Wall Slides – A Fantastic Exercise
Video by Travis Ewart

Wall Slides are a great shoulder mobility check to see where an athlete’s range of motion starts breaking down to improper form; it is also a fantastic exercise when applied to a rep scheme. Though the movement itself is relatively simple, it can become very difficult to keep proper positioning while performing at higher reps. Fatigue will be felt in the deltoids, traps and essentially anything the sun hits on your body at noon. Pay close attention to where your back is while moving through the motion as it’s usually the first culprit to cheat. If keeping your back against the wall proves to be extremely difficult, you can move your feet further away from the wall and bend at the knees more, or you can do the same exercise while laying on the floor.

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Jeff Estes
Jeff Estes
May 8, 2018 8:54 am

What if you wrist do not touch the wall? We are talking by at least three inches. I have struggled with shoulder mobility for 2 1/2 years of CrossFit and is the biggest detractor from improvement in a lot of areas.

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Michele Vieux
July 6, 2019 8:01 am
Reply to  Jeff Estes

Hi Jeff,

Sorry I just saw this…it’s most likely your thoracic and not your shoulders that are the problem. But either way, doing these more will help. We have also added a ton of thoracic and shoulder mobility drills to our YouTube channel. Check them out!

Here is a test to see if it’s your thoracic: https://youtu.be/SWxzV6qKGDE

There are a ton of others in there too for once you pinpoint the problem. If you’re still struggling to figure it out exactly, I’d recommend making an appointment with someone who practices functional movement assessments.

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