“Shoulders Make the Man”

I’ve heard that phrase countless times and I’m sure you have, too.  So, how do you get stronger, more powerful shoulders?  Well, there are the standard answers:

Shoulders make the man

• military presses
• dumbbell presses
• heavy shrugs
• power cleans
• deadlifts

These exercises work.  Look at any powerlifter and you’ll see the proof.  But sometimes, you just want to add a little variety to your workouts.

Bulgarian Training Bag for Strong Shoulders

Betcha haven’t heard much about Bulgarian training bags.  They’re pretty expensive, but you can make your own.  Joe Hashey at Synergy Athletics produced this video demonstrating 40 Bulgarian training bag exercises.  Though not all the exercises are strictly for the shoulders, there are enough shoulder exercises demonstrated to keep your shoulders sore for a few days.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, get creative – make your own Bulgarian training bag.  I have and I plan to make a couple more of various weights.  Let me know what you think.

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Post tags: shoulder, shoulder development, shoulder exercises

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Stretching improves flexibility – the range of motion of our joints.  All it takes is a quick look at a child and the many awkward ( for us ) positions they manage to get into, for us to realize we’ve lost something.  Our flexibility!!

Where did our flexibility go?

As children, we ran, jumped, climbed, rolled, wrestled, cartwheeled, flipped, swam and more.  We moved – a lot!  And it was FUN!  Contrast that with our present sedentary lifestyles.  Most people move as little as possible and then groan and complain when we have to physically do anything outside the norm.

People, it’s true – if you don’t use it, you lose it!

And why is stretching so important?

• stretching improves muscular balance around the joint, which improves your posture.  Notice how you sit, stand or walk.  We tend to slouch in everything we do. Slouching leads to tension, pain, stress and frustration. Stretching can help.
• stretching is the best way to maintain flexibility.  It’s not difficult to learn basic stretches and you don’t need to join a gym.
• a regular program of stretching will improve your mobility for life.
• according to the video below, stretching reduces the chance of injury.
• stretching may reduce the risk of injury during activity
• watch this video for some simple but effective stretches that will help almost everyone.  Give them a try – feel the stretch.

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Post tags: range of motion, self-stretch, shoulder stretching

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Shoulder Pain and Confusion

Frozen shoulder can be mysterious.

• How did you get it?
• How long will it last?
• What can you do?

No one has a definitive answer as to what causes frozen shoulder or as it is medically known – adhesive capsulitis.  Basically, frozen shoulder is a stiff shoulder that does not move freely.  It is characterized by:

• the inability to reach overhead
• an overall loss of motion
• decreased shoulder flexibility
• intense pain

A video explanation of frozen shoulder

Will frozen shoulder affect you?

More mysteries – though no one seems to know why, but if you have:

• diabetes
• Parkinson’s desease
• cardiac disease
• a traumatic shoulder injury / surgery

…then you are more likely to contract a frozen shoulder.

As Dr. Halpern states in this video, intense physical therapy is usually the answer.  If you are suffering the pain of frozen shoulder, then schedule a visit with your doctor so that he can refer you to a physical therapist.

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Post tags: adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder, shoulder pain

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Don't let your age stop you from competing!

Aging doesn’t have to be your excuse

Here’s a great story about Dawn Kirklen who began playing golf at the age of 50.  Now, at 89, she still plays twice a week.

Shoulder surgery doesn’t stop this golfer

Dawn has had four surgeries since 2000:

• two hip replacements
• back surgery
• shoulder surgery

Also, she is scheducled to have cataract surgery in January and hopes to play in a tournament in March.

What’s your excuse?

Daily exercise is one of the keys for living a long, fulfilled and productive life.  We all know it, but seldom do anything about it.

As the new year starts, why not make it a priority to enjoy your senior years by following an exercise program.  As Dawn Kirklen has proved, its never too late to start.

photo credit – AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker

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Post tags: exercise, Golf, shoulder surgery

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Its my favorite time of the year

It’s springtime.  The days are longer.  The sun is brighter.  And the world is becoming more alive all around us.  Makes me want to get physical and start teaching my girls how to throw a softball (or baseball), ride our mountain bikes and horses. 

(photo courtesy of foxypar4)

The problem is that although my mind is willing, my body may not be ready – (No! – that is not me in the photo). 

How to avoid stupid injuries

What else would you call them?  I mean, once you hit middle age it’s time to do a little prep work before you do something stupid.  Bruce Mandelbaum (a frequent guest on “The View” and “The Today Show”) wrote an outstanding “get ready for physical activity” article entitled Spring into Spring (but not too hard): A Guide to Avoiding Injuries. 

It’s all about using common sense.  You didn’t get out of shape in a couple of days and your shoulder won’t be ready to throw a fast ball (hard or soft) in a couple of days either.  Take it slow and warmup.  Your kids may make fun of you and be a little restless, but that’s a small price to pay for a pain free shoulder.

How long should you wait to train following a Shoulder Separation?

For me, it was a long time before I went back to hitting the iron.  There are all sorts of issues to deal with.  Some physical and some mental.  You don’t want to start too soon and destroy your orthopedic surgeon’s hard work.  But for a physical person it’s hard to get out of the habit of being physical. 

Dave Draper, the bodybuilding legend was asked a similar question on his web site – davedraper.com.  His advice on this topic it great, but I really love his closing quotes:

“Overall training will bring you back to full power and speed in time. Injury and recovery have a weird way of complementing the musclebuilder….Confidence will grow with exercise-injury understanding and muscle strength and shoulder health.”

The Effect of Ergonomics on Shoulder Pain

It’s no longer a secret – you should be somewhat comfortable when you work.  Now the words “work” and “comfort” are seldom used in the same sentence, but for a person who spends a great deal of their time working from a desk, this concept is important. 

I have been sitting in what I thought was a comfortable chair – but I’m not comfortable.  My shoulders and neck ache and my arms hurt.  After watching the video below that I found in an article posted by Dr. Edward Gould entitled “Pain at Work”, I think there may be a better way. 

Watch this video – I’ll be looking for the Freedom Chair and accessories.

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Physical rehabilitation is tough

Anyone who has ever had to go through physical rehabilitation knows and understands that their will be pain involved.

• Your joints will have become stiff and swollen
• Your muscles will have atrophied and become weak
• You are constantly battling the doubts that you can return to your former activities and level of performance

Physical conditioning is hard

As a whole, our planet is in a full scale battle with obesity. Most people prefer not to be obese and in fact, would rather be athletic and trim. The problem is that conditioning is hard.

• It’s difficult to get out of bed in the morning and perform 30 – 45 minutes of cardio
• It’s a pain in the ass to keep up with a gym bag and all the assorted gym stuff
• It consumes precious time
• Eating a diet that is nutritious, healthy and tasty requires additional planning and preparing
• It can be expensive in either gym fees or gym equipment (if you have the space)

Strength training is a battle

As we age, muscle becomes more difficult to maintain, while our fat stores increase with every extra bite

• Lifts and poundages that we did with ease ten years ago are now our max
• Steroid use and abuse seems to be the norm

(photos are used courtesy of otisarchives2, organic.matter and ericmcgregor)

Have we all become a bunch of crying and whining sissies?

Watch this incredible video of a high school wrestlers as he trains, then get rid of every excuse you’ve got, suck it up and get busy.

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As a PGA Professional, I have had many golfers come to me over the years looking to improve their games. Most come to me for a lesson as what they see as a last resort after many failed attempts to improve using the latest swing aid or magic club.

With a background and degree in Kinesiology, I have studied the motions of many different athletes in many different sports. Through my experiences I believe that many of these golfers that come to see me would see improvements in their games if they would simply improve their overall strength and fitness levels first, more specifically flexibility and range of motion, before concentrating solely on technique.

I feel limitations in the fitness areas are more directly responsible for plateaus and declines in ability for many golfers than are sudden losses of ability or improper technique. Fitness should play a more significant role in many players’ game improvement plans.

It was at the 2007 PGA Merchandise show in Las Vegas that I first picked up the Rotater and I have now been using it for 2 months and I am happy to say that I have experienced the benefits and improvements that I had hoped for.

By using the Rotater for only a few minutes a day, stretching my shoulder both internally and externally, I have been able to see a measurable difference in the range of motion in my shoulder. This has transferred over to a wider, more efficient and more powerful turn in my golf swing.

Having greater flexibility has allowed me to make a better turn with my shoulders without compensations, which has translated into creating greater consistency in my ball striking.

I always keep my eyes open for products that can truly help golfers in areas where I have seen some glaring deficiencies. Almost every golfer can benefit from increased range of motion in the shoulder joint to help them create wider, more powerful and more consistent swings, and the Rotater is the easiest and most effective product I have seen to achieve this task.

Derek Highley
Global Golf Marketing
PGA Member, HK

For more information about Global Golf Marketing and Derek Highley, you can reach him at:

• United States Office
• 125 Flagship Drive
• Lutz, Florida 33549
• (727) 565-1811
• info@globalgolfmarketing.com
  

or

• Canada Office
• 871 Janette Ave.
• Windsor, Ontario N9A 5A2
• (519) 962-9581
• info@globalgolfmarketing.com
  

If you would like more information about the Rotater the visit www.therotater.com