Strengthening your shoulders – a follow-up to my recent blog Shoulders Stretch and Mobility
I hope you are enjoying the exercises in my last blog on shoulder mobility. If you’ve been doing the stretches, your shoulders should feel much more mobile, and your posture should have improved.
So now you’ll be ready to get some strength into those shoulders.
Strengthening your shoulders – caution
Just a small note of caution – if you’re struggling with your shoulder range of motion (and that
includes experiencing discomfort when trying to get full shoulder range) just stick to the
mobilising exercises. There’s no point trying to strengthen your shoulders if you can’t move
them properly. And you could aggravate your shoulder issue.
Points to Note
- Do two or three of the mobility exercises as a warm-up before starting the
strengthening exercises. - Always start with the weaker side, then only do the number of repetitions that the weaker side can manage.
- Try 8 – 12 repetitions, then rest (or switch to the other arm if it’s a single arm exercise) Then repeat 2-4 more times.
- Before each exercise, reset the scapula. It will encourage good posture and minimise the risk of injury.
- In my demos, the only equipment I’ve used is a stretchy band and a resistance loop. I’ve also used bottles of water and cans of beans as weights. But if you’ve got dumbbells, then obviously, use them.
- The perfect size of weight is one that is a bit tough to lift for the last one or two reps of the set. Harder than that and you risk injury, easier than that and you’re not going to get the results you’d hope for and expect.
BENT OVER DUMBBELL ROW
- Place your knee on a bench or chair and lean forward so that your hand reaches the bench and helps support your weight. Your other hand is at your side, palm facing your body.
- Slowly raise your arm, rotating your hand to the thumbs-up position and stopping when your hand is shoulder height, with your arm parallel to the floor.
- Lower your arm slowly to the original position to a count of 5.
CHEST PULL
- Sit or stand up straight. Grasp an exercise band with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
- Relax your shoulders.
- Slowly pull straight out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Slowly return to your starting position.
Pec Fly
- Lie on a flat bench, bed or floor with feet flat.
- Lift the dumbbells until your arms are extended above your chest, with a slight bend in your elbows.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells in an arc motion until your arms are parallel to the floor or slightly lower, feeling a stretch in your chest.
- Return the dumbbells to the starting position.
ROTATOR CUFF STRENGTHENER
- Lie on your side on a firm, flat surface.
- Hold your arm against your side as shown, with your elbow bent at a 90° angle.
- Keep your elbow against your side and slowly rotate your arm at the shoulder,
- raising the weight to a vertical position.
- Slowly lower the weight to the starting position to a count of 5
SCAPULAR RETRACTION/PROTRACTION
- Lie on your stomach on a table or bed with your arm hanging over the side.
- Keep your elbow straight and lift the weight slowly by squeezing your
- shoulder blade toward the opposite side as far as possible.
- Return slowly to the starting position and repeat.
- Do not shrug your shoulder toward your ear.
STATIC ROTATOR CUFF STRENGTHENER
- Stand relaxed with feet hip-width apart
- Hold your arms against your side in parallel, with your elbows bent at a 90°
- angle, the resistance loop over both hands
- Keep your elbow against your side and apply pressure to the band as if you’re
- trying to pull it apart
- Hold for 30 seconds, rest and repeat
I hope these exercises help you strengthen those shoulders. Always make sure you start gently until you are confident, as to what your muscles can take.
As always, you can always give me a ring or email me if you need any help.
Happy strengthening!!
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