in additions to the e-book eric put out…which has awesome info…i ran across this on the webernet.

http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/2010/10/episode-71-overhead-squatsnatch-prep.html

it's got some decent little tricks for opening the hips and thoracic spine extension. i won't recommend the shoulder internal rotation shoulder stretch at the end…for reasonings found here: http://www.mikereinold.com/2009/02/my-top-5-least-favorite-exercises.html

i did both of these a few times yesterday and was able to maintain depth on the oh squat with a narrower grip. narrower grip = happier wrists :) i still have a ways to go…but, getting better.

Worth trying. If people remember the story I had entered on a mission to develop a narrower grip for my overhead squats because of my wrist problems when using a traditional wide or "snatch" grip (note the snatch is a lift not a grip). There is just no getting around the pain it cause my wrists to be torqued and weighted that way but there are two main functions for the wide grip in the Overhead squat (as opposed to the Snatch):

1. It is easier from a mobility standpoint. The wider your grip the easier it is to extend the back and keep the bar in the pocket WITHOUT simply stretching the shoulders back with the "reach back" which is a frequent mis-teaching for the OH squat.

2. It helps stabilize the bar laterally.

However, a narrower grip will allow most to eventually support more weight, both from a pure shoulder strength perspective and from a wrist perspective if they have problems with that.

The only way to develop this narrower grip if you are not already blessed with this kind of mobility is to do mobility drills and slowly bring the grip in narrower and narrower, which is what Pity is talking about and the purpose of this prone foam roller stretch he just linked. And I do think of that as a stretch rather than a mobility exercise.

Note that neither of us is talking about stretching the shoulders back. If you watch the video you will see that all the extension is in the back. I personally find prone drills such as these much less useful than the type of drills I outlined in tweaking the overhead squat but we don't need to limit ourselves and it's another tool in the toolbox.

On the internal rotator stretching I want to say that you do not just go working on internal rotation range of motion for the hell of it. Only when there is a marked deficit and this should be a comparison of one shoulder to the other. Also, the idea that the "fascia" stretches real tight being an indicator of the need for a particular stretch is a bit subjective.

I'd try the foam roller thoracic extension with a bar but for the rest I wouldn't recommend it.

the prone wall "squat" is not a bad drill…but it's very similar to sitting in the goblet squat pushing your knees out with the elbows…it just allows a slightly more upright back position.

but yeah…stretching into internal rotation just because…no sir. :)

There is nothing wrong with the prone wall squat. I was sort of ignoring it. When I said I wouldn't recommend the rest I really just meant the IR stretch. It's an ok mobilizer for the hips. My swiss ball drill is better though and you get a better representation of the kind of fascial restrictions that are at work. Most people, once they figure out how the hips work and just where they need to be when they squat, they find out that the hips per se are not the big problem and they respond very quickly to OH drills and a bit of gravity. The ankles and the fascial lines in the back, and general upper body mobility are the big problems. Remember I mention that you can push your knees out during the swiss ball drills as well, similar to a goblet squat position. Again, though, nothing wrong with it it's just that getting the hips open is not really the "toughy", relatively speaking.

ankles and upper body are definitely limiting points :)

foam roller has made hell lot of difference in thoracic spine mobility , specially after adding the bar to it . I am able to hold the bar much more efficiently then before.

Foam roller with the bar is a great fix !!..

During the overhead squat?

Welcome to the site! And I'm glad you were able to log in!

while using foam roller on my thoracic spine.

I follow Kelly Starrett for mobililty drills.

Sorry Harish, my question wasn't very clear. What I meant was, does using the foam roller thoracic extensions with the bar actually translate to added mobility during the overhead squat? Even without the overhead squat it's a great idea of course to maintain that good thoracic extension but I'm just wondering if this translates well to the actual performance of a squat.