Shoulder Pass-Through

Move · Flexibility & Mobility · Movement, Typed Supps

Takes your shoulders through their whole range with a stick or band.

Stage by stage

Set-up (Wide grip, straight arms): A stick or band held wide with elbows locked, so restriction cannot hide in the elbows.
During (Full shoulder range): The arms travel from full flexion through to extension behind the body.
At the transition (Anterior structures at length): Chest, anterior deltoid and the front of the capsule reach length behind the head.
Weeks later (A measurable gain): Grip width narrows as range improves, giving an objective number rather than a feeling.

Muscles trained

Primary: shoulders, chest
Secondary: upper back, rotator cuff, lats, traps

Intensity

2.3 METs (Stretching, mild).

Time to effect

Weeks: Grip width typically narrows measurably over four to eight weeks of near-daily practice.

Common myth

“The name means you’re dislocating something.” In reality: Nothing leaves the socket. The gymnastics term describes the visual impression of the arms rotating behind the body, and the drill is one of the more controlled ways to load shoulder range — provided the grip is wide enough to start.