Reduce and Prevent Shoulder Pain - Dan Stephenson

Poor posture combined with heavy lifting and poor exercise programming (or lack of any programming) can wreak havoc on the shoulders. If you find yourself with achy shoulders or care enough to keep them healthy, then keep reading. Here are three tips that you can do to help reduce and prevent shoulder pain from occurring.

It’s advisable to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program and even more important if you currently suffer from shoulder pain.

1. Improve Your Posture- Most of us sit for hours each day with hunched shoulders and rounded backs. This not only has a negative long term impact on the spine, but it also affects the shoulders and surrounding muscles. Continuously putting your body in a poor position, such as hunched over a computer screen for hours on end can lead to tightness and shortening of the pectoral muscles. This can lead to muscular imbalances and increase the risk of injury.

Do this: Make a conscious effort to improve your posture throughout the day. Sit up tall, pull your shoulders back, and sit in the back of your chair. To develop this habit, set a simple calendar reminder for every two hours during your work day.


2. Improve Thoracic Mobility - The thoracic spine is the middle section of the spine that is attached to the ribs. Having poor movement in this area will often affect the available range of motion for the shoulder. Try this: slump your shoulders forward like you just heard some very depressing news and then try to lift your arms overhead. Didn't work too well? Now try standing up tall with a proud chest and lift your arms overhead. See the difference?

Do this: Improve muscle tissue quality through foam rolling and soft tissue work (maybe even a massage). Focus these efforts on the mid-back. Be sure to also target the chest and lat muscles of the back. Then work on improving the range of motion in the thoracic spine through stretching and mobility drills. These can serve as part of warm-up before a workout or can be done by themselves throughout the day.


3. Strengthen Shoulder Muscles - In order to counteract poor posture habits and tightness in the front of the shoulder, most people can benefit from strengthening the muscles on the posterior, or backside, of the body rather than the anterior, or front, of the body.

Do this: Organize your workouts so that for every anterior-focused exercise you perform (e.g. any type of press), you also perform two posterior-focused exercises (e.g. any pulling or rowing motion). Also, spend time developing the smaller, deep muscles of the rotator cuff. Simple exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff require only a band or light weight.

See a knowledgeable fitness professional to learn more and design a workout program to fit your needs. If you experience chronic shoulder pain or have an injury, visit a physical therapist for a thorough evaluation.

Training with Strength Bands: Beyond Speed Work - Dan Stephenson

A good pair of strength bands can be a very useful and portable tool for anyone in the gym.  If your gym doesn't have these readily available, I would suggest purchasing a set and carrying them with you to the weight room.  The most common uses for strength bands in the fitness world are for speed work by applying them to a barbell (variable or accommodated resistance methods) and mobility drills (joint traction and distraction).  There are plenty of other ways to utilize a set of strength bands.  Below are just a few of the ways in which I commonly use bands in my own training or with clients that I work with.

Band Over-and-back Chest Stretch

Using a band instead of PVC pipe for this warm-up allows some “give” for those that need it.  You can also pull against the band better than you can against a PVC pipe.  I will utilize this as a warm-up or occasionally in between sets of heavy pressing.

Band Single Arm Chest Press

This drill is great for teaching tightness in a bench press.  The band, when tucked under the arm, provides a good feel of how your shoulder position should be during a bench press.  Use this as an instructional drill and as a warm-up for pressing.

Band Chest Press and Band Pushup

This drill works well as another bench press warm-up and for some a good strength exercise.  For a more advanced version, try bringing down into a pushup.

Band Overhead Triceps Extension

This works well for those with cranky elbows and tight chest and shoulders.  Also another good heavy pressing warm-up.

Band Triceps Pressdown

A great way to burn out your triceps with burning out your elbows.  Those with elbow pain will appreciate band work as it can be easier on the joints.

Band Pull Apart

This is one of my favorite drills.  I’ll use it to warm-up before heavy presses and in between heavy presses.  It is a great exercise to work the rear shoulders and mid to upper back.

Band 45-degree Hip Extension

This is great variation to the 45-degree hip extension or low back extension.  With the constant and increased tension at the top of the movement with the bands, you can focus on feeling the hips drive the movement.  I try to mimic a deadlift lockout at the top of this exercise, locking out the hips and avoiding too much extension or “hyperextension” of the hips and low back.

Band Deadlift

This has to be one of my current favorites for teaching someone how to deadlift.  The bands are unloaded in the bottom making it safe to perform for virtually anybody.  The increase in band resistance at the top can help an athlete “feel-out” the muscles that drive the movement.  This way, when the athlete transitions to barbell deadlifts, they can have a focus of what muscles to fire to drive the movement from.

I also like the bands for warming up my deadlift and to work on a light speed set in between heavy sets.

Band Ab Pull-ins

One of my favorite ab training exercises.  I like that this variation is done standing; just as in the squat and deadlift.  Note here that the goal is flex the abs and not the hip flexors.  This will create a rounding in the back, the hips should stay fairly still.  I will work this with my breathing; exhale and tighten up as much as I can at the bottom of the movement.

Band Assisted Pullups

This method is quite common and it is likely that you have seen this before.  I prefer this method for people over using the assisted pull-up machines with the counter balance weight.  The bands provide the feet to move more freely than the machines and the assistance decreases towards the top of the movement requiring more strength to finish the movement.