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Whether you're looking to improve your overhead squat or you just want to crank out some presses without debilitating shoulder pain, be sure you have adequate mobility first. This is where the wall slide drill can help. Oftentimes, shoulder pain with overhead pressing is due to limited thoracic extension and improper scapular mechanics. If the thoracic spine doesn't extend enough and the shoulder blades don't rotate efficiently, this can be a recipe for a shoulder injury.

To perform the slide, stand at a wall with your arms on the foam roller. Brace your core to prevent spinal extension, then lean into the roller as you slowly slide it up the wall. At the top, while keeping your chin tucked, slowly press your head underneath the roller to achieve maximal thoracic extension and shoulder flexion. By pushing your arms into the wall, you can really light up your scapular muscles and groove pain-free overhead motion. Do this for 10 reps, prior to your overhead pressing. Remember, safe overhead pressing requires the coordinated action of three scapular muscles – the lower trapezius, the upper trapezius, and the serratus anterior. Fortunately, the foam roller wall slide nails all three. – Dr. Michael Mash

This warm-up drill will make your hips and joints feel awesome and it'll prepare your muscles for the big lifts to come.

Elevating the front leg is the perfect way to create that extra flexion at the hip and make it more relatable to deep squatting. Adding the directional changes with the back leg starts to work angles of your glutes, quads, and hamstrings that you never knew existed. The best way to keep your lower back, knees, and overall performance happy is to have strong hips. When you think about how mobile your hips actually are (or should be) there's always room for improvement. Even without the plate elevation, throwing in the variety of angles to your warm-ups could mean the difference between you completing a 5/3/1 program or having to back off because your knees are barking.

Because of the nature of the exercise and the full range of motion, I'd also be inclined to use this exercise over certain dynamic or static stretches for cooldowns, depending on the athlete. If you feel like stretching isn't working for you and you're still constantly stiff and tight the day after your workouts, then this is definitely something to try implementing into your training. The first time you try these for a full-on session you will honestly not know what to do with your legs. You will be sore. Good thing is, it doesn't take long to get used to them and you'll soon be wondering what you ever did for warm-ups without them! – Tom Morrison