Signature Methods

TEST 1: Thoracic spine mobility.

A) Begin in a tabletop position on your hands and knees. The hands go directly underneath your shoulders and knees hips width apart. You should be able to press the hands down into the ground and round through your upper back as well as retract the shoulder blades together and see an evenly curved backbend. If you cannot get both extension and flexion in your spine, it is an indicator of disfunction in your spine.

TEST 2: To test rotation of the upper back

A) Come onto your back, and come into a supine spinal twist. Extend the left leg. The right knee should go to the left, and your right hand should come to the head. Begin to rotate open. You should be able to get at least half way to the floor, otherwise this is an indicator of disfunction. Test on both sides.

Here are your fit tests:

TEST 1: Shoulder mobility and flexibility of the lats.

A) Extend the arm overhead with your thumb rotating towards the wall behind you as you bend your elbow. If you can get your elbow straight up towards the sky, you have good mobility in your lats as well as the external rotator of your rotator cuff. Test both sides.

TEST 2: Flexibility of the lats and triceps.

A) With your arms overhead, squat down. If as you squat the arms fall over, and are no longer over your head, it's a good indicator that you have tension in your lats and/or triceps that's stopping you from getting that full extension overhead.

TEST 1: Hip mobility and hip flexor and quadricep flexibility.

A) Find an object about knee height, rotate yourself away from the object and then step a few feet away from it. Place the top of your right foot on top of the object. Bend the left knee. The right knee should be able to drop straight towards the ground. If you feel like you have to hinge at your right hip and your chest drops forward as you go down, that tells you that there is excess tension in your hip flexors and/or quadriceps. Test both sides.

TEST 1: Hip mobility and hamstring and calf flexibility.

A) Reach your hips back and maintain a neutral spine. If your back is rounding and your butt is tucking underneath you then you have dysfunction in your hips and hamstrings.

TEST 2: Ankle mobility and hip and hamstring flexibility.

A) Stand with feet hips width apart, toes rotated out slightly. Squat as low as you can. If, as you go down, the heels start to lift off the ground, it's a good indicator that you could use more ankle mobility.

You should be able to keep your spine neutral as you squat to the height of your knees.

To test your wrists, the best indicator of disfunction is pain. If you feel pain while you're typing, lifting, or having any sort of movement through your wrists, it's and indicator that you might need more mobility in your wrists and forearms.

TEST 1: To test external rotator cuffs

A) Extend the right arm overhead, and put your hand behind you as you bend your elbow. You should be able to scratch your head without collapsing your chest, it's a good indicator that your external rotators of your rotator cuffs have disfunction. Test both sides.

TEST 2: To test internal rotator cuffs

A) Rotate your thumb towards the ground and bend the elbow. your hand should be able to reach behind your back. You'll be able to feel how high your hand gets up your back. Your shoulder shouldn't be rotating forward, and your back should be nuetral. If your shoulder is rotating forward or you back isn't neutral, it's an indicator that your internal rotator cuffs are tight.

TEST 3: To test shoulder and pec mobility

A) Lay on your back. Your shoulders should be flat, and your elbows should be about shoulder height. Your hands should be able to drop overhead and about touch the ground without your back lifting off the mat. If you feel a lot of the stretch in your pecs, its an indicator that your shoulders and pecs are too tight.