Why stretching isn't fixing your shoulder mobility (and what actually works)

Tim Stevenson
2 days ago
3 min read

The Mobility Maze: Why So Many People Stay Stuck

If you’ve ever tried to improve your shoulder mobility, you’ve probably been told to stretch more. Maybe you’ve added some massage, foam rolling, or a handful of odd-looking implements that promise freedom of movement.

The problem? None of it seems to stick.

You might feel looser for a bit, but a few hours (or the next day) later, everything feels tight again. It’s frustrating. And, it’s not your fault. The reason you’re not seeing lasting change has less to do with your discipline and more to do with how mobility actually works.

A Quick Story: The Pancake Mistake

Let me share a story that taught me this lesson the hard way.

I was in the gym one day when Karen (my wife and business partner)

“Tim, what’s your pancake looking like?”

For those unfamiliar, the pancake is a flexibility drill where you sit with your legs in a wide straddle and lean forward until your chest and head touch the floor. It’s a great measure of hip and hamstring mobility.

Tim Stevenson doing a pancake mobility exercises

I hadn’t trained it in a while, but my curiosity (and ego) got the better of me.

I sat down, leaned forward, and felt pretty stiff. But I’ve got joint hyper-laxity, the kind of flexibility that’s let me dislocate my hip once and my shoulder six times. From experience, I knew that if I stayed there long enough, I’d eventually “find” the range.

Sure enough, after a couple of minutes, I was chest-to-floor. I felt pleased — mission accomplished.

Until I stood up.

When Mobility Becomes a Liability

As soon as I went back to my session and set up for squats, something felt off. Even with an empty bar, I could tell my pelvis and low back weren’t happy. My positioning was harder to control, and everything felt like it was balanced on a knife edge.

I stopped the session early — and that’s when the penny dropped.

To get that extra range in the pancake, my muscles had to let go of their protective tension. I’d created temporary flexibility, but I hadn’t built the strength or control to handle it. My body knew that, and it immediately started tightening back up to protect me.

That’s the missing link most people ignore.

The Real Mobility Equation

Mobility isn’t just about how far you can move. It’s about how well you can control that movement.

Here’s the formula:

Mobility = Range + Strength + Control

You can stretch your way into new positions, but unless your muscles and nervous system can stabilise and generate force there, the range won’t stick.

Stretching alone gives you temporary access to a range of motion. But when you try to load that new range, whether it’s a lift, a throw, or even a yoga pose, your brain recognises instability and takes it away again. That’s why you often end up back where you started (or injured).

Why the Shoulder Is Especially Vulnerable

The spine has thick, corset-like musculature supporting it. The shoulder doesn’t. It’s designed for freedom of movement, which means stability relies heavily on muscular control.

So when you hang passively off your lats, pecs, or a resistance band to “open up” your shoulders, you might look more mobile, but you’re actually less prepared for load. You’ve reduced the protective tension without adding strength or coordination to replace it.

The Rule That Changes Everything

If you remember one principle from this article, make it this:

Every gain in range must be matched with strength and control in that range.

That’s how you build usable, long-term mobility. The kind that helps you move better, lift safer, and avoid repeating the same injury cycles.

Bringing It All Together

Stretching, foam rolling, and massage can all have their place, but they’re tools, not solutions.

If you want to move better, perform better, and stay injury-free, focus on building control and strength in the ranges you unlock. That’s where sustainable progress lives.