Anterior Compartment Mobilizations

Setup

Pec Minor / Subclavius

1. Stand facing a wall. Place a lacrosse ball between the wall and the front of your shoulder, just below the collarbone and slightly toward the armpit (pec minor region).
2. Lean into the wall to apply pressure. Slowly move the arm on the working side — raise it overhead, sweep it across the body, and circle it — while the ball pins the tissue.
3. Spend 30-60 seconds per spot, exploring the entire area below the collarbone.

Anterior Deltoid

1. Shift the ball to the front of the shoulder, on the meaty part of the anterior deltoid.
2. Apply pressure and slowly extend the arm behind you, then raise it overhead. Oscillate through these ranges while the ball pins the tissue.

Scalenes (Neck)

1. Lie face-up with a lacrosse ball placed under the side of your neck, on the scalene muscles (between the sternocleidomastoid and the trapezius).
2. Apply gentle pressure by relaxing into the ball. Slowly turn your head away from the ball and tilt your ear toward the opposite shoulder.
3. Hold on tender spots for 15-20 seconds. Be very gentle — the neck is sensitive.

Coaching Cues

What to feel:

• Localized pressure and a release sensation in the targeted tissue
• Improved shoulder range of motion and a feeling of openness across the chest

Common mistakes:

• Pressing too aggressively on the scalenes — use light pressure in the neck area
• Placing the ball directly on bone (collarbone, acromion) — stay on soft tissue
• Rushing through the mobilization — slow, sustained pressure is most effective

Tip

Work from the outside in: start with the pec minor (least sensitive), then the anterior deltoid, and finish with the scalenes (most sensitive). This gives your nervous system time to relax progressively.