What Is The Landmine Press?

The landmine press is a type of pressing exercise that has the bar moving on an arc, rather than straight up and down. “Imagine the barbell moving like the minute hand around a clock,” says David Otey, CSCS, a trainer, author, and gym consultant (@davidoteyfit on Instagram). You load one end of the bar into a tool called a landmine unit, which is basically a metal cylinder attached to a stand—or you can wedge it into a corner of your gym—and you lift the other end like you’re throwing a lever on a machine.

This roughly 45 to 90-degree arcing motion makes the exercise a unique combination of an overhead and chest press, and it will work the deltoids, pecs, and triceps accordingly, but it’s much easier to perform than a traditional barbell overhead press.

Either due to tightness in the shoulders and upper back, or previous shoulder injuries, many people—maybe even the majority of people—cannot press a bar straight overhead safely. They’ll hyperextend their lower back, press the bar out in front of them rather than straight up, or fail to get a full range of motion at the shoulder without discomfort.

“For many people, there is no amount of foam rolling or stretching that will allow them to fully get their arm into an overhead position,” says Otey. “Their range of motion is what it is.” If this sounds like you, the landmine press is a great work-around, allowing you to train your pressing muscles heavy, and through a full range of motion, in a movement that feels more natural and safe. “With landmine pressing options, we can integrate vertical-ish patterns ranging from 45 degrees to entirely overhead, building up slowly with small increments in between,” says Otey. “No bench can replicate that much variability in range of motion.” 

How To Perform The Landmine Press

(See 01:18 in the video above.)

The classic, standing landmine press should be done as follows:

Step 1. If you have a landmine unit, load one end of the barbell into the unit’s cylinder. If you don’t, it’s OK to put the bar in a corner. (You can wrap the end in a towel to protect the walls you’re using, and simply wedge it into the space.) Load the other end of the bar with weight, and stand behind the bar.

Step 2. Pick up the end of the bar and hold it at the very end, wrapping your thumb around. Hold the end of the bar about one fist’s space away from your shoulder (see the picture below). There should be roughly 30 degrees of space between your elbow and your side. Stagger your stance for balance, and brace your core, pulling your ribs down. Retract your neck so you feel like you have a double chin—it may not look sexy, but it will keep you from straining your neck.

Step 3. Lean into the bar slightly for stability. You may want to extend your free arm out to the side and make a fist, which will help you keep balance. Press the bar upward to lockout, allowing your arm to move in whatever path feels natural. It may move close along your side, or in a more arcing, “around the world” motion—either is OK. As you press, your shoulder blade will rotate upward. Allow it to do this! You don’t have to lock it back and down as you might have done on a bench press. (More on this concept in a minute…)

Make sure you keep pressing at the top of the movement so that your shoulder blade moves through a full range of motion. Think, “press and reach.” You can even lean your torso forward a bit more as you press so your arm finishes straight overhead, or as high as you can comfortably go.

Hold the top position for a moment, and then lower the weight back down. Avoid letting your elbow drift behind your body in the bottom position, as that can be stressful to the shoulder. Stop where your hand is a fist space in front of your shoulder.

The Importance of Scapular Rotation in Landmine Pressing

According to Otey, the critical difference between landmine pressing and other kinds of barbell pressing is the upward rotation of the scapula—your shoulder blade—as you press the bar. Many strength coaches discourage shoulder blade movement on the bench and overhead press for the sake of greater stability to lift more weight. Whether this really contributes to stronger pressing is debatable, but locking your shoulders down can certainly lead to injury.

Otey explains that “the top side of your arm sits in a pocket called the glenoid fossa—a slight, concave structure on the outside of your shoulder blade. If you are moving your arm without moving your shoulder blade, you are inadvertently separating the joint little by little.” In other words, trying to get one body part to move independently of the other goes against the biomechanics they were designed for, and you’ll suffer the consequences with injury. 

The landmine gives you the freedom to move your shoulder blade without a bench restricting it, so take advantage of the opportunity and train your shoulder to work like it’s supposed to. “Your shoulder blade should rotate upward as you press your arm up,” says Otey, “and downward as you lower the weight back.” For the record, Otey also recommends you do this on bench presses and rows to ensure proper shoulder mechanics.

What Muscles Does The Landmine Press Work?

The landmine press is arguably a full-body movement. It works all the pushing muscles in your upper body, and relies on your core and legs as stabilizers. Here’s a list of the major upper-body muscles involved, per Otey.

• Anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder)
  
  
• Lateral deltoid (side of the shoulder)
  
  
• Pec major (your main chest muscle)
  
  
• Serratus anterior (the finger-like muscles under your chest)
  
  
• Triceps brachii (the back of your arm)
  
  
• Rotator cuff (the stabilizer muscles in your shoulder joints)
  
  
• Rectus abdominis (your six-pack muscle)
  
  
• Obliques (the muscles on the side of your abs)

How To Stretch Before Exercising

Before you jump into a landmine pressing workout, warm up your shoulders, elbows, spine, and hips with this mobility routine from Onnit’s Director of Fitness Education, Shane Heins.

Landmine Press Alternatives and Variations

There are several variations of the landmine press that can be used to increase the challenge to your muscles, emphasize different muscle groups, or target different fitness goals. Otey recommends concentrating on the standing variations first until you’re comfortable pressing through a full range of motion. Then you can go on to the half-kneeling and tall-kneeling progressions.

Banded Landmine Press

(See 04:47 in the Expert’s Guide To the Landmine Press video above.)

Some trainers argue that a flaw of the landmine press is that you lose too much tension on the deltoids as you press the bar higher. Due to the arc the bar travels in, as it gets closer to vertical to the floor, the easier the exercise gets. While we think this criticism is a little overblown, you can fix the problem completely by adding a resistance band to the barbell, which will make the bar harder to lift as you get closer to locking out your elbow.

This is also a great idea if you want to train power. Fighting through the resistance of the band will force you to press it as fast as possible, and that makes you more explosive.

Step 1. Attach a light resistance band to the end of the barbell and stagger your feet, standing on the band with your back foot to anchor it down. 

Step 2. Press the bar as hard and fast as you can, but control its descent back to your shoulder. Note that the bar may not move that fast due to the resistance, but you should still try to move it as fast as you can.

Rotational Landmine Press

(See 06:08 in the Expert’s Guide To the Landmine Press video above.)

Another great way to build athleticism with the landmine press is to do it as a rotational press, where you switch hands and twist your torso as you press, which mimics the action of throwing a ball or a punch.

Note that because this is an explosive movement, it might cause the opposite end of the bar (the one you’re NOT holding) to “jump” up and out of position if you’ve got it wedged into a wall rather than a landmine. So if you don’t have a landmine unit to provide stability, you might want to skip this one until you do.

Step 1. Load the bar with very light weight and stand perpendicular to it with a wide stance. If your left side is closest to the bar, pick it up with your left hand on the bar itself—not the sleeve where you load plates, as you’ve done up till now—and let your arm hang in front of your body as you get into an athletic stance.

Step 2. Extend your hips and knees explosively, shrugging the bar up in front of your body until it reaches the height of your lower ribs. At the same time, pivot your back foot to face the landmine and pass the bar to your right hand, grasping it at the end of the sleeve. Allow the momentum of your twisting torso to help you press the bar up as hard and fast as possible.

Reverse the movement on the way back down, so that the bar ends up in your left hand again.

Half-Kneeling Landmine Press

(See 03:00 in the Expert’s Guide To the Landmine Press video above.)

The half-kneeling landmine press is a progression you can move to after you’ve mastered the standing landmine press. “The standing press tends to be easier,” says Otey, “because the weight is slightly higher off the ground, and you gain stability by leaning into the bar. As you descend to lower positions, such as half-kneeling, it gets more challenging because the bar path is more vertical.” Kneeling on the floor is also a more unstable position than standing and really requires you to lock in your core and use strict form, but all the same technique cues still apply.

Step 1. Kneel on the floor with your right knee down and directly under your hips. Your left knee should be bent 90 degrees, and your stance about shoulder width. Tuck your tailbone under so your pelvis is level with the floor, and make sure you’re not kicking one hip out to the side. Pick up the bar and hold it at the end, about a fist’s space from your shoulder. Drive the downed knee into the floor so you feel your glute contract and help brace you.

Step 2. Press the bar up as high as you can while maintaining control, leaning forward at the top and reaching your arm up the best you can. Hold the top position for a moment.

Be careful you don’t twist toward the front knee while you’re pressing, or extend your lower back. Keep your ribs pulled down—imagine they’re connected to the front of your hips.

Tall-Kneeling Landmine Press

(See 04:00 in the Expert’s Guide To the Landmine Press video above.)

Pressing with both knees parallel to each other makes for a very unstable, and therefore very challenging press that also works the glutes pretty hard. You can’t use any momentum on this one, so it’s the next level up from the half-kneeling press, although it will probably require you to use lighter weight. 

Step 1. Kneel on the floor behind the bar so your knees are directly under your hips. You can point your toes into the floor or rest them flat—whichever feels more comfortable and stable to you. Pick up the end of the bar and hold it one fist’s space in front of your shoulder. Tuck your tailbone so your pelvis is parallel to the floor and brace your abs. You should be very tall, with a straight line from your head to your pelvis.

Step 2. Press the bar overhead, holding the top position for a moment.

Floor Press

(See 07:02 in the Expert’s Guide To the Landmine Press video above.)

The landmine doesn’t just make overhead pressing feel better on your shoulders—it can do the same thing for bench press variations. Try lying on the floor and doing a floor press with the landmine. The shortened range of motion is easy on the shoulder, and you’ll put more emphasis on your triceps to lift the weight, making it a good arm-building move.

Step 1. Lie on the floor with your head about even with the plate on the barbell. Bend your knees and rest your feet on the floor. Grasp the bar at the end of the sleeve with both hands to lift the bar into position over your chest. Flatten your back into the floor, and brace your core.

Step 2. Lower the bar with one hand until your triceps touch the floor—don’t let your arm crash down on your elbow. Pause a moment, and then press the bar up.

See more joint-friendly training ideas in our article, 3 Ways To Build Strength Without Wrecking Your Joints.

The post The Expert’s Guide To The Landmine Press appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Shoulder impingement is painfully common. In fact, it’s thought to be the culprit behind 44–65% of all shoulder pain complaints (1, 2). According to the Cleveland Clinic, the problem tends to crop up most in people who do sports and activities that involve a lot of overhead motions. This includes baseball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball, as well as weight training, particularly when heavy weights are hoisted overhead (such as in Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit). According to Gianna Paladino, DPT, clinical director of SportsMed Physical Therapy in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, people age 40 and over are often diagnosed with shoulder impingement as well, as the result of years of repetitive motion.

Repeatedly raising your arms overhead narrows the already tight space between your humerus (upper-arm bone) and the top outer edge of the shoulder blade (the scapula), pinching the rotator cuff in between. This is called an impingement, and it can lead to swelling and irritation. Unfortunately, swelling reduces the space in your shoulder even more, causing more impingement and pain, and the vicious cycle continues.

While we can’t diagnose your condition, this article can be one of your first steps toward ending this painful rinse-and-repeat. The next step? Seeing your doctor for an official diagnosis and recovery program.

How To Tell If You Have a Shoulder Impingement

The problem with shoulder impingement syndrome is that it’s not a single diagnosis. An impingement can show up in any of the ligaments or muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder’s ball-and-socket joint (known collectively as the rotator cuff). So, the only way to truly know your shoulder’s status is to get it assessed by a physical therapist or another medical professional.

That said, there are a few simple self-tests you can do right now that can help you decide if a visit to a PT is in the cards. Dr. Paladino recommends the three tests below to check if you may have an impingement in specific areas of your shoulder. If any of these self-tests suggest the answer is “yes,” the next step is to get checked out by a qualified provider.

1. The Painful Arc Test

[See the video above at 00:45]

Step 1. Lift your troublesome arm out to the side and over your head, as though you were doing a jumping jack with one arm.

If you feel pain in your shoulder when your arm reaches the midpoint or above, you may have a shoulder impingement.

2. The Hawkins-Kennedy Test

[See the video at 01:10]

Step 1. Cross the affected arm over your body, resting your hand on the opposite shoulder. Your elbow will be bent about 90 degrees.

Step 2. Lift your elbow gently as high as you can without letting your hand raise off your shoulder.

You may have a shoulder impingement if you feel pain in the shoulder in the bottom range of the movement.

3. The Neer Test

[See the video at 01:20]

Step 1. Lift the arm straight in front of your body to 90 degrees, and turn your thumb to point toward the floor.

Step 2. Raise the arm overhead while keeping the thumb down.

Feeling pain in the shoulder toward the top of the movement may indicate a shoulder impingement.

What Exercises Are Good for Recovering From A Shoulder Impingement?

Shoulder impingements can usually be resolved by improving shoulder mobility and strengthening the muscles that stabilize the shoulder blade (including the rotator cuff, serratus anterior, and lower traps). This is done in addition to resting the injury, avoiding any movement that causes irritation, icing the area, and, if you choose, taking over-the-counter medication to help bring the inflammation down.

Apart from any exercises your physical therapist may recommend, here are a few moves you can use to kick-start your shoulder impingement recovery.

Paladino recommends doing these for 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps. These can be performed 2–3 times per week with a rest day in between. If any of these exercises cause pain, hold off or scale back.

1. Bilateral Shoulder External Rotation with Resistance Band

[See the video at 02:00]

If your rotator cuff isn’t strong enough to stabilize your shoulder joint and hold it in the correct position, the joint can shift all over the place when you move your arms. “It might jam forward or up, and that’s where you get that pinching that can cause pain,” Paladino says. She recommends this resistance band exercise to help strengthen those rotator cuff muscles, which will keep the shoulder stable and prevent pain during movement.

Step 1. Grip a resistance band with hands shoulder-width apart and palms facing up. Bend your elbows 90 degrees, and tuck your arms against your sides.

Step 2. Keeping the elbows tight against your body, squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull the band apart with both hands, stretching it out. Slowly reverse the motion until your hands are shoulder-width apart again. That’s one rep.

2. Shoulder Extension with Resistance Band

[See the video at 02:25]

Good posture is key for healthy shoulders. In particular, keeping the shoulders down and back—as opposed to hunched over or shrugged up—helps to maximize the space in your shoulder joints. “The worse your posture is, the smaller the space in the shoulders becomes, and that’s when the pinching starts happening,” Paladino explains. This exercise opens up the shoulders and brings the shoulder blades down and back by strengthening the lower traps and lats.

Step 1. Attach a resistance band to a sturdy fixture that’s approximately head-height. Grip one end of the band in each hand and step back until you feel slight tension in the band.

Step 2. Keeping your elbows straight, pull both ends of the band straight down and back, finishing outside your hips. Allow your arms to skim your torso as you do it.

Step 3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the range, and then return your hands to the starting position. That’s one rep.

3. Side-Lying Shoulder Flexion

[See the video at 02:50]

This is another move for the rotator cuff, but it’s performed in a lying position. This minimizes any compensation by the upper trap muscle, which can kick in and take over the movement when you perform external rotations standing up, Paladino says. It also targets the lower traps and serratus anterior.

Step 1. Lie on your side, with the painful shoulder facing up. Let your top arm lie against your side.

Step 2. Keeping your elbow straight, slowly sweep your arm in front of your body and bring it overhead. Try to keep it close and don’t allow it to lift too high (away from your body) as you go.

Step 3. Once your arm is overhead, reverse the motion to bring it to your side again. That’s one rep.

Perform the exercises on both shoulders, even if one of them doesn’t hurt. Training to keep both shoulders equally mobile and strong helps prevent future injuries.

When Can I Begin Rehabbing and Working Out My Shoulder?

The good news is that you don’t have to wait until your shoulder no longer hurts to do the exercises recommended. “These exercises are simple and low-level enough that they will help with everything that’s going on in the shoulder,” Paladino says. Gentle exercises like the three above get the shoulder joint and muscles moving again while allowing inflammation to go down.

However, if the above exercises cause a significant amount of discomfort (say, a 4 or above on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being great pain), you should hold off and rest your shoulder longer, Paladino says. You should also let your PT know. He or she may be able to adjust the dosage (e.g., suggest doing fewer reps or using less resistance), or help you dial in your form better.

There are other generally safe exercises you can do to strengthen the shoulder while it heals. “You don’t technically have to move the shoulder to strengthen it,” Paladino says. Working the muscles that attach to the shoulder can help you maintain—or even gain—strength when you have a pain flareup.

According to Paladino, these exercises are generally easy to do and likely won’t aggravate shoulder pain:

●  Most row variations (ex., inverted rows, bent-over rows, low-lat rows)

●  Biceps curls

●  Triceps pushdowns

As your pain improves, you’ll be able to experiment with the exercises you’re probably used to and add them back into your training one at a time. But it’s important not to rush the process. You may not be able to do a dumbbell or barbell overhead press for a while, but you may find that a landmine press done from a half-kneeling position feels OK. The arc that the bar travels in a landmine press doesn’t stress the shoulder joint so directly, so many people find that it allows them to train the shoulder with a full range of motion without pain, with the extra benefit of strengthening the serratus anterior, which anchors the shoulder blade to the ribcage, stabilizing it.

See a demonstration of the landmine press below, and directions for it in the article “The Best Shoulder Exercises and Workouts for Women.”

To be safe, check with your PT before including these, or any, new exercises in your rehab program.

Activities and Exercises That Should Be Avoided With a Shoulder Impingement

 “I wouldn’t say there’s anything you must avoid, unless it’s something that’s causing a lot of pain for you,” Paladino says. In many cases, you can continue doing your favorite sports and activities with a shoulder impingement, as long as you modify your intensity.

“If you tell someone who loves swimming to stop, they’re not going to stop, or they’re going to be miserable, so it’s not worth telling them to quit,” Paladino says. “They should simply scale it back.”

If you can’t manage to do the activity comfortably at any intensity, find another activity to keep you busy until you’ve recovered enough to try again. This way, you can maintain your strength, overall activity level, and mobility while giving your shoulder a rest.

In the weight room, Paladino cautions against overhead pressing exercises and chest exercises like the chest press and pushup, until you’re able to get guidance from a PT. “Those moves are often done incorrectly, or people go overboard with the intensity, which can close the space in the shoulder even more than usual,” she explains.

The Best Shoulder Impingement Stretches

Adding these two Paladino-recommended stretches to your rehab program may help increase range of motion in the shoulders and counteract the hunched-over position many of us default to when sitting for long periods. Both actions minimize pinching in the shoulders to lessen pain.

These stretches can be done 3-4 times a week, but if you’re really stiff, feel free to increase the frequency to every day, or every other day, Paladino says.

If you feel pain during these stretches, you may be doing them too aggressively. Ease up a bit or pause while you consult your PT.

Perform both exercises on both shoulders.

1. Wall Slide

[See the video at 03:10]

Step 1. Place your hand flat against a wall with your arm straight.

Step 2. Keeping your arm straight, slide that hand up the wall as far as you can go. You’ll have to step toward the wall to make this happen.

Step 3. Hold the top position for a couple of seconds before sliding your hand back down the wall. That’s one rep. Do 10–20 reps.

2. Pec Stretch

[See the video at 03:30]

Step 1. Stand in a doorway (or use a rack as shown) and place one hand on the side of the doorframe with your elbow bent 90 degrees.

Step 2. Stagger your stance and gently push your torso forward until you feel a stretch across your pectoral (chest) muscles.

Step 3. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and release. Do 2–5 sets.

Usual Shoulder Impingement Recovery Time

Many factors affect your recovery time, including your age, activity level, the severity of pain, how long you waited to get treatment, and how closely you follow your PT program. In general, though, if you’ve put off getting care, and your pain is substantial, Paladino says you may be looking at about six months to fully recover. But it may take less time if the pain is mild and/or you seek help right away.

You can help your recovery along by staying consistent with your program, respecting your body, and adjusting your activity level as needed. 

Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and naproxen, can help you deal with pain and inflammation, but they’re not a long-term solution. Plus, NSAIDs can cause unpleasant side effects like gas, heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, and/or constipation.

Icing for 10–15 minutes may be a better way to handle pain and inflammation when your shoulder flares up, Paladino says.

Above all, stay active. Moving your shoulder and the surrounding muscles through a tolerable range of motion—whether through stretches or strength exercises —helps to maintain shoulder mobility and keep nutrient-rich blood flowing to the area. “Gentle movement is an effective pain treatment,” Paladino says.

The post 5 Shoulder Impingement Exercises to Boost Recovery appeared first on Onnit Academy.

– Mobility is the practice of increasing your capacity to move your body through greater ranges of motion with control and without pain.

– Your potential to build muscle, burn fat, and stay healthy depends immensely on your ability to move properly.

– Use the exercises in Shoulder Complexes A, B, and C to improve range of motion and prevent injury.

– In the accompanying shoulder mobility program, exercises should be done 5 days a week, 3–5 times per day, for 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps.

Shoulder Mobility For Strength and Injury Prevention

When you start on the path to a fitness goal, you’re bound to learn some things about your body along the way. A new workout or activity places new demands on your system, and whether you were previously inactive or extremely active, it can become painfully obvious early on that your body is having trouble keeping up with what you’re asking it to do. For example, you start a new running program and your knees begin to hurt, or you get a set of kettlebells, and now you notice that one arm feels strong while the other can’t even lock out the elbow when pressing overhead. 

Regardless of what your ultimate fitness goal is—be it ripped abs, stronger lifts, running your first marathon, etc.—increasing the amount and quality of movement you’re capable of is one of the most important and yet oft overlooked factors in reaching it. Improving movement skills—mobility training—is a must for being able to perform the type of exercise you love pain-free, and at the highest level possible.

First, I’ll explain why better mobility could be the corrective step that helps you smash plateaus that may have derailed or discouraged you in your training in the past. I’ll also detail how it can help you come back from injuries that may have plagued you for years, and prevent injury that could be just around the corner due to poor training habits. Then I’ll lay out an easy-to-follow plan for improving mobility in your shoulders—a commonly tight and injury-prone area—so that you can make the New Year one of pain-free workouts and high performance.

What Is Mobility Training?

I define mobility training as the practice of increasing your capacity to move your body through greater ranges of motion WITH control and WITHOUT pain. It’s these two qualifiers that distinguish mobility from the more commonly known term “flexibility.” Most people are flexible enough to move a joint from point A to point B, but that doesn’t mean they can do it while keeping the body in a safe anatomical alignment. Mobility requires mastery of another term you may have heard of—stability—which is the ability to control your body position and avoid unwanted movement.

It’s important to realize that mobility isn’t another word for stretching. Because of its stability component, it’s stretching AND strengthening all at once.

Just what the hell am I talking about? Let me illustrate it with an example.

Picture doing a bodyweight squat. You may be capable of squatting all the way down to where your butt touches your calves (that’s flexibility), but if you have to rise up onto the balls of your feet and bend forward in your lower back to do it, you really aren’t demonstrating that you have the mobility to squat. In other words, you’re moving, but you’re not moving correctly or safely. You don’t have stability/strength in your spine or the range of motion in your hips and ankles to squat soundly.

Now imagine if you could squat deeply while keeping your head, spine, and pelvis stacked vertically, your heels anchored to the floor, and your knees lined up with the first two toes on each foot—and the movement felt natural, comfortable, stable, and smooth. You would be squatting perfectly, and demonstrating optimal mobility in your hips and ankles, and stability throughout your spine. It takes not only flexibility in the muscles and joints to move that way, but also the strength to control that movement and avoid moving in ways that break that good body alignment.

That’s the kind of movement that translates to performance in the real world. To get it, we only need to practice a few drills per day that challenge us to explore new ranges of motion while keeping sound body mechanics. It’s not as complicated as it sounds!

Benefits of Mobility Training

Good mobility unlocks the body, and by extension, its potential. For one thing, if you lack mobility, gaining more will allow you to achieve greater muscle activation, which leads to better muscle and strength gains. It also means that the right muscles will be engaged, so the muscles and joints that aren’t supposed to be so involved in a movement don’t kick in to compensate for a lack of mobility. That can go a long way toward preventing injury. For instance, if you’re doing an overhead press (with a barbell, kettlebell, or anything else), and your thoracic spine (mid back) can’t extend enough—i.e. you can’t stand up straight like your mom told you to growing up—you won’t be able to press the weight in a straight line overhead. You may end up hyperextending at your lower back to compensate, and that places tension on the low back muscles and spinal disks that can lead to injury. If you’ve hit pressing plateaus in the past, this is a likely reason why. It’s not that your shoulders weren’t strong enough to lift heavier weights, the problem was you couldn’t maintain the right body position that makes it possible. Poor mobility causes form to break down!

In addition to letting you perform your exercises as intended, having good mobility creates more energy expenditure, so you can burn more calories. That goes a long way in helping you lose weight, i.e. see your abs. A person who can squat ass to grass is going to get his/her heart rate up higher than someone who can only manage half-squats.

In short, your potential to build muscle, burn fat, and stay healthy depends immensely on your ability to move properly. You simply won’t reach your highest level of performance without it, or be able to avoid the aches and pains that come with years of hard training and threaten to sideline your fitness.

Unfortunately, most of us have serious mobility deficiencies. When we become aware of how to move properly, we often see that getting into the ranges of motion we need for certain exercises while using the correct body mechanics is a big challenge. None of us are born tight and achy, we just lose range of motion and function in certain joints and connective tissues over time. Prolonged sitting is a surefire way to let the hips tighten up, and slouching over a desk in front of a computer will lock up the shoulders and thoracic spine. Previous injuries also play a factor. If you sprained your ankle in high school, or tore a hamstring lifting weights last year, these events can affect the way you move going forward—especially if you didn’t rehab them properly.

Even when the pain of injury goes away, you’re often left with compromised joints and tissues that can’t handle what you ask of them when you undergo a rigorous training regimen, and it’s only then that you recognize the problem and see you have to correct it in order to make progress. But, as you begin to mobilize tight areas, you’ll see your technique and range of motion improve on your exercises, and you’ll feel greater control over your movements. Activating the correct muscles takes burden off ones that were compensating for poor movement patterns, and that often resolves pain issues. It’s also the best prehab work you can do to bulletproof the body.

Where Should I Start With Mobility Training?

When introducing mobility training to anyone that has yet to experience it, my advice is to keep things simple and focus on what is most practical and accessible. Once you gain an understanding of how impactful mobility training can be, it’s easy to take it up a notch with more mobility exercises and more challenging drills. Your entry point into mobility should require no investment in equipment, take up minimal space, and demand very little of your time to see results.

When training clients in-person, I take them through a full-body mobility routine at the onset of EVERY session. That is a non-negotiable, as it allows me to see how the person is progressing day after day. You and I may never train together, but I recommend that you perform some mobility training daily as well. It’s a great way to measure your progress, as well as assess your capacity to move and perform on the given day (if you plan to work out or play some sport/participate in an activity afterward).

With that said, I understand that asking you to spend 15 minutes or more mobilizing the whole body, joint by joint, is too much for most busy people. But fortunately, that isn’t necessary either. In an effort to minimize the time and energy required, I suggest targeting just one area of your body and focusing your efforts on getting a measurable improvement in range of motion there. As this region loosens up, you’ll begin to see the value in what you’re doing, and you’ll be motivated to step it up even more. The area you choose should be whichever one you feel is the tightest and most injury-prone.

For most people, the big three to choose from will be the shoulders, spine, and hips. And for the rest of this article, I’ll discuss the shoulders, as they tend to get a very high return on investment in a short period of time. If you feel good about your shoulders and want to prioritize another area, check out the Morning Mobility Series in our new Onnit In 30 library of digital fitness products.

Shoulder Mobility Exercises

Modern lifestyles wreak havoc on the shoulders. Interfacing with computers and hand-held devices encourages a hunched, round-shouldered position that causes a shortening of the muscles on the front of the shoulder and an overstretching of the ones on the back. If you add a bunch of pressing exercises to the equation, done without an even greater amount of pulling exercises that strengthen the back of the shoulder, you’re really lighting a fuse that burns down to a shoulder injury. 

The following mobility drills will go a long way toward restoring balance to the shoulders and upper back, and expanding their ranges and stability. Perform the exercises slowly, focusing on exploring the ends of your range of motion. That is, move your shoulders as far as you can in each position with maximum control, being aware of how far you can comfortably go. Integrate your breath to help your body relax into greater ranges (more on this below). As you do the exercises, take note of two things:

1. Any discomfort or pain you may feel

2. Any differences in how you’re able to do the drill on one side versus the other

If a movement creates noticeable discomfort or pain, shave off the range of motion that creates that response, and explore what range you can access safely. Realize that any movement that causes irritation when done without load will surely feel worse when loaded, so be sure to adjust any shoulder training you’re doing accordingly. Using your mobility practice to create awareness around your current pain-free movement capacity helps guide sound decisions around what movements we should or should not include in our training, and allows us to problem-solve whatever may be causing the issue. 

As you explore your movement, you’ll probably become more aware of asymmetries—differences in how you move on one side versus the other. So long as these differences do not cause the type of discomfort or pain discussed above, you simply want to take note of them and think about how they might be affecting your training. Are they negatively impacting your ability to develop a skill you’re working on? Is the discrepancy forcing you to compensate by relying more on one side than the other side? You may decide to spend more time doing mobility work for the lagging side, and favor it in your workouts.

It’s important to look at mobility training as an intentional practice that leads to a greater awareness of the body. It’s not something you should do casually, mindlessly checking off the sets and reps until it’s over. Using your mobility training time to check in with the current state of your body and make note of daily changes helps inform you of whether you’re moving in the right direction with your training or not.

Directions

Begin performing the following mobility drills on a daily basis. You can perform them before a workout, at the end of a workout, or any other time of day (I’ll explain more about this in the next section). The exercises are organized as complexes—a pairing of two moves that are done back to back. Complete 3–5 reps for the first exercise, and then do 3–5 reps of the next one right away. That’s one complete complex/one set. Rest a few seconds, and repeat.

Shoulder Complex A: Push-Pull Drill and Flexed Lateral Roll

This complex helps free up the scapula (shoulder blade) to access both retracted and protracted positions, which contributes to greater activation of the stabilizing musculature necessary to build strength around the shoulder girdle. Coordinating the movements with your breath, inhaling and exhaling as directed, will allow you to push the range of motion deeper on each rep, as breath mobilizes the rib cage and helps to relax overly tight muscles.

1. Push-Pull Drill

Reps: 3–5

Step 1. Stand tall and inhale deeply as you draw your elbows as far back as possible with palms facing up.

Step 2. Exhale fully as you push your palms away from you, and rotate them so your fingers point up. Spread your shoulder blades apart as you do so, rounding your upper back. That’s one rep.

2. Flexed Lateral Roll

Reps: 3–5 each side

Step 1. Beginning in the end position of the push-pull drill (back rounded, arms extended), tilt your torso to the left, stacking your right shoulder over your left. Inhale through your nose as you direct your breath to the right side of your ribcage. Exhale to deepen the stretch.

Step 2. Inhale as you return your torso to the starting position, and then repeat the tilt on the opposite side. That’s one rep.

Shoulder Complex B: W Neck Tilt and Arm Screw

This simple sequence will help to increase stability in your scapula when it’s locked down—a strong and safe position used for virtually all pressing exercises. As you hold the depressed scapular position, you’ll free up the sides of your neck, which can get very tight after hours of playing on an iPhone.

The arm screw looks (and feels) like you’re twisting a sponge, and it will literally wring out the tension throughout the shoulder girdle, helping you to move the shoulders more freely. This is a great combo drill to use before shoulder pressing workouts! 

1. W Neck Tilt

Reps: 3–5 each side

Step 1. Stand tall and reach your arms out to your sides. Now bend your elbows slightly and turn your palms up so your arms form a W shape. Pull your shoulders down and back as you tilt your head toward your left shoulder and exhale.

Step 2. Inhale as you bring your head back to center, and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Avoid shrugging your shoulders! The goal is to keep your shoulders pulled down and retracted while your neck moves freely.

2. Arm Screw

Reps: 3–5 each side

Step 1. From the beginning position of the W neck tilt (arms in the W position, shoulders down), inhale as you lift your right shoulder toward your ear. Turn the front of your right shoulder toward your chest and rotate your arm inward. This will cause your torso to twist to the left.

Step 2. Continue rotating your right arm, twisting it like you’re wringing out a sponge until your right palm is facing upward (or as close as you can get it). Exhale. At the same time, reach your left arm out, palm facing up. Allow your torso to bend to the left as you reach.

Step 3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep.

Shoulder Complex C: Bow Draw to Rear Reach and Backstroke

These two drills are all about being able to rotate your thoracic spine, which is an important part of maintaining optimal shoulder function.

1. Bow Draw to Rear Reach

Reps: 3–5 each side

Step 1. Stand tall with both arms extended in front of you and palms together. Inhale as you draw your right elbow behind you as far as possible, as if drawing back on the string of a bow, and keep your left arm reaching forward.

Step 2. Allow your torso and head to turn back in the direction your right arm is reaching. Slowly extend your right arm and reach your fingers as far back as possible while your left arm reaches as far forward as possible. Try to create one straight line with your arms, pulling your upper back and shoulders apart. Feel the stretch!

Step 3. Reverse the movement, and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep.  

2. Backstroke

Reps: 3–5 each side

Step 1. From the starting position of the bow draw to rear reach, raise your left hand overhead as high as possible and allow your torso to twist to the left. Simultaneously reach your right arm forward to stretch your back and shoulders again.

Step 2. Maintain the intention of keeping your fingertips as far apart as possible as you raise the right arm up and draw the left one down in a backstroke motion.

Step 3. Continue the arm movement until you have rotated to the opposite side, reaching with both arms. That’s one rep. 

The Shoulder Mobility Program

Improving your mobility comes with practice—the more you do it, the better you’ll get. You wouldn’t expect to learn to play the piano by practicing just once a week, or perfect your golf swing by hitting the range every now and then, and mobility works the same way: you need to make time to do it regularly.

But that doesn’t mean it has to take up a huge chunk of your day. The trick is to do a little here and there, frequently, so that it never feels overwhelming but adds up to a lot of work overall. I learned this concept, called Greasing The Groove (GTG), from strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline. Basically, you maximize the volume of your work by doing a little at a time—fewer repetitions than would create fatigue done many times throughout the day snowballs into a lot of cumulative practice. This way, your shoulders will never feel tired and you’ll never have to set aside 10 or 15 minutes or more in one block to train mobility, but you’ll end up doing a huge amount of mobility training by the end of a week.  

Perform the shoulder complexes I gave you above as follows.

Frequency: 3–5 times per day, 5 days per week

Sets: 3–5 of each complex

Reps: 3–5 for each exercise

For example, on a busy work day, you might perform 3 sets of 3 reps of the exercises in Shoulder Complex A in the morning after you get up. During your lunch break, you could then do 3 sets of 3 for Shoulder Complex B, and then, when you get home after work and have a little more time, you might tackle 4 sets of 5 reps for Shoulder Complex C. None of the complexes should ever take more than 10 minutes to complete, and most of the time, they’ll take closer to five.

This framework provides a lot of flexibility when it comes to how you tackle the five-day assignment, while at the same time making sure you still get enough volume to see noticeable results.

Make sure to comment on social media (@onnit) and let me know how this program works for you. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

P.S.: If you are interested in a more comprehensive mobility practice that you can do daily to get your whole body moving better, make sure to check out the Morning Mobility Series from our new Onnit In 30 workouts. You get 10 follow-along mobility workouts, led by me, for under $10.

You can also try one of the workouts before you buy!

The post Shoulder Mobility For Strength and Injury Prevention appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Single-Arm Kettlebell Press Exercise Summary

– The single-arm kettlebell press can be done several ways to challenge the core and other stabilizer muscles while working the upper body. Standing and seated versions are the most popular.

– Standing presses are more stable and let you lift heavier. Seated presses  require more core strength and mobility in the lower body.

– Single-arm presses can also be done in a half-kneeling position, or on a bench, to promote better form.

Single-Arm Kettlebell Press: How To Do It & Get Ripped

Pressing a kettlebell overhead with one arm is one of the most functional movements you can perform. It builds strength throughout the upper body, trains the shoulder muscles through a full range of motion, and works the core. A variation on the classic single-arm kettlebell press is to do it seated. Removing the legs as a source of support forces the abs and other stabilizers to work even harder.

You’re about to learn how to master both pressing movements for maximum upper-body strength and stability.

How To Do The Single-Arm Kettlebell Press

The standard, standing single-arm press is done as follows.

Step 1. Grasp a kettlebell with both hands and lift it up to shoulder level on one side. Transfer the weight to one hand, and hold it so that the handle runs diagonally across your palm, between your thumb and the last two knuckles. (Another option is to clean the kettlebell from knee level, or the floor.)

Step 2. Stand tall, and tuck your tailbone so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Draw your ribs down, brace your core, and squeeze your glutes. Focus your eyes straight in front of you; your neck should be neutral. Draw your shoulders back and downward—think: “proud chest.”

Actively twist your feet into the floor, but don’t let them move. Think of your legs as screwdrivers, or that you’re standing on grass and trying to twist it up beneath you. You should feel the arches in your feet rise and your glutes tighten, creating tension in the lower body.

Step 3. Tuck your elbow close to your side so that your forearm is vertical and the weight is in front of your chest. Your wrist should be aligned with your forearm and facing the midline of your body. This is called the rack position, and every rep begins from here. You can extend your opposite arm out to your side to help you balance.

Step 4. Press the kettlebell overhead, maintaining your shoulder position as you do so (keep your shoulder pulled down and back). As you press, allow your elbow to move away from your body and your arm to go upward in an arcing motion. As the weight goes up, allow your wrist to rotate so that your palm faces forward when your arm locks out. Reverse the motion to lower the kettlebell. Actively pull it back down by squeezing your lat muscle.

Avoiding bending backward or to either side during the press. Keep your core engaged (ribs pulled down).

Seated Single-Arm Kettlebell Press

When you’re ready to step up (er, rather, sit down) to the next level of kettlebell pressing, try the seated version.

Step 1. Place a kettlebell on the floor, and sit on the floor so that the bell is between your legs. Extend your legs in front of you to form a V.

Step 2. Grasp the kettlebell with both hands, and lift it up to shoulder level on one side. Transfer the weight to one hand, and hold it so that the handle runs diagonally across your palm, between your thumb and the last two knuckles.

Step 3. Sit tall, and tuck your pelvis so that it’s parallel to the floor. Draw your ribs down, brace your core, and squeeze your glutes. Focus your eyes straight in front of you; your neck should be neutral. Draw your shoulders back and downward—think: “proud chest.”

Step 4. Tuck your elbow close to your side so that your forearm is vertical and the weight is in front of your chest. Your wrist should be aligned with your forearm and facing the midline of your body. You can extend your opposite arm out to your side to help you balance.

Step 5. Press the kettlebell overhead. As you press, allow your elbow to move away from your body and your arm to go upward in an arcing motion. As the weight goes up, allow your wrist to rotate so that your palm faces forward when your arm locks out. Reverse the motion to lower the kettlebell. Actively pull it back down by squeezing your lat muscle.

Try to minimize movement in the legs by bracing hard. Avoid twisting or rocking to get the weight up. If you have to do that, it’s too heavy.

Muscles Used in the Single-Arm Kettlebell Press

The press works nearly the entire body, even when done sitting down. From top to bottom, here are the muscles you can expect to activate when performing either variation of the single-arm kettlebell press.

• Deltoids (anterior and lateral)
• Rotator cuff (supraspinatus)
• Upper pec
• Upper back (lat and traps)
• Triceps
• Forearm (wrist flexors and extensors)
• Serratus anterior
• Core
• Glutes
• Hamstrings (mainly in the seated press)

Benefits of the Single-Arm Kettlebell Press

Pressing with a kettlebell feels distinctly different from using a dumbbell or barbell, and offers some important advantages. For one thing, the load is offset from the handle. That is, the weight of the bell hangs an inch or so below where you grip it, and that makes the load harder to control. Your gripping and shoulder muscles, including the rotator cuff, have to contract harder to keep your press on the right course—otherwise the imbalanced weight would pull you all over the place when you try to lift it. The same can be said for your core. And when you press one-handed, you get even more core activation, because the trunk needs to prevent bending and rotation that would otherwise result from loading one side of your body and not the other.

The kettlebell’s offset loading has another advantage, too. The weight of the bell dangles below the handle, so it has the effect of pulling your arm downward throughout the press. As a result, you really can’t cheat any reps. To get the weight overhead, you have to use a full range of motion and lock out your elbow—i.e., really work hard—or you’ll feel that you haven’t completed the rep.

Kettlebell pressing is one of the most shoulder-friendly ways to press overhead. When you start the movement from the rack position, your palm faces in toward the midline of your body. This is known as a neutral grip, and it’s a much safer position to press with than having the palm turned forward (as it’s done with a barbell). The humerus (upper-arm bone) glides through the shoulder joint more smoothly, reducing the risk for impingement or other undue stresses that come with years of heavy training.

Now what happens if you do the single-arm kettlebell press from a seated position? Right away, you’re training hip flexor and hamstring mobility, because you’ll need both to sit upright with your legs extended in front of you. There’s nothing to push off with your feet or back (as in the floor or a bench), so your reps will automatically be much stricter. You also can’t bend and extend your knees, as in a push press, to power the weight overhead. Of course, your core will be recruited to the extreme, because, with your legs unable to provide balance, there’s nothing left to keep you from falling over.

Without the stability provided by having your legs underneath you, you won’t be able to lift as much weight as when doing the move standing, but that can be a benefit too. If you train at home and only have access to light weights—especially in a garage or other room with low ceilings that don’t allow you to press while standing—doing the single-arm press from the floor can let you make the most of the situation, giving you a training effect without the need for heavier weight.

How To Stretch Before Doing the Single-Arm Kettlebell Press

Before you try the standing single-arm kettlebell press, warm up your shoulders and back with these moves from Onnit Coach Natalie Higby, co-creator of the Durable Athlete app. Perform 2–3 sets of 5–10 reps for each move.

Sky Reach To Arm Thread

Step 1. Get on all fours with your hips over your knees and shoulders in line with your hands. Twist your torso to the right, and reach your arm straight overhead. Keep your core tight so that you don’t arch your lower back—you want the movement to come from your T-spine.

Step 2. Reverse the direction, and reach your arm through the space between your left arm and knee. Keep your hips in the same position—don’t let them drop or twist as you turn your torso. Try to get the back of your shoulder on the floor in the end range of motion. Complete your reps, and then repeat on the opposite side.

Quadruped Swimmer’s Stretch

Step 1. Get on all fours with your hips over your knees and shoulders in line with your hands. Press your knees and hands into the floor to create tension, and brace your core. Raise your right arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing in.

Step 2. Rotate your palm toward the floor as you draw your arm down and behind your back, bending it so that the back of your hand touches your lower back. From there, pull your elbow toward the floor until you feel a stretch. Now raise your elbow up again, and then lift your hand straight up off your back.

Step 3. Reverse the motion to extend your arm in front of you again. Complete your reps, and then repeat on the opposite side.

And for the seated single-arm kettlebell press, add these warmups as well.

Wide-Stance Hinge w Spinal Fold

Step 1. Stand with feet outside shoulder width and toes facing forward. Keeping a long line from your head to your pelvis, hinge your hips back as far as you can. Allow your knees to bend as needed (you’ll feel a stretch in your hamstrings and glutes).

Step 2. Take a deep breath into your belly, and then let it out. As you do so, fold at the hips to reach down and touch the floor.

Step 3. Bend your knees, and slowly push your hips forward and roll your back up to a tall standing position. Come up one vertebrae at a time—your neck should be the last thing that extends.

Rotating Pyramid

Step 1. Get into pushup position, and drive your hips up into the air. Allow your knees to bend as much as you need in order to keep your head, spine, and pelvis aligned (don’t let your lower back round).

Step 2. Raise your right hand off the floor, and reach it toward your left ankle, twisting your torso as needed. Reverse the motion and repeat on the other side.

Alternatives to the Single-Arm Kettlebell Press

Most kettlebell trainees will begin with the basic standing single-arm kettlebell press. When they’ve got that down, they will go on to the seated version, but for some people, neither variation will be appropriate. If you have trouble keeping your lower back from arching excessively, or you know you have a weak core and tight hips, performing the press from the half-kneeling position is a great way to target these weaknesses while still working the shoulders hard. Spend a few weeks mastering it, and then try the standing press—you might be amazed by how much more stable and strong you feel.

Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Kettlebell Press

*When you’re first exploring this exercise, the half-kneeling press should be done with the downed knee on the same side as the pressing arm. In other words, if you’re pressing with your right arm, your right knee should be down on the floor. When you get the hang of that, you can switch it up so that you press on the same side as the raised knee. This requires a little more balance and stability, shown below.

Step 1. Get into a half-kneeling position—one knee on the floor and the other bent 90 degrees. Your feet and knees should be about hip-width apart. Tuck your tailbone slightly so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor, and draw your ribs down. Brace your core. Draw your shoulders down and back to a “proud chest” position. Grasp a kettlebell with the hand that’s on the same side as the raised knee, and use both hands to raise the weight to the rack position at your shoulder.

Step 2. Squeeze the glute on the side of the downed knee. Now press the kettlebell overhead to lockout, and then control it on the way down.

Seated Single-Arm Kettlebell Press on Bench

If you want to press from a seated position, but you’re not yet ready for the seated press on the floor, you can use a bench. Sitting with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees removes the hip and hamstring mobility requirements, and makes for a stable pressing position that encourages strict form (you can’t use momentum from the legs). As you get more familiar with the movement, you can gradually lower the elevation that you use, and extend your legs further in front of you, until you’re sitting on the floor. For instance, press from the bench for a few weeks, and then go to a stack of firm mats for a few weeks, and then a block or a few stacked weight plates so that you’re just a few inches above the floor. As your lower-body mobility improves, you’ll get more comfortable being in a full seated position.

Step 1. Sit on a bench with your hips and knees at 90 degrees. Set your pelvis parallel to the floor, and achieve a proud chest position. Brace your core. Use both hands to raise the kettlebell to the rack position. You can extend one arm out to your side to help with balance.

Step 2. Press the weight overhead to lockout, and control the descent.

The post Single-Arm Kettlebell Press: How To Do It & Get Ripped appeared first on Onnit Academy.

– Slouching and poor training habits lead to restrictions in shoulder mobility.

– Tight shoulders can make it difficult to press overhead safely, and limit the exercises you can perform. Lack of mobility can warp the technique you use on certain lifts, and hurt your ability to make strength gains.

– Shoulder mobility can be improved with several different stretches and exercises. If pressing overhead with a barbell or dumbbell is painful or problematic, pressing with a landmine, kettlebell, or steel club can serve as an alternative.

6 Great Shoulder Stretches and Mobility Exercises

Do your shoulders hurt? Chances are you’re reading this article because they do, and in that case, we want to welcome you to one of the most popular and prestigious clubs in all fitness and sports (please note the sarcasm).

Shoulder pain is everywhere. Researchers estimate that roughly 67% of people will experience it in their lifetimes, and if you lift weights, particularly at a competitive level, your shoulders are almost sure to take some bumps. According to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the shoulders are one of the three most injured areas among weightlifters and powerlifters. But endurance junkies aren’t off the hook either. The North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy revealed that as many as 87% of competitive swimmers will suffer from shoulder problems at some point.

Maybe you don’t notice any pain yet, but if your shoulders ever feel tight, you find you can’t press overhead without your arms drifting in front of you, or you can’t reach behind your back without twisting your body or feeling a pinch, there’s a good chance the fuse is burning toward injury.

Consider any discomfort or tightness you feel a “check engine” light for your shoulder joints. If you don’t fix the underlying issue and you keep going HAM at the gym, something catastrophic could happen down the road, when you’re lifting heavy or playing sports. Let this guide introduce you to some stretches that can restore mobility to the shoulders, and exercises that can build shoulder strength and muscle as safely as possible. Get your membership in the Shoulder Pain Club revoked for life!

What Causes Shoulder Tightness?

Your shoulders were designed to move well. The main shoulder joint is the glenohumeral joint, and it’s one of the most mobile joints in the body, capable of many degrees of movement. (Think of swooping your arms in big circles… your hips sure can’t do that.) But, in the modern world, we rarely need to use the shoulder joint’s full range of motion by reaching overhead or behind us. We also sit a lot, slumped over a desk or in front of a TV. Lack of use and daily, prolonged time in poor postures encourages shoulder tightness.

“This can lead to a loss of motor control,” says Taylor Weglicki, DPT, of Trevor Kashey Nutrition. “Think about riding a bike. If you haven’t ridden for a while, you can still get back on and ride it. But you won’t necessarily be able to ride a technical, single-track trail with the same precision and fine motor control components you used to. So what happens with the shoulders is that if you’re not using all of the different possible planes of motion, your body just doesn’t prioritize maintaining and utilizing those motions.” The result: restricted and poor quality movement. 

Then we head into the gym, usually skipping the mobility exercises and stretching we should do as a warmup, and hammer our shoulders on the bench press and other press variations. As the front deltoid and pectoral muscles get stronger, our shoulders tighten up even further—unless we take the time to work on stretching them, and include a good amount of upper back and rear deltoid work (think rowing variations, band pull aparts, and face pulls) to complement them.

Specifically, tight shoulders can result from weakness of the muscles that control the scapulae (shoulder blades), or poor scapular movement patterns. Sitting and slouching leads to tight lats and an inflexible thoracic spine—an inability to sit up straight like your mom used to tell you to. If you can’t properly extend your thoracic spine, you’ll have a tendency to push your arms forward when your press overhead, and that can put more strain on the shoulder joints when you lift.

Another shoulder-tightener most people don’t even think about is breathing incorrectly. Proper breathing has you engaging your diaphragm, expanding your abdomen while keeping your ribs down. This allows you to take full advantage of your lung capacity. But many people are what are known as chest breathers, relying on the muscles of the neck, chest, and shoulders to work harder than they should to draw in air. Their chests and shoulders elevate and their ribs flare on each breath in, and this tightens these muscles up. Becoming more aware of your breathing, and trying to breathe more into your belly, can help reduce tension throughout the upper body.

To gauge your current shoulder movement quality, Doug Kechijian, DPT, co-owner of Resilient Performance Systems, suggests you give yourself the following test.

Wall Overhead Reach

Step 1. Stand with your back against a wall and arms at your sides. Fully press your back into the wall—your low, mid, and upper back should all be flat against it.

Step 2. Maintain this flat position as you reach overhead, keeping your arms straight. Try to touch the wall with the back of your hands.

PASS: You can touch the wall with at least the tips of your fingers without having to peel any of your back from it to reach.

FAIL: You can’t touch the wall without your back peeling up, or you can only touch the wall by angling your arms outward in a V shape.

Benefits of Stretching Your Shoulders

Whether you failed the wall overhead reach test miserably or just missed the mark, any degree of restricted mobility makes it more difficult and risky to do an array of lifts that can not only benefit your shoulders, but also every other muscle in your body. Think: Push presses, overhead squats, clean and presses, and more. These all work your upper body, core, and lower body.

Restricted shoulder mobility can hold back your strength too. “Think of doing a kettlebell press,” says Natalie Higby, an Onnit Coach, and co-owner of The Durable Athlete (she also models the exercises below). “If your fist is stacked over your wrist, elbow, and shoulder, then it’s much easier to move more weight.” Good shoulder mobility allows you to achieve the proper body alignment on your exercises, and that leads to the greatest transfer of power from your muscles into the object you’re lifting.

If you epically failed the overhead reach test or can’t currently lift overhead, launch a full assault to unstick your shoulder joints. Do all six mobility exercises shown below daily. If you just barely failed, try all the drills to discover which one seems to work best for you, and work at that one. “People often lack awareness of how their shoulder joint functions and moves,” says Higby. “It’s key to figure out how your own body is connected and what works for it.”

Finally, if you passed the wall overhead reach test, give yourself a pat on the back. (Hey, you can actually reach far enough to do it!) But you should still integrate the following drills into your training anyway, as they will only reinforce and solidify good movement, keeping you strong and healthy.

Exercises to Improve Shoulder Mobility

Here are six of the best stretches and drills you need to practice for healthy, mobile shoulders.

1. Chair Hang

This move is Kechijian’s go-to. He’s found that it works for most people most of the time, and he treats clients ranging from Special Forces operators and professional athletes to desk workers. It’s a three-pronged assault on the most common causes of tight shoulders: tight pecs, tight lats, and an inability to breathe deeply while keeping your ribs down. Kechijian recommends doing it daily.

Directions

Step 1. Grasp a pullup bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart (grip it with palms facing each other, if your bar has handles that allow it). Raise your knees up until your quads are parallel to the floor, and your hips and knees are at a 90-degree angle. You’ll look as if you’re sitting on a chair.

Step 2. Flex your glutes so your pelvis is slightly tipped upward, which will help keep your ribs down. (Your knees will raise higher, almost to your chest.) Hold the position and breathe deeply from your nose, filling your belly when you breathe in. Slowly, but forcefully, blow all the air out of your nose (you’ll really feel the stretch on the exhale). One deep breath in and out is one rep. Do 2–3 sets of 10 reps.

2. Scapular Four-Way Drill

Weglicki points out that a lot of shoulder restrictions can be traced back to weak scapular muscles. “The shoulder moves with the scapula. So the shoulder blade and arm have to work together in coordination with all that soft tissue in reaching overhead,” he says. “If all those parts aren’t playing together, you’re not going to be solid [with any overhead training you do].” This move teaches you to activate the muscles that control your shoulder blades, strengthens them, and is also easy to do at home or anywhere else you don’t have equipment.

Directions

Step 1. Get on your hands and knees as if about to crawl. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.

Step 2. Draw your shoulder blades straight back, pinching them together, as you take a deep breath into your belly. Try to expand your stomach 360 degrees. Now spread your shoulder blades apart as you exhale, crunching your stomach in. Do 10 reps.

Step 3. Now begin moving your shoulders blades straight up and down, shrugging your shoulders and then depressing them. Breathe in on the way up, and out on the way down. Do 10 reps.

3. Chest Smash

Religious devotion to bench press Mondays is a surefire way to tighten your lats and chest—two muscle groups that, when tight, lock down your shoulders. “Rolling the muscles with a lacrosse ball or foam roller can help free up how high your arms can go overhead,” says Higby. It’s often ideal to do this right before a workout, to help restore range of motion. Then you can train in that range of motion for stronger, more efficient movement.

Directions

Step 1. Get a foam roller, softball, lacrosse ball, or any other firm but rollable object that can move around under your muscles. Lie facedown on the floor and put the object under your left pec. Now put as much of your weight as you can tolerate into the object without pain (the intensity should be around a 7 out of 10). Extend your left arm down by your side with your palm turned up to the ceiling.

Step 2. Raise your arm out and upward toward your head, turning your palm over to face the floor. You should feel your pec stretching against the tension created by the ball. Continue raising your arm until it’s overhead, and rotating your wrist, until your palm faces in again. Reverse the motion.

Step 3. Linger over any particularly sensitive areas, moving your arm back and forth until they relax a bit. Work the left side for 60 seconds, and then repeat on your right pec.

4. Lat Smash

Step 1. Lie on your right side, wedging the ball or roller under your right lat (the meaty part between your shoulder and ribs). Extend your right arm straight overhead, your palm facing the ceiling.

Step 2. Begin drawing your arm down in front of your chest, turning your palm toward the floor as you do. Reverse the motion. Repeat for 60 seconds, lingering over any especially sensitive areas. Switch sides and repeat.

5. Band Pull Apart

Some shoulder tightness, pain, and even a slumped posture is caused by weakness in the rear delts and upper back muscles relative to the pressing muscles. The band pull apart and face pull hit these areas all at once, which can balance you out, prop up your posture, and maybe even end your pain. Band shoulder work has been a staple among powerlifters for decades, as it works to offset heavy pressing.

Directions

Step 1. Hold a resistance band with an end in each hand, palms facing up. Extend your arms out in front of you so they’re parallel to the floor.

Step 2. Keep your arms straight as you draw them back to 90 degrees from your sides, pulling the band apart. (Your body should form a T in the end position). Avoid shrugging your shoulders as you pull—keep your shoulder blades down. Do 3 sets of 20 reps.

6. Band Face Pull

Step 1. Attach a resistance band to a sturdy object at about face level. Grasp the free end with both hands, palms facing down, and step back to put tension on the band with your arms extended. You may stagger your stance to help you balance.

Step 2. Pull the band to your forehead, spreading it apart as much as you can to get your hands back as far as possible. You should feel the exercise in your rear shoulders and upper back. Do 3 sets of 10–20 reps.

Bonus: T-Spine Mobilization

Sometimes people can’t get their arms fully overhead because their thoracic spine is too tight from slouching over a keyboard at the office or chest pressing at the gym, says Higby. By mobilizing this area, you’ll unlock your upper back, freeing your arms to move vertically.

Directions

Step 1. Stand with your knees slightly bent and feet hip- width apart. Lift your arms so they are parallel to the floor, bend your elbows, and flare your elbows out to the side so your fingertips touch in front of your upper chest.

Step 2. Rotate your body to the right, aiming to point your elbow to the wall behind you. Allow your right hip to twist with your shoulders. Extend your arm at the end of the range of motion, so your fingers are pointing behind you.

Step 3. Try to keep your right shoulder and arm pointing back as you squeeze your glutes and twist your right hip back to face forward. Then rotate your torso forward again and bring your hands together in front of you. Repeat on the left side. That’s one rep. Do 3 sets of 10–20 reps.

As you gain greater mobility, you’ll find that you’ll have an easier time doing pressing exercises, or that the irritation you usually get from these movements subsides—but don’t get impatient and go too heavy too soon. “Simply stretching into a range of motion doesn’t automatically gain you control of that new motion,” says Weglicki. “You won’t necessarily be able to lift and control loads in that range. You have to practice loading reasonably over time to build tolerance.”

Shoulder Exercise Alternatives

If your shoulders currently hurt when doing conventional pressing exercises, it’s best to avoid them while you work on restoring mobility and function. But this doesn’t have to mean laying off all shoulder work, or switching over to boring machine exercises. There are several exercises that train the shoulders through a long range of motion and can be loaded fairly heavy while at the same time carrying a low risk of aggravating joint problems.

Higby loves landmine presses for people with irksome shoulders. The landmine is a metal sleeve anchored to a base, and when the fat end of a barbell is loaded into it, it turns the bar into one long lever. Pressing in this manner moves the bar on a diagonal arc, so the load isn’t centered so squarely on the shoulder joint as it would be pressing straight vertically. It also drives upward rotation of the scapula, activating the muscles that safely anchor the shoulder blades to the rib cage. Landmine presses are perfect for people who want to train the deltoids but can’t press overhead. “When you press with a landmine, the angle of the load is friendlier,” says Higby.

Pressing with kettlebells, steel maces, and steel clubs is also great for building scapular control. Their loads are offset from the handle, which makes them difficult to balance. When you lift them overhead or in front of you, the weight wants to pull your shoulder blades apart or forward, so fighting to keep them locked down and back makes the area more stable. The stability you gain will translate to stronger overall pressing and pushing, and help to prevent injury. Offset-loaded tools also allow you to train rotation—an oft-neglected movement pattern—and really strengthen your grip. “You might be surprised how weak you are in certain areas when these tools expose it,” says Higby.

In the case of the kettlebell overhead press, the offset load actually helps to pull your arm back, in spite of any tightness you may have in your shoulders or back. This results in your pressing straight up with your wrist, elbow, and shoulder all aligned. In other words, just lifting a kettlebell teaches good form all on its own.

Standing One-Arm Landmine Press Directions

Step 1. Anchor the end of a barbell into a landmine device, wedge it into a corner, or slide it into the handle of a kettlebell that’s lying sideways. Load the other end of the bar. Bring the loaded end of the bar up to your left shoulder and stand with legs staggered. Draw your shoulder blades back and down (think: “proud chest). Extend your right arm to help you keep balance, and brace your core.

Step 2. Press the bar overhead. It won’t move straight up, but on an arc. Allow your shoulder blade to rotate upward as you press. Do 3 sets of 5–10 reps on each side.

Half-Kneeling Kettlebell Single-Arm Press Directions

Step 1. Get into a half-kneeling position with your right knee on the floor. Both knees should be bent 90 degrees and your torso should be upright. Hold a kettlebell in your right hand at shoulder level with your palm facing in. The weight should rest on your forearm and be in tight to your chest. Tuck your tailbone so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor, and brace your core.

Step 2. Press the weight overhead, rotating your palm to face forward at lockout. Keep your balance. Do 3 sets of 5–10 reps on each side.

Two-Handed Club Front Press Directions

Step 1. Hold a steel club with both hands, right hand on top, and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Tuck your tailbone so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor, and brace your core. The club should be held close to your body, just above the right hip. Draw your shoulder blades together and down (“proud chest”).

Step 2. Press the club to arms’ length in front of you, until your arms are parallel to the floor. That’s one rep. Do 3 sets of 5–10 reps on each side.

The post 6 Great Shoulder Stretches and Mobility Exercises appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Don’t believe us? A 2016 study from McMaster University in Ontario gathered 49 college-aged guys who all had several years’ experience lifting weights. Half the subjects trained light, using just 30–50% of their one-rep max on exercises for sets of 20–25 reps. The other half went heavy, using 75–90% of their max for sets in the 8–12 rep range. Both groups trained as hard as they could, taking their sets to failure—the point at which they couldn’t do another rep. Lo and behold, after 12 weeks, the muscle and strength gains between the groups were virtually identical.

If your shoulders already ache from years of heavy training, you no longer have a gym membership that provides access to heavy duty equipment, or you find yourself quarantined with little more than a light pair of dumbbells, or your bodyweight alone, you can still build cannonball-sized delts that make your upper body look broad and your waist tiny. And you can do it in your own home.

How To Stretch Your Shoulders Before A Workout

Onnit Durability Coach Natalie Higby (@nat.trill.fit on Instagram) offers these two mobility drills to increase range of motion and stability in your shoulders and upper back.

The Best Bodyweight Shoulder Workout

This routine requires only your bodyweight, and uses careful exercise sequencing to exhaust the delts front to back. It allows you to train your shoulders with the heaviest, most challenging exercise when they’re well warmed up and activated, reducing the risk for injury while maximizing muscular tension without the need for heavy loading.

The prone snow angel serves as a warmup, activating the full spectrum of delt muscle. From there, the sliding lateral raise offers a much harder but more joint-friendly version of the classic shoulder isolation move, since your shoulder has to lift your whole body on every rep. Next is the modified handstand pushup, which simulates a heavy overhead press. Finally, you’ll finish with the plank with shoulder tap—a hard balancing act that will once again ask your delts to support your body weight, and your core to prevent you from falling.

Directions
Perform the exercises as straight sets, completing all sets for one move before going on to the next. Except where otherwise noted, always leave two reps in your tank on every set, for the sake of safety. In other words, if you feel you have 15 reps in you, perform only 13. Seek to improve your performance by one rep each time you repeat the workout.

1 Prone Snow Angel

Sets: 3  Reps: 10–15  Rest: 45 sec.

Step 1. Lie on your chest on the floor and brace your core. Extend your spine to raise your chest off the floor slightly, and raise your hands overhead.

Step 2. Extend your arms out to your sides and draw them down, rotating your palms to face the ceiling. Continue until the back of your hands touches the small of your back.

Step 3. Rotate your hands back and reach your arms overhead again. It should look like you’re making a snow angel upside down. That’s one rep.

2 Sliding Lateral Raise on Wall

Sets: 3  Reps: Work for 40 sec.  Rest: 45 sec.

Step 1. Stand next to a wall or other sturdy surface that can support your body weight. Bend your elbow 90 degrees, and draw your shoulders back and downward. Brace your core.

Step 2. Lean against the wall with the outside of your forearm. Raise your arm, sliding it up the wall so it moves your torso more upright. Control the movement so it’s smooth. When your upper arm is 90 degrees to your torso, reverse the motion. Continue performing reps for 40 seconds, and then switch arms and repeat.

3 Modified Handstand Pushup

Sets: 3  Reps: 8–10  Rest: 90 sec.

Step 1. Rest your feet on a bench, chair, or other stable surface, and place your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Walk your hands back while bending your hips and driving your butt up into the air so that your torso is as vertical as possible.

Step 2. Lower your body until the top of your head touches the floor, and then press back up.

If that’s too hard, simply perform a pushup on a very steep incline. If it’s not challenging enough to stay in the 8–10 rep range, try a handstand pushup against the wall.

4 Plank W/ Shoulder Tap

Sets: 2  Reps: As many as possible  Rest: 45 sec.

Step 1. Get into pushup position with your hands at shoulder width. Brace your core.

Step 2. Hold the position as you tap one shoulder at a time with the opposite hand. Avoid any twisting at the shoulders or hips.

The Best Shoulder Workout for Light Dumbbells

High reps and short rest periods can always substitute for heavy weights. This workout is so fast-paced and burn-focused that a strong man could literally do it with his mom’s dumbbells, or maybe even a pair of water bottles. Another cool feature: you don’t even have to stand up to do it. Sit on the edge of a bench and move from one exercise to another. You’ll start with dumbbell raise variations to pre-exhaust the delts, and then finish with an overhead press to burn them out. Doing the press first wouldn’t be very challenging with light weights, but placed so far back in the workout when you’re already fatigued, whatever weights you have access to will be more than heavy enough.

Directions
Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set for each in sequence without rest in between. So you’ll do one set of the Y raise, then immediately go on to the lateral raise, rear-delt swing, and so on. Afterward, rest two minutes, and then repeat the circuit once more.

1 Y Raise

Reps: 10–15

Step 1. Sit on a bench with a light dumbbell in each hand. Bend at the hips so that your torso is 45 degrees, but keep your head, spine, and pelvis aligned.

Step 2. Raise your arms in front of you and slightly out to the sides, as if making a Y shape.

2 Seated Lateral Raise

Reps: As many as possible

Step 1. Sit up straight with your arms at your sides. (You may keep a slight forward lean if that feels better for your shoulders.)

Step 2. Raise your arms out 90 degrees with your palms facing down.

3 Rear-Delt Swing

Reps: As many reps as possible

Step 1. Bend forward at the hips again, as far as you can while keeping a long spine and your lower back flat.

Step 2. Use momentum to raise your arms up to 90 degrees, so you’re performing a swinging motion. Control the descent, and use momentum to begin the next rep.

4 Rear-Delt Row

Reps: As many as possible

Step 1. Staying bent forward, turn your palms to face down.

Step 2. Row the weights with your elbows pointing outward until your upper back is fully contracted.

5 Arcing Overhead Press

Reps: As many reps as possible

Step 1. Sit upright and brace your core. Raise the weights to shoulder level with your palms facing forward.

Step 2. Press the weights overhead in an arcing motion, stopping short of locking out the elbows.

The post The Best Home Shoulder Workouts for Getting Bigger Delts appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Resistance bands are a portable training method that can be used to help reduce shoulder pain without the need for dumbbells or extra equipment.

By incorporating these exercises into your traditional resistance training session, you can strengthen your shoulders while simultaneously reducing shoulder pain.

These stretchy bands can be used to perform almost any exercise you would perform with a traditional dumbbell.

Not only are resistance bands great for strengthening your muscles, but they are also beneficial for prehab, helping you avoid injury in the first place.

Prehab is (preventative) resistance band training that can strengthen vulnerable areas throughout the body.

Using resistance bands for shoulder exercises can improve functional fitness all while decreasing shoulder pain in those areas that are injury prone.

As you dynamically warm up with resistance bands you are also getting a prehab benefit.

Resistance Band Shoulder Exercise #1: 1-Hand External Rotation

The 1-Hand External Rotation is a great way to target the small muscles of the shoulder that make up the rotator cuff. Rotator cuff muscles are important in shoulder stability, especially if your are experiencing shoulder pain from former injuries, such as dislocations and impingement syndromes.

Resistance Band Shoulder Exercise #2: 1-Hand Internal Rotation

The Internal (Medial) Shoulder Rotation exercise strengthens the rotator cuff muscles which stabilize the shoulder joint. This exercise targets the subscapularis muscle which is a very important muscle of the rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff muscles help to provide stability for the shoulder joint, increasing strength that will help reduce shoulder pain.

Resistance Band Shoulder Exercise #3: Underhand Pull Aparts

This is an excellent exercise that can be done at home for extra upper back work. This simple exercise works on scapular retraction (pulling the shoulder blades together) and reinforces good upper back posture.

Increasing strength in the upper scaps and other stabilizing back muscles can reduce shoulder pain significantly.

Resistance Band Shoulder Exercise #4: Lateral Raise

The Resistance Band Lateral Raise is an excellent movement for developing the middle head of the deltoid. Strengthening the deltoid muscle will increase the stability of your entire rotator cuff, decreasing the risk of pain.

Resistance Band Shoulder Exercise #5: Lying External Rotation

The Lying External Shoulder Rotation promotes scapular movement and stability and reduces the risk of shoulder injuries.

The post Shoulder Pain? Try These 5 Resistance Band Exercises appeared first on Onnit Academy.

What Muscles Am I Working?

The shoulder muscles are called the deltoids (or delts, for short). They’re triangle-shaped and originate at the collarbones, acromion joints, spine, and shoulder blades, and insert onto the humerus bones. Each deltoid muscle has three heads—that is, portions of the muscle that have separate sets of muscle fibers and perform a separate, distinct function.

Front deltoid. This portion of the muscle lies on the front of the shoulder, above the pectorals. It flexes the shoulder, raising the arm in front of the body and assists the pecs (chest) and lats (back) in rotating it internally. All pressing exercises, as well as front raise movements, will emphasize the front delts.

Lateral deltoid. The middle-head of the deltoid appears on the outermost side of the shoulder, between the front and rear delts. (Interestingly, while gym rats often refer to it as the “medial delt,” this term is technically inaccurate, as it’s actually the portion of the muscle that is furthest from the midline of the body.) The lateral deltoid raises the arm out to the side when the shoulder is internally rotated. It also does this when the shoulder is externally rotated (such as when your elbows are bent 90 degrees and you move your arms apart—imagine a “stick up” position, and you’re the one getting robbed!). Lateral raises are the primary exercise for hitting the middle (“side”) delts.

Posterior deltoid. The rear delt sits on the back side of the shoulder. It helps the lats extend the shoulder, moving your arm behind you, as in a rowing motion.

Benefits Of Working Out Your Shoulders

Should you require them to, strong shoulders will do more than make you look athletic in sleeveless shirts and tops. They help you carry all kinds of heavy things (groceries, luggage, your toddler), as well as reach, throw, punch, and press things. Best of all, they can help to prevent injury in any sports you play, even if they’re just weekend warrior activities like golf or softball. The shoulder joints are highly mobile, but as a consequence, are some of the most unstable joints in the body. Strong detloids help to hold them in position, and allow the the shoulders to absorb force more safely.

According to a 2013 study, since the year 2000, serious shoulder injuries have increased by five times among youth baseball and softball players. Strength training the shoulders is one of the best preventive measures to reduce injury risk.

The Best Shoulder-Strengthening Exercises

The following are my picks for the best shoulder moves for women.

#1 Lateral Raise

You know these already. There may be no better exercise for hitting the lateral head of the deltoid—the middle part that really gives your shoulders some width when looking at them from the front. If you feel a little pinch in your shoulders doing these, try bending your hips a bit so your torso leans forward. This should alleviate some pressure on the joints. Another tip: don’t squeeze the dumbbell handles too hard. Think of your hands as merely hooks to hold the weight. That way, your deltoids will take on more of the load (it won’t be dispersed to your hands and forearms).

Dumbbell lateral raises are tried and true, but you can also perform the lateral raise motion one arm at a time using a barbell in a landmine unit. In this instance, you lift the bar as if it were a long lever, which offers a number of benefits. For one thing, the movement becomes more strict—you can’t really get sloppy and swing the weight up like you might have a tendency to do with dumbbells. For another, you get to work the deltoids in three planes of motion in the same exercise. Most shoulder moves have you lifting weights either out to the sides or overhead, but a landmine lateral raise has a bar path that goes forward and rotates to the side—so it works all the deltoid musculature while still isolating the stress of the exercise to the shoulder. For more on this movement, see The Best Full-Gym Shoulder Workout For Women below.

#2 Landmine Press

There’s nothing wrong with pressing a barbell overhead, but some people find that it can irritate their shoulders, wrists, and elbows. Performing the same motion with a barbell in a landmine allows you to use a neutral grip, which lets your humerus bone glide through your shoulder joints more smoothly (there’s less risk of impingement). The press is also done on an arc, a more natural movement that strengthens the deltoids with less stress on the joints, and, in some cases, may even give you greater range of motion.

Landmine presses are great for getting your shoulder blades to move when you press, which doesn’t happen when you press off a bench or with some machines. Shoulder blade movement is important for any athletic activity you do (throwing, punching, etc.) You can do landmine presses with both arms, one arm at a time, standing up, or, as we show above and in the Full-Gym Shoulder Workout, in a half-kneeling position, which is good for learning the exercise, training your core, and stretching out your hip flexors to boot.

#3 Band Pull-Apart

You’ve heard the expression that too much of anything is not good for you, and that certainly applies to most exercises—but it isn’t so with the band pull-apart. It works the rear delts as well as the upper back, and since these areas are a weak point in virtually everyone, and pull-aparts aren’t stressful to any joints, you can pretty much do them as much as you want. The more total reps you do, the better your posture will become, and the more you’ll fill out the back of your shoulders (which probably look somewhat lopsided, as most of us inadvertently do much more work for the front delts than we do for the rear).

Pull-aparts are also easy to progress and regress. Choke up on the band more to increase the difficulty, and widen your grip to make it easier. You can even do both in the same set, starting with a lot of band tension and then reducing it as you fatigue to keep pumping out reps. As you only need a band to perform them, the pull-apart is easily done at home, so it appears in our At-Home Workout below.

#4 Rear-Delt Fly

These work similarly to the pull-apart, but can be done with dumbbells, cables, or even gymnastics rings. To really emphasize the rear delts, do them with your upper back rounded and your chest supported on a bench—don’t let your shoulder blades pinch together as you raise the weights; just lift with the shoulders and stop short of 90 degrees. To hit the rear delts and upper back together, lift all the way to 90 degrees and squeeze your back at the top (as shown above). Variations of the rear-delt fly appear in every workout to ensure balanced shoulder development.

How to Stretch Out Before Training Your Shoulders

Onnit Durability Coach Natalie Higby (@nat.trill.fit on Instagram) offers these two mobility drills to increase range of motion and stability in your shoulders and upper back.

The Best Bodyweight Shoulder Workout For Women

Pressing exercises are most people’s main go-to for shoulder training, but pushup variations work the deltoids hard as well. Change the angles you push at, and you can hit every corner of the delts. Another benefit of pushups is that they’re a closed-chain exercise. Because your hands are fixed to the ground when you do pushup exercises, you get greater overall muscle activation. Every rep not only works the shoulders, but your core as well, since it must fire to stabilize your bodyweight during the movement. The following routine requires only a floor and a wall to complete.

Directions
The workout is made up of 2 circuits. To perform a circuit, do one set for each exercise in the group, resting briefly between each, and then rest a minute (or more if needed) after you’ve completed the last exercise in the group. Repeat for the prescribed number of sets, and then go on to the next circuit.

After you’ve done both circuits, do the wall walkup as the last exercise.

Circuit #1

1. Plank Shoulder Tap

Sets: 3  Reps: 16–20

Step 1. Get into pushup position—hands under your shoulders and legs extended behind you. Tuck your pelvis slightly so that it’s perpendicular to the floor and brace your abs.

Step 2. Holding the position, alternate reaching one hand up to tap the opposite shoulder. Each tap is one rep.

2. Pike Pushup

Sets: 3  Reps: 10

Step 1. Get into pushup position and bend your hips, sending your butt up in the air as high as possible. Spread your fingers wide and push into the floor to activate your shoulders.

Step 2. Lower your head toward the floor until the top of it touches down gently. Tuck your elbows toward your sides as you lower. Press your body back up.

3. Superman Y-Raise

Sets: 3  Reps: 12

Step 1. Lie facedown on the floor and extend your arms in front of you to form a Y shape with thumbs pointing up.

Step 2. Raise your chest and legs off the floor, contracting your lower back and driving your shoulder blades down and together as you lift your arms up. Hold for a moment, and then return to the floor.

Circuit #2

1. Bear Pushup

Sets: 4  Reps: 8–10

Step 1. Get into pushup position, and then bend your knees and push your hips back so that your butt is close to your heels (you’ll look like a bear stretching its back).

Step 2. Push yourself forward again and lower into the bottom position of a pushup.

Step 3. Push yourself back up and into the bear position again.

2. Superman T-Raise

Sets: 4  Reps: 12

Step 1. Lie on the floor face down and extend your arms out 90 degrees to your sides.

Step 2. Raise your torso off the floor while simultaneously lifting your legs. Hold for a moment, and then return to the floor.

Finisher

Wall Walkup

Sets: 4  Reps: 10

Step 1. Get into pushup position with your feet touching a wall behind you. Tuck your tailbone slightly so that your pelvis is perpendicular to the floor and brace your abs.

Step 2. Begin walking your feet up the wall behind you as you push your body backward. Go as far up the wall as you can while keeping your core tight—don’t let your lower back overextend. Walk your hands forward again to return your body to the floor. Go slowly and control the movement. Each trip up the wall and back is one rep.

If this feels too easy, add a handstand pushup at the top position, when your torso is nearly vertical against the wall.

The Best At-Home Shoulder Workout For Women

This routine works whether you have a well-equipped home gym or are visiting your geat Aunt Tilly and only have access to two rusty, pink dumbbells she’s been using as a doorstop in the guest room. You’ll need to get some elastic exercise bands (if you don’t travel with them already, start!), but the weighted exercises don’t need much load to be effective. If you’re stuck with really light weights, just perform your reps more slowly, and really focus on making your form perfect. You can also shorten your rest periods between exercises and circuits to increase the intensity.

Directions

The workout is made up of 3 circuits. To perform a circuit, do one set for each exercise in the group, resting briefly between each, and then rest a minute (or more if needed) after you’ve completed the last exercise in the group. Repeat for the prescribed number of sets, and then go on to the next circuit.

Circuit #1

1. Banded Face Pull

Sets: 3  Reps: 10

Step 1. Attach an elastic exercise band to a sturdy object at about face level. Grasp the loop end with both hands and step back to put tension on the band. Bend your knees slightly to help you keep balance, and maintain an upright torso.

Step 2. Pull the band toward you until your upper back is fully contracted, and then control its return as you extend your arms.

2. Band Pull-Apart

Sets: 3  Reps: 10

Step 1. Hold a band with hands shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms in front of you. Draw your shoulder blades together and downward (think: “proud chest”).

Step 2. Extend your arms out to your sides, pulling the band apart.

Circuit #2

1. Overhead Press

Sets: 4  Reps: 10

Step 1. Hold a barbell with hands shoulder-width apart. You can take the bar off a rack, or, if you don’t have one, simply pick the bar up off the floor and clean it to shoulder level. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and tuck your tailbone slightly so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Draw your ribs down and brace your core.

Step 2. Press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward as the bar clears it so that the bar ends up just behind your head in the lockout position.

Note: am empty barbell may be enough load for you, especially if it’s an Olympic bar (45 pounds), but any type of barbell is OK. If you don’t have a barbell at home, perform the same movement with two dumbbells.

2. Bottoms-Up Press

Sets: 4  Reps: 10

Step 1. Hold a light kettlebell in each hand by its handle and clean them up to shoulder level so they’re balancing upside down. (You’ll have to squeeze the handles hard to keep them balanced.) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and tuck your tailbone slightly so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Draw your ribs down and brace your core.

Step 2. Press the weights overhead to lockout, and then lower them with control back to your shoulders.

3. YTL

Sets: 4  Reps: 10 (each letter)

Step 1. Hold small weight plates or very light dumbbells (3 pounds is good) and lie chest-down on a bench. Extend your arms toward the floor.

Step 2. Draw your shoulder blades down and together as you raise your arms up to form a Y shape, level with the floor. Repeat for reps.

Step 3. Raise your arms out 90 degrees to form a T shape. Repeat for reps.

Step 4. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and draw your shoulders down and back, rowing the weights to your sides. Rotate your forearms to face forward (your arms will form an L shape). Repeat for reps.

Circuit #3

1. Lateral Raise

Sets: 3  Reps: 10–12

Step 1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your hips back slightly while keeping a long spine from your head to your hips.

Step 2. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise your arms out 90 degrees to your sides.

2. 3-Way Shoulder Raise

Sets: 3  Reps: 8–10

Step 1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Raise the weights out 90 degrees to your sides (a normal lateral raise).

Step 2. From the top of the lateral raise, rotate your arms to face forward (as in a front raise).

Step 3. Raise your arms straight overhead (as in the top of an overhead press).

Step 4. Reverse the entire movement, lowering your arms back in front of you, then reaching out to your sides, and then lowering them to your sides. That’s one rep.

3. Dumbbell Rear-Delt Fly

Sets: 3  Reps: 10

Step 1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your hips back—while keeping a long spine from your head to your pelvis—until your torso is about parallel to the floor.

Step 2. Draw your shoulder blades back together and downward as you raise the dumbbells out 90 degrees.

The Best Full-Gym Shoulder Workout For Women

If you have access to a fully-stocked gym, you have the greatest number of options at your disposal for the best possible workout. This includes a landmine unit, which will allow you to turn the good, old-fashioned barbell into a more sophisticated piece of exercise equipment with a variety of great uses. (If your gym doesn’t have a landmine, fear not—a corner in the room will work too).

Using the barbell with a landmine will make the lateral raise—a classic dumbbell move—into a three-dimensional exercise that will hit your deltoids in a brand new way, while reducing strain on the shoulder joints. The landmine also makes for more joint-friendly pressing. To that end, I’ll also have you using a power rack—another piece of equipment you’ll likely only be able to access in a gym. Doing barbell overhead presses against the support beams of the rack mimics a Smith machine press, but you still have to control the bar path. This gives you the best of both worlds: the stable, isolated shoulder hit you’d get from machine training, plus the muscle activation and strength component of free weights.

Directions
The workout is made up of 3 circuits. To perform a circuit, do one set for each exercise in the group, resting briefly between each, and then rest a minute (or more if needed) after you’ve completed the last exercise in the group. Repeat for the prescribed number of sets, and then go on to the next circuit.

Circuit #1

1. Landmine Raise

Sets: 3  Reps: 8–10 (each side)

Step 1. Set up a barbell in a landmine unit, or wedge one end into the corner of a wall. Grasp the very end of the sleeve (where you load the weight plates) and stand with feet shoulder-width apart with the end of the bar in front of your hips.

Step 2. Raise your arm up 90 degrees as you would in a normal lateral raise. Note that you’ll probably only be able to use the empty bar or very light weight. Don’t try to go heavy.

2. Half-Kneeling One-Arm Landmine Press

Sets: 3  Reps: 10 (each side)

Step 1. Stand in front of the barbell in a landmine unit, and get into a lunge position with your right leg in front. Lower your body so you rest on one knee in front of the bar, and pick it up to shoulder level with your left hand. Tuck your tailbone slightly so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor and brace your abs. Draw your shoulder blades back together and downward (think: “proud chest”).

Step 2. Press the bar overhead in a semi-circular motion. Think “around the world.” Maintain a tight core and your upright body position and keep your balance.

Circuit #2

1. Scrape-The-Rack Press

Sets: 3  Reps: 10

Step 1. Set a barbell up in a power rack at about face level. Stand with legs staggered and feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp the bar with hands shoulder-width, wrists straight, and elbows pointing down. Draw your shoulder blades down and together and tuck your tailbone slightly so that your pelvis is parallel to the floor. Brace your abs.

Step 2. Press the bar out of the rack and overhead while scraping it against the support beams. You want there to be friction, so push the bar forward as well as overhead. Lower it down the same way.

2. 3-Way Shoulder Raise

Sets: 3  Reps: 10

Step 1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Raise the weights out 90 degrees to your sides (a normal lateral raise).

Step 2. From the top of the lateral raise, rotate your arms to face forward (as in a front raise).

Step 3. Raise your arms straight overhead (as in the top of an overhead press).

Step 4. Reverse the entire movement, lowering your arms back in front of you, then reaching out to your sides, and then lowering them to your sides. That’s one rep.

3. YTL

Sets: 3  Reps: 8 (each letter)

Step 1. Hold small weight plates or very light dumbbells (3 pounds is good) and lie chest-down on a bench. Extend your arms toward the floor.

Step 2. Draw your shoulder blades down and together as you raise your arms up to form a Y shape, level with the floor. Repeat for reps.

Step 3. Raise your arms out 90 degrees to form a T shape. Repeat for reps.

Step 4. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and draw your shoulders down and back, rowing the weights to your sides. Rotate your forearms to face forward (your arms will form an L shape). Repeat for reps.

Circuit #3

1. Dual-Cable Rear Delt Fly

Sets: 4  Reps: 12

Step 1. Cross your arms in front of you and grasp the ends of the cables on two facing cable stations. Step away from the machines to put tension on the cables.

Step 2. Draw your arms out 90 degrees to your sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the end of the range of motion.

2. Cable Rope Front Shoulder Raise

Sets: 4  Reps: 10–12

Step 1. Attach a rope handle to the low pulley of a cable station and straddle it with feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp an end of the rope in each hand.

Step 2. Raise the handle in front of you with arms extended. Go up to shoulder level, and then lower back under control.

The post The Best Shoulder Exercises and Workouts For Women appeared first on Onnit Academy.

You’ve probably become infatuated with Kettlebells, Sandbags, Steel Maces and Battle Ropes. I mean if you haven’t then how did you end up reading this? Leave this page right now and go get a Muscle and Fitness…

It’s easy to see why kettlebells and other tools we use at the Onnit Academy interest people. They are multi dimensional. They are challenging to learn. They train your nervous system like nothing else can.

Your brain becomes a supercomputer, and with a few years you become connected to your movement like never before.

But, with this new excitement and drive for training in new and possibly unfamiliar planes of motion territory, comes danger. It’s possible some of these moves, take you a little too far and you have tweaked a shoulder or had a little funky muscle tension in your hip.

It’s these two ball and socket joints that have a pretty high degree of complexity. To keep that joint stable we rely on several smaller stabilizing muscles to keep the joint working correctly.

These are the opposite of the prime movers or “mirror muscles” as I like to call them. Either you can’t see them, or you don’t know what their purpose is, so guess what happens? You ignore them. You don’t train them and they don’t do their important synergistic jobs.

On the other hand, you may OVERUSE them by repetitious daily movements such as typing, wrenching and even driving. This can be equally as bad, if not harder to fix, than the untrained side of this muscular equation.

Repetitious movements can become a mental habit as much as physical, therefore the overuse of certain muscles can become an ingrained habit to get he job done faster.

Even as I am typing this, I am focusing on keeping my shoulders and head from migrating towards the computer screen. In the tech driven world we live in today, we must do our best to avoid the computer driven upper crossed syndrome!

So, if you are looking to increase your functional strength and power using the tools we love, and keep it going until the day you do your last Turkish Get Up, make sure you take care of your hip and shoulder stabilizers.

Top Strength Exercises to Reduce Shoulder Pain

A. LUBRICATE

Increase synovial fluid movement and warmth in the joint itself

● Halos

Grab your Hyperwear Sand or SteelBell

● Battle Ropes Internal /External Twists

Don’t forget INHIBIT tightness, but that will be in another chapter of this series.)

B. ACTIVATE

The Slackers ! – Increase neural connection to the fellas who aren’t doing their job very well.

● Wall Slides

● No Money Drill

● Floor Press Internal/External Rotations With SteelBells or Kettlebell Floor Press

C. INTEGRATE

Stable Overhead Shoulder

● Barbell “Bouncy” Presses  

I’ve used this technique for overhead stability since 2009. It seems very popular in powerlifting circles now with the addition of bamboo bars etc.

Use higher reps or change tempo and/or Time Under Tension (TUT)

● Bottoms Up Press 

This is one of those exercise that just forces you to work slower and gather more Time Under Tension. A great grip and balance exercise as well.

● Landmine Overhead Lunges

A great tool for developing strength to handle changing load and placement for the shoulder. You can see videos of this here.

Stable Lateral Shoulder

● ArmBar Get Up / TGU / Windmill

Do a few sets of 3-5 each arm Also try a small blue Kamagon Ball

● Landmine Press to External Rotation

Do a few sets of 2-5 reps each arm

Stable Neutral Shoulder

● Ring Static Holds or L-Sits

If you don’t have rings you can use two plyo boxes or large heavy kettlebells that have a wide flat base, hold for TUT

Pushup Position Stability

● Plank Lateral Swing

WORLD PREMIERE!!! Just kidding, but I’ve done this a long time and have never witnessed it performed by anyone else. Great for frontal plane lateral stability. Shoot for time and distance of swing.

Start with just a few inches of motion progressing to larger swings once your are able to be stable on supporting arm.

Plank SteelBell Drags

A safer version of the top to bottom sagittal plane Plank Swing.  Just drag a heavy SteelBell or SandBell from hips to overhead like you were painting a fence.

When To Incorporate

Due to the possible intense nervous system activation of these exercises, it is best to perform them early in the workout, or on off days when your shoulders are fresh.

These are not exercises to take to failure or push to your limit. These exercises are used to “dial in” your muscular control and stability so you don’t get injured when you lift heavy during your main sets.

That being said, don’t injure yourself doing these. Take it light and progress.

Variables to Use

Here are just a few examples of how you can change up these exercises as you progress.

Time Under Tension (TUT)

Perform exercises slower or for longer duration than normal. Kettlebells, Mace, and Bulgarian Bags are usually performed at faster speeds. Make sure you can be stable in slower speeds as well.

Proprioceptive Challenge

Bands, Sloshpipes, Steelbells, etc . You’re used to Steel. Its Predictable. Changes in weight and center of mass provide the nervous system to stay on guard.

To all my MMA friends and Basketball players (basically any athlete really) when was the last time you fought a robot or a piece of concrete? Exactly. People move they can be rigid or flex under pressure.

They fight back, sometimes unpredictably. Im a fan of water proprioception. Keep it light to start and do your best to control the wave.

Workout Placement

While not recommended for beginners, some advanced trainees may test these exercises as supersets or tri sets while fatigued. Be smart about it though. It wouldn’t be a good idea to test out a plank swing for 60 seconds after you did a max effort of power cleans.

You could use something such as,  one minute of kettlebell snatches on each side followed by an L-Sit for a certain time.

Weight

I’m not even getting onto that subject here. Progressive loads with occasional deloading will allow your body to continually make strides towards your goal without over training.

But if you stay using ten lbs for the rest of your life on these exercises, you wont get much more stable strength. Find an increase you can handle safely until it becomes really easy. Then move on.

I’m hoping that some of these tactics I use to keep strong and stable will benefit you as well.

Top Strength Exercises to Reduce Shoulder Pain

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Half Kneeling One-Arm Kettlebell Press Exercise Summary

The Half Kneeling One-Arm Kettlebell Press Exercise is a fantastic movement for building shoulder and core strength as it takes the legs out of the movement and puts you in a slightly unbalanced position requiring more attention to each position you go through.

Half Kneeling One-Arm Kettlebell Press Exercise Steps

Step 1: Get yourself into a half- kneeling position with the kettlebell racked on the side where the knee is off the ground

Step 2: Squeeze the kettlebell and while keeping your shoulder down press the bell to a lockout position while keeping the distance between your ear and bicep.

Step 3: “Pull” the kettlebell down by activating your lats.

Tips and Safety: Mind the distance been your knees. They should not be lined up too closely to avoid being too unbalanced.  Avoid the “rib flare” by engaging your core (between your pelvis and sternum) avoiding over-extension. Keep your head straight to avoid strain on your neck.

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