Every Regression Counts… SHOULDERS!

How to help people reduce or eliminate shoulder pain

The #1 way to hurt your shoulder?

Throwing.

The #1 way I’ve helped people reduce or eliminate shoulder pain?

Getting measurably stronger, over time, in reverse of throwing.

There are many slightly different ways you could do this, but the following dumbbell exercises are the simplest, most accessible and effective ones I’ve used.

HOWEVER: What if range of motion hurts, even at light loads?

Well, what do we do with the knee?

If range of motion hurts, we have a strategically safe solution by resisting FROM THE GROUND.

When you use a sled or resisted treadmill, the ground friction is the resistance.

If you crank the treadmill resistance to where you can’t spin it, or if you put 1,000 pounds on a sled - even for my 72-year-old mother - the resistance doesn’t budge, but YOU are safe.

Fortunately, you can apply the same concept to the shoulder!

Rebuilding Shoulders From The Ground Up

Let’s say I put way too heavy a weight on the ground and try to do the same two motions which (generally) add up to the opposite of throwing, and I can’t lift it…

I’m totally fine - but that same load through range of motion would crash down or maybe hurt me.

You can start with just your arm, then a soup can, then a light dumbbell, and so on.

For the full range of motion, 1-3 sets of 6-8 reps with 4 seconds down on each rep, 1-3 times per week, has been my go-to formula for over a decade.

Since the ground-up method isn’t going through that range of motion, I would use the same formula but try to hold the top position for up to 4 seconds on each rep.

[If you’d like to see these concepts in action, click here for a 2-minute visual that shows this ground-up concept applied to the shoulders, lower back, and knees.]

You can now make tremendous strength gains in reverse of throwing, strategically safely, either as a standalone method or as a warm-up to the broader range of motion versions.

Exercise works as a Demand vs. Ability formula.

Why even exercise?

Why move a body at all?

Why strength train?

Well, life has certain demands.

Exercise and strength training can cause your body to adapt to greater ability to handle those demands.

There are no guarantees for your shoulders, but you can improve your ability to handle demand, and that isn’t limited to weeks or even months of results! Yes, clients often see fast reduction of shoulder pain, but you can build over years to an entirely different beast in terms of shoulder protection.

Keep me posted.

Yours in Solutions,

Ben

For further ATG Basics program help ($19 to $99/mo) and the custom equipment I make for my coaching: ATGonlinecoaching.com

To see if I’ve certified an ATG coach near you: map.ATGforcoaches.com