My good friend and fellow Massachusetts based strength & conditioning coach, Matthew Ibrahim, comes through today with the final installment is in “Complete Warm-Up” series.
Previously he covered:
Complete Squat Warm-Up – HERE.
Complete Bench Press Warm-Up – HERE.
Complete Deadlift Warm-Up – HERE.
He completes the quadrilogy (<– new term?) today with the overhead press.
The shoulder is a complex area that deserves the finest attention to detail when it comes down to a proper warm-up, especially when discussing the overhead shoulder press. The goal here is to prepare the shoulders to perform well in the overhead press pattern for long-term health, function and durability.
One of the key areas to focus on first will be to spend quality time training trunk stability, which acts as a STRONG base of support from which to press upon. Consider the trunk and associated core musculature as your anchor. You need a STRONG anchor for a STRONG overhead press.
Next up will be to work on shoulder mobility and overhead range of motion. The way to achieve this will be through tackling shoulder joint mobility, thoracic (t-spine) extension and flexibility in your lat muscles.
Once all of that is taken care of, be sure to then focus on rotator cuff activation for general shoulder health and robustness, in addition to stability and motor control in your shoulders during the overhead press pattern.
Check out the list of eight overhead shoulder press warm-up exercises below, which have been delicately organized in a progressive manner to help your shoulders feel healthy and strong.
1) Mini-Band Tall Plank w/ Alternating Lateral Tap – x8 each side
2) Yoga Pike w/ Alternating Toe Tap – x3
3) PVC Bench Tall Kneel Rockback – x8
4) Mini-Band Standing Long Pull-Apart – x8
5) Mini-Band Standing Front Lift – x8
6) Mini-Band Standing Overhead Press – x8
7) KB Half Kneel Bottoms-Up 1-Arm Press – x5 each side
8) DB Z-Press – x8
About the Author
Matthew Ibrahim is the Co-Owner & Lead Performance Coach of TD Athletes Edge in Salem, MA.
He has been an invited guest speaker nationally in over 10 U.S. states, which was highlighted by his presentations at Google Headquarters and Stanford University, in addition to guest speaking internationally in Milan, Italy.
His work has been featured in Men’s Fitness, STACK Media and The PTDC.
Currently, he is completing his masters degree at Rocky Mountain University with a direct track into their PhD program. He is a big fan of interacting on Instagram and regularly posts about training, performance and recovery.
Follow along HERE.
