Bulletproof Shoulders - Part 2 - Designing the Perfect Program

* I apologize for the sloppy format of this post in advance. I typed some of it up in word and had some formatting issues when copying it on here.

I took a little break from blogging for the past couple weeks to re-charge my creative batteries and think a little more on how I want to deliver my content moving forward. I can be extremely analytical at times. I believe this serves me well, but also works against me when writing because it takes a little longer than I would like when generating content. A classic case of "paralysis by analysis" if you will. My goal is perfection, but I realize that perfection isn't always possible. I just want to continue to deliver great content that all of you can use to get the most out of your training and daily lives. That being said, I plan on having some great, actionable content for you all in the coming weeks and months.

In my last post, I discussed some of the elements that contribute to shoulder problems as well as a couple strategies you should consider to keep your shoulders healthy.

Now I will dive into what I consider the most important element of shoulder pre-hab: program design.

Program Design

A well rounded training program is of the utmost importance when keeping your shoulders healthy. Most individuals fail miserably in this regard. Week after week, guys bench press their way into oblivion, paying little attention to proper recovery modalities and balanced training.

Treat the guidelines below as a check list of sorts. If you are having some shoulder issues or simply want to take care of your body, take a moment and assess what your training looks like. If you are missing any or all of the items below, fill in your gaps and get rid of anything that might be working against you.

1. What to Omit

One of the first things I learned in my FMS training is that one can do all the preventative maintenance and corrective exercise in the world, but if you are constantly doing exercises that are "feeding your dysfunction" none of it is going to work. If you are currently having some shoulder problems or have the mobility of a baseball bat, consider removing the following exercises from your programming.

• Barbell bench presses


• All overhead pressing


• Dips

That's right, I said bench pressing. This might be a hard pill to swallow for some, but if you want to get serious about your long term health its time to consider it. Trust me I am a huge fan of the bench press, so I'm not saying you have to remove these forever. Just for a little while until you improve your mobility and get out of pain. If your mobility is sound and you have no pain, you are free to do any of these.

2. Perform Soft Tissue Work

We need to reduce tone and tension in overactive tissues, so the next item on our list is soft tissue work with the foam roller and lacrosse ball. The two most problematic areas of restriction are the latissimus dorsi (lats), posterior shoulder capsule, and the pec minor. These three muscle groups tend to pull the scapula and humerus into a bad position.

 

Spend 1-2 minutes on each area before and after each training session.

3. Address T-Spine Mobility

 

Remember our overhead reaching example from last time? That is a perfect example of why T-spine mobility is important. When we can achieve adequate levels of extension and rotation with our thoracic spine, the shoulder blades and glenohumeral joint can move much more freely.

This can be addressed through correctives as well as in exercise selection. The main purpose of these exercises is to drive more extension and rotation through the thoracic spine. There are several you can perform, but these are my favorites.

Correctives

• Side-lying windmill

• Bench t-spine mobilization

Exercises

• One arm  DB bench press


• One Arm Push Up

4. Stretch

There are so many different camps on stretching these days. Some believe stretching is dumb and others swear by it.

Let me lay it out plain and simple: You should never stretch just for stretching's sake.

Stretching should be approached on a case-by-case basis. For example, I've worked with several females over the years that have extreme laxity (loose joints) through the hips and shoulders. They have more than enough hip and shoulder mobility already yet they continue to stretch and take yoga classes because they believe it is good for them. These are the last people that should be performing static stretches. In this case, stretching is doing more harm than good. These individuals would be much better served working on establishing more stability through their body with extra core work among other things.

Since you are reading this post, I am assuming your shoulder mobility is about as good as the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense right now.

One of my favorite ways to stretch the upper body is with band traction. I regularly use these myself and on my clients and they work great. Check out the video below by Mike Robertson for a sweet example.

 

5. Pull More Than You Push

Pretty simple here. Most individuals are extremely out of balance. They spend all of their time performing way too many pressing exercises and not enough pulling/upper back work. This is usually done in the effort to achieve a bigger chest and bigger bench press.  

Sometimes in order to achieve balance, we need to train in an unbalanced fashion. This is one of those times. Your back can NEVER be strong enough. A big strong back will keep you more healthy, and help you lift bigger weights. Plain and simple.

Shoot for a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of pulling to pushing using plenty of pull up and rowing variations.

6. Train the Cuff, Low Traps, and Serratus Anterior

Many times we also neglect the smaller stabilizers of the upper back. Pull ups are rows are fantastic exercises, but they don't do the best job of hitting the smaller muscles around the shoulders. The rotator cuff, low traps, and serratus anterior play very important roles in scapular and glenohumeral stabilization, thus they deserve attention as well. These are a few of my favorites.

Pick one or two of these and perform them before and after every training session.

• Face Pulls


• YTW's


• Band Pull Aparts


• External Rotations


• Scapular Wall Slides


• Bottoms Up Kettlebell Carry

7. Balance Your Pressing

The difference between open chain and closed chain pressing deserves some attention here as well.

Open chain exercises are when the proximal (think close to you) segment is fixed and the distal (your hands) segment is moving. A perfect example is the bench press. During the bench press the shoulder blades are fixed in place while the hands are moving. An excess of this under heavy loads can be very stressful on the glenohumeral joint. This is one of the reasons why excessive bench pressing can lead to shoulder problems.

Closed chain exercises are when the proximal (think shoulder blades) segment is moving and the distal (your hands) segment is fixed in place. The push up is the best example of a closed chain exercise here. Allowing the scapulae to move around the rib cage is a good thing.

Many are quick to dismiss the push up because it is "too easy". I beg to differ. There are a plethora (Yes I said plethora. I have a very extensive vocabulary.) of ways to load push ups to make them more challenging. You elevate the feet, add bands, plates, chains or any combination of these. Push ups are a staple in any shoulder-friendly program I write.

Make sure to balance your pressing with some push up variations.

Putting It All Together

I've covered quite a bit over the last two posts. In summary, make sure you are making the appropriate lifestyle and training modifications using all of these points:

1. Implement proper lifestyle modification techniques such as sitting up straight, moving around more often, and breathing properly.


2. Make sure to use correct exercise technique.


3. Omit harmful movements if necessary.


4. Perform soft tissue work daily.


5. Address t-spine mobility through daily correctives and proper programming.


6. Stretch.


7. Pull more than you push.


8. Train the stabilizers of the upper back.


9. Balance your pressing through the use of open and closed chain movements.

If you are having some shoulder problems or simply want to keep your shoulders healthy over the long haul, take a few minutes to assess your training and lifestyle habits using the points outlined above. If you are missing any of these elements, fill in the gaps and you should be happy with the result!

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