Improve Your Front Rack Mobility: 3 Warmup Exercises

Front rack mobility is a must for any weightlifter or general fitness enthusiast. It allows you to keep a more upright torso during front squats and cleans, which in turn can help you lift more weight and improve your form.

There are many ways to improve your front rack mobility, but one of the best is by doing specific pre-workout warmup exercises that target your front rack position and prepare your body for the movements to come.

At Strength Ambassadors, we know all about front rack mobility and how to improve it.

We’ve put together a list of 3 warm-up exercises that you can do before your workout to help improve your front rack position and ultimately, your strength and form. Let’s get started!

Why Improve Front Rack Mobility?

Improving your front rack mobility can have a number of benefits, particularly if you want to develop your clean and jerk and front squats.

With solid front rack mobility, your upper body will be able to remain more upright during these movements. This will help you keep a better form, which can lead to improved strength and performance.

Additionally, front rack mobility will help improve your ability to generate power from the bottom of a front squat.

The Role of Mobility Warm-Ups

When working with weights, a good front rack position is essential for success. You need to be able to keep a strong and stable position throughout the movement in order to move the weight effectively and with good form.

That’s why doing specific mobility warm-up stretches and exercises before your workout can be so beneficial. These exercises will help improve your range of motion and prepare your body for the movements to come.

As a result, you’ll be able to keep a better front rack position and improve your form and performance in your workout.

Shoulder mobility exercises as a warm-up can also aid shoulder flexion, external rotation and upper body mobility. When these motions are put together they help set the stage for a good front rack position.

3 Warm-Up Exercises To Improve Front Rack Mobility

You can use these 3 pre-training mobility exercises to improve your front rack position for the clean and jerk and the front squat. Each exercise included below has both beginner and advanced versions, which you can choose from based on how mobile you are right now. 

Watch our Youtube video below to learn more or keep reading for some extra information!

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Rack Rotations

Rack rotations make a great mobility warm-up exercise because by gently engaging and rotating the front rack, they help improve both shoulder and thoracic spine mobility. This will in turn help you keep a better front rack position during your workout.

There are a number of rack rotation variations, so we’ll take a closer look at one variation suitable for beginners and one that’s a bit more challenging. Both beginners and advanced lifters will benefit from this exercise by improving their front rack position and overhead mobility.

Rack Rotations (Beginner)

How to do it:

1. Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding your barbell in a back squat position, resting on the top of your engaged shoulder blades.
2. Holding your wrists still, push your elbows forward and then press them back again.
3. Repeat this motion 10-12 times.

Rack Rotations (Advanced)

How to do it:

1. Begin in a squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your barbell in a rack position on the top of your engaged shoulder blades.
2. Keeping your chest up and keeping your wrists still, press your elbows forward and then all the way back again. Repeat this motion 10-12 times.
3. As you become more comfortable with the movement, you can make it more challenging by adding weight or increasing the range of motion.

Wall Plate Raise

The wall plate raise is another excellent mobility exercise for the front rack. This exercise helps improve shoulder flexion and external rotation, both of which are important for a good front rack position. Plate raises also help improve scapular mobility, which is key for overhead pressing movements.

This exercise can be done with either a weight plate or a dumbbell. If you’re using a weight plate, make sure it’s not too heavy so that you can keep good form throughout the movement.

There are beginner and advanced versions of this exercise, so we’ll take a closer look at each one.

Wall Plate Raise (Beginners)

How to do it:

1. Begin in a squat position against the wall, holding your plate lowered in front of you.
2. Raise the plate above your head, to the full lockout of your elbows, then lower it back to the starting position.
3. Repeat this motion 10-12 times.

Skull Crusher Plate Raise (Advanced)

How to do it:

1. Begin in a squat position away from the wall, lifting the plate to your skull crusher starting position, with elbows up and the plate behind your neck.
2. Keeping your core engaged, press the plate overhead until your elbows are fully extended.
3. Lower the plate back to the starting position and repeat this motion 10-12 times.

Bench Rack Stretch

By giving your front rack a deep stretch and also engaging the arms, shoulders and lats, the bench rack stretch is an excellent way to improve front rack mobility.

This movement will help to lengthen the muscles around the shoulder girdle, especially the lats, and also increase blood flow to the area, which can help reduce stiffness and improve range of motion.

The beginner version of this exercise is done with just your body weight, while the advanced version includes adding weight to the movement.

Bench Rack Stretch (Beginners)

How to do it:

1. Using a stick, get into your bench rack stretch starting position, with your elbows on the bench, knees on the floor slightly away from the bench, flat back and the stick held behind your neck. You should feel a stretch on the lats at this point.
2. Press your wrists forward overhead, simulating a skull crusher movement, and then back to the starting position.
3. Repeat this motion 10-12 times.

Bench Rack Stretch (Advanced)

How to do it:

1. Using a med ball and with your knees further away from the bench, get into your bench rack stretch starting position, with your elbows on the bench, flat back and the med ball held behind your neck. You should feel a stretch on the lats at this point.
2. Keeping your back engaged, press the med ball overhead, then lower it back to the starting position.
3. Repeat this motion 10-12 times. 3 sets of 10-12 reps should be sufficient for most people. If you want to increase the intensity of this exercise, you can move your knees further away from the bench, add weight to the movement or hold the stretch for a longer period of time.

Front Rack Mobility FAQs

How do I improve my front rack mobility?

The best way to improve your front rack mobility is to focus on exercises that target the muscles and joints involved in the movement. These may include front squats, rack rotations, wall plate raises, and bench rack stretches. Stretching the lats, thoracic spine and forearms will also improve front rack mobility.

What does front rack mean?

The front rack position is when you hold a weight in the front of your body, typically with your hands at shoulder level and your elbows parallel to the ground. This position can be held with either a barbell, kettlebells or dumbbells. The group of muscles and joints involved in the front rack position typically includes the thoracic spine, lats, triceps, shoulders, forearms, wrists, and elbows.

How do you hold a front rack position?

The front rack position is achieved by shrugging your shoulders slightly upwards and outwards to create a ‘shelf’ for the weight, while keeping your upper arms parallel to the floor. It is essential to brace the core to support the weight, and keep the torso as upright as possible, so that the weight doesn’t pull you forward and result in a rounded back. 

Want the best results? Work with a Lifting Coach!

If you’re serious about seeing results from your weightlifting workout, it’s always best to work with a lifting coach. A lifting coach can help you identify your weaknesses and give you the tools you need to overcome them.

At Strength Ambassadors, our personal trainers and coaches are all experts in lifting technique and can help you get the most out of your workout.

Or you can Book a Strength Class today!