Shoulder strength training for all athletes

Shoulder training

The shoulder plays an important role in overhead activities. Athletes in overhead sports like basketball, tennis and volleyball are more prone to shoulder injuries. Shoulder injuries in athletics are far too common and are some of the most impacting injuries on performance.

Due to the increased risk of overuse injuries, it is important to incorporate exercises that stabilize the shoulder and correct muscle imbalance that can lead to decreased performance and injury.

Incorporate shoulder stability exercises into your workout or warm-up to prevent shoulder injuries and enhance performance. Having strong shoulders is important to any “overhead” athlete such as volleyball players, softball players and swimmers. Overhead athletes must have strong, well-conditioned shoulders to be effective and remain injury free.

Seated or Standing Military Press

Barbell pressing is the most effective way to build your shoulders because although it focuses on the anterior head, it also involves the other two, and it allows you to push heavy weight without risking injury. The Seated Military Press requires quite a bit of balance and lower back stability to perform, and as you squat and dead lift heavy every week, you don’t feel you need any more lower back training.

Shoulder Tap to T Push-Up

Assume Push-Up position with body in straight line
Reach with right hand and touch left shoulder; do not tilt body
Place hand back on ground to assume start position
Repeat on opposite side
Shift weight onto right hand
Rotate upper body until shoulders are perpendicular to floor
Extend left arm up to create straight line with arms
Return to Push-Up position; repeat on opposite side
Repeat sequence for specified reps

Static Rotator Cuff Contraction

Begin this exercise standing with your back and neck straight and your shoulders back slightly. Keeping your elbow at your side and bent to 90 degrees, push your hand out against the other hands resistance as hard as possible provided it is pain free (figure 4). Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times on each arm.

Face Pull With External Rotation

This is a great movement for shoulder function and improving your posture. It hits several of our troublesome spots around the shoulder, including our external rotators, posterior delts, and low traps. There are several ways to perform the face pull, which can be done either with elastic bands or cables.

Lean-away lat pull down

Sit at a cable tower or lat pull down machine using an underhand grip about one and a half times wider than your shoulders, and lean back about 30 degrees. Pull the bar down to your lower sternum, making sure you pull your shoulders down and back as you follow through with your arms. Return to the starting position in a smooth, controlled motion.The angle of your body reduces demand on the rotator cuff, promoting a more stable shoulder joint. Also, a 30-degree lean-away can increase activation of your lats.

Side-lying external rotation

With a dumbbell in your right hand lie on your left side with a rolled towel under your right elbow. Bend your left arm and rest your head on your left hand. Flex your right elbow to 90 degrees and rest the weight in front of your stomach. Don’t bend your wrist. Keep your upper arm at your side as you rotate your right forearm to raise the weight until it’s above your body. Slowly return to the starting position.Because you’re on your side, you activate the rotator-cuff muscles on the back of your shoulder; these help maintain shoulder position during activities. The exercise also reduces the risk of tendinitis in your rotator cuff. And it limits shoulder impingement, a painful condition that occurs when the front of your shoulder blade exerts pressure on the muscles or tendons of your rotator cuff as you lift your arm.

Performing rotation exercises

Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and lie on the floor on your left side. Bend your right elbow to a 90-degree angle and tuck it firmly against your side so that your palm is facing downward. Pull your abdominals in. Bend your left elbow and rest the side of your head in your left hand. Keeping your right elbow glued to your side, raise your right hand as far as you comfortably can. Slowly lower the weight back toward the floor. This exercise is external rotation.

After you complete all the repetitions, switch the weight to your left hand and lie on your back. You can also do this exercise lying on one side on the bench, with your forearm hanging off the bench. Bend your elbow so your forearm is perpendicular to the floor and your palm is facing in. Lower your hand down and out to the side as far as you can, and then lift the weight back up.

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