Your wrists in CrossFit tend to take a lot of the brunt of the workload if you are having a difficult time with shoulder, tricep, pec, and lat mobility. The amount of stress and tension being placed on the wrists from heavy weight can create a lot of pain, and when combined with a lack of attention to the flexibility of the joint can quickly lead to poor wrist mobility and an inability to get into the front rack position comfortably. This creates a limit on one’s capability to execute critical lifts like cleans, overhead presses and jerk movements. Limited wrist mobility increases the risk of creating further damage and possible injury overtime.
The wrists are a complex joint full of bone, ligaments, connective tissue, muscles and nerves. It also has multiple ranges of movement such as flexion and extension, abduction and adduction. It also marks the area of transition between the forearm and the hand so the health of the wrist can directly impact your grip strength. If you lack motion at the wrist, it will try to make the motion up at the shoulder and elbow. Conversely, if we lack shoulder mobility, the body will try to make it up at the elbow and wrists. It is therefore just as important to focus on scapular and shoulder mobility as it is on the wrist, as the two are interconnected and focusing on one may not alleviate the problem for the other.
It is important to start your lifting sessions with wrist mobility work along with the forearms, pecs, and lats. Since they are all critical components in helping multiple chains of the movement.
Here are a few examples of exercises that you can incorporate into your mobility routine!
1. Wrist Rotations. This is very basic. Wrap your fingers together and move your wrists around in every possible direction. Hold any position that feels a little tender/limited for a few seconds. Repeat often throughout the day.
2. Prayers. Stand up and place your hands together in front of you, as if in prayer. Maintaining contact between your hands, lower them. Go as far as you can. The longer you can keep your hands together, the better you’ll stretch the wrists. At the bottom, reverse things so that your fingers point downward and your hands remain together. Come back up.
3. Static Holds. Pull your wrist back into extension and/or flexion and hold for at least 20-30 seconds.
4. Planche push–up position. Get into a plank position (elbows fully extended at the top of the push up). Turn your hands inward so your fingertips are pointing toward your toes. Keeping a rigid torso, shift your body forward so you have an angle from your shoulders to wrists. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds (or as long as you can bear) and repeat. If this is too intense, drop down to your knees and complete.
5. Wrist walks. Place your palms on a wall, with your arms straight and fingers pointing to the ceiling. Keeping contact with the wall, walk your hands down the wall. Go as far down as possible without letting your palms come off the wall. Once you reach the point where you can’t walk your hands down any farther, turn your hands around so your fingers are now pointing to the floor. Walk your wrists back up the wall as far upward as possible. Repeat.
6.Front squat rack position. If you have pain when trying to hold a front rack position, or can’t even get into it in the first place, you need to get your wrists working through the range of motion required for the front squat. Even though it’s your shoulders holding the bar in place rather than your wrists, you still need good wrist mobility to get the bar sitting correctly on top of your shoulders in the first place. Load a bar on a desired rack setting. Set up in a rack position, with your elbows pointing as far forward as possible and weight sitting on your shoulders. Pick up the bar and rotate your elbows forward, then re rack the bar. Repeat this process until you see a change in your rack position.
7. Ring Push Ups. A great exercise to work on wrist stability, as well as stability through the elbow, shoulder and core. Adjust the height of the rings appropriate for your fitness level (the lower the rings the more difficult the exercise). Grip the rings, keep your body straight and your legs fully extended behind you. Slowly lower yourself down towards the floor. Pause at the bottom then push yourself back up to the starting position. Do not lock out your elbows to maintain tension throughout the muscles during the exercise. Repeat.
8. Double Kettlebell Rack Walk. Take a kettlebell in each hand. Lift the kettlebells up under your chin so that your palms and your wrists are facing each other. The kettlebells should be resting on your shoulders and upper arms. Begin walking forward and hold the kettlebells at the same position the whole time. Continue for the desired amount of time or distance.
The wrists play a vital role in your ability to form strong lifting movements. You should be focusing not only on the mobility of exercises but also foam rolling and using pressure point RAD balls to decrease the fascia for a deeper stretch into the muscle fibers.
Reference
http://boxlifemagazine.com/health/wrist-mobility-why-its-important-how-to-improve-it