In fact, you can purchase that OR the combo pack (includes both version 1.0 & 2.0) for a hefty discount in addition to taking advantage of a payment plan option.
Other benefits:
Continuing Education credits.
Instant digital access.
30 day money back guarantee (you will learn something that’ll improve your coaching skills and business).
Comes with a 5×7 autographed copy of Tony’s pecs (limited time offer).
Anyone who’s been lifting weights for a significant amount of time will, at some point or another, have a shoulder (or two) that isn’t too pleased with them.
Sometimes it’s a niggle —> you know, something that doesn’t feel good but also isn’t something that’s going to derail your workout plans.,
Sometimes it’s a lot more than a niggle —> but you’re an idiot and proceed to max effort bench press anyway; you idiot.
Needless to say, niggles happen – to varying degrees. Here are a few short-n-sweet preventative measures you can implement TODAY to keep your shoulders from hating you.
1. You Can Never Do Enough Rows
A simple audit of one’s program often gives a lot of insight.
It’s no surprise that the bulk of people who come to me with cranky shoulders tend to have a programming issue. Meaning, they perform a lot more pressing compared to pulling movements.
In other words: People like to train the muscles they can see in the mirror.
This can lead to an infatuation of sorts with pressing movements.
I find it rarely ever hurts to add more ROWING variations into everyone’s programs. A one-to-one (pull:push) ratio is a nice starting point. However, a 2:1 or even 3:1 (pull:push) ratio is often what’s needed.
We need to take an UNBALANCED approach to “balance” things.
In other words: More rowing variations.
Sometimes it’ll be something heavy – Seal Rows, Bent Over Rows, DB Rows, Seated Rows, Chest Supported Rows.
Sometimes it’ll be something medium – TRX Rows, Face Pulls
NOTE: This isn’t to imply that the exercises listed after “heavy” can only be done heavy and that the ones listed after “medium” can’t be performed with more challenging loads. Rather it’s just to point out that those exercises tend to be better suited for those type of loading parameters.
And sometimes it’ll be an exercise that is better suited for “lighter” loads.
Like this:
Split Stance 1-Arm Band Row
2. Reaching = MONEY for Shoulder Health
I wrote about this in detail a few weeks ago in THIS article, but you probably didn’t read it because I titled it something lame:
“Exercises You Should Be Doing: This Is One That Will Make Your Shoulders Feel Better”
See? Lame.
What I should have done is title it something like:
“101 Bicep Variations That’ll Make More People Swipe Right on Your Tinder Profile.”
And then I would have LOL’d because you would have been expecting an article on how to build swole biceps and what you would have really have clicked on is an article about the Serratus and the benefits of reaching for shoulder health.
Inspired by my good friend and Baltimore based personal trainer, Sivan Fagan, this is a SUPERB movement prep series to get your shoulders primed and ready to handle some subsequent big boy (or girl) weights.
Or if you just want a good ol’ fashioned shoulder pump.
All good.
4. The Arm Bar
Outside of sounding like an 80’s WWF finishing move, this is easily one of the most under-rated exercises for shoulder health out there.
I like to use this one as an extended warm-up for those clients with a history of shoulder issues because it hits a few major big rocks:
Grip (irradiation = more rotator cuff activation).
Trains the rotator cuff in a more “functional” manner (keeping humeral head centered in glenoid fossa).
Scapular stability (I actually like adding a reach/protraction at the top to help train scapular motion AROUND THE RIBCAGE)
Thoracic mobility (namely extension; great for those stuck in front of a computer for hours on end).
Julian is LOCKED IN to Spiderverse over there in the corner.
5. Following a Ketogenic Diet
The fuck outta here with that nonsense.
6. Bottoms-Up Carry Variations
I love bottoms-up carries because they’re a supreme way to train the shoulders in a more “functional” manner with minimal load.
There aren’t many exercises more humbling than this.
The third and final installment of my “30 Days of Shoulders” series went live today over at T-Nation.com. All three parts cover everything from shoulder assessment and tips on shoulder friendly pressing t0 how to improve shoulder health and performance.
Collectively it’ll make all your hopes and dreams come true.
I’m writing this from my most favorite place in the world…
…a room full of cute and cuddly kittens.
Just kidding, I’m in London.
I’m here because I have a few speaking engagements lined up – a half-day Shoulder workshop for a crew of Equinox trainers in Kensington on Saturday, my Coaching Competency Workshop in Dublin on Sunday, and then mine and Luke Worthington’s Strategic Strength Workshop back here in London next week.
Spots are still available for both the Dublin and London events (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).1
I just checked into my hotel after an overnight flight from Boston and I feel like a zombie.
Needless to say I am not in the writing mood, but I do\ have a little sumthin, sumthin to share today.
This is Part II of my latest series over at T-Nation.com dealing with anything and everything shoulders: How to make them bigger, how to make them feel less like a bag of dicks, you know, the usual.
You can check it out —> HERE (also includes link to Part I in case you missed it).
Enjoy and keep your eyes peeled for Part III coming next week!
I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this if you have two shoulders.2
I’m also willing to bet that, given the two shoulder scenario, and given this is a blog dedicated towards strength & conditioning, you’re interested in:
Keeping your shoulders healthy.
Making your shoulders stronger.
Building shoulders that resemble boulders.
Argon. You know just because it’s a cool element.3
Excellent strength coach, and outstanding Canadian, Dean Somerset once stated in an internet post, or maybe it was a blog, “there is always a cost of doing business.” He meant it as a point of emphasis when talking about the various effects of training programs and specific exercises. But he also could have extrapolated it outwards to reflect the stresses of our daily lives.
Poor posture while seated for twelve hours is going to have a cost associated with it just as German volume training.
Note From TG: OMG, German Volume Training brings back the worst memories. I don’t know which was worse: getting kicked on the balls or GVT?
For this reason, the fitness industry has made a major shift towards corrective exercises. Once seen as the tools of progressive physical therapists – these mobility, stability, and integrated exercises have become critical elements in training programs for elite athletes, nimble geriatrics, and the average Joe and Jane alike.
The growth of corrective modalities in conventional personal training is a good thing overall. However, as I pointed out in the introduction to this article series – HERE – there exists a very big downside to the obsession with movement perfection and body correction.
There needs to be a better way of correcting people’s movement flaws, overcoming their specific weaknesses, and getting them to a place where they can safely train hard. Far too many coaches are “under-training” their clients because they are investing too much time “correcting” things. At some point we need to get people training hard towards their actual goals.
Using Your Head For Their Shoulders
There may be no part of the body more susceptible to under-training than the shoulders. With multiple skeletal structures, a bunch of muscle attachments, and a relationship with the spine – there are a lot of reasons that someone wouldn’t be “allowed” to train hard with their shoulders.
Training them includes more than the traditional bodybuilding approach too.
The glenohumeral joint is involved in all upper body pushing and pulling motions as well as the specific isolation exercises that are popular in bodybuilding programs (such as lateral raises or chest flyes). The scapula and clavicle are too, but their positioning on the body also impacts movement such as the deadlift and squat.
Because of their high level of integration with every exercise we do, the shoulders are often the most banged up part of a client’s body. Our poor postures and ill-advised training programs aren’t helping us. Often the two compound each other and only worsen any dysfunction that exists.
Hence the need for correctives.
Really though, the shoulder itself is a bit of a miracle joint – with all the muscles that cross it, the fascia, the nerves, blood vessels, and obvious skeletal structures – it is amazing that it functions as well as it does.
But there can be a whole host of issues going on, or there can be just one. And that is what is most challenging about assessing and correcting shoulder dysfunctions.
It could be as simple as improving someone’s ability to retract and depress their scapula, such as when someone’s posture isn’t where we’d like it.
Or as complex as improving external rotation of the humerus while also stealing more extension from the thoracic spine and stability from the scapula during upward rotation and elevation, such as when a client wants to get better at pull-ups.
No matter how intense the problem is it is important that we as coaches keep our processes simple.
Removing the Restrictions
Yet, simple is not how most coaches approach shoulder health.
In fact, if you were to follow many of the conventional prescriptions that are floated through the industry, then you’d avoid many of the things that produce big results for your clients in favor of small correctives that make small changes. While some clients do need more intervention with these corrective methods – most simply need enough to create an opportunity for more intense training.
If you were to follow many of the guidelines that accompany something as notable as the Functional Movement Screen (the FMS), then many of your clients would not be allowed to press, or pull vertically, or load up abduction or adduction in the frontal or transverse planes until they were able to get a “2” on the shoulder mobility assessment.
While Gray Cook and Lee Burton did an incredible job creating a screening tool that helps coaches discover dysfunction and lack of movement prowess – they also created a system that is preventing a lot of clients from actually getting better.
Note From TG: For anyone interested (I.e., everyone) I wrote about my experience taking the FMS and what I took from it HERE.
The protective measures and governing principles of systems put the fear of God in personal trainers who use them. Many are afraid of loading anything until they see a two on the scoreboard. It is a steady dose of low intensity or no intensity correctives until that day.
Which is where the problem with corrective exercises starts:
Low to no intensity corrective exercises aren’t why clients improve over time. Instead, it is the strengthening exercises that come after these correctives that matter most.
If we are to improve how we utilize corrective exercises in our programs, then we must be willing to accept that what we now know isn’t perfect. We must be willing to entertain the idea that there is a better way of doing business. It is this exact mentality that drives innovation in technology.
It will drive innovation in fitness if we let it.
—-
(It is important to pause here and make a statement – this article is not meant to treat, diagnose, or prescribe methods or modalities for someone who is dealing with diagnosed injury or dysfunction in their shoulders. Traumatic injuries, conditions such as frozen shoulder, cervical kyphosis, and others require a finer touch from qualified medical professionals.)
If Not This, Then What?
Corrective exercises are like the bore that drills tunnels in the side of a mountain. They create the space for the construction to take place, but they aren’t the construction. You wouldn’t want to drive through a tunnel that hasn’t been reinforced with steel supports and millions of pounds of concrete, so why do you think that corrective exercises are enough to create a finished product in fitness?
The mobility and stability exercises that we define as “correctives” simply create the space for more optimal change to take place. They create the opportunity for well-selected strength exercises to change the tissues for the better.
For shoulder health we find that the classic approach of wall-angels, thoracic roll-overs, and cat-cows are simply creating the opening for which exercises like loaded carries, supinated pulldowns, and banded retractions fill with strength and stability. Our goal needs to be to do enough to get to the exercises that stimulate adaptation and create positive change; in the shoulders and in the rest of the client’s body.
Our responsibility as trainers is to help our clients overcome dysfunctions and improve their movement quality – sure. But our job also implies that we help our clients burn calories, build muscle, and come just short of conquering the universe.
Before diving into the actual corrective exercises that will open the gates for us to train with the intensity our client’s want and need, let’s ensure that everyone reading is on the same page on the anatomy and physiology of the shoulder joint.
The Basic Anatomy and Physiology – Skeletal
When looking at the shoulder joint you are presented with three major bones: the clavicle, the scapula, and the humerus.
The clavicle (or collarbone) is the most stationary of all of these structures, but its lateral aspect does elevate and depress in reaction to movements of the other bones. The humerus, the upper arm bone, is designed for external and internal rotation within the socket – known as the glenohumeral joint.
The humerus can move through flexion, extension, abduction and adduction, and horizontal abduction and adduction by rotating around the glenohumeral joint in each of the three planes (sagittal, frontal, transverse). These movements are aided by the function of the scapula.
The scapula (or shoulder blade) is the large bone in the back of the body. It is capable of six motions: elevation, depression, upward rotation, downward rotation, protraction, and retraction. These movements are also correlated to the three planes of motion too – sagittal, frontal, and transverse respectively.
The spine is also involved in shoulder mobility and stability is often left out when looking at function. We will explore this relationship in the next section when we begin looking at how core function can impact shoulder mobility as well as how thoracic extension is necessary for optimal function of the shoulder joint.
The Basic Anatomy and Physiology – Muscular
The human shoulder functions as incredibly as it does because of the incredible number of muscles that are involved. Some control the humerus, others control the scapula, and others control the spine.
Most of these muscles are found in the back.
When looking at the muscles that contract at the shoulder, we must separate the muscles that control the external rotation and internal rotation of the humerus from the muscles that create the six motions of the scapula. While some muscles share functions – it is important to identify its primary action and what it acts upon in order to better understand how the shoulder wants to function.
The four muscles of the rotator cuff are most responsible for the external and internal rotation capacity of the humerus.
There is evidence to support that the triceps are involved in external rotation, especially under load (just turn your arm around as far as you can right now, and you’ll feel the lateral head of the triceps contract). Therefore, the triceps join the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor as external rotators of the humerus.
With that claim we can also ascertain that the biceps and pectoralis group are involved to some degree in internal rotation (although there is significantly less IR available at the shoulder joint). The subscapularis is the internal rotator of the cuff.
When examining the muscles that move the scapula, we are simply looking at the muscles of the upper back; the lats, teres major, rhomboids, trapezius, levator scapulae, the serratus and the three external rotators of the cuff. Each of these muscles have specific functions on pieces of paper, but it is imperative as coaches that we realize that most exercises performed in a gym setting involve more than just one of these muscles doing one of these functions.
It is easy to point at the traps and say “oh, they are elevators and contribute to upward rotation.” It is less easy being able to look at a flawed motion and know exactly what is wrong:
For example, many coaches will point at someone having issues with retraction and think “ah, the upper traps are overactive and the teres major/minor need strengthening.” They could be right and probably are in a population of people who sit with rounded thoracic spines and internally rotated shoulders.
Add in forward neck and shrugged shoulders and this “diagnosis” seems spot on.
However, getting just the teres group to fire without activating the infraspinatus or supraspinatus is nearly impossible in a traditional training setting. Getting someone to stay out of their upper traps sounds like a great coaching cue, but that requires getting them to fire the muscles that contribute to scapular depression; the lower traps, pectoralis minor, and latissimus dorsi at the same time – something most clients (or you) can’t do consciously.
In fact, a lot of scapular depression comes from the ability to put the thoracic spine into extension. Doing so involves activation the lowest fibers of the traps, the lats, the upper abdominals, and a whole host of muscles that are so deep and connected to the individual vertebrae that considering them in training is pointless.
When these muscles contract and thoracic extension takes place, you find that the scapula better slide into the depressed position.
The Core Connection
Yet, thoracic control isn’t completely isolated either.
It is very hard to contract the thoracic muscles without some level of core control. In this instance, the core includes the anterior muscles of the core that we know (rectus and transverse abdominals, internal and external obliques, and Psoas Major.
It also includes the muscles of the posterior core: the quadratus lumborum and the erector spinae.
Conscious contraction of these muscles allows for the core to hold tension, which better stabilizes the lumbar spine, which better allows the thoracic spine to go into extension, which better allows the scapula to depress, which better allows the humerus to externally rotate. As you can see, everything is connected, which is why we can’t use such generic correctives to solve complex problems.
A Less Important Factor?
You’ll notice that we haven’t yet mentioned the deltoid – the most known shoulder muscle. For all the attention it gets in bodybuilding circles its function is not as critical to shoulder function as you’d believe. The anterior fibers assist in internal rotation and drive flexion of the arm while the posterior fibers aid in external rotation and initiate horizontal abduction. The lateral fibers function to create abduction of the arm in the frontal plane.
From a corrective standpoint, it is very rarely an issue with the deltoid that proves to be the problem. In fact, it is often the overdevelopment of the deltoids and upper traps and underdevelopment of the rotator cuff muscles that create impingement issues in dedicated lifters. Great corrective exercises keep the deltoids involved and avoid shutting them out.
The Hidden Gem
In recent years we’ve come to learn that the fascia in our bodies is more than just a covering and more than just extra tissue that gets cut through in surgery. It is a living tissue that is involved in our function on a day by day and minute by minute basis.
In fact, research from Michol Dalcourt and the team at the Institute of Motion have proven that the fascia can communicate information across the body faster than any muscle tissue. Its ability to compress and expand is crucial for athletic development.
Unfortunately, many fitness professionals see it as tissue that is addressed with foam rollers, lacrosse balls, and other release methods. This isn’t wrong of course as these implements can do well to increase blood flow, increase hydration of the fascia, and improve mobility of the joint in question. However, we can also train our fascia just as we train our muscles. We must look to incorporate the variety of slings that Thomas Meyer’s discusses in his text Anatomy Trains.
In our solutions section we’ll explore a few ways to do that to improve the function of the shoulders and truly correct any issues that exist.
But first, we must identify a few of the most common problems.
Common Problems
1) Desk Posture (UCS)
The most common problem that a client will present in regard to their shoulder health is the classic “desk posture”. The scapula sits in protraction and elevation while the humerus’ are internally rotated. This posture is held for eight, ten, and twelve hours a day. Over time the pectoralis muscles get tighter, the trapezius muscles lengthen, the muscles of the scapula and glenohumeral joint get weaker, and the client continues to worsen.
The most advanced form of this condition is known as Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS) – a severe condition of immobility that usually involves additional intervention with physical therapists, and sometimes, orthopedic surgeons. This posture often presents forward neck as a well – a dangerous condition of the cervical spine.
The treatment for individuals in this position is to correct their posture and work to move them in better retraction, depression, and external rotation. However, many of the common methods do not provide enough intensity to stimulate muscle growth or strength adaptations in the muscles of the upper back. It is crucial for trainers to invest time in building their clients upper backs and coaching optimal patterns if the corrective interventions are ever going to stick.
2) Poor Scapulohumeral rhythm
For many people the pain they experience in their pressing and pulling motions is a result of a poor pattern being present. Of course, there are others who have legitimate issues such as shoulder impingements, strained muscles of the rotator cuff, or overactive trapezius muscles that make doing certain movements nearly impossible. The rest though, simply need help reworking their patterns and an emphasis on strengthening the muscles that control those patterns.
The scapulohumeral rhythm refers to the quality of movement that occurs when we consider the scapula and glenohumeral joints interaction. People with great rhythms typically an exercise pain-free while people who lack control and patterning struggle to accomplish even the most basic tasks.
This topic is quite deep, but in short realize there is a relationship between the position of the humerus and where the scapula “should” be.
For example, in a traditional dumbbell overhead press the scapula should be upwardly rotating and elevating as the humerus adducts towards the midline at the top of the press. Many people will execute their press and have little to no movement out of their scapula, thus causing increased stress on tissues that shouldn’t need to encounter them.
3) Lack of External Rotation
One of the issues many clients face is the inability to rotate their humerus back. This is more than just the presence of too much internal rotation (such as with U.C.S.). The muscles responsible for external rotation of the shoulder are powerful muscles that also engage in the motions of the scapula. Lacking strength in these tissues can cause someone to become more internally rotated, but also makes it incredibly hard to achieve external rotation at the glenohumeral joint.
This matters for more than just mobility.
Popular exercises such as pull-ups require a person to own a certain amount of external rotation in order to execute the motion. So too does the overhead press. Lacking the ability to achieve optimal end range of E.R. makes both movements, and so many others, hard to accomplish.
It is important to understand that the exercises we use to improve external rotation put the humerus in a greater rotation than we would normally encounter in traditional lifting. But, this sort of work is necessary to strengthen and stimulate the muscles that create E.R. and maintain it in an isometric contraction (such as during a overhead press).
4) Weak Core and Poor Thoracic Extension
As stated earlier, the core and spine play a major role in whether the shoulders function optimally. A lot of lifters never develop optimal shoulder health because they create mobility by overextending their lumbar and thoracic spine to compensate. This is especially prevalent in ego lifters performing an overhead press with a massive amount of “layback”.
Lacking the ability to contract the anterior core and stabilize the lumbar spine makes it significantly harder for someone to master true thoracic extension. The ability to lift the ribs and extend the thoracic spine allows for better depression, retraction, and downward rotation of the scapula. These motions are direct opposites of the posture that many fall into as a result of upper cross syndrome or “desk posture”.
Strengthen the abdominal wall and muscles of the T-spine is imperative to optimizing shoulder function. Much like the foundation of a skyscraper must be firm and set underneath the construction, so too does our core and spine for our shoulders.
5) Weak Upper Back and Lack of Awareness
In a lot of cases, especially in individuals who do not regularly engage in an exercise plan, there is simply a lack of proprioception and strength in the muscles that control the scapula and glenohumeral joint. Often, there is nothing “wrong” with this population other than their lack of sensory awareness and force production capabilities.
Clients like this require more exposure to well-coached patterns and a progressively overloaded strength program that allows their muscles to adapt over time. It may be beneficial to use low intensity correctives to prime a specific pattern and create mobility in the joint prior to loading the muscles with traditional methods.
It is critical that we stop seeing all clients as wrecked when they are unable to perform a specific task. For many people, especially with something as obscure as the FMS, it is simply an unfamiliarity with their body and the demand you are placing upon them. Increase their exposure to well-coached exercise instead of trying to fix something that isn’t broken.
New Solutions
As we dive into the specific movements it is important for us to realize that these are just a few examples of great movements that can be used to strengthen and stabilize the shoulder joint. Some of these movements are common and others are painfully boring (in a sense that we aren’t shaking the Earth).
However, simplicity is often the fasted route to success.
A few of these movements are going to be outside the realm of normality for some coaches. Many traditional strength coaches would look at Animal Flow as a weird form of yoga and dancing, but it is that arena that brings the fascia into the fold. Other movements are simply manipulations of variables in the training arena, such as the angled press, that most people aren’t considering.
1) Dual Kneeling Band Pull Apart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rrHNDcVa9s
The band pull apart is nothing new.
However, adding in the kneeling position asks us to contract our core and our glutes – two major parts of our foundation. In doing so we can better extend our thoracic spine, which in turn allows for better retraction of the scapula.
2.1) The Full-House (2 Cables/3 Motions)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COSRT7nPTPc
This multi-pattern movement asks for retraction of the scapula, then retraction into downward rotation and depression (with external rotation of the humerus). Lastly, the overhead press asks for elevation, upward rotation, and forces the external rotators to fire hard to prevent the arms from collapsing forward of the line of gravity.
This sort of movement is incredible for grooving the scapulohumeral rhythm, improving upper back strength, and increasing external rotation of the humerus. It is quite the challenge and needs to be done extra light. Five pounds was the resistance in the videos.
2.2) Second View
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt8ex9TL8GQ
3) External Rotated T, Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Juj1iYiJFE
A simple variation of traditional T and Y – this a movement that can be used to improve retraction of the scapula while strengthening the external rotators. It forces the trainee to own their humeral position and originate movement from the glenohumeral joint while remaining set onto stable scapula.
This exercise also promotes additional thoracic extension.
4) Angled Press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVPsVXWXds0
Far too many people contraindicate the overhead push pattern when someone is dealing with shoulder dysfunction. If we were to listen to the FMS, no one who can’t get a two on the shoulder mobility exam should ever press overhead. Yet, tons of people can press pain-free without getting a two.
This exercise helps bridge the gap between overhead pressing and not. The slight angle (about 15 degrees) allows you to load up the deltoids a bit without creating a perfect opposition to gravity. The neutral grip, forward elbow, and emphasis on tempo allows us to focus on scapulohumeral rhythm. Use this as a primary exercise after preparing clients for their workouts. This will correct a lot of flaws so long as the movement remains pain free.
5) Supinated Pulldowns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIy3pH0nlo
At first glance this looks like a standard, boring pulldown.
Yet, it is the dramatic emphasis on depression and elevation of the scapula that makes this one stand out. Far too many folks get on the pulldown and just start yanking on the bar to get their set done. The motion becomes about completion instead of optimization.
The supinated hand grip helps keep the humerus in a slightly more externally rotated position while also prevented much of the internal rotation that happens with heavy pronated pulldowns. The focus here is to emphasize absolute end ranges. Feel the scapula elevate while maintaining control and then drive them downwards into full depression at the bottom.
6) Simple Animal Flow (Beast Hold to Scorpion to Alternating Crab Reaches)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x27wT-nxUkg
A lot of you will look at this and wonder – why in the heck am I going to do all that flailing? Yet, animal flow is an incredible discipline that emphasizes loading of a lot of our passive structures – the fascia, the connective tissue, the skeletal system. Strengthening these things is imperative to the absolute realization of healthy shoulders. Specifically, the external rotation of the humerus in set crab position is a great tool to have in your arsenal.
7) BONUS: New Way to do Chest Flyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcRTVz4aWOE
Lastly, I want to share the new best way for you to execute chest flyes.
See, the chest flye is one of the most favorite exercises in bodybuilding culture. It causes a tremendous stretch of the pec fibers and can help the person doing them build the muscle they crave. Yet, there is a ridiculous amount of sheering force placed upon the shoulder joint when the dumbbells reach the bottom of a traditional flye.
So, instead of using dumbbells and pissing off your shoulders – integrate this band only variation. The key is to press out into the band for the entirety of the movement, thus keeping a high level of tension on the working muscles without stressing the shoulder joint against gravity. As you fatigue shorten the range and focus on the squeeze.
Putting It All Together
You can correct someone’s shoulders and move their fitness forward at the same time. Your job as a fitness professional is to drive your clients towards the results they want and the results they didn’t know they need. You can still use low intensity correctives in your programs, of course, but it is imperative to go forward understanding that they are simply a very small piece of a much larger puzzle. Your client, if they are to improve, must begin strengthening the muscles by training the appropriate patterns that address shoulder health.
Next: The Lower Back and Pelvis
In the next article we’ll explore the lumbar spine, pelvis, and anterior core and how we can better correct chronic low-level back pain, coach better hinge patterns, and improve our client’s ability to move with confidence.
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.
WHEW – talk about a whirlwind day yesterday. I spent the bulk of it glued to my laptop5 making sure things ran smoothly with the launch, answering questions and emails, and trying to stay on top of social media engagement.
This sucker contains 11+ hours of content covering everything from upper and lower extremity assessment, corrective exercise strategies, numerous hands-on breakouts, as well as program design and exercise technique troubleshooting (with maybe, 37 seconds worth of Star Wars references).
Here are two sneak peak segment from both Dean and I.
The One Where Tony Discusses Scapular Motion
The One Where Dean Talks Hip Integration (and makes a bunch of fitness pros groan)
And there is tooooooons more where that came from.
If you’re a fitness professional I can almost guarantee you’ll pick up something valuable (hopefully several) that will help your clients or athletes. And even if you’re not a fitness pro, and just like listening to two dudes talk shop about training or you’re just looking to pick up some cool new exercise variations to keep your shoulders and hips healthy this resource would be a home run.
A funny thing happens whenever I inform someone (namely, guys) they need to hit their upper traps more. The immediately go into Bane mode:
Visions of heavy barbell shrugs, breaking Batman’s back, and walking around asking people “do you feel in charge?” run rampant.
It’s all well and good, I have nothing against shrugs. I draw the line against breaking people’s backs though. BAD BANE, NO!
Shrugs are undoubtedly a great exercise to build the upper traps. And the upper traps are kind of important when it comes to the ability to bring one’s arms overhead – they’re one of three muscles that help to upwardly rotate the scapula.
Via my time as a coach at Cressey Sports Performance (and even now) I work with a lot of people with shoulder issues. Training the upper traps directly has gotten a bad rap in recent years. But for athletes and lifters who are stuck in spine-extension based postures and can’t raise their arms overhead, training the upper traps can be a game changer for overall shoulder health and performance.
The key? Ensure they’re trained with upward rotation.
Continue reading my latest article on T-Nation.com HERE.
Unlike Dan John, I lack the ability to seemingly rattle off an array of quotable quotes with the frequency of a Donald Trump soundbite.
That said, every now and then luck strikes and I chime in with gem like this:
“Lifting weights isn’t supposed to tickle.”
Muscles are going to get sore, and joints are going ache. And, in keeping things real, the risk of sharting yourself increases exponentially.
Sorry, it comes with the territory.
Being “sore and achy,” however, while nothing new to anyone who lifts weights on a regular basis, shouldn’t be a regular occurrence…or badge of honor.
Likewise, while the saying “pain is just weakness leaving the body” is a popular one amongst fitness enthusiasts (most often, CrossFit participants and marathoners6)…it’s really, really, really stupid.
Pain is not weakness leaving the body. It’s your body telling you to “quit the shit” and that what you’re doing has surpassed its ability to recover.
Of course, there are different levels of pain. I can have someone perform a set of 20-rep squats or Prowler drags – on their hands, blindfolded, uphill, for AMRAP – and there’s going to be a degree of “pain” involved.
But if pain is present – to the point where, you know, stuff fucking hurts – then that’s something entirely different and something that needs to be addressed…sans the machismo.
The shoulders are a problem area for many lifters and often take a beating. Below are some brief, overarching talking points on how to address shoulder pain/discomfort.
Note: it’s a broad topic, and one teeny tiny blog post won’t be the answer to everything. However, chances are, addressing one – if not several – of the talking point below may be exactly what’s needed to get the ball rolling in the right direction.
1) Stop Doing What Hurts
I had a client approach me recently about his shoulder. The conversation went something like this:
Client: “My shoulder hurts when I do this.”
[Proceeds to do this weird behind the head, shoulder dislocation thingamajiggy]
Me: “stop doing that.”
Client and Me: “LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL.”
Me: “seriously, stop doing that.”
It seems like an obvious thing to do, but if something hurts – whether it be the weird Cirque du Soleil contortionist move my client was doing, bench pressing, or whatever – stop doing it.
At least for now.
I know it’s a hard blow for a lot of guys to be told to stop bench pressing for any length of time, and in fairness, much of the time it’s a matter of addressing a handful of common technique flaws:
Better upper back stiffness (learning to pull shoulder blades together and down for improved stability).
Learning to engage the lats (to make a “shelf” and to “row” the bar down towards the chest).
Maybe tweaking wrist and elbow position (so one isn’t so flared out).
Addressing leg drive.
BAM – shoulder doesn’t hurt anymore.
All that said, it’s usually a better play to take out the incendiary movement altogether – maybe for a few days, or even weeks – and take the time to allow tissues to calm down and address any profound weaknesses and dysfunctions present.
2) Earn the Right to Overhead Press
The ability to raise one’s arms overhead – I.e., shoulder flexion – is something that’s not quite as easily accomplished in today’s society.
The left: what most people look like (forward head posture, excessive lumbar extension). The Right: dead sexy. Kinda.
We just don’t spend that much time there. Yet, walk into any commercial gym or CrossFit box and you’ll witness any number of trainees happily pushing, hoisting, and/or kipping overhead.
Often with deleterious ramifications.
Several factors come into fruition when discussing the ability to elevate the arms overhead7:
Shoulder: if one lacks abduction/upward rotation on any given side, you could see any number of compensations like lack of elbow flexion.
Scapulae: we need upward rotation, protraction, and posterior tilt to get overhead. Most people are lacking in one or all three.
T-Spine: does it extend? It should.
Lumbar Spine: does it extend? It sure as shit shouldn’t.
This is where assessment and individualized programming comes into play. Some people require a different “corrective” approach compared to others. However, if that’s not your wheelhouse, refer out!
But as a strength and conditioning professional you could still set people up for success by having them perform more “shoulder friendly” overhead pressing.
1-Arm Landmine Press
Serratus Upward Jab
3) Improve Upward Rotation
Many people are “stuck” in a downwardly rotated position – especially those who participate in an overhead sport (baseball for example) or are a lifetime meathead.
Due to lack of anterior core control, tight/stiff lats, soft tissue restrictions, poor programming balance, or a combination of several factors, many tend to live in a state of “gross” extension.
To that end: anything we can do to target the muscles that help upwardly rotate the scapulae – low/upper traps, serratus – would bode in our favor.
Band Wall Walks
1-Arm Prone Trap Raise
1-Arm Band Overhead Shrug
TRX Hinge Row
Moreover, a little TLC to foam rolling the lats would work wonders, as well as addressing anterior core control/strength with exercises like deadbugs.
Too, proper coaching/cueing by not allowing clients to crank though their TL junction or lumbar spine during movement would be stellar. Thanks, appreciate it.
4) Obligatory Commentary On How Breathing Will Cure Everything
I’m a believer in PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) principles and have used it to great success with clients in the past and present.
Helping to “reset” posture with focused breathing drills can be a game changer – especially for those living with shoulder pain.
First, lets address a common fallacy…beautifully articulated by NYC-based physical therapist, Connor Ryan:
PRI is not about learning how to move, it’s about breaking patterns driven by threat & chronic stress, allowing a window for learning
Anyone familiar with Max’s work knows he’s a guy that likes to think outside the box and help get people more athletic.
Much of what I discussed above mirrors much of what Max covers in this manual (with more detail).
In order to best address the function of the shoulder you need to follow the order of operations and handle the surrounding structures first. These are:
1) Breathing and Core Activation
2) Thoracic and Neck Mobility
3) Scapular Mobility and Stability
4) Glenohumeral Mobility and Stability
The main idea here is that if you do not address 1-3 FIRST, you are likely to create more compensation, hypermobility and potential for injury at the Glenohumeral joint.
Nicholas M. Licameli
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