Broomstick Pass-Throughs
A shoulder mobility drill that rotates a wide-grip dowel from in front of the thighs, over the head, and behind the hips.
How to do it
- Stand tall with the feet about shoulder-width apart and hold a straight dowel in front of the thighs.
- Take a wide overhand grip, wider than the shoulders, with both elbows straight.
- Brace the trunk so the ribs stay stacked over the pelvis.
- Raise the stick in a wide arc over the head, keeping the arms long.
- Continue the arc until the stick travels behind the hips as far as the shoulders allow.
- Reverse the same path back to the front of the thighs without bending the elbows.
Key technique cue
Elbows locked, ribs down; if they bend, widen the grip.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Bending the elbows to cheat the stick over the head.
- ✕ Using a grip so narrow that the shoulders pinch at the top.
- ✕ Flaring the ribs or leaning back to make the stick clear the head.
- ✕ Forcing the stick to the lower back through a painful end range.
Benefits
- ✓ Takes the shoulders through a full overhead arc with a simple stick.
- ✓ Is an easy warm-up for overhead pressing, carrying, and throwing patterns.
- ✓ Needs only a broom handle or dowel, so it works in home and gym settings.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Broomstick Pass-Throughs
About the exercise
Broomstick pass-throughs, also called PVC or dowel pass-throughs, take a straight stick from the front of the thighs, over the head, and behind the hips with the elbows kept straight. A wide overhand grip is the starting point; the grip narrows only as the shoulders allow. The stick is a range-of-motion tool, not a load. The pass-through is an upper-body warm-up that opens the shoulders and the muscles around them, using a PVC pipe, broom handle, or wooden dowel. It is a shoulder-mobility drill that suits warm-ups before overhead pressing and Olympic lifts.
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