Workout

Importance of Stability & Motion

June 13, 2022

Did you know that the
shoulder is one of the most frequently injured joints yet it is our most
mobile? Do you think there’s a correlation?

How
Do You Train Your Shoulder?

Flexion. Extension.
Abduction. Adduction. Horizontal flexion. Horizontal
extension. Medial rotation. Lateral rotation. Circumduction.
The shoulder is meant to partake in all of these actions. When you are
training your shoulders, do your chosen exercises allow the shoulder to move in
these patterns?

Or does your “Shoulder Day”
consist of something like this:

Overhead Barbell Shoulder
Press
DB Lateral and Front Raises
Rear Delt Flys on the pec
dec machine

Do your shoulder justice
and exercise like it was meant to move.

ASSESSING
THE SHOULDER:

Without getting too
technical, let’s stick with looking at the scapula and thoracic spine. Scapular
stability and thoracic rotation could very well be the two main
culprits that contribute to shoulder issues. On the other hand, good
scapular stability and smooth thoracic rotation could be two of the main
reasons your shoulders can stay healthy and strong. Confused? Gary Gray, one of
the founding fathers of functional training, uses a very fitting phrase for a
case like this— MoStability. We need a combination of motion
AND stability at a joint for the joint(s) to move freely and easily.

Our scapula needs to
stabilize the shoulder girdle enough to allow freedom of movement at the
shoulder itself. The scapula should be able to go through upward
rotation, downward rotation, protraction, retraction, abduction, and posterior
tilting. In regards to thoracic rotation, a limitation here will cause
muscles such as the upper traps to get overworked and/or tight and the
rhomboids to become weak and overstretched. Then, all of sudden, neck
pain and stiffness occur, not to mention upper cross syndrome.

THE
ELBOWS & EARS:

I often assist Jason C.
Brown as a master instructor for his Kettlebell Athletics Certification, and he
references two quotes that really reinforce the importance of correct shoulder
training:

1. “An
elbow away from the body punishes the shoulder.” Think logically
about the shoulder joint. Consider the lever length when performing a side raise,
and then add a weight on top of that. Now keep in mind, this is much
different from performing scaption, which keeps the elbows closer into the body
and the shoulder gliding much easier. Think about a handstand. When
you watch someone do a handstand (a GOOD one), are their elbows
flared out, or are their hands screwed into the floor with elbows in tight to
the body? Be very wary of exercises where the elbows travel far away from
the body. Those lateral raises may help build big delts, and they may feel
fine . . . for now; but those dips, done even slightly incorrectly, with the
elbows bowed out, will have lasting ill effects on the integrity of the
shoulder. Over time, that shoulder joint will not be too happy with
constantly getting torqued in that direction with a lot of weights, or even
bodyweight.

2. “Ears
are poison to the shoulder.” Picture the position and posture of your
body if your shoulder was close to your ear. What does that look like?
How does it feel? Doesn’t feel that great does it? So imagine if you were
performing exercises where the shoulders and ears were constantly meeting.
This creates less space in the shoulder joint itself, as well as
stiffening the upper traps and scalenes. Yes, shrugs build big traps and
a thick neck. That’s the point. I question how many individuals
with thick necks are actually able to turn their heads! We should strive for a
nice strong neck, but not at the expense of a having a neck and torso that can
barely move.

Additionally, tight pecs
can play a major part in the shoulder conundrum. This will draw the
shoulders forward, causing kyphosis, which will limit thoracic rotation.
A snowball effect.

STEPS
TO TRAINING SMARTER:

Let’s examine how we should
be training our shoulders. First, perform some proprioception/soft
tissue work on the lats, thoracic spine, and pecs. Follow that up with
thoracic spine mobilization work, wall slide drills, and some lat/serratus
stretching. Fire the lower traps with some I, Y, and T variations. Then
stabilize the scapula with prone positions using basic bodyweight exercises
such as planks.

There are many good
stability exercises using kettlebells including farmer carries, bottoms-up
variations, and arm bars. Find a balance between loaded linear movements,
as well as three-dimensional movements. Halos are an excellent way to
train mobility and stability at the same time. Sound like a lot?
You should be able get through everything that I mentioned, in addition to
exercises not even related to the shoulder (if part of your routine) in an hour
session.

Looking at more dynamic movements,
tools such as the RMT
Club, ViPR, and the Mace are excellent mechanisms that allow freedom of
movement and work in virtually every action that the shoulder performs.
With these tools, it is important to use sub-maximal load (lighter
weights), as we simply want the freedom of movement. The heavier you try
to go with these devices, the more restriction your body will encounter.
Then, we can fortify those positions with our basic tried-and-true
exercises such as shoulder presses and Turkish get-ups.

Keep this in mind: train smaller muscles with higher reps and
bigger muscles with heavier weight. For example, compare the rotator cuff to
the pecs or glutes. There is a lot more surface area and muscle mass in
the pecs and glutes, which would allow you to handle more weight efficiently.
Smaller muscles such as the rotator cuff can handle and support only so
much load without creating unnecessary strain.

TAKE
IT FROM ME:

Once upon a time, I had big
delts, big traps, and a thick neck. I’ve also had two major orthopedic
surgeries on my right shoulder (the identical surgery) — a labrum bankart
repair. Coincidence?

Now, I’m happy with simply
having a strong rotator cuff, a mobile shoulder, and a stable scapula.
And in the end, I’ve still been able to create a physique that I am proud
of.

As I wrote in my last WeckMethod article, The Key To Better Movement And Aesthetics, maybe we can have the best of both worlds, and keep our shoulders happy and healthy at the same time.

About
the Author: Giovanni, a graduate of Michol Dalcourt’s Institute of
Motion Level 1 & 2 mentorships, is currently a Tier 4 Coach for Equinox’s
private training facility “E” in Greenwich, Connecticut. Additionally, he
is a master instructor for ViPR and Kettlebell Athletics. Giovanni is a part of
Nike’s exclusive trainer network where he is involved in exciting, upcoming
projects for the fitness powerhouse. In January 2015, he was selected as one of
14 trainers from around the world by renowned fitness website PTontheNet to be
an official global ambassador for the company. You can learn more about
Giovanni at www.GiovanniRoselli.com
or follow him on Twitter @GiovanniRoselli