Important Information for Shoulder Training.

[Doug]

As an integrall part of any shoulder workout the muscles of the rotator cuff; the teres minor, the infraspinatus, the supraspinatus, and the subscapularis, should also be Trained/warmed up due to the outer rotators being made stronger by heavy shoulder presses, side lateral raises, rear delts etc. Neglecting the inner rotators is foolish and puts you at risk for injuries of the shoulder, which normally happens to a lot of weight/strength trainers. Once damaged recovery can take many months to repair...

Make sure you thoroughly train/exercise/strengthen the rotator cuff muscles....

Rotator Cuff Exercises
Three samples of internal rotation exercises and three external rotation exercises are given. Choose one. Do not do all three. In the first sample, resistance is provided by using an immovable object (isometric exercises); in the second, resistance is provided by using dumbbells (handheld weights); in the third, resistance is provided by the use of resistance bands. See equipment. (Exercises that use dumbbells may also be performed without weights to decrease difficulty)

Isometric Internal Rotation
Stand near the end of outer corner of wall.
Bend elbow to 90-degree angle and keep elbow close to body, lower arm level with floor.
Press palm of hand into wall for 10 seconds. Repeat exercise on other side.

Internal Rotation using Dumbbells
Lie on side.
Hold dumbbell on same side, Bend elbow to 90-degree angle. Keep elbow against body.
Slowly lift dumbbell upward and toward body.
Pause, and return to start.
Repeat 10 times. Repeat exercise on other side.

Internal Rotation using a Resistance Band
Attach resistance band to doorknob / wall.
Stand with right side to wall.
Hold resistance band with right hand.
Bend elbow to 90-degree angle, hand facing frontward and elbow close to body.
Slowly rotate hand toward the middle of the body.
Return to starting position.
Repeat 10 times. Repeat exercise on other side

Isometric External Rotation
Stand with side to wall.
Bend elbow to 90-degree angle. Keep elbow close to body.
Press back of hand into wall for 10 seconds. Repeat exercise on other side

External Rotation using Dumbbells
Lie on left side.
With right arm, hold dumbbell next to body, elbow bent 90-degrees.
Slowly lift upward until back of hand faces backward.
Return to starting position.
Repeat 10 times. Repeat exercise on other side

External Rotation using Resistance Band
Attach resistance band to doorknob / wall.
Stand with left side to wall.
Hold resistance band with right hand.
Start with right hand in middle of body, elbow bent 90-degrees.
Slowly stretch band by moving arm outward until back of hand facing backward.
Do one set (10 repetitions) Repeat exercise on other side.

Lateral Raise using Dumbbell
Stand or sit in chair.
With arms at side and thumbs pointed upward, slowly raise arm to the sides but slightly toward the front (at about a 30 degree angle to the front of the body) until almost shoulder level.
Repeat 10 times.

Lying Lateral Raise using Dumbbell
Lie on left side. Hold dumbbell in right hand in, placed in front of thigh, palm facing leg. Keep elbow slightly bent. Raise dumbbell slowly until arm is at 45-degree angle.
Return to starting position.
Repeat 10 times. Repeat exercise on other side.

Lateral Raise with Internal Rotation using Dumbbell
Stand or sit.
With arms at side and thumbs pointed toward ground (shoulders internally rotated), slowly raise arm to the sides but slightly toward the front (at about a 30 degree angle to the front of the body) until almost shoulder level.
Repeat 10 times.

[peteshoulders]

I think this is probably one of the modt important things to do as well as back warmups

I suffered a serious injury to my right clavicle and destruction of the socket with a cycling crash the rebuild took months and now every day i warm up gently gradually expanding the range of movements and increasing the weight slowly . the added muscle mass seems to help take the strain off the joint end has made my shoulder strength equal to my left side which at one point was visibly more defined and I was using more to compensate for the right which in turn meant more developement on the left . I have had no problems with the pins or straps inside the joint and the callus deposits are not restricting mvement except when i raise my arms overhaed, pete

[pacificus]

How do you know if you have an injured rotator cuff? After lifting for about two year I hit the 300 lbs bench (goal)and after that I kinda lost interest for a few months. When I stated back lifting I had a pain in my right shoulder while doing most any heavy movement that involved my shoulder. If I placed my arms out infront of me and twisted my hands I was able to hear and feel a popping noise. I quite again for about two months thinking my shoulder would heal. After started back to it just over four weeks ago and two of Doug's cutting workouts it seems fine, with just a light pain once and while. Does this sound like a rotator cuff problem?

[peteshoulders]

dont like the sound of that I could hear my socket growling all the time made me and others near me wince specialist at the hosp told me to stop extending my arms and avoid rotation motion soon got tired of that status I went to an australian sports physio who got my joint moving and flexible showed me how to get movement and strength without jarring or jerking lots of small movements mixed with a dumbell stint like a mini arnie set did that methodically for six months gott my strength back and the started to increase the weights and range of movement prob not what everyone needs to to but when I started I could not raise more than one kilo above my head with my right arm now up to ten kilos and content at that
pete

[Doug]

Originally Posted by peteshoulders

dont like the sound of that I could hear my socket growling all the time made me and others near me wince specialist at the hosp told me to stop extending my arms and avoid rotation motion soon got tired of that status I went to an australian sports physio who got my joint moving and flexible showed me how to get movement and strength without jarring or jerking lots of small movements mixed with a dumbell stint like a mini arnie set did that methodically for six months gott my strength back and the started to increase the weights and range of movement prob not what everyone needs to to but when I started I could not raise more than one kilo above my head with my right arm now up to ten kilos and content at that
pete

Sounds good, like its on the mend...keep exercising it. After my rotator cuff tear I started back on the weights using 3lb dumbells for shoulder workouts,

[Tripper]

Nice post, this'll help me out a lot. I needed some good stretches/warmups for the shoulders (along with most of the upper body). What is a good warmup/stretch for the pecks? I do the bar with no weight as a warmup...and I'm not sure what else I should be doing as far as stretching goes before a chest workout.

[ssslayer]

Cool these are my "signalling airman" excercise which I pretty often throw into shoulder WO.

So these are meant for Rotator cuffs.
Nics info, I didnt know that.

[peteshoulders]

signalling airman is a very good description of the movements i do i spend five minutes every other day loosening up do deep breathing as well to get air in my blood, theonly big problem I have now is when I cdo any distance on a cycle the road vibration, plus the limited range of movement and grip on the bars give me a numbibing sensation in the socket and top of the collar I think that was part of the concern the first doctor had ,was I would not use my arm thro full range and only concentrate on small repetitive exercises . I am thinhinkin of trying dips but stiil cannot takemy bodyweight thro full motion yet. pete

Much respect for the post ... I was having problems with my shoulders in september - i think this was why ... it disappeared after that 3week rest in december ... but doing this should keep the little bastard from comming back

[Doug]

Originally Posted by BMAN

... but doing this should keep the little bastard from comming back

Your right there..lol I had to have a repair to a tear in the rotator cuff, and I dont want to ever go through that again..... :-(