Front Rack Frustration?

Pain and/or difficulty in the front rack position is a common theme. As there are numerous faults that could be occurring, let's discuss some of the upper body MOBILITY restrictions that could be limiting a perfect front rack position.

THE ANATOMY

Very commonly, tight lats, decreased thoracic spine mobility, and/or a lack of wrist extension are what limit someone from a comfortable and proper front rack position.

If you have tight lats, your ability to put your hands outside of your shoulders and keep your elbows high in the front rack position can be greatly limited; while stiffness throughout your thoracic spine will limit your ability to exhibit good upright posture with the bar in the front rack.

Furthermore, a lack of wrist extension mobility will make it difficulty for you to simultaneously maintain good and comfortable hand contact on the bar while keeping your elbows high and parallel to the floor.

Why Does it Matter?

The faults mentioned above primarily make it difficult for you to keep your elbows high and parallel to the ground. When this happens, your ability to keep your trunk and upper body in an upright position is greatly reduced. Especially with heavy weight, this will drive your chest and trunk forward, forcing the weight further from your body, and causing you to have to dump the weight and fail the lift.

What To Do About It?

First and foremost, you could benefit from an evaluation by a Physical Therapist who can assess your specific limitations, analyze any faulty movement patterns, and optimally address your issues with a personalized mobility and corrective exercise program.

Until then, think about modifying movements and/or scaling weights to allow you to continue to strengthen your front rack position lifts. Here are some modifications you can try while you work on your front rack mobility:

1) Modify your Barbell Front Rack Movements such as cleans, shoulder to overhead, thrusters, etc. with DBs, KBs, or med balls.

2) Modify your front squat with one of these variations:

-Frankenstein Squats

-Front Squat with straps

-Safety Bar Squats

-KB/DB Goblet Squats

-Double DB or KB Front Squats

Improving your front rack position starts with understanding your own unique mobility restrictions and making smart, individualized modifications. Whether it's tight lats, stiff wrists, or limited thoracic extension, addressing these limitations with targeted mobility work can make a huge difference in both comfort and performance. If you're unsure where to start or want a more personalized approach, I’d love to help. You can schedule a free phone consultation here to talk through your goals, or book an initial evaluation here to get started on a custom mobility and strength plan built just for you.

Dr. Marissa Oxenford, DPT, CF-L2 Trainer, Cert. CMFA, Cert. Dry Needling, BRM

EMAIL: info@redemptionphysicaltherapy.com

IG: @marissarose_redemptionPT

www.redemptionphysicaltherapy.com