Arm Reach

The drill works on overhead reaching by loosening the chest and engaging the abdominals. The overhead arm reach lengthens the upper body. A forward arm reach helps engage the abdominals more effectively than a downward reach. Reaching forward is included as a key cue for improving abdominal engagement. The same-side downward reach may improve shoulder internal rotation on the elevated-foot side. Overhead reaching is defined as shoulder elevation around 120 degrees and above. The arm reach should come from the arm while the torso remains stable. The arm reach should move forward and upward as the knee rises. The arms should reach long while the tucked or scooped hip position is maintained. The exhale phase includes reaching the arms farther while maintaining lower-rib control. The reach should come from the shoulder blades sliding along the upper back. At high shoulder elevation angles, the humerus and scapula externally rotate, especially in shoulder flexion. Shoulder external rotation eccentrically orients internal rotators such as the pectoralis major, which is proposed to allow pump-handle activity and anterior thoracic expansion. Scapular upward rotation and scapular-plane pos…