SHOULDER HEALTH:

10 UNIQUE EXERCISES
If you want to train hard AND consistently, having healthy shoulders is extremely
important. So I’ve put together these 10 awesome and effective exercises that
can help improve your shoulder health.

I talk a lot about shoulder and scapular stability, and shoulder and scapular
controlled mobility. When I refer to shoulder and scapular stability, these parts
should remain in a fixed position. Conversely, when I refer to controlled mobility,
these parts are moving, and you must be able to control this movement.
EXERCISE LIST

Below is the list of exercises you will find in this download. Each exercise includes
a video and instructions and tips. Click any exercise title to read the description,
and to access the video.

 Tall Kneeling Bottoms-Up Overhead Kettlebell Presses + Wall Press

 Hollow Body Dead Bugs With Band Resisted Retraction
 Single Arm TRX Serratus Slides
 Single Arm Pallof Presses + Weight Plate
 Prone Dowel Lifts
 Prone I- T Shoulder Mobility Exercise
 Band Resisted Wall Slides
 Kettlebell Screwdrivers
 Band Resisted Wall Slides From Bear Crawl Position
 Band Resisted Wall Walks

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TALL KNEELING BOTTOMS-UP OVERHEAD KETTLEBELL PRESSES +
WALL PRESS

I got this awesome idea from Tony Gentilcore. This exercise involves performing a
single arm bottoms-up overhead kettlebell press while simultaneously pressing
into a wall with the opposite hand, and actively protracting the shoulder blade
(moving it away from the spine).

This exercise is a great way to help you learn how to establish and own the ever
important canister position I talk about all the time. When many people perform
overhead pressing movements they compensate by hyperextending their lower
back and flaring their ribcage, and essentially resemble an open pair of scissors.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/aDpa9KE2rYw

Coaching Tips:

• Get into a tall kneeling stance.

Your head, torso and hips should
be in a stacked position.
• Grab onto a kettlebell so it is in a
bottoms-up position.
• Make a fist and put your hand on
a wall, and so it is around the
height of your armpit. Push your
body away from the wall and
protract your shoulder blade
(move it away from your spine). Maintain this pressure against the wall and scapular
position for the duration of the exercise.
• Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace
your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close
the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
• Now press the kettlebell overhead. Do not move the weight overhead by
hyperextending your lower back and flaring your ribcage, excessively shrugging your
shoulder, or leaning to the side.
• For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or flex
laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.

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HOLLOW BODY DEAD BUGS WITH BAND RESISTED RETRACTION

This exercise involves performing hollow body dead bugs. However, I added an
additional layer to this exercise. For the duration of the exercise, you will hold a
resistance band, and will retract your shoulder blades. But there is more… In the
middle of the band, you will suspend a weight plate. The unstable nature of the
weight plate will require even more shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/NRxrhnWyw0w

Coaching Tips:

• Lie on the floor. Slide a weight plate

through a long band, and hold onto
the band in either hand.
• Extend your arms so they are in a
vertical position, and so your hands
are above your armpits. Now lightly
draw your shoulder blades in
towards your spine (retract) and
lightly press your hands out against
the band. There should be tension in
the band for 100% of the exercise.
• Lift up your legs so they are in a
vertical position, fully extend your
knees, and dorsiflex your feet (point
them towards you).
• Keep your chin tucked, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your
midsection).
• Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine). Now
steadily exhale through your mouth, contract your anterior core muscles as hard as you
can, slowly lower your arms and legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are
able to maintain proper form. Return to the starting position. Reset and repeat.
• Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
• For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked
position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or
hips to rotate, or pelvis to move. Your torso and hips should remain square to the
ceiling.

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 • Keep your legs relaxed so they do not dominate.
• You can make this exercise easier by keeping your knees bent at a 90 degree angle, or
by decreasing the range of the leg lowering. No matter what knee angle you choose to
adopt, make sure that your knees remain in a fixed position and that the movement
occurs from your hips.

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SINGLE ARM TRX SERRATUS SLIDES

To be VERY clear, you should be extremely proficient at performing this exercise

using both arms before you attempt the unilateral variation.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/emuuUSOj484

Coaching Tips:

• Set your body so

it’s in a straight line
from your head to
knees (or feet).
• Place the strap(s) of
the TRX around
your forearm, bend
your elbow, and
position your
forearm so it is on
an angle and is
pointing up towards the ceiling.
• Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace
your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close
the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
• First, lightly press your arm and body away from the strap(s). When you do this you
should feel your shoulder blade move away from your spine (protract).
• Now use your serratus muscles to control the movement and extend your arm overhead
to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
• As you are returning to the starting position, your shoulder blade should perform the
reverse movements. Imagine you are “rowing” your arm down.
• Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move.
• For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage
to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or weight to shift from
knee to knee (or from foot to foot).
• In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

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SINGLE ARM PALLOF PRESSES + WEIGHT PLATE

While this Pallof Press variation is also fantastic for developing lumbo-pelvic
stability, performing the exercise unilaterally requires significantly more shoulder
and scapular controlled mobility.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/qx40zgRFr-Q

Coaching Tips:

• Fasten a resistance band around

a secure surface, and so it is
roughly chest height. There
should be tension in the band for
100% of the movement. I also
hung a weight plate from the
band. The unstable nature of
both the band and weight plate
makes controlling the movement
of the shoulder and shoulder
blade even more challenging.
• Grab onto the band with one hand.
• Get into a tall kneeling stance. Place your knees so they are approximately hip to
shoulder width apart, and have a very slight forward lean in your torso. Your head, torso
and hips should be in a stacked position.
• Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace
your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close
the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
• Now extend your elbow. Once you get to your end range, lift your arm so your hand is at
least eye height.
• Now perform the reverse movements and return to the starting position.
• Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move.
• As you bring your arm back in towards your body, stop when your elbow comes into
contact with your side. For the duration of the exercise, keep your hand and arm in line
with your armpit.
• For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked
position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or round, ribcage to flare, torso,

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 spine or hips to rotate, or body to lean to the side. Your hips should remain in a level
position (I love to use the water glass analogy).
• In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

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PRONE DOWEL LIFTS

Please keep in mind that I have VERY good shoulder controlled mobility. So do not
fret if you can’t achieve this range.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/hEktKPmsMkI

Coaching Tips:

• Lie down on a mat. Your head, torso and

hips should be in a stacked position.
• Grab onto a dowel. Adopt your preferred
hand width.
• Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360
degrees of air around your spine), brace
your core (360 degree brace around your
spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips
(close the space in your midsection), and
squeeze your glutes.
• While keeping your wrists and elbows in a
fixed position, lift the dowel off the ground
and to a range where you are able to
maintain proper form. Lower the dowel back to the starting position with control.
• Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
• For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked
position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine
or hips to rotate.
• In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

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PRONE I-T SHOULDER MOBILITY EXERCISE

This exercise can help improve shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. Start
out by performing the exercise without ANY weight. If this goes well you can use
higher yoga blocks, and/or can add a very light weight. I’m using 2.5 lbs per hand,
and this was more than enough. The main objective of this exercise is to develop
shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, NOT to lift heavy weights.

Watch Video: https://youtu.be/MiI5qxy5L9k

Watch Progression Video: https://youtu.be/zZKdYlcNWeU

Coaching Tips:

• Lie down in a prone

position, and on the floor.
Keep your chin tucked, and
neck in a neutral position.
Your head, torso and hips
should be in a stacked
position. Extend your legs.
• Place two yoga blocks so
they are parallel, and are
approximately just outside
of shoulder width apart.
• Fully extend your arms, and
elevate them so they are an
inch or so above the
ground. In this position
your arms and body should
resemble an ‘’I.’’
• While keeping your wrists and elbows in a fixed position, use the muscles in your
shoulders and around your shoulder blade area to lift your arms over the blocks, and so
your arms and body form a ‘’T.’’
• When you perform this movement, your shoulder blades should retract, depress, and
downwardly rotate.
• Pause for a count in the ‘’T position,’’ and return your arms to the starting position.

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 • When you are returning to the “I” position, your shoulder blades should protract,
elevate, and upwardly rotate.
• For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your arms or hands to come into contact
with the yoga blocks. You may lightly touch your hands to the floor in the ‘’I’’ and ‘’T’’
positions.
• Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
• For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked
position. Do not compensate and perform the movements by hyperextending your
lower back, flaring your ribcage, lifting your chest or head off the ground, or excessively
shrugging the shoulders.
• Use a range of motion (block height) that allows YOU to maintain proper form.
• For the duration of the exercise, be mindful of your breathing, bracing, rib positioning,
and glute engagement.

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BAND RESISTED WALL SLIDES

This deceptively challenging exercise is great for strengthening the often

overlooked serratus anterior muscle. The serratus anterior muscle serves to
protract and stabilize the scapulae, and also assists in the upward rotation of the
scapulae. If you struggle with overhead mobility your serratus anterior muscle
could be culpable.

Video: https://youtu.be/B83MmWatSjY

Coaching Tips:

• Adopt a split stance and set one foot

so it is against a wall. Your head,
torso, and hips should be in a stacked
position. I like to use a canister
analogy. Keep your chin tucked, and
neck in a neutral position.
• Put a resistance band around your
wrists, and place your forearms on a
roller. Start so the roller is roughly
chest height.
• While keeping your forearms in an ”11
o’clock” position, lightly press your
wrists out against the band. When you
do this you should feel the muscles
around your shoulder blades kick in.
Maintain this forearm position for the duration of the exercise, and do not allow the
band to lose tension.
• Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace
your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close
the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes. ⁣
• At the beginning of each rep, press your body away from the roller. When you do you
should feel your shoulder blades protract (move away from your spine). Now slide the
roller up the wall, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
• Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move. ⁣

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 • Do not move the roller up the wall by hyperextending your lower back and flaring your
ribcage, or excessively shrugging your shoulders (a slight amount of shrugging is ok).
• For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or flex
laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, and do not allow your wrists to
collapse in and elbows to flare out. Many people compensate for poor overhead
mobility and a lack of scapular controlled mobility by doing some or all of the above.
• In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

MEGHAN CALLAWAY FITNESS 13

KETTLEBELL SCREWDRIVERS

I got this exercise from Shawn Adair. This exercise helps improve shoulder and
scapular controlled mobility, grip strength, and to some extent, lumbo-pelvic
stability.

Video: https://youtu.be/Ejx3TfD8NSA

Coaching Tips:

• Lie on your back on the floor. Your

head, torso and hips should be in a
stacked position.
• Grab a kettlebell in a bottoms-up
position. The knee that is on this side
of your body should be bent, and the
knee that is on the opposite side of
your body as the hand that is holding
the kettlebell should be fully extended.
• Before each rep, take a deep breath
in (360 degrees of air around your
spine), brace your core (360 degree
brace around your spine), tuck your
ribs towards your hips (close the space
in your midsection), and squeeze your
glutes.
• Now press the kettlebell towards the
ceiling.
• Repeat the same breathing, bracing,
rib tuck, and glute squeeze. Now
slowly rotate your torso and hips, and bring the knee that is bent across your body, and
place it, your lower leg, and foot, on the ground.
• Now pretend you are punching the kettlebell up to the ceiling a slight amount.
• In the starting position, your wrist and palm should be in a neutral position. While
looking at the kettlebell the entire time, rotate your wrist, forearm and elbow so your
palm is facing away from you. Now perform the reverse movements and rotate the

MEGHAN CALLAWAY FITNESS 14

 kettlebell so your palm is facing you. With both the pronated and supinated position,
the top of the horn should be facing you. This line is a good benchmark to keep track of.
• For the duration of the movements, use your adductors and really press your inner thigh
into the ground.
• Perform this sequence 3-5 times, and then perform the reverse movements and return
your body and kettlebell to the starting position.
• Perform the exercise using the opposite side.
• Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move.
• For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, or
ribcage to flare. Maintain the canister position.
• For the duration of the exercise, make sure the kettlebell remains directly above your
shoulder, and that your wrist remains in a neutral position.
• In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

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BAND RESISTED KNEE SLIDES A FROM BEAR CRAWL POSITION

This unique exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular
controlled mobility. To be clear, aside from your upper body, the rest of your
body should remain in a relatively fixed position. This exercise is NOT a knee tuck
movement.

Video: https://youtu.be/RnvwqzbXhx0

Coaching Tips:

• Fasten a resistance band around a

secure surface, and loop the band
around your ankles. Place each foot
on a slider pad. You may also use
towels (although the movement
might not be quite as smooth.
• For the duration of the exercise, do
not allow the band to lose tension.
• Get into a bear crawl position on your
hands and toes. In the starting
position your shoulders should be
ahead of your hands, knees bent, and
thighs in a vertical position.
• Aim to keep your feet hip to shoulder
width apart. Set your body so it is in a
straight line from your head to hips.
• Spread your fingers, and pretend you
are suctioning them to the floor.
• Before each rep, take a deep breath in
(360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your
spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and
squeeze your glutes.
• Press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blades. Now using the
muscles in your shoulders and around your shoulder blades, pull your body forward. In
the end position, your shoulders should be directly above your hands.
• Now perform the reverse movements and return your body to the starting position.

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 • Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
• To be clear, aside from your upper body, the rest of your body should remain in a
relatively fixed position. This exercise is NOT a knee tuck movement.
• For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked
position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or excessively round, ribcage to
flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, weight to shift from foot to foot, or hips to pike or
collapse.
• In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

MEGHAN CALLAWAY FITNESS 17

BAND RESISTED WALL WALKS

This deceptively challenging exercise is great for strengthening the often

overlooked serratus anterior muscle. The serratus anterior muscle serves to
protract and stabilize the scapulae, and also assists in the upward rotation of the
scapulae. If you struggle with overhead mobility your serratus anterior muscle
could be culpable.

Video: https://youtu.be/rUgBugju1N4

Coaching Tips:

• Adopt a split stance and set one

foot so it is against a wall. Your
head, torso, and hips should be
in a stacked position. I like to
use a canister analogy. Keep
your chin tucked, and neck in a
neutral position.
• Put a resistance band around
your wrists, and place your
wrists and hands on a wall.
Start so your elbows are
roughly chest height.
• While keeping your forearms in
an ”11 o’clock” position, lightly
press your wrists out against
the band. When you do this
you should feel the muscles around your shoulder blades kick in. Maintain this forearm
position for the duration of the exercise, and do not allow the band to lose tension.
• Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace
your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close
the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
• At the beginning of each rep, press your body away from the wall. When you do you
should feel your shoulder blades protract (move away from your spine. Now walk your
hands up the wall, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
• Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.

MEGHAN CALLAWAY FITNESS 18

 • Do not move your hands up the wall by hyperextending your lower back and flaring your
ribcage, or excessively shrugging your shoulders (a slight bit of shrugging is ok).
• For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or flex
laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, and do not allow your wrists to
collapse in and elbows to flare out. Many people compensate for poor overhead
mobility and a lack of scapular controlled mobility by doing some or all of the above.
• In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

MEGHAN CALLAWAY FITNESS 19

THANK YOU!

I’m so glad you’ve decided to work on your shoulder health. Make sure to share
your progress on social media. I love giving tips, and watching people improve
their form and strength.

If you would like to work with me one on one, please check out my online
coaching and consultation rates here:

http://www.meghancallawayfitness.com/online-coaching/

If you enjoyed Shoulder Health: 10 Unique Exercises, check out my other products
here:

http://www.meghancallawayfitness.com/products/

Thanks for your support,

Meghan Callaway

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