Most people believe that mobility is just stretching. However, mobility is actually the ability to actively control your available range of motion. When it comes to the back lever, at least 15 to 30 degrees of shoulder extension is needed to achieve this skill. Without this active range in the shoulder off the bar, you end up placing increased force and strain on the shoulder ligaments, tendons and musculature. To achieve safe and sustainable shoulder extension for the back lever, you must understand how to effectively improve active mobility within the glenohumeral joint.

The pistol squat requires adequate mobility through the joints of the ankle and hip and the soft tissue of the hamstring. Yet, beyond hamstring flexibility, the pistol squat requires hip flexor and quadriceps strength as well through the compressed hip flexion position at the bottom of the squat. In order for the hip to achieve that deep hip flexion range, the hip requires hip internal rotation in the joint as well! This internal rotation allows the femur to glide posteriorly (back) and inferiorly (down) in the same direction that is needed for hip flexion to prevent hip pinching or restriction at the front of the hip. Just as well, many people have limited ankle dorsiflexion range of motion. In general, the knee should be able to pass the toe 4-5 inches in a deep squat position for it to be considered "functional." Without this end-range position, it would be very difficult for a person to be able to achieve a full pistol squat.