“Face pulls? Really, Tony? That’s what you’re going to write about today? What’s next: Talking about the Kreb’s Cycle? Discussing all the uses of Osmium? Breaking down who will win this season of The Bachelorette?”1
I get it. Face pulls aren’t the most exciting exercise in the universe, but I’ve never been someone who feels exercise has to be entertaining.
I want to help get people results and I want people to stay healthy.
Face Pulls have been an exercise I’ve utilized in my programming – both personally and with clients – for as long as I can remember. I try not to play favorites but I can’t think of an instance where I haven’t sprinkled them into a program in some way, form, or fashion.
They’re one of the most user-friendly and effective exercises to strengthen the upper back, posterior cuff, and help keep the shoulders healthy.
Now that’s sexy.
In fact, if I were to rank their sexiness in the pantheon of sexy things it would look like this:
1. Sade singing pretty much anything.
2. Tom Selleck’s mustache.
3. Face Pulls.
4 – 13,908,743. Anything my wife wears, says, or does.
Hyperbole aside – is it too late to add my pecs onto that list? – there are few things to consider when it comes to common mistakes people make with the exercise and execution in general.
1. Face Pull Fix – General Set Up
It’s not inherently wrong to do so, but I’m not a huge fan of people utilizing a pronated (overhand) grip with this exercise.
It locks people into a more internally rotated position in the glenohumeral joint as well as narrows the acromion space, which can predispose people who are vulnerable to impingement syndrome.
Instead I like this approach:
2. Face Pull Fix – Too Much Low Back Movement
Another common mistake some make with the execution of this exercise is using a squared stance.
Again, it’s not inherently wrong, but a squared stance provides an opportunity for some people to crank through their lumbar spine and promote more of a rib flare.
The fix is to
Adopt a staggered stance
Revert to a tall or half-kneeling position.
Both options help omit extraneous movement from the lower back.
NOTE: Excessive forward head posture is common too and can be fixed by telling people to 1) stop doing that, 2) telling them to make a “double chin,” or 3) place a tennis ball underneath the chin.
3. Face Pull Fix – Adjusting to the Lifter
There’s never a one-size fits all approach to any exercise. As coaches and trainers it’s important to do our due diligence and adjust/temper any given exercise to fit the needs, goals, and ability level of our clients.
With the Face Pull I’ll usually set it up so the vector of pulling is in more of a top-to-down fashion.
Meaning: most often the goal is to nudge people into more scapular retraction and depression.
However, in some cases it can be challenging for some lifters – due to a litany of scenarios: pattern overload (too much bench pressing), sitting in front of a computer for half their life – to get into proper position to perform the exercise well.
Some may present with more anteriorly tilted scapulae and/or over-active upper traps and the exercise has to be adjusted.
4. Face Pull Fix – Scapular Motion
We want bone-on-bone congruency between the shoulder blades and rib cage throughout.
In other words: I want to see the scapulae move around the ribcage during this exercise.
Many retract/depress the shoulder blades when they bring the attachment towards their face, and then make the mistake of keeping the shoulder blades there when extending their arms.
To repeat: the shoulder blades should move around the ribcage.
I like to tell trainees they should feel a slight/subtle “stretch” when extending their arms out in front.
Face Pull Variety
For those who do like to keep things interesting, here are two Face Pull variations you may like.
It looks all inane, simple, and easy and stuff…but this one is a lot more challenging than it looks.
This will fire up everything on the backside of the shoulders and is superb at improving strength of the upper back and posterior cuff.
Face Pull w/ Band Abduction
I stole this one off Dr. John Rusin
and started experimenting with it recently. This is another variation that will really fire up the posterior cuff and strengthen the entire upper back.
Programming Tidbits
I try to include one form of rowing variation in just about every training session – yes, even on lower body days – with the bulk of my clients/athletes.
Face pulls, and rowing in general, are one of those things most people can’t perform enough of. To wrap things all in a nice little bow, I’m all about the “feel” of this exercise and am not entirely concerned with going very heavy.
To that end, I do prefer high(er) reps with Face Pulls and will often opt for 3-4 sets of 10-2o repetitions 2-4x per week. I tend to stick with using them as a stand alone exercise towards the end of a training session, but am also a big fan of pairing them with squats/deadlifts/bench press and performing them with EVERY set (even warm-ups).
It serves as a great way to ramp up rowing volume, but because they’re a relatively low-grade, non-aggressive exercise, they won’t compromise performance of subsequent sets of the big 3.
I’m still playing a little catch-up on my end from a weekend of Fitness Summit shenanigans in Kansas City.
I promise I’ll have some content ready to share tomorrow into the rest of the week (you miss me, right?), but in the meantime I’ve got an excellent guest post from Israeli Strength and Conditioning coach Menachem Brodie.
How the Endurance Athlete Can Appease a Shoulder That Hates Them
As a Strength & Conditioning coach who works extensively with cyclists & triathletes most folk first reaction is “WTF Mate?” or “I didn’t even know that was a thing!”
When asked to describe it to people, the best I can come up with is that I know pretty much EXACTLY how Scott Evil feels:
Not “Strength coach” enough for that crowd, and not quite “Cycling enough” for that crowd…
But there is a ton that we can learn about posture and shoulder health from our two wheeled, pedal pushing friends, as they spend hours in positions just a bit more extreme than you or I sitting on the couch watching TV on the weekends.
The difference is that while we ingest 2,000 calories in Buffalo Wild Wings and that awesome ranch dressing, they burn those calories climbing mountains.
While posture and shoulder health have a huge impact on our overall well-being and can have significant and far-reaching effects, those effects are not always felt before it’s too late in the game.
This is especially true for Road Cyclists, runners, and triathletes, as their sport, by design, requires the body to work for long periods of time, preferably as energy efficiently as possible.
When I first started coaching cyclists for performance & strength, I focused on the glutes and their huge impact on the pelvis, spine, and rib cage as they supply the base of power on the bike and support for the upper body.
But it quickly became apparent that while I was on the right track, there was something even more basic that limits cyclists performance: Their posture….It is completely jacked due to hours on the bike in a closed position, supporting around 30% their weight with their hands and arms. (If you’re a cyclist and feel that you’re subjectively supporting more than 30% of your weight with your arms, go see a bike fitter, after you get started with the exercises we learn today.)
And so, the journey down the rabbit hole began, except unlike Alice, I could answer the Cheshire Cat with a definitive answer to “Where do you want to go?”
Improved performance
Improved quality of life
Avoiding looking like a Time trial cyclist/ the hunchback of Notre Dame….when you’re walking around at age 60
Let’s Get Down to Basics
There are two diaphragms in the torso that we want to have aligned in order to allow our body to function properly, including managing internal pressure, allow for proper/optimal muscle function, improved breathing, improved rib mobility, and much, much more:
Thoracic Diaphragm – controls pressure between chest and abdomen, the muscle responsible for respiration in the body, and what most people think of then you mention “Your diaphragm”.
Pelvic Floor – Controls pressure between pelvis and abdomen.
Interestingly enough, while in the general population we may see issues mostly at two of these diaphragms (Pelvic Floor and Thoracic diaphragms), in cyclists we tend to see a bit more issues, in large part due to the extreme position in which these athletes must perform for their sport.
Add into this mix that cycling is pretty much the only sport we have where the feet rotate about a fixed axis, variability in terrain, road surface, winds, and rider movements on the bike, and we have the right ingredients for some major movement issues.
Bear in mind that EVERY sport develops/requires its fair share of movement “deficiencies” or “imbalances at joints” due to repetitive tasks and movements, and while this is a part of sport, we need to keep our “average” cyclist in balance – after all, they are competitive in cycling, but a pro at something else…
Cycling puts you into an extremely vulnerable spot posture wise, not to mention with drivers (of note, PLEASE give us three feet when passing, it’s F***ing scary to have a car whiz past you within inches of knocking you off the road… when they could have waited 5 more seconds and given space… not to mention it’s pretty much law in nearly all countries and states).
Unfortunately, many in the cycling and triathlon communities have come to simply accept some forms of injuries as a right of passage for cyclists who are out there riding hard year in and year out.
From frozen shoulders and lower back pain, to constant upper neck pain and loss of hip extension….and a number of other issues, the communities have come to determine that “it just happens due to playing our sport”.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
If we simply work on a few basic moves off the bike, we can have a significant positive impact on the riders performance and health, as well as YOUR performance and health from constantly flexing your spine to scroll through Instagram and Facebook throughout the day.
(Yeah, I saw you sit up a little straighter right there).
Opening the shoulder girdle, re-attaining proper scapular rhythm, and attaining better alignment of the Cervical, Thoracic, and Pelvic diaphragms are the goals we strive for and are not won in a few weeks, but rather over the course of a few months, and for more veteran riders, years.
It takes consistent work, done over a time period to see major gains and advances.
While it’s tough to argue which of these three diaphragms is “The most important to address” as it is based off of each individual athlete and what/if any issues they are having, we can say that due to our modern-day lifestyle, the shoulder girdle is a great place to start, as most cyclists will move to a compromised position at some point in longer/harder rides.
Not to mention that keeping the shoulder in good balance can relieve pressure on the brachial plexus, reduce the risk/ development of an overgrown coracoid process, as well as help alleviate some of the tension from the cervical extensors that are working so hard.
This allows accessory muscles of the thorax and neck to work as…. Accessory muscles, not stabilizers hanging on for dear life. As we get the shoulder joint sitting better, we can see the rib cage begin to gain proper movement, which leads to a better alignment of the Pelvic and Thoracic diaphragm, which allows the pelvic floor to relax and glutes and pelvic floor to activate in order to stabilize and move the body with more efficiency.
If we know that joint position dictates muscle function, then there are so many compensations happening in the sport of cycling, that many muscles wind up feeling like Tom Hanks in Castaway: They know what it’s like to be social and around others, but they begin to become detached from reality, and start doing other funny things.
Aside from helping to put you in the best position to maximize energy expenditure, keeping the shoulders healthy and moving well can help you be able to EAT while out on the bike as well!
The number of riders I’ve had the last ten years who had lost proper range of motion in their dominant shoulder, and were unable to eat on the bike due to loss of the range of motion thus not being able to reach into their back pockets, and “not trusting” their other hand to steer, is many.
While we often see hip issues in cyclists as well, we know that the hip and opposite shoulder work together in unison to allow us to move forward, and thus why starting at the shoulder along with breathing, can significantly improve a riders performance AND their quality of life.
Enough of the talk, let’s get into some solid action items that you can implement 3-5 days a week, in 15 minutes or less, to help you get back to great posture and able to express your true conditioning and strength, no matter what your sport.
Before jumping into the exercises, be sure to take 4-6 minutes to foam roll/ lax ball, especially:
Foam rolling the Lats
Foam rolling the chest
LAX ball/ ACUMobility the neck – all the cool kids are talking about the ACUMobility ball, and while I haven’t used it myself, it does look like a useful piece of equipment that will be regularly used, so yes, I’ll jump on the bandwagon.
Just don’t make the mistake that many endurance athletes do and spend too much time on the roller/lax ball. If you’re doing soft tissue mobility for longer than 10-12 minutes, you need to get a life/ take a hard look at your recovery/ lack of recovery between sessions.
It’s not how hard you can go in a session, it’s going hard enough that you can recover session to session, while keeping consistency in your trainings.
After the foam roller we’ll jump into breathing as shoulder joint position will also affect inhalation and exhalation, so we’re going to start here, with learning to breathe.
Learning to Breathe & Resetting the Diaphragm
All 4’s Quadruped Breathing – Resetting the Diaphragm
1 set of 5 deep breaths through the nose, out through the mouth. Hold each breath for 4 seconds
Crocodile Breathing – Filling the Cavity Evenly
1 set of 5 to 8 breaths
Next, we want to work on opening the shoulder, but in a way that allows us to tap into Thoracic Rotation. For some of you this may be a bit much, be sure to listen to your body, and breathe out and RELAX when you hit a tough spot.
Side Lying Windmill
Opening up lats, pecs, and T-spine to help the athlete function better.
One set of 8 each side
Finally, we work to fire up some muscles that may have been turned off, and/or “went on break.”
Wall Scap Slides
– Activating the Serratus anterior, Mid and lower Traps.
1 set of 8- make sure to keep your ribs from flaring, and your chin tucked.
Behind the Back Band Pull Aparts
– Activating the lower traps and rhomboids.
1 set of 8
Chin Nod, Progressing to Chin tuck Head lift
Helping activate the deep core, and fire up the muscles in your neck.
1 set of 8
Wrap Up
While these seem like a lot, you can and should be able to execute these exercises, in this order, 3-5 days a week, in 10-15 minutes. Remember, it’s not doing the exercises intensely or until fatigue that will help you see progress, it’s the CONSISTENCY that will.
About the Author
Menachem Brodie is a USA Cycling Certified Expert Level Coach, NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, and Serotta Certified Bike Fitter with over 20 years in the Health & Fitness Industry. “Brodie” as he is known, has done over 15 presentations for USA Cycling on Strength Training for Cycling, and is the author of Training Peaks Universities “Strength Training for Cycling Success”Online course.
When he’s not geeking out reading Ex-phys books, riding his bike, or trying to lift heavy things, he’s probably sleeping….errr, “recovering”. If you see Brodie without a coffee in his hand, something is probably amiss and you should call 911 immediately, as he may be signaling you for help.
I’m heading out to Kansas City today for The Fitness Summit.
My boy, Shane McLean, was kind enough to send along this stellar article extolling the merits of “reaching” and how it can help make your shoulders not hate you.
Reaching: The Underrated Key to Key to Shoulder Health
When you’ve lifted weights for any length of time (I’m assuming you do because you read this site) you’ve probably had some type of shoulder injury. They suck as hard as a mother in law getting all up into your business.
And as a result, your gains and patience grind to a halt.
The shoulder is a shallow ball and socket joint that has the incredible ability to move in multiple directions. This allows you to lift humongous weights, throw baseballs and footballs really fast or to do the wave when you’re bored out of your mind at a baseball game.
All that mobility is great, but the shoulder needs stability too. The four muscles of the rotator cuff work hard to keep this ball and socket joint in a vertical position no matter you do to your shoulder.
However, the rest of the stability equation is up to you by getting the muscles around the shoulder girdle strong. This is (usually) achieved by doing variations of pushes, pulls, shoulder raises and planks.
Push-Up Palooza
Pull-Up Palooza
Meathead Palooza
Even when you minimize the risk of injury by doing the right things, the occasional shoulder injury can happen while lifting because sometimes we (yes me too) can get a little over ambitious.
However, there’s one little movement that most lifters neglect to do that can help prevent niggly shoulder injuries from occurring at all.
Do you what it is?
Reach, baby, reach.
What were you, thinking? More bicep curls?
Reaching is a movement that you perform every day. You reach for
the food in the fridge
the food in the pantry
the door
the dumbbells to do more curls
Adding a reach while performing pushes and pulls is important for your shoulder health because this allows the shoulder blades to move across your ribcage as intended.
The muscle that allows this magic to happen is the often neglected and unloved Serratus Anterior. This a broad muscle that wraps around the ribcage and acts to stabilize the scapula by holding it against the back of the thoracic wall.
In other words, it’s kind of a big deal.
When you’re lifting in the horizontal plane with exercises such as one arm cable chest presses/ rows or pushups, the Serratus Anterior main job is to protract/abduct the shoulder blades.
Now if the Serratus didn’t do its job correctly, then the scapula doesn’t move around the ribcage like it should (scapular winging) and muscular imbalances and mobility limitations may result.
And nobody has time for that.
However, just by adding a simple reach to a horizontal push or pull will help strengthen the Serratus and take your shoulders through a fuller range of motion which makes for happier shoulders and maybe a happier mother in law.
You can only hope.
Reaching vs. Rounding
Reach and Row
The simple act of adding a reach has huge implications for your shoulder health and strength and it’s an easy movement to add to your lifting repertoire.
The Serratus also plays a vital role in scapulohumeral rhythm as an outward rotator of the scapula that allows your arms to get into an overhead position. This is vital for lifting weights overhead and for reaching for anything above your shoulders.
If the Serratus is inhibited in any way, the body will find a way to perform the movement regardless and that faulty pattern over a period of time may lead to pain and dysfunction. This usually occurs in the upper traps, neck and lower back.
Stop for a moment and see if you can raise your arms above your head, getting your biceps by or behind your ears without your ribcage coming forward or your lower back over arching.
This test is best performed in front of a mirror without a shirt on. I thought you’d like that.
Now, if you can that’s great but if you can’t, try foam rolling the lats and performing some Serratus wall sides and then re testing your shoulder mobility for any improvement.
Serratus Wall Slide Variations
However, even if you don’t have any problems in that department, performing the Serratus wall slide is still a fantastic warm up and mobility exercise for your shoulders.
Wrapping Up
Taking care of the shoulders is imperative when you’re crushing the weights because you probably don’t think about the health of your shoulders until it’s way too late.
However, by showing a little love and affection to the Serratus Anterior, you can keep lifting pain-free and stay off the Physical Therapists table to boot.
Therapy, who has time for that?
About the Author
Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.
If you missed Part I of Dr. Licameli’s guest post, you can check it out HERE. Now, you could read today’s post and get the gist of what was said yesterday, but you run the risk of missing out on some nitty-gritty details.
Kinda like watching Blade Runner 2049.
You could watch it without watching the original, but you’re missing out on some important context.
*** This is the part where’d you know what points 1-4 were all about.
5) Don’t Push Through Pain…Not All The Time, Anyway
There is good pizza and there is bad pizza. There is good pain and there is bad pain. Differentiating the difference is of utmost importance when training the shoulders.
We’re not talking about delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is felt 1-2 days after training.
We’re talking about pain during training.
What follows are some guidelines to help you navigate your way through pain.
KEEP IN MIND, THESE ARE GENERAL GUIDELINES. IF YOU HAVE PAIN, BE SURE TO SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER!
I stress finding a qualified healthcare practitioner. A qualified healthcare practitioner will explain all of this, in addition to providing several options to keep you training while recovering from injury.
Let’s face it…not all physical therapists have spent much time under a bar. Some have spent time at the bar or even at barre class, but many have no experience or expertise in weight lifting or bodybuilding. You deserve your goals to be taken seriously. You deserve more than things like, “stop squatting for 4 weeks” and standing internal and external rotation with a band to “strengthen” the rotator cuff…or is it rotator cup…no, it’s rotary cuff…rotary club!
That’s it.
Characteristics of good pain:
-How Does It Feel?: Muscle burn; usually symmetrical right to left.
-Onset: Gradually increases as the set progresses.
-When Does It Stop?: At the completion of a set.
Characteristics of bad pain:
-How Does It Feel?: Sharp, numb, tingling; intensity may be asymmetrical right to left.
-Onset: Quickly; may be felt after only the first few reps
-When Does It Stop?: Days, weeks, months…; stays well after the set is completed, however may also end at the completion of a set.
If you find yourself experiencing bad pain, it may not be the end of the world. Bruce Lee also said, “Be like water.”
Water has the flexibility to take the shape of whatever container it is placed in, while still maintaining its identity…water.
In a similar way, our training can be modified without losing its identity or effectiveness. Try to modify your training. Sharp pain when pressing overhead with a barbell? Try a landmine press. Unable to perform a reverse flye? Try a face pull. Keeping the same exercises and modifying training volume may also do the trick.
6) Don’t Overdo It With The Classic “Rehabilitation” And “Injury Prevention” Exercises. There Are Hidden Benefits In Some Classic Movements.
It is no one’s fault but our own that, as a profession, physical therapy has a certain reputation when it comes to injury and injury prevention. The misconception is that in order to reduce pain or prevent injury, a hefty dose of classic “rehabilitation” exercises need to be added into an already packed training regimen.
For me, and many out there like me, gone are the days of separating “therapeutic exercise” from “regular training.” Say goodbye to blocking off a half hour pre and post workout to foam roll and perform straight leg raises and clamshells. If you look closely, you can find what you need for healthy shoulders right there in your existing training routine. Here are some examples:
Face Pull: Trains scapular retraction and external rotation. Great for scapular stability, rotator cuff strengthening, and balancing out internal vs. external rotation.
Farmer Carry/Overhead Carry: Excellent way to train postural, scapular, and global rotator cuff stability, not to mention full body/core strength.
Plank on Ball with Protraction and/or the Ab Wheel: Great way to dynamically train serratus anterior, core stability, and scapular stability.
Plank with Band Around Wrists with Protraction: Great way to train external rotation as well as dynamically train serratus anterior, core stability, and scapular stability
Landmine Press: With proper scapular movement (more on this to come), this is an excellent exercise to dynamically strengthen serratus anterior and improve scapular neuromuscular control.
Pull-up/Pull-down: With proper scapular depression at the initiation of the pull, this is a fantastic exercise to target the lower traps, which play a key role in scapulohumeral mechanics. Full range of motion and a long eccentric will also help lengthen the lats, which can limit shoulder mobility.
Squats/Deadlifts: Train “shoulder packing” position. A proper warm-up prior to these lifts will also include thoracic mobility work.
Seek out experts like Tony Gentilcore (obviously), Andrew Millett, John Rusin, Jeff Cavaliere, Quinn Henoc, Mike Reinold, Mike Robertson, Eric Cressey, Dean Somerset, Zach Long, Joel Seedman, Ryan DeBell, Teddy Willsey, and many more.
But if you have pain, GO SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER FIRST!
7) Symmetry…Don’t Forget External Rotation and Thoracic Mobility
As previously mentioned, weightlifters tend to be very “internal rotation dominant,” and for good reason.
Let’s look at the muscles that internally rotate the shoulder.
Just to name a few: pec major, lats, subscapularis, teres major, front deltoid.
Let’s take a look at the muscles that externally rotate the shoulder: infraspinatus, rear deltoid, teres minor.
The muscles that internally rotate the shoulder are of greater number and greater size (the pecs and lats are two of the strongest muscles of the upper body). The external rotators are less in number and much smaller. Give those external rotators a fighting chance to create some balance! Don’t neglect them!
It’s important to note that just performing an equal amount of presses and rows/pull-downs will not improve shoulder rotation symmetry because, as previously mentioned, both the pecs and the lats internally rotate the shoulder. So even though pull-downs and rows are “back” exercises, they still train the lats and therefore still train internal rotation.
Some of my favorite exercises to train external rotation are face pulls, W raises/pulls, reverse flyes with external rotation bias, wall slides with a band, and planks with a band around the wrists.
Adequate thoracic mobility is crucial to optimal shoulder function. If the scapulae are the foundation of the shoulder, the thoracic spine is the ground on which the foundation is built.
Thoracic mobility should be included in almost every warm-up, regardless of the body part being trained. One of my favorite thoracic mobility exercises is a kneeling protraction sit-back into a lat stretch with deep breathing. Be sure to check out this video of a sample lower body warm-up routine that includes this exercise.
8) Don’t Pin Down The Scapulae
It happens all the time.
An idea comes out and soon gets morphed into an extreme.
“Dynamic stretching may be better than static stretching pre-workout” turns into, “Don’t ever do static stretching because it’s a waste of time.”
“Foam rolling may help improve short-term soft tissue restriction and range of motion” turns into “I have to foam roll for 30 min when I wake up as well as pre workout, post workout, and before bed in order to break up adhesions and prevent injury.”
The idea of “shoulders down and back” seems to have experienced a similar course. Yes, keeping the shoulders in a retracted and depressed position with a properly extended thoracic spine will place the muscles, nerves, and joints in a structurally advantageous position as well as open up the subacromial space by about 30%. It also allows for unrestricted overhead shoulder range of motion.
However, the scapulae must move, and they must move correctly. The scapula is the base and foundation of the shoulder and dysfunction can most certainly lead to injury.
Note From TG: Check out THIS article I wrote a while back touching on the same topic; in this case how it relates to performing a DB Row correctly.
Generally, the scapula remains relatively stationary during the first 30 degrees of shoulder abduction (lifting the arm out to the side as in a lateral raise), with the movement coming primarily from the glenohumeral joint. As abduction continues past 30 degrees, the scapula begins to move and the glenohumeral joint and scapulothoracic joints move in about a 2:1 ratio.
This means that at 120 degrees of abduction, the glenohumeral joint has contributed about 80 degrees and the scapula has contributed about 40 degrees. If the scapula remains pinned “down and back,” range of motion will be restricted and the glenohumeral joint will be forced to overcompensate. This dysfunction will likely limit performance and increase risk of injury.
In addition to upward rotation, the scapula also needs to protract (glide forward) during both overhead and pulling movements. Serratus anterior is one of the main muscles responsible for protraction as well as for adhering the concave surface of the scapula to the convex surface of the ribcage. Pinning the scapulae down and back is not what we need…we need controlled, scapular motion.
I’m Done
If at least one person benefits from these tips, I have done my job. My hope is that you will keep these tips in mind and reap the benefits of strong, healthy shoulders. You’re putting the work in, now let’s capitalize on it.
About the Author
Nicholas M. Licameli
Doctor of Physical Therapy / Pro Natural Bodybuilder
Every single thing he does, Nick believes in giving himself to others in an attempt to make the world a happier, healthier, and more loving place. He wants to give people the power to change their lives. Bodybuilding and physical therapy serve as ways to carry out that cause. Nick graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24, and has earned professional status in natural bodybuilding. His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Love. Passion. Respect. Humility. Never an expert. Always a student. Love your journey.
The shoulders (delts) are an area that many trainees wish were bigger. They’re also an area that’s often injured. In today’s guest post by Dr. Nicholas Licameli he discusses and breaks down some of his top training tips for shoulder health and hypertrophy.
In order to build a quality and symmetrical physique, all muscle groups must be trained and developed equally. An overdeveloped muscle group can never compensate for an underdeveloped one. That being said, a well-developed set of shoulders, along with a narrow waist, can really enhance a physique and create a nice V-taper.
While the shoulders are one of the most sought after muscles to develop, they also tend to be one of the most stubborn and most commonly injured. Here are my top shoulder training tips to help you on the journey to strong, healthy shoulders.
1) Listen To Your Body
Early in my training career, I remember feeling as if there were some aspects of my training that could not be changed. Compound lifts had to be performed using a barbell only and with heavy, lower rep sets. Dumbbells and lighter/higher rep training were for isolation movements.
For years, I trained in the 6-10 rep range for barbell overhead presses and in the 12-20 rep range for lateral raises, rear deltoid work, and other isolation movements. I never really felt “satisfied” or that “good” fatigue after completing heavy sets of overhead presses.
I eventually took the leap out of my comfort zone and started using dumbbells and a landmine set up for overhead pressing.
What a difference!
I felt a connection to my deltoids like never before. The overhead press soon went from one of my least favorite movements to one of my favorites.
I also started to realize that my lighter warm up sets seemed to feel better (even when not taken anywhere near failure) than my heavier working sets. I took another leap and started training the overhead press in the 12-20 rep range and again, I was blown away at how my body responded. Does this mean I completely removed heavy overhead pressing from my training?
Of course not, but I am definitely not afraid of lighter training.
The take home message here is listen to your body.
If heavy barbell training doesn’t quite “click” for your shoulders, don’t be afraid to change it up.
We now know that if hypertrophy is your goal, overall volume (volume = weight lifted x sets x reps) and progressive overload at an appropriate intensity is what matters.
Note From TG: Technically speaking, for muscular hypertrophy three factors take precedence: Mechanical Tension, Metabolic Stress, and Muscle Damage.
Hypertrophy can be seen by training with heavy weight and low reps as well as light weight and higher reps. Keep in mind that if your goal is strictly to increase strength on the barbell overhead press, you’re going to have to train the barbell overhead press with heavy loads, as specificity is much more important when it comes to strength.
2) Obey Your Anatomy: The Upright Row and Lateral Raise
The upright row seems to have more controversy surrounding it than Donald Trump administering a flu vaccine to a gluten-free, ketogenic, vegan, transgender circus elephant in captivity while drinking creatine sweetened with aspartame.
Is the traditional “muscle magazine” upright row the safest or most effective exercise to build big, strong, and healthy shoulders?
Probably not.
Can it be modified?
Absolutely.
By nature of the movement, the barbell upright row places the shoulder in resisted internal rotation with elevation. This is a less than optimal and, dare I say, vulnerable position because it narrows the subacromial space, which can increase risk of injury.
Does that mean our shoulders will break on the first rep?
No.
Our bodies are resilient and can handle less than optimal positions, but why risk it if we can find a better way? Need a refresher on what the sub-acromial space is and how narrowing it can lead to injury? Check out Tony’s awesome article right here.
Great alternatives to the barbell upright row are the dumbbell upright row and the face pull.
Face Pull
As mentioned above, the barbell upright row puts us into internal rotation, which narrows the sub-acromial space.
External rotation, however, can be a shoulder’s best friend.
The dumbbell upright row frees up our joints and allows us to externally rotate throughout the movement. The face pull reduces the amount of internal rotation at the bottom of the movement and increases the amount of external rotation at the end of the movement.
Many training routines tend to be abundant in internal rotator strengthening (pecs, lats, etc.) while lacking strengthening for the external rotators (posterior rotator cuff, rear deltoids, etc). Both the dumbbell upright row and face pull involve resisted external rotation, which means they can help balance out a traditional training routine (more on this to come).
Note From TG: Speaking of Face Pulls I am reminded of THIS classic T-Nation.com article by Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman on the topic.
The lateral raise is a staple in most shoulder training routines, however if done incorrectly, can be very similar to the barbell upright row.
By internally rotating at the top of a lateral raise, as if pouring a pitcher of water, the shoulder gets placed into resisted internal rotation with elevation, which we now know is not that great of a position.
Why is that a common cue (even Arnold recommends it!)? Because in order to maximally target the middle deltoid, it needs to be directly in line with the force of gravity and the “pouring-the-pitcher” position accomplishes this.
Middle deltoid is directly in line with the force of gravity (good!), however the shoulder is in internal rotation and elevation (bad!)
Anterior deltoid is directly in line with the force of gravity
Bending forward or lying face down in a bench targets the posterior deltoid because it is directly in line with the force of gravity.
Posterior deltoid is directly in line with the force of gravity
So how do we reduce our risk of injury while still maximizing the force through the middle deltoid?
Simple.
Hinge at our hips and lean forward, just a bit.
The line of gravity has now changed. We’re now able to externally rotate (reversing the pitcher pouring motion) while still placing the middle deltoid in perfect alignment with gravity.
Middle deltoid is directly in line with the force of gravity (good!) AND the shoulder is in external rotation (good!)
For a video demonstration and explanation of this, go HERE.
3) Don’t Overdo It…Pay Attention to Volume
When looking at weekly shoulder volume, don’t forget to account for all of the exercises that involve the shoulders as secondary movers.
Shoulder presses, lateral raises, and reverse flyes are not the only exercises that add to weekly shoulder volume.
The shoulders get worked during exercises like bench presses, rows, dips, and even pull-ups and pull-downs. If you have a volume goal you are trying to hit, be sure to keep this in mind to avoid overtraining and overuse injuries. Remember, more is not better…better is better.
4) Don’t Try To Get Too Creative Just For The Sake Of Novelty
Bruce Lee said,
“I fear not the man who practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
Too much variety for the sake of novelty can limit your ability to progress, especially when it comes to shoulder training.
In general, the basic variations of shoulder movements are presses, lateral raises, extension-based movements (face pulls, reverse flyes, etc.), and global stability movements (farmer carries, planks, bird dogs, etc.).
My suggestion would be to find your preferred variations of those movements and perfect, fine tune, overload, and progress them. Yes, change it up every once in a while, but don’t swap out a solid landmine press for a banded, blood flow restricted, single-arm kettlebell press while standing on a BOSU over a pool of sharks with laser beams attached to their heads.
Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow where I offer four more of my top shoulder training tips.
About the Author
Nicholas M. Licameli
Doctor of Physical Therapy / Pro Natural Bodybuilder
Every single thing he does, Nick believes in giving himself to others in an attempt to make the world a happier, healthier, and more loving place. He wants to give people the power to change their lives. Bodybuilding and physical therapy serve as ways to carry out that cause. Nick graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24, and has earned professional status in natural bodybuilding. His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Love. Passion. Respect. Humility. Never an expert. Always a student. Love your journey.
I get it: boring isn’t sexy. And it sure as shit doesn’t help sell DVDs or keep people’s attention at 3 o’clock in the morning watching the latest infomercial on how performing 47 different bodyweight calisthenics while juggling two machetes – you know, to keep the body guessing – is the key to your ultimate body.
BONUS: If you order within 30 minutes you’ll also receive a month’s supply of grass-fed acai berries soaked in the belly-button sweat of a Centaur.
Because, why the fuck not? And, science.
People have been sold on the idea of incessant novelty and variety being the determining factor in getting results at the gym.
I disagree.
“The greatest gap in most people’s training isn’t lack of novelty, but rather lack of mastery.”
It’s telling, then, that many of the most popular training programs around and top coaches in the industry often predicate their roots and training around these basic movements: squat, hinge, push, pull, lunge, carry.2 That’s it.
That’s about as un-sexy as it gets.
However, what’s often lost in the age of exercise ADD is that those six categories alone can be broken down into hundreds of iterations when you factor in variances in grip used, stance used, sets/reps, load, tempo, speed of movement, not to mention barbell vs. dumbbell vs. kettlebell vs. bulldozer (depending on how ginormous of a human you are).
There’s more than enough variety to keep even the most strident exercise enthusiast satiated for a fitness lifetime.
To that end, I can see why some people aren’t as enamored with the Landmine Press as others.
Upon first glance it’s the vanilla ice-cream or NASCAR of the strength and conditioning world.
“Oh, you mean, like, you just press the barbell up and down like that? At an angle? Repeatedly?
It’s nerds like me who can see the bigger picture and can appreciate how valuable of an exercise/drill the Landmine Press is.
I’ve waxed poetic enough in the past on the importance of overhead mobility and people’s lack of ability to do so in a safe and efficient manner.
You can check THIS article out; or THIS one; or THIS one; or not.
I’m cool either way.
In the end, it’s a fantastic, joint-friendly way to perform “fake” overhead pressing for those who lack the requisite range of motion to do so.
Pressing up and down, at an angle, indeed, while seemingly boring, helps keep people out of their “danger zone”…yet still glean an effective training effect that helps build strong shoulders, core, and general levels of badassery.
And as much of a champion of monotony as I am, I can appreciate that, after a certain amount of time, it’s often prudent to up the ante and provide more excitement and, GASP, variety to the movement.
Here Are Some of My Favorite Progressions/Regressions/Lateralizations (Whatever Word Piques Your Interest Most) of the Landmine Press
1) A Quick Primer on Set-Up and Execution
In general, much how I program my warm-ups, I prefer to progress my landmine variations from the ground to standing. When you adopt a tall kneeling or half-kneeling stance you take joints out of the equation (ankles, knees, hips, lumbar spine) and provide less of a window for people to default to aberrant movement patterns that can cause injury or exacerbate any painful symptoms they may have.
2) Tall Kneeling 1-Arm Landmine Press
I should note there are a handful of tenets with regards to technique across the board:
Abs and glutes engaged. Both will nudge people into a little more posterior pelvic tilt and less likely to crank through their lumbar spine.
If you are performing these 1-arm at a time I like to cue people to make a fist with their free hand to encourage more full-body tension.
The shoulder of the working arm should not “dip” or round forward on the lowering phase.
Keep the chin tucked.
When appropriate, there should be a slight “reach” (or shrug) at the top to more fully engage the upper traps (which play a role in scapular upward rotation).
Also when appropriate, play some Wu-Tang.
3) Half Kneeling 1-Arm Landmine Press
This is probably my favorite variation regardless. I like this one because we’re hitting a lot of problematic areas at once: shoulder health (upward rotation), rotary stability, hip flexor length, and glute activation (on kneeling side).
I prefer to coach people to dorsiflex the toes of the back foot (dig them into the ground), but in the end it comes down to whatever feels better for the person.
4) Half Kneeling Sideways Landmine Press
This is one I stole from my buddy Dean Somerset.
Here we’re training more in the frontal plane, which is important…cause we should get people out of the sagittal plane once they master it.
NOTE: you could also combine this one into a 1-arm clean-to-press hybrid movement if you wanted.
Honeybadger don’t give a shit.
5) Plain Ol’ Boring Standing 1-Arm Landmine Press
You can toss in a few curveballs here. You can adopt a staggered stance (one foot in front of the other), which makes things more challenging due to a narrower base of support.
You can also add bands into the mix.
6) Band Resisted Landmine Press
I like adding bands because it provides an added challenge to the anterior core musculature, in addition to forcing the lifter to control the eccentric portion of the lift more.
We can also make the case it “saves” the shoulders even more in that the band automatically decelerates the movement at the top.
Also, on a side note: When the hell are Jon Snow and Daenerys going to hook up on Game of Thrones?
7) Side to Side Landmine Press
This is a great option for when you want to be a little more aggressive with loading.
8) 2/1 Technique Landmine Press
The 2/1 technique is a concept I picked up from Christian Thibaudeau years ago, and something I’ve used in my own programming and that of my clients ever since.
We all know that we can handle more weight on the yielding (eccentric) portion of any lift compared to the overcoming (concentric).
The 2/1 technique takes this into account.
The idea is simple: Press up with both arms (preferably, in an explosive manner) and lower with one under control.
9) Deep Squat 1-Arm Landmine Press (<– Only For Those Who Want to Hate Life)
I hate this one so much. And by hate, I mean love.3
I wasn’t sure where to place this one, so I guess I broke my “from the ground up” rule here.
Whatever, it’s my blog, I can do whatever I want.
Like, yell out “I’m Batman!” or post a picture of a unicorn shitting rainbows and cupcakes.
This one is a doozy and requires someone exhibits sufficient t-spine extension to perform well. Even though it’s a ground-based variation I’d be reticent to place have beginners perform this one.
That’s It, Folks
I hope you learned a few new variations in today’s post. If you have some of your own you’d like to share please feel free to post them in the comments section here or on Facebook.
BONUS Option
Because nine sucks, here’s a 10th variation.
Viking Landmine Press
If you have the Viking attachment (which you can purchase HERE) you can add another nice variation, which includes a neutral grip option.
NOTE: Actual exercise not pictured. More power to you if you want to pull it off though. I mean, it does work the serratus…;O)
But First – A Rookie Parenting Mistake
It was a consortium of errors this past weekend. Lisa and I were supposed to head to Toronto for our Strong Body-Strong Mind workshop.
We were pumped to go, but what made the trip an even bigger of a deal was the fact it was going to be our first attempt at bringing our almost 5-month old, Julian, with us. On a plane. Did I mention on a plane?
On a plane.
With no where to go if he acted up.
You could say we were both a little nervous. But we took solace in that the plane ride from Boston to Toronto is a pretty short one and we had a kick-ass weekend a head of us hanging out with 25+ fitness professionals.
That is until we got to the airport, through security waiting at our gate, and were then informed Julian needed a passport.
In the end we had to postpone our workshop, and head back home with our tail between our legs.
Sorry Toronto. We’ll see you later this year, I promise. The man can’t keep us down.
We have a tentative date planned in September, but will confirm shortly.
Lets get to the exercise….
Serratus Punch
Who Did I Steal It From: This is an exercise I’ve done for several years with clients off the floor. The addition of the stability ball, though, is something I snaked from Dr. Joel Seedman.
What Does It Do: The serratus anterior is the muscle located alongside the ribcage and plays a crucial role in shoulder health and performance. Specifically, it’s main role is to aid in upward rotation of the scapulae via protraction.6
It’s a relatively innocuous muscle, but I’d venture a guess the bulk of shoulder “issues” you come across as a personal trainer or strength coach can be remedied with a little more TLC given to it.
It’s a BIG deal.
It’s a big deal especially when we start discussing one’s ability to raise his or her’s arms overhead. In order to do so, safely, three actions need to happen with the shoulder blades:
Upward rotation
Posterior tilt
Protraction
I feel protraction is a lost movement. More and more we’re finding people “stuck” in an extension pattern which has a domino effect up and down the kinetic chain. With regards to upper extremity movement and mechanics we find people with a more depressed (low, not sad) shoulder girdle, excessive rib flair, and shoulder blades that tend to be more adducted/retracted and downwardly rotated.
In no small part the culprit can often be pointed to execution of common strength training movements. True, in order to lift BIG weight with the “big 3” it behooves anyone to “pack” the shoulder blades together and down when setting up to bench press, deadlift, or squat.
Getting and maintaining full-body tension requires “stuff” to be locked down tight.
That being said, it’s still important to be able to access movement. While we may coach people to clamp their shoulder blades down when bench pressing, as an example, to provide more stability to the joint, that doesn’t mean this should be the case 100% of the time.
Protraction or reaching is a vital component for shoulder health and performance.
And the serratus anterior is an often neglected muscle that can have profound effects on how one’s shoulder feels.
Also, not for nothing, this is also a solid core stability exercise.
Key Coaching Cues: Since the successful execution of this exercise is predicated on one’s ability to perform a plank position that doesn’t make me want to throw up a little, lets discuss that first:
TENSION! – everything should be firing. Your abs, your glutes, your quadricep muscle, your eyeballs, everything.
You should not be “hanging out” on your lower back.
Once you’ve got that down, from there the idea is to “punch” or push away from the stability ball making sure to stay fully engaged throughout.
NOTE: I’d start with performing these off a more solid surface – like the floor – if you’re new to this.
I like to add a full exhale as I push away which will help with keeping the ribs down (and serve as a kick-ass ab workout).
Under control, lower yourself back down by retracting the shoulder blades making sure not to poke your head forward. You should still be engaged here.
Any bench-pressing variation can be a double-edged sword. On one hand the advantages are numerous:
Builds upper body strength.
Pecification of pecs.
And that’s pretty much it.
So maybe not as numerous as I thought. But there’s no denying the importance of horizontal pressing movements (barbells, dumbbells, people, etc) with regards to building and developing a well-rounded physique and/or athlete.
To their detriment, however, some people take the “well-rounded physique” idea to the extreme and often perform waaaaaaaaaay more pressing movements compared to anything else. Just walk into any commercial gym (literally, any one, just pick), and try sit there for more than five minutes and not see someone start to bench press.
As a result we often see an uptick in shoulder ouchies due to muscular imbalances (over-developed pecs compared to under-developed upper back muscles) and wonky scapular mechanics.
The latter is not an absolute: You’ll often find shoulder blades that are “glued” together or stuck in downward rotation in people who bench a lot. This is good thing in that you WANT the shoulders to be retracted and depressed in order to move a lot of weight.
It can be bad in that you still should be able to “access” upward rotation, protraction, and all the other motions the scapulae are designed to perform in order to keep the shoulders healthy.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many people.
What Does It Do: Pressing variations involving a bench are open chain and don’t allow the shoulder blades to move. As noted above: this is fine. In order to heave a significant weight off your chest you need to set a stable base. And in order to do so it’s crucial to retract and depress the shoulder blades.
The thing is, over time, this can produce less than stellar scapular mechanics and result in shoulder pain or discomfort.
The scapulae (shoulder blades) need to be able to move.
This variation allows such a thing to happen.
Not only is the shoulder blade now able to move through a more diverse ROM, but this exercise, too, is a great rotary stability exercise (you have to fire your core musculature to maintain a straight torso as to not fall off the bench) in addition to nudging a bit more glute activation.
Key Coaching Cues: There’s not much to it. Lie on bench and scoot over to one side or the other so that the shoulder blade of the pressing arm is off the bench.
And then, you press.
Try to avoid lowering the DB so low that your shoulder “rolls” forward. Also, I like to cue a bit of a PLUS or protraction movement at the top.
Bonus Tip: Make a fist with your free hand to aid in developing even more full-body tension.
Perform 8-12 repetitions and then switch.
Wrap Up
Will this movement help you press 300 lbs? No.
But it will help keep your shoulders healthy in the long-run, and I see no harm in peppering it into programs sporadically just to remind trainees/athletes that it’s okay to let their shoulder blades move and breath a little bit.
Moreover, you know and I know that when someone’s shoulder hurts and you tell someone to stop pressing, that they’re likely going to be an a-hole an press anyways. At least with this variation you can help keep them sane and still press while addressing all the other things they may need to be working on to solve the issue(s).
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of former CSP intern and now current rock-star PA based strength coach, Rob Rabena
Shoulder health is always a hot topic amongst baseball players and overhead athletes. To keep a healthy shoulder, there are a lot of variables that come into play.
Most of these variables are trainable.
Other factors such as pitching mechanics, sport stress, and life stress are hard for the strength coach to control and train. The goal of this post is to provide some new exercise variations to help keep the shoulder healthy – whether you get paid to throw a baseball 95MPH or if you’re Bob from Accounting.
I have always been a big fan of scapular isometric perturbations to train the scapular muscles. I usually do a standing ball to wall at different arm positions.
Lately I have been playing around with different lower body positions as well.
Check them out!
Half Kneeling and Standing Split Stance Ball to Wall Stabilizations
What Does It Do: Trunk and scapular control/stabilization.
Through an added manual isometric perturbation, the athlete needs to control the arm and trunk to not fall over or lose joint position.
This is a fantastic integrated scapular exercise where the athlete needs to not only control the entire body, but also the arm. This exercise helps maintain the head of the humerus in the socket. The athlete should feel the posterior shoulder during this exercise.
Key Coaching Cues:
Don’t let me move you
Open your fingers wide and feel the ball
Feel your foot on the ground
Left foot- Left outside heel and left big toe
Right Foot- Press your arch into the ground
Inhale and fully exhale before beginning
Breathe throughout the exercise, don’t hold your breath
Reach arm, don’t over pull the scapula down and back
I usually place the athlete at end ranges of the shoulder
Science and Research:
Oliver et. al. (2016) found that in the lunge position (the TGU and prone I) had significantly greater serratus anterior EMG compared to other exercises.
A greater EMG during this position is most likely from the scapulae in protraction.
Protraction or reaching can do wonders for shoulder health, scapular health and position of the ribcage. Always take in consideration that EMG studies are not the end all be all when it comes to exercise selection.
Who Should Use It:
Any overhead athlete such as baseball, tennis, swimming, softball and volleyball would be recommended. This can be used to help prevent any future injuries with anyone who has a history of shoulder problems or pathologies.
Program Design:
2-4 sets of 10-15sec or until athlete fatigues or technique/position is lost.
I would suggest that the half kneeling position can be used at times as a regression to the standing ball to wall variation. The standing Split Stance variation is definitely a progression due to the narrow base of support and difficulty of the exercise.
See the list below to help with program design as well as for training floor regressions and progressions.
Quadruped: Ball on Ground
Standing: Ball to Wall
Supine: Off-Table
Half Kneeling: Open Chain Variation
Progression Order:
Quadruped ball on ground
Half kneeling ball to wall
Standing ball to wall
Standing split stance ball to wall
Supine off a table
Open Chain Variations
Conclusion:
When training the shoulder or scapular muscles, be sure to mix up and progress lower body position when utilizing a manual isometric perturbation.
References:
Gretchen D. Oliver, H. A. (2016, March). Electromyographic Analysis of Traditional and Kinetic Chain Exercises for Dynamic Shoulder Movements. Journal ofStrength and Conditioning Research.
Author’s Bio
Rob Rabena, MS, CSCS, is the Director of Sports Performance at Maplezone Sports Institute (MSI) in Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, where he trains high school, college and professional baseball athletes.
Prior to joining MSI, he was the head strength & conditioning coach at Cabrini College, working with their nationally ranked lacrosse team. In addition to his work at Cabrini, he completed an internship at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts in 2012.
Rabena earned his B.S. in Exercise Science with a focus on Health Promotion from Cabrini College in 2011, and his M.S. in Exercise Science with a focus on Strength and Conditioning from East Stroudsburg University in 2012. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Based off last week’s article on Building the Squat From the Bottom and today’s apropos titled post, you may think I’m obsessed with bottoms.
Kim Kardashian and J-Lo jokes aside, you’re 100% correct.
When I was coaching at Cressey Sports Performance and working with numerous overhead athletes, utilizing bottoms-up exercises was a daily occurrence…many times serving as a starting point for guys traveling to Massachusetts to train after a tenuously long baseball season or maybe recovering from an injury.
1) Better Shoulder Health and Rotator Cuff Activation
With regards to shoulder health and rotator cuff activation, there aren’t many things more effective than holding a kettlebell upside down. Because grip becomes more of a “thing” here, a phenomenon called irradiation comes into play. Simply put: grip strength helps the shoulder to “pack” itself, providing more stability to the area.
Don’t believe me?
Hold your arm out in front of you making a fist. But don’t do anything, just hold it there.
Now, MAKE A FIST (as if you were going to thunder-punch a T-Rex). Notice how your shoulder kinda tensed up and “packed” itself. That’s irradiation.
Moreover, when we start talking about the rotator cuff muscles and what the anatomy books tells us their function is we get this:
Internal/external rotation of the humerus.
Abduction of the humerus
Humeral depression (counteract pull of delts)
All of this is correct. And, I defy anyone to put this bit of trivia in their Match.com profile and not be beating people off with a stick.
However, the RC’s true “function” is to keep the humeral head centered in the glenoid fossa.11Bottoms-up KB carries are an excellent choice to train the rotator cuff in this fashion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnpS41ag5ME
2) De-loading
I am a firm believer in lifting heavy things. The slogan of this site is “Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves” for crying out loud.
That said, it’s important to pump the brakes from time to time and understand (and respect) that lifting “heavy,” all the time, isn’t necessary to build a strong, durable, aesthetically pleasing body.
It’s the backbone, of course. But the “go heavy, or go home” mentality can be just as deleterious and stagnating as going too light.
What I also love about bottoms-up exercises is that they serve as a built-in “de-load” mechanism for many trainees, not to mention a tricky way to place a spotlight on any glaring side-to-side strength/muscular imbalances.
Have someone perform a 1-arm Bottoms-Up Bench Press or Overhead Press and watch as it becomes abundantly clear which arm is stronger than the other.
What’s more, because so many trainees like to “muscle” their exercises12, many of the smaller, stabilizing musculature gets the shaft. And thus, nagging injuries may occur.
Relax: I’m not going all Tracy Anderson and saying something asinine like “it’s important to use lighter weights so we can target our deep, less angry, stabilizing muscles. Also, dipping your left hand into a bucket of unicorn tears detoxes the body of sadness.”
What I am saying, however, is that it’s okay to use an exercise such as this as an accessory movement to help address a gross imbalance or weakness, or to even help build some muscle. The Bottoms-Up KB Overhead Press is actually one of my favorite shoulder exercises to build mass because it forces people to be strict with their technique.
Squeeze glutes, quads, and abs.
Lock rib cage down.
Press
3) Core Stability
I don’t feel I need to spend a lot of time on this one. Performing any unilateral movement (upper or lower body) has obvious core training benefits.
Here, not only are we getting all the benefits described above, but we’re also getting the benefit of challenging our core musculature to prevent any un-wanted motion (in this case: lateral flexion, rotation, extension, etc).
Bottoms-Up Split Squat
Bottoms-Up Bulgarian Split Squat
Bottoms-Up Reverse Lunge
With all these drills the objective is to stabilize the kettlebell so that it stays upright throughout, while at the same time maintaining a good thoraco-pelvic canister (minimizing rib flair and excessive anterior pelvic tilt).
[A good way to visualize this is to think about an invisible line being drawn from your nipple line to your belly button. You want to “connect” your rib cage to your pelvis and LOCK IT DOWN. The invisible line should stay the same throughout the duration of a set and not get longer].
You’ll notice on all the examples above I make a fist with my free hand to help increase bodily tension. This is important to help maintain that canister
4) And Lastly, Because I Said So
How’s that for a legit reason to give these exercises a try?
Nicholas M. Licameli
%2C445%2C286%2C400%2C400%2Carial%2C12%2C4%2C0%2C0%2C5_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
