How To Fix Your Shoulders

In the 21st century, we have our arms in front of our bodies too much.

We don't put our hands above our heads.

Modern trends in weight training do little to improve the situation.

1. Regain lost mobility.

2. Create high blood flow to the area - blood regenerates tissues.

3. Create balance around the joint.

My dad had chronic shoulder pain. Then he tore his biceps, full rupture, then his shoulder pain was gone. This is not uncommon.

Basically, we have forgotten what humans do. It hurts us whenever we do it. Shoulders an example. Shoulders need to go overhead and behind the body.

Sprinting and catching above the head will be negatively impacted by restricted range. The spine curving forwards (thoracic kyphosis) adds to the effect.

When you regain high function and health you need to take less medicine.

Those with very broken bodies may need isolated correctives.

If the correctives aren't returning you to human then they will not do the job.

Extreme ability and resilience are the opposite of injury and fragility.

> the question is "how much load."

Whenever we move to an end-range position it's a battle between the passive tension on one side of the joint and the strength on the other side. While some say strength is the answer this is equivalent to trying to fill the bathtub faster without a plug. Decreasing tension on the other side of the joint changes a maximal strength movement into a simple task. No more strength needed.

Contrary to the status quo of sports medicine the body sends more blood, heat, and immune activity to injured body parts. The system has worked so well that we exist as humans. Creating metabolic stress and "pump" to an injured area of the body is one of the best ways to rebuild a struggling body part. Think super high reps with single joint stretch / moderate stretch, blood flow restriction / floss-bands & or long duration isometrics. For the shoulders, there are many options for this type of movement. Bottom position push-ups are a great place to start.

Most people think if the elbow straightens on a preacher or standing curl then it's full range of motion. In fact, the unexplored range of motion is key to regaining resilience and the ability lost through shoulder pain. Only when we go into Commerford or low incline curls do we actually put the biceps on  stretch. We must go into these ranges to create high function joints and tissues. Many people tear their biceps attempting back levers for this very reason. Quad tendon pain? Same story. Achilles? Could be.

Solve your shoulder problems piece by piece.

Just one of these pieces may well be enough to get you back to bench pressing. Snatching might take a few more steps.

The shoulder has a lot more options and therefore more solutions than a more hinge-like joint like the knee.

These movements should be done for higher reps > x10-50.

Frequency is your friend while intensity stays low.

1. Pullover / Back Bridge

2. German Hang / Extended Incline Curl

3. Incline Dislocate

4. Bottom Position Dip / Bottom Position Planche Push-Up

5. Hang

1. What hurts?

2. What can you do that doesn't hurt?

3. Let's get to work.

Ok, it doesn't have to be this streamlined but there is only so long you need to examine and quantify a turd before you can move on to creating something good.

Shoulder extension

Shoulder flexion

Internal rotation

External rotation

Behind the neck press

Active Circles - forwards, backward, across the body

"Looks right, flies right." Charlie Francis

1. Bottom position dips.

2. Bottom position push-ups.

3. Bottom position shoulder stands.

1. Incline curls

2. Commerford / Bench curls

1. Planche raises

2. Skin the cat

3. Back Lever Pulls ( go slow with these if you don't want an emergency release on your biceps tendons.

If having the hands in from of the body is often a big part of the issue why would I want increased shoulder flexion?

Getting the arms overhead challenges the rotator cuffs & lower traps. It stretches the lats for most people (who have such tight lats that anything close to arms vertical overhead requires a backbend).

Hand-balancers tend to have healthy shoulders. So will you when you get very comfortable overhead.

1. Handstand Presses

2. Behind The Neck Presses - bottom 1/2, modified Sotts press on incline board

3. French Presses - Getting into the lats and the long head of triceps, bottom 1/2 especially

4. Extended Range Of Motion Single Arm DB Presses

Nose to wall holds

Mexican heels to wall handstands

Back bridges

Single Arm Handstands

Press handstand drills

Planche Holds

Single-arm - Kettlebells, dumbells, barbells

Double arm - barbell, yoke

Cross Bench Pullover Front Of Bench - not technically straight arm but it feels like it most of the time. The front of the bench will open your thoracic most.

Cross Bench Pullover Back Of Bench - not technically straight arm but it feels like it most of the time. The back of the bench will open the shoulder most.

2. Incline Dislocates - these are amazing for snatch awareness and safety. A nice variation on these if they're getting too heavy is behind the neck presses on the same incline with slightly more weight than you can handle on the rotations (dislocates).

3. Heavy partial bench curls - bottom position bench press, neutral grip. Open and close the elbow joint 45-90 degrees. 20kg is heavy for me on these.

1. Single-arm / cambered bar/ring rows. Mostly for inner range pauses.

2. Sternum chin-ups

Think of these movements as medicine for the sick. Like lateral banded walks and clams for the lower body. These are small insignificant movements for high function shoulders.

In the absence of shoulder ability, these movements will make all the difference.

1. Elbow by side

2. Seated External rotations

3. Cuban Rotations

1. Trap 3 cable

2. Trap 3 DB

3. Klokov Raises

1. Band Pull-aparts

2. Powell raise