thebarbellphysio.

com
zach@ thebarbellphysio.com
@thebarbellphysio

Shoulder
Performance
For The
Fitness Athlete
 S H O U L D E R P E R F O R M A N C E F O R T H E F I T N E S S AT H L E T E

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Zach Long is a Board Certified Sports Specialist in Physical Therapy as well as a seasoned
Strength and Conditioning Coach. Zach is well known in the fitness world for his work in rehabbing
and improving the performance of some of the best athletes in the world.

TheBarbellPhysio.com focuses on teaching coaches, athletes, and clinicians the tools they need to
better assess and improve human movement. When movement is mastered, athletes are able to
unlock their true potential, which opens the door for more rapid improvement in strength, speed,
and endurance at the same time protecting their bodies from injuries.

Zach received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy
from East Carolina University where his studies
focused on sports rehabilitation and advanced
treatment of spinal dysfunctions. Prior to physical
therapy school, he graduated with Highest Hon-
ors from the University of North Carolina at Chap-
el Hill with a degree in Exercise & Sports Science.
Before becoming a physical therapist, Zach
worked as a strength & conditioning coach at
both the high school and collegiate levels,
primarily focusing on the sports of
football and competitive lifting.
Dr. Long currently lectures at gyms,
clinics, and to professional sports
teams on movement analysis,
corrective exercises, and the use of
blood flow restriction training in the
rehab setting.

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 Getting
Started
The fitness industry has made great progress over the last decade in understanding the im-
portance of mobility and movement quality in improving athletic performance. As coaches
and athletes we are very fortunate to have many new books, websites, and other resources
to prescribe corrective exercises for both our athletes and ourselves.

Unfortunately, we are not doing an adequate job individualizing the corrective exercises we
give athletes.

We each have a handful of exercises we like and we make assumptions based on quick ob-
servations rather than taking time to systematically assess each athlete and find the EXACT
limitation.

The Pareto Principle, commonly known as the 80/20 principle, states that 20% of things we
do produce 80% of the results. If we can help the Fitness athlete choose the appropriate
20% of the mobility/prep work that will get them 80% of the results, it will result in better
results in shorter amounts of time.

We will save time wasted on foam rolling and mobility exercises that target the wrong
tissues. We’ll be much more accurate in our prescription of corrective exercises and as a
result, produce better outcomes and distinguish ourselves from the gym or clinic down the
street.

Shoulder Performance for the Fitness Athlete will include analysis and fixes for the:

• Overhead press
• Front Rack Positioning
• Dips/Muscle Ups
• Olympic-Lifting-Specific Positions
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 S H O U L D E R P E R F O R M A N C E F O R T H E F I T N E S S AT H L E T E

Before we begin assessing shoulder per-

formance we need to cover two important
notes.

First, you can have shoulder pain, limita-

tions, or poor positioning not caused by the
shoulder. For example, shoulder pain in the
overhead squat can be caused by a lack
of ankle dorsiflexion, placing the athlete
in a poor squat position, or forcing other-
wise healthy shoulders into unnecessarily
extreme ranges of motion. When working
with an athlete whose shoulders look okay,
remember that in CrossFit/Weightlifting/
Powerlifting, we take motions to the ex-
tremes. The picture to the right is an ath-
lete I worked with whose shoulder pain
was a result of poor lower body movement.

Secondly, we need to define movement.

Movement is more than just mobility. “Mo-
bility” is a huge component of movement,
but it is only half of movement. Athletes
commonly have adequate mobility, but
do not know how to control their motion
to make proper movement happen. These
athletes have movement control issues
and no amount of stretching, foam rolling,
or band joint distractions will fix their move-
ment problems. Instead, prescribing the
proper corrective exercises will help the
athlete relearn to use his or her full availa-
ble motion.

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 Chapter 1
Overhead Press
Assessment
 CH1 - OVERHEAD PRESS ASSESSMENT
OVERHEAD PRESS ASSESSMENT
Overhead Press position is more challenging
than the Snatch Grip overhead position for
most athletes because of the narrower grip
which decreases stretch on certain shoulder
muscles. If we have a good Overhead Press
position, our Snatch Grip is usually going to
be fine. This also typically transfers over to a
good mobility when hanging from a pull-bar.
Keys to A Proper Overhead Press:
1. Midline/Core Stability- Ribcage down.
Ribs flaring up indicate the athlete is losing
neutral spine positioning.
2. Thoracic Extension – Athletes often either
lack extension, or have adequate mobility
and do not know how to use it.
to raise overhead.
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3. Scapular Upward Rotation - Shoulder
blades have to be able to upwardly rotate.
The shoulder is a complex, not just the gleno-
humeral joint. The shoulder blade upwardly
rotates as the arm raises overhead.
4. Shoulder elevation – Range of motion at the
glenohumeral joint has to allow for the arm to
raise overhead.
Biggest Limiters to Achieving Good Position:
1. Thoracic Spine
2. Lats
3. Smaller stuff inside the shoulder (rotator
cuff, joint capsule, etc.)
We need to differentiate between lats, smaller
stuff, or motor control if we are going to make
rapid changes in an athlete’s movement!
 C H 1 . 2 - T- S P I N E A S S E S S M E N T

Step 2:
Assess Thoracic
Spine

The athlete begins this assessment sitting With one arm placed on the low back, the
back with glutes on the heels and elbows lumbar spine is essentially “locked out” and
touching the knees. the motion we see will be isolated to the
thoracic spine

The athlete is asked to raise the shoulder up
as high as possible
The athlete raises the shoulder up as high
as possible, while maintaining contact with
the other arm on the table. Looking at them
from the front, we want to see a 45-50 de-
gree angle, indicating full motion.
 C H 1 . 2 - T- S P I N E A S S E S S M E N T

Cheating in this assessment involves side-bending to make it look like the athlete has
more motion than they actually do.

To prevent cheating, block the hips and shoulder from side-bending. This forces the ath-
lete to rely on thoracic rotation alone.

Finish Position. This athlete demonstrates

full active thoracic motion, at least 45-50
Start Position degrees of rotation.

Commonly, CrossFitters and Weightlifters have poor active thoracic rotation. If an athlete is lacking active motion, we then test
this movement passively.

Grasp the shoulder while standing on the opposite side and then rotate the athlete up while preventing any side-bending at
the hips and shoulders.

The athlete will commonly have much more passive range of motion than active. This means that they have the thoracic mo-
bility. So for this athlete, we must address Motor Control issues rather than performing mobility drills.
 Want
More?
Dr. Zach is constantly sharing new articles on his site TheBarbellPhysio.com plus
training, mobility, and strength training tips on his various social media accounts.
Be sure to follow on

Disclaimer
This product (including all videos, text, and comments) have been provided generally as a resource for athletes, fitness profes-
sionals, and healthcare providers for educational and informational use only. Do not consider any part of this medical advice.
You should first consult with a healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program or perform any technique as de-
scribed on this blog. The Barbell Physio LLC and Zachary Long make no representations as to the accuracy of the information
or links on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information provided nor will the owner be
liable for any accidents, injuries or other damage,

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