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Ive Got 99 Problems but My Shoulder Aint One

elit eft s Sunday Edit ion Everyone wants big cannonball shoulders, but not all of us are blessed with the perf ect genetics to achieve this f eat. So, you pick up a muscle and f itness magazine and you see a shoulder routine that a pro uses. Four sets of barbell presses, f our sets of Arnold presses, Lateral raises, Front raises, etc. Its basically just tons of pressing and tons of volume, but the question is: Is this the safest way? Lets look at the shoulder complex f irst, and then we will discuss some exercises and precautions. T he shoulder is made up of f our joints: the scpaulothoracic, the sternoclavicular, the acromioclavicular, and the glenohumeral. Aside f rom the joints, we also have host muscles involved. Whether they directly move the humerus or whether they attach at the scapula or clavicle, they all have their place and purpose to aid in proper f unctioning of the shoulder. T he shoulder is complex and inherently mobilein f act, it is the most mobile joint in the body; however, it is not necessarily stable. Even something like the clavicle is of ten overlooked, but it does have its place in stabilizing the shoulder against medial displacement and preventing inf erior movement of the shoulder. Im sure most people are f amiliar with the muscles involved, so Ill discuss the joints a bit as they are less talked about but yet very of ten injured. T he AC joint, or acromioclavicular joint, is important in that it blocks excessive superior movement of the humeral head. T his joint helps you raise your arm overhead and increases range of motion. T he scapulothroacic joint, on the other hand, helps move the scapula to maximize the range of motion of the glenohumeral joint. Finally, the glenohumeral joint allows f or the largest range of motion of any joint. T his joint receives its stability f rom the surrounding musculature, subscapularis, pec major, teres minor, inf raspinatus, supraspinatus, long head of the biceps, and even the long head of the triceps. T hese muscles work in coordination to compress the humeral head into the glenoid f ossa. Lets take a lateral raise (to 90 degrees), f or example, and describe what happens:

When you begin to abduct (or laterally raise the arm), the force of the deltoid is exerted vertically. This pulls the humeral head superior (or up). The supraspinatus will aid in abduction, but it will also resist the superior movement of the humeral head by the deltoid. Three other players in the rotator cuffteres minor, subscapularis, and infrapsinatusapply a downward force as well.

So, as you can see, there is a lot going on during dynamic movements. Its very easy f or imbalances or improper tracking to lead to some shoulder dysf unction. Depending on what acromion type you have (Type 1, 2, 3), you may have to alter your shoulder movements to make sure your shoulders stay healthy.

T he smaller the gap through which the rotator cuf f must slide, the easier it will be f or you to get impinged. A Type 3 (or hooked) acromion makes it a very tight squeeze, so overhead pressing will usually lead to problems f or someone with this structure. Consequently, this causes the glenohumeral joint to be f airly susceptible to impingement. Most lif ters have probably experienced this bef orewhen you f eel a pinch in your shoulder or even down through to your elbow. T his is usually the result when the supraspinatus and subacromial bursa (or bicep tendon) gets jammed up or pinched against the acromion. When the arm is abducted and internally rotated, you are in a prime position f or impingement. T he greater tuberosity shif ts over and compresses against the acromion. Poor posture, poor technique, and improper movements can make one susceptible to this injury. Here are a f ew tips f or how to best avoid developing a shoulder issue:

1. Be smart, you moron

Do you know how many times I hear people say, Man, overhead pressing really kills my shoulder hold on, Im going to go do some heavy barbell shoulder presses, bench presses, and dumbbell presses. Here is something that Coach X taught me a long time ago, and I think its the best advice I have gotten while lif ting: If something irritates an existing problem or causes an injury, THEN DONT DO IT. T here are a ton of exercises out theref ind ones that dont bother you. You cant improve in the gym if you are always injured. For example, I cant overhead press anymore due to the surgery I had on my shoulder. However, here is a pressing exercise that I can do without causing me any irritation. So, naturally I use this instead. As a matter of f act, I would recommend this even if you dont have bad shoulders. Your shoulder is in a much f riendlier position, and you get a great pump. T he grip placement is neutral, limiting the internal rotation associated with regular presses. (Exercises with a pronated grip, like the bench or regular barbell shoulder press, promote more internal rotation which signif icantly shortens the acromion gap). Also, because the bar is going on an angle and not directly overhead, you allow the humeral head to clear the acromion smoothly and without issue. T he closer in your elbows are, the more you will recruit the triceps, so you can f lare them out a bit if you desire.

2. Be cognizant of your posture

As the late Mel Sif f said, Just because posture is poor does not mean it is pathological. I agree with him, f or the most part. However, poor upper body posture, in my opinion, does leave you more susceptible to injury. For example, the next time youre at the gym, look at the posture of the typical bro in his wif e beater and f resh tan who benches every single day. Its normal f or his shoulders to be rounded anteriorly (f orward) and the kyphosis of his thoracic spine to look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. T his means that he most likely suf f ers f rom tight pectoralis muscles and weak rhomboids (amongst other things). T heres also a good chance that his scapula is protracted, thus leading to some dysf unction of the scapulothoracic joint complex again, amongst other things. So what does this mean? Well, he may be lucky and never get hurt, but hes surely putting himself in a disadvantageous environment. Poor thoracic mobility is another way to set yourself up f or shoulder problems. Yet, it also must be noted that most of our day is spent outside of the gymsitting at the computer, sitting at work, sitting on your couch, sitting on the toilet, etc. I dont personally believe that we were meant to sit all day long, and I sure as hell dont believe that we were meant to sit with our heads f orward, shoulders slumped, and backs hunched. Add simple postural exercises like chin tucks, brueggers, or some direct work of postural muscles.

3. Prehab, rehab, and activation work

Its better to be proactive rather than reactive. I hate nothing more than starting my workouts with f oam rolling, prehab, and activation work, but unf ortunately I have to. It allows me to stay healthy and train as of ten as I like. Some examples of these types of exercises include f oam rolling, scapular f loor slides, thoracic mobility drills, shoulder mobility drills, etc. Take the extra time to warm up properly and you will thank yourself f or years to come. Heres an example of a two-in-one exercise that you can use: a plank with scapular retraction. I hate these boring exercises, so if I can f ind ways to work two things at a time, I will. T his next video is a band pull apart shoulder warm up.

4. Have an intelligent program design

Most readers of this site are probably intelligent enough to know that you should have a well thought-out and balanced routine. You cant just train your f avorite muscle groups all the time. If you have a weakness, dont always avoid it ; work on it! If your rotator cuf f is weak, then try to make it stronger. T hings like weak external rotators can be a huge limiting f actor f or your bench. Dont always train the individual rotator cuf f muscles in isolation, either. (Although there is a place f or this). One of the main actions of the rotator cuf f is to stabilize the humeral head. T he muscles work in conjunction, so you need to train them this way, too. Also, if all you do f or your traps are shrugs, then once again you are likely an idiot. If you only work scapular elevation, then you are neglecting scapula depression and abduction. T he trapezius runs f rom the base of the skull down to almost the mid thoracic or mid back areanot just those things that sit near your clavicle and shoulder. In general, most people neglect their mid to lower trapezius. However, an imbalance between the upper and lower f ibers of your trapezius could actually lead to sub-acromial impingement. T his imbalance can also lead to upper crossed syndrome, as it consequently sets of f a chain of events inhibiting and shortening muscles. A great unconventional way to hit the lower/mid traps is to do some pull-ups on gymnastic rings. Heres an exercise to change up your shoulder routine and work those external rotators a bit:

5. Utilize some sof t tissue work

Whether its Graston, massage, or ART, try to f ind a way to work it in every once in a while. Any serious lif ter is going to be in a prime position to develop myof ascial trigger points and simple aches and pains due to dense and f ibrous tissue. T his sof t tissue work can help with pain and circulation (recovery), and it can also improve range of motion and prevent injury. Shoulder issues are common, and as your years under the bar accumulate, they can get worse if you dont take simple precautions. Lif ting heavy is f un, but being able to lif t your arm more than 30 degrees when youre older is also something to consider. Take the extra time to warm up and correct any imbalances that you may have. You will thank yourself in the f uture.

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