Here’s an excellent new shoulder rehab video from Jim Smith (CSCS) ( a frequent contributor to Men’s Fitness Magazine ) and the guys over at Diesel Crew.  Basically it’s a sweet variation of face pulls that morphs into an external rotation movement with an added “twist”.

If you have any questions, visit “Shoulder Rehab – New Facepulls” – Smitty walks you through the movement, step-by-step.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Give them a try and let me know what you think!!

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Post tags: rotator cuff strengthening, shoulder exercises, shoulder rehab

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…and sometimes a lot less!

Let’s get something straight – I’m not:

• a shoulder expert / guru
• a physical therapist
• an athletic trainer
• a physician

…please note the disclaimer box at the top of the far right column.  This blog is meant to provide you with sources of information that will allow you to make educated decisions about your shoulder and its’ care.

Scary Shoulder Exercise Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video scares me.

• notice the grimace on the face of the student / client within the first 3 seconds
• the weight used is obviously too heavy
• the instructor has to help the student / client at the end of each rep

Lack of Understanding is Dangerous

A major issue for me is the lack of understanding ( by the instructor ) that the rear delts ( used in the first stage of the exercise ) are far stronger than the rotator cuff ( used in the second stage of the exercise ).  This lack of understanding is causing the student to struggle as he attempts to perform the exercise correctly.  Imagine doing a lying dumbbell press with a heavy weight and then at the lockout position transitioning into a flye – it would feel like your chest is ripping apart – and it might.

Muscle Strength Imbalance

The rear deltoids are strong pulling muscles and the weight used in this exercise is probably appropriate for the inital movement.  However, the rotator cuff muscles are not nearly as strong as the deltoids – and it shows on the face of the student as he tries to rotate the weight in the second stage of the exercise.

This exercise should be broken into two parts:

1. a rear delt movement such as a rowing exercise – this would allow the student to use the weight shown.
2. a rotator cuff strengthening exercise – with far less weight – which is preferred.

Final Thoughts

I do like this shoulder exercise – just not as shown.  The amount of weight used should be decreased until the student can perform the exercise without pain.  Always use common sense.  If an exercise hurts you, then stop and  re-examine why and how  you’re doing it.

• are you performing the exercise correctly?
• are you using the “right” amount of resistance ( weight, band, etc. )?
• are you doing too many exercises for the same body part?

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Post tags: rotator cuff, shoulder exercises

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Radically Different Shoulder Stretching Technique

I’ve seen most traditional shoulder stretching exercises – but this one is new to me.  New in a good way.  After watching the video several times, I went down to the basement to give it a try.

My Shoulder Feels Good

It took me a couple of minutes to get the hang of it, but then you just kind of relax and enjoy the stretch.  My suggestions:

• start with a light kettlebell, especially if you’re not working out regularly and/or you’ve never used kettlebells before
• go slow – there is no rush, in fact I felt better the longer I stretched
• watch the video before and after trying it – make adjustments and try it again

Click here to view the embedded video.

My thanks to Unbreakablefitness.

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It’s easy to neglect the small muscles that make up the rotator cuff:

• supraspinatus
• infraspinatus
• teres minor
• subscapularis

They are not “showy” muscles, you can’t see them in the mirror, they’re little – I mean what’s the big deal?  The big deal is that they are responsible for keeping the ball of your arm bone (humerus) held in the socket of your shoulder blade (scapula) – they stabilize your shoulder!  These muscles make every movement of your shoulder possible – and we usually don’t notice them until they start to hurt.

Rotater cuff muscles must be trained

LIke every other muscle, the muscles that compose the rotator cuff must be trained – exercised and then allowed to recover.  Most exercises require light dumbbells or elastic tubing to provide resistance.

Crossover Symmetry introduces Plyometrics to the Rotator Cuff

Thanks to Coach Dan at BaseballStrength.com, who published an article entitled “Counter Dead Arm With Crossover Symmetry” by Jim Moran, a Physical Therapist and Shoulder Specialist.  This article introduced me to the concept of plyometric training for the rotator cuff and here is a video explaining how Crossover Symmetry works and why your baseball and softball players need it.

Visit Crossover Symmetry – they have some outstanding testimonials!

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Post tags: baseball, Crossover Symmetry, plyometrics, rotator cuff, scapula, scapular strengthening, shoulder, softball

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What’s the difference between a sore shoulder and an injured shoulder?

• soreness goes away – the pain related to a shoulder injury lingers
• soreness is typically related to the shoulder muscles – a shoulder injury usually impacts the tendons. ligaments or cartilage of the joint

What are some of the things to look for?

• shoulder pain while sleeping – difficulty sleeping
• shoulder weakness
• limited shoulder strength and / or mobility
• inability to perform normal movements
• difficulty reaching overhead
• unusual shoulder pain

Don’t live with constant shoulder pain – see your doctor – get an MRI

There was a video here – the website that hosted that video is no longer online and I haven’t yet found a video replacement.

Shoulder surgery techniques have come a long way in the past twenty years.  Don’t live with shoulder pain – see your doctor and learn what options you have.

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Post tags: shoulder injury, shoulder pain, shoulder surgery, shoulder symptoms

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How to Protect your Rotator Cuff

Dave Turpin of Desk Jockey Fitness wrote a very practical article describing what you can do to protect your rotator cuff.  The problems he cites are:

• Muscle imbalances due to excessive use of the lateral raise
• Too much bench pressing or faulty bench pressing technique
• Repetitive stress injuries ( this goes beyond sports / workout – and may include job related functions)
• Wide grip chins and lat pulldowns – I hurt my shoulder doing weighted wide grip chins about three years ago – now I can barely do five wide chins with just my body weight and I always feel very loose in my injured shoulder when doing this exercise.

Dave then lists four exercises that you can do to protect yourself from future rotator cuff injury – Visit his website to find out what they are and how you can be prepared.

Great Shoulder Exercise You can do at Home

Shoulder exercises don’t always have to involve heavy weights, exercise tubing or going to the gym.  Here is a great shoulder development exercise that not only strengthens the entire shoulder complex, but also develops your core muscles.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

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Post tags: bench press, core exercises, lateral raise, muscle imbalances, rotator cuff, shoulder development, shoulder exercises

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What is your Rotater Cuff and How can it be injured?

One of the most common injuries of the shoulder involves the rotator cuff. But exactly what is the rotator cuff and what does it do?

Kennedy Brothers Physical Therapy out of Boston posted a very good article about the rotator cuff written in easy-to-understand terms. Their article includes:

• a description of the shoulder joint (anatomy) and why the shoulder can be easily injured
• an explanation of shoulder impingement
• how rotator cuff tendonitis can occur
• ways to prevent shoulder injuries

Another very good blog post from Commonwealth Sports Medicine, entitled – Shoulder Impingement – states that shoulder impingement syndorme “affects at least half of all overhead athletes at some point in their career.”

I especially like their analogy of comparing the precariousness of the shoulder joint to “taking a golf tee and balancing a basketball on top of it- an unstable situation.”

Check out their suggestions for dealing with this injury – rest, ice, strengthening and stretching the rotator cuff and more.

Excellent Shoulder Anatomy Video

This is the best video I’ve seen describing the function and anatomy of the shoulder joint. If you want to know more about how your shoulder functions, then watch the video.

We (the Rotater Guys) head to St. Louis

In 2006,Scott Kay introduced a very crude prototype of the shoulder rehab and stretching device that he had invented to athletic trainers at the National Athletic Trainer Association’s annual conference that was being held in Atlanta.

Because of the response that the Rotater received in Atlanta, Scott proceeded with the development of his shoulder rehab and stretching device – which is now in mass production.

The NATA conference will be at the America’s Center Convention Center in St. Louis. If you’re in the area, then stop by booth #2242. We’d love to meet you and answer your questions.

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Here’s a round-up of some of the interesting shoulder information that you can use to make informed decisions about your shoulder.

Bowhunters need Strong Shoulders

(photo courtesy of sorenson photo)

I live in the deep south, Alabama to be exact. Down here, people take their hunting seriously, so if it’s not hunting season, then it’s a good time to get ready for hunting season.

The Hunt Doctors (they are “real” medical doctors) have written “Strengthening Your Shoulders For Bowhunting” in which they explain a little shoulder anatomy in everyday hunter terms and outline a number of exercises to help you develop your shoulder strength. By the way, some of the bows that serious hunters use can require extreme shoulder strength to pull back and then hold for an extended period of time while you wait for the perfect shot. If you think it’s easy, then go to your local hunting store and give it a try.

Should you “work” through a Shoulder Injury?

(photo courtesy of LollyKnit)

A question posed on Stronglifts.com asks about persistent pain in the shoulder and whether to continue lifting weights. “What should I do?” Mehdi’s explanation describes:

• the muscle involved, specifically the infraspinatus ( good illustrations )
• some of the causes of infraspinatus injuries
• some of the symptoms of this rotator cuff injury
• some of the ways to deal with this shoulder problem

Mehdi concludes by giving this advice:

“Stay away from painkillers. Pain is your body telling you something is wrong. Find out what. Educate yourself. Ask your doctor’s advice. But make sure you treat the causes, not the symptoms.

Take it slowly with weight lifting in the meanwhile. Lower the weight, spend time improving technique & slowly build back up. Don’t worry about strength loss, getting rid of injuries is more important in the long run.”

Tips for Preventing Shoulder Injuries in Young Pitchers

(photo courtesy of wjklos)

Brooke deLench, author and noted expert on youth related sports issues has written “Preventing Pitching Injuries” in which she educates parents on some of the things that they can do. She says that there are a number of things that parents and coaches can do to prevent shoulder injuries which include:

• ensure proper conditioning
• teach correct throwing mechanics
• always warmup and stretch
• place limits on pitches
• don’t allow your child to play through the pain

This is a great article that will educate a parent on how to help their future Cy Young award winner to avoid arm and shoulder injuries. If you are a parent, and your child pitches, then you need to read this article.

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Here’s the latest info:

Smoltz believes rehab will start soon – by Mark Bowman

Smotz, who went on the disabled list on April 26^th due to inflammation of his rotator cuff and biceps tendon plans to throw from the mound for the first time this Saturday. read Mark Bowman’s article on MLB.com

Rangers’ Bradley out with a sore shoulder

Milton Bradley, the designated hitter for the Texas Rangers was pulled in the 7^th inning of Monday nights game with the Mariners due to a sore shoulder and probably will not return to the line up until Friday.

Prior takes step back in rehab – by Jon Greenburg

The latest on Mark Prior was that is that he was scheduled to undergo an MRI this past Monday to access the condition of his shoulder. Jon Greenburg reports that there is the possibility of a trip to Birmingham Alabama to see Dr. James Andrews, the prominent orthopedic surgeon who performed arthroscopic surgery on Mark in 2007. read Jon Greenburg’s article

Schilling throws from 60

Amalie Benjamin reported that Curt Schilling threw from 60 ft. this past Sunday (May 11th), though Andrew Johnson notes that Schilling “had a sizeable bag of ice” on his shoulder on Tuesday (May 13th).

Schilling’s last blog post entitled Getting the ‘go ahead’ which he posted on May 6^th seemed guarded. Schilling said that he feels healthy and confident, but the “doing it” still had to be done. Personally, I hope he “does it”.

Posada rehabbing in Tampa with Alex Rodriguez

Yankee catcher, Jorge Posada is in Tampa at the Yankee training facility where he played catch this past Monday while rehabbing his inflamed rotator cuff. Tyler Kepner reports that he will be out until at least early June.

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Shoulder Notes is a series of posts that high-lite various articles, videos and blog posts that contain helpful and current information about your shoulder health and performance.

Frozen Shoulder – What’s the 411?

(photo courtesy of Joe Shlabotnik)

Lauran Neergaard an AP medical writer has written an article entitled “Early Care Helps Frozen Shoulder” in which she illustrates some of the mysteries surrounding frozen shoulder.

• Why doesn’t adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) affect the same shoulder twice?
• Why does frozen shoulder occur most often in women?
• Why does frozen shoulder sometimes migrate to the other shoulder?

Please note the title of Lauran’s article – Early Care Helps Frozen Shoulder. If you’re having shoulder issues and you fit the demographics outlined in the article and you don’t remember injuring your shoulder, then don’t waste any time – see your physician immediately.

Basic Shoulder Rehabilitation

Mednets has produced a basic, but thorough Patient Information Guide to Shoulder Rehabilitation with real pictures of shoulder rehab exercises (not drawings) and clear, understandable instructions that describe how the various exercises are to be performed.

It’s not flashy. It’s not high-tech. All of the exercises can be performed at home with items that you already have or can easily acquire.

What is a Rotator Cuff Injury?

Ask almost anyone this question and you’re likely to get a wide variety of vague answers. So what is a rotator cuff injury? Here is a very short (about 45 seconds) and very basic video animation that does a very good job of illustrating and explaining the injury. I must warn you that you will have to sit through a short commercial (about 30 seconds) at the beginning.

Shoulder Rehab for Baseball Pitchers

(photo courtesy of Glover Bryant Communications)

Kris Bensen, a starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, has written an article – Shoulder Rehab: A Shoulder Rehab Throwing Program For Baseball Pitchers. Kris describes a progressive throwing program designed to rehab a pitcher’s shoulder while rebuilding his arm strength.

Shoulder Strength and Stabilization

(photo courtesy of Cronfeld)

Mark Dilworth, a certified fitness trainer, former NCAA division I athlete and creator of My Fitness Hut Blog wrote an article entitled “Strengthen and Stabilize Your Shoulder Girdle”.

Mark explains three of the most common shoulder injuries (frozen shoulder, shoulder tendonitis and rotator cuff injury) and some of the steps that you can take during your training to avoid them.

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