray’s first movement screen targeted the athletic population out of a desire to curtail the unnecessary injuries in athletics as a result of poor conditioning and poor flexibility that result in poor movement patterns. He realized that the one piece of information not currently being considered in the field of sports medicine, sports conditioning, fitness and rehabilitation was that movement is represented not by isolated singular movements but by unique patterns of movement that can either work together or against each other in the human system. Cook realized that a system needed to be in place to recognize and objectify these patterns. Gray has lectured nationally and internationally in the fields of physical therapy, sports medicine and performance enhancement. He has served as a consultant to numerous universities and professional sports teams in all four major sports. Gray’s consulting is not limited to rehabilitation and sports medicine. He is equally sought after for his advice on conditioning and performance enhancement. Gray currently practices physical therapy in southwest Virginia and continues to publish and present topics related to rehabilitation and exercise. Gray is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist with the American Physical Therapy Association. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a Level I coach with the U. S. Weight Lifting Federation. Full Author Details Related content Content from Gray Cook Reebok Movement Screens and Tight Hamstrings Gray Cook | Articles SMR with "The Stick" Noah Hittner | Articles Tight Muscles & SI Joint Pain Greg Roskopf | Articles Principles of Corrective Exercise by Anthony Carey | Videos Squat Test: Reebok Screens Gray Cook | Articles Reebok Movement Screens Part 3: Deep Squat and In Line Lunge by Gray Cook | Videos Reebok Movement Screens - Case Study 1 Annette Lang | Articles Reebok Movement Screens Part 2: Screens vs. Evaluations by Gray Cook | Videos Reebok Movement Screens Part 1: History and Rationale by Gray Cook | Videos Back Muscle Tightness and Referred Pain Alan Russell | Articles Watch Your Feet for Improved Core Stability Gray Cook | Articles Wall Sit w/Arm Raise Gray Cook | Articles Chop and Lift - Part 3 Gray Cook | Articles Chop and Lift - Part 2 Gray Cook | Articles Proper Form and Muscle Fatigue Gray Cook | Articles Chop and Lift - Part 1 Gray Cook | Articles Reebok Movement Screens and Tight Hamstrings Gray Cook | Articles What's Behind the Injury? Gray Cook | Articles The Back Side of the Core Gray Cook | Articles Training Movement Specificity Gray Cook | Articles Squat Test: Reebok Screens Gray Cook | Articles Core and Neurostabilization Training Gray Cook | Articles Please login to leave a comment Comments (0) Back to top