3 Fixes for Poor Front Rack Mobility in CrossFit (Hint: It’s Not Your Wrists)
If you’re a CrossFit athlete frustrated with poor front rack mobility—elbows dropping during front squats, wrists hurting during cleans, or an awkward bar path overhead—you’re not alone. But here’s the truth most people miss:
It’s might not be your wrists.
While limited wrist range of motion might feel like the issue, it’s often just the symptom of upstream mobility or stability problems. As a physical therapist who helps injured CrossFitters over 30 return to Rx workouts without scaling or modifying, I see this mistake all the time.
Here are the three key areas I focus on with athletes to dramatically improve front rack mobility—and make cleans, front squats, and overhead presses feel stronger and more natural.
1. Thoracic Spine Extension
The thoracic spine (your mid-back) needs to extend to allow a tall, upright front rack position. Without it, you’ll collapse forward, shift load onto your wrists and lower back, and lose efficiency on the barbell.
Many athletes try to compensate for poor thoracic extension by arching their low back, which leads to discomfort or injury over time.
Fix it: Try the bench-supported prayer stretch, but make sure the stretch targets your mid-back, not just the shoulders. Foam rolling your thoracic spine before lifting can also improve extension range of motion.
You can watch how to perform this drill HERE
2. Serratus Anterior Strength
This often-overlooked scapular stabilizer plays a huge role in upward rotation and keeping your shoulder blades flush against the rib cage. If it’s weak, your shoulder blade movement becomes dysfunctional—and your elbows won’t lift properly.
Fix it: Incorporate Weighted Sidelying Shoulder Flexion. These promote scapular upward rotation, which translates directly into better front rack control and overhead positioning.
You can watch how to perform this drill HERE.
3. Shoulder External Rotation Mobility
To get your full hand around the bar outside shoulder width, you need enough external rotation at the shoulder. If this is limited, you’ll struggle with bar grip, dropped elbows, and excessive wrist stress.
Fix it: Perform the Dowel External Rotation Stretch, ensuring the stretch is felt at the shoulder, not the elbow. Pair this with serratus activation drills for best results.
You can watch how to perform this drill HERE.
Final Thoughts
If your front rack mobility has been holding you back, don’t waste another month stretching your wrists. Start focusing on the true root causes: thoracic extension, scapular strength, and shoulder mobility.
And if you’re an over-30 CrossFitter dealing with pain or limitations that force you to scale—know this: you don’t have to settle.
Our Lewis Performance Rebuild Method is designed to help athletes like you rebuild strength, restore mobility, and return to Rx workouts pain-free.
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👉 Watch the full video here to learn more about how you can master your kettlebell swings!
👉 Want a free guide to help you get started? Text “Rx” to 732-724-1381 and we’ll send you “The Rx Blueprint”—your roadmap to getting back under the bar, stronger than ever.
