Identifying Limitations and Asymmetries

Now that you have completed your mobility assessment, the next step is interpreting your results. Not all restrictions are created equal: some are muscular, some are joint-related, and some are driven by the nervous system. Understanding the type of limitation you are dealing with determines the most effective intervention.

Types of Range of Motion Limitations

Muscular Tightness

Muscular tightness is the most common and most trainable type of restriction. It occurs when muscles have adapted to a shortened position through:

Prolonged postures: Sitting shortens hip flexors and hamstrings
Training imbalances: Overtraining certain patterns without corresponding mobility work
Protective guarding: Muscles tighten around an area of previous injury

How to identify muscular tightness:

The restriction has a soft, elastic end-feel when you push gently into the stretch
Range improves significantly after warming up
Range improves with sustained holds (30-60 seconds)
Both sides are often affected, though one may be worse

Best interventions: Static stretching, dynamic stretching, foam rolling, and loaded flexibility work.

Joint Capsule Restriction

Joint capsule restrictions feel different from muscular tightness and require different interventions:

Hard or leathery end-feel when reaching the end of range
Capsular pattern: Each joint has a predictable pattern of restriction when the capsule tightens
Minimal change with stretching: Range does not improve significantly after a warm-up or sustained stretching

Common capsular patterns:

Shoulder: External rotation limited more than abduction, more than internal rotation
Hip: Internal rotation and flexion limited more than extension
Ankle: Plantarflexion and dorsiflexion equally limited

Best interventions: Joint mobilizations, sustained end-range holds, manual therapy, and in severe cases, professional treatment.

Neural Tension

Neural tension occurs when nerves become restricted in their ability to slide and glide through surrounding tissues. This can create stretch sensations that mimic muscular tightness but respond differently to treatment.

How to identify neural tension:

Burning, tingling, or electric sensations during stretching rather than a simple pulling feeling
Symptoms change with head or neck position: For example, hamstring stretch feeling worsens when you tuck your chin
Asymmetric restriction that does not correlate with muscle length
Specific nerve path distribution: Symptoms follow the path of a nerve rather than a muscle

Best interventions: Neural gliding exercises (nerve flossing), gentle mobilizations, and avoiding aggressive stretching of the affected area. If symptoms persist, seek professional evaluation.

Structural Limitations

Some range of motion limitations are due to bone structure and cannot be changed through training:

Bone-on-bone end-feel: A hard, abrupt stop at the end of range
Hip socket depth: Deeper sockets (retroverted hips) limit flexion and rotation
Femoral version: The angle of the femoral neck affects hip rotation range
Acromion shape: Some shoulder shapes are more prone to impingement

How to identify structural limitations:

Range does not improve despite consistent, long-term training
End-feel is hard and bony
May be visible on imaging (x-ray)

Best approach: Accept structural limits and modify technique rather than forcing range. For example, a person with deep hip sockets may need a wider squat stance rather than trying to force a narrow stance with greater depth.

Understanding Asymmetries

What Counts as Significant

Perfect symmetry does not exist. Small side-to-side differences (less than 10%) are normal and do not require correction. Focus on asymmetries that are:

Greater than 15-20%: A meaningful difference that may affect performance
Associated with symptoms: The restricted side has pain, discomfort, or performance issues
Progressive: The asymmetry is getting worse over time
Correlated with your sport demands: The restriction is on the side more relevant to your training

Common Asymmetry Patterns

Handedness-Related

Most people have asymmetries related to hand dominance:

Dominant side shoulder: Often has greater external rotation from overhead sports but tighter internal rotation
Non-dominant side hip: May have less hip rotation due to less varied use
Thoracic rotation: May favor rotation toward the dominant side

Activity-Related

Your primary activities create predictable patterns:

Desk workers: Bilateral hip flexor tightness with possible lateral shift
Runners: Asymmetric hip extension and ankle dorsiflexion
Single-sport athletes: Sport-specific asymmetries (e.g., martial artists with one side more flexible from kicking)

Injury-Related

Previous injuries create protective patterns:

Post-ankle sprain: Reduced dorsiflexion on the injured side
Post-shoulder injury: Reduced rotation and flexion on the affected side
Post-back injury: Asymmetric hip mobility due to guarding patterns

Connecting Limitations to Calisthenics Goals

Handstand Requirements

If your goal includes handstand work, prioritize:

Shoulder flexion (must be near 180 degrees)
Thoracic extension
Wrist extension (must be near 90 degrees)
Hip extension (for proper hollow body alignment)

L-Sit Requirements

For L-sit development, prioritize:

Hip flexion (active and passive)
Hamstring flexibility
Wrist extension
Scapular depression strength at end range

Deep Squat Requirements

For squatting movements, prioritize:

Ankle dorsiflexion (at least 35 degrees)
Hip flexion, internal rotation, and external rotation
Thoracic extension
Hip flexor length (for upright torso)

Bridge Requirements

For back bridges, prioritize:

Thoracic extension
Shoulder flexion and extension
Hip flexor length (hip extension)
Wrist extension

Creating Your Priority List

Based on your assessment and your calisthenics goals, create a ranked list:

Step 1: Identify All Restrictions

List every test where you scored below "Full range."

Step 2: Classify Each Restriction

Determine whether each restriction is muscular, capsular, neural, or structural using the guidelines above.

Step 3: Match to Goals

Identify which restrictions directly limit your current calisthenics goals.

Step 4: Rank by Impact

Rank restrictions based on:

Direct impact on your primary training goals (highest priority)
Injury risk from compensatory movement patterns (high priority)
General movement quality and comfort (medium priority)
Aesthetic or minor performance concerns (lower priority)

Step 5: Identify Two to Three Priorities

Select the top two to three areas to focus on. Trying to address everything simultaneously dilutes your efforts and makes it harder to track progress. Once your highest priorities improve, you can rotate attention to the next items on the list.

Conclusion

Identifying the type and significance of your limitations transforms your mobility assessment from raw data into an actionable plan. By classifying restrictions as muscular, capsular, neural, or structural, and connecting them to your calisthenics goals, you can select the most effective interventions and direct your training time where it matters most. In the next lesson, we will formalize this into specific, measurable mobility goals.