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Post tags: physical therapy, range of motion, rotator cuff, shoulder pain

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Knee replacements are common…very common.  In fact, I knew a woman who had both knee joints replaced about 15 years ago.  Did I mention she was 70 at the time?  That’s pretty incredible…so it’s no big deal to hear of someone having a knee replacement these days.  BUT, a shoulder replacement is a whole different story.  Although they are becoming more common, shoulder replacements have a long way to go before reaching knee replacement status.

Here’s a video that will give you a good overview of what you can expect:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shoulder Replacement – How ?

• The “ball” end of your upper arm bone (humerus) is removed
• A metal ball is inserted to replace the removed part
• The shoulder socket is widened and a smooth pad is added to allow the metal ball to move freely

Why?  To Regain Shoulder Function and Quality of Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

Actual Shoulder Replacement Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Chronic Shoulder Pain? Is Shoulder Replacement Right for You?
• Reverse Shoulder Replacement
• Shoulder Flexibility – How to Hit the Golf Ball Farther
• Shoulder Dislocation
• Shoulder Separation / AC Separation

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Post tags: osteoarthritis, shoulder injury, shoulder mobility, shoulder pain, shoulder replacement

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The first time I remember hearing the term “farm boy” strong was in the early 80′s.  I was going to school at Auburn University, had caught the bodybuilding bug and was working out at Bill Kazmaier’s gym – Kaz Fitness.  Prior to Kaz’s, I had been working out at the “student” weight room, which was literally in the basement of the university coliseum.  After hearing about a “real” gym, I had to see for myself.

I stopped by to check Kaz’s out and was amazed at the amount of equipment … waaaay more stuff than the universal gym and scattered weights in the student dungeon …plus, the guy’s working out there were huge … or on their way to getting huge.  So I signed up and started learning how to get big and strong.

Sometime later, my father came to visit me and while he was there, went with me to workout.  Naturally, I wanted to show him how strong I’d become.  After a few minutes at the gym, he said, “If you want to get strong, do what farm boy’s do”.  At the time, I blew that statement off … what a mistake.  This is definitely one of those times that I wished I’d paid a little more attention to what my Dad was saying…BUT he was old (about 42 at the time … 8 years younger than me now) and had never REALLY worked out like me!

Farm Boys Work Hard … Every Day!

My dad was a farm boy.  He and 11 brothers and sisters had grown up “farming on halves”.  What that means is my grandfather had a standing agreement with another man.  This other man would provide the land, seed, fertilizer and my grandfather would provide the labor (himself, his kids, mules and equipment) to work the crops…then they would split the harvest 50-50. Yea, they were sharecroppers!

my son - 3 & my dad - 71 .. a couple of farm boys !!

When my father turned 17, he talked his mother into signing his Army enlistment papers and became a military man where he fought in 2 wars, became a drill sergeant (training young men to fight in Viet Nam) and eventually retired as a first sergeant at the ripe old age of 40.

One time, I asked my Dad why he had joined the Army … he told me that he was tired of looking at the “south end of a north-bound mule”.

Fast forward to now and all the craze in the workout world is functional movements …. stuff my father was trying to tell me 30 years ago.  If you want to get strong, do what farm boy’s do:

• push a heavy wheel barrow or do farmer’s walks
• lift, shoulder and carry bags of seed, feed and fertilizer or get yourself a sandbag
• try to persuade a 1200 lb mule to do what you want or train at the local BJJ / MMA gym
• use a sledgehammer to work on farm equipment or get a tire
• pushups, pullups, lifting and carrying, heavy, odd shaped stuff

Yep, Dad was waaaay ahead of his time.

Here’s a video of some of the cool stuff my business partner and inventor of the Rotater, Scott Kay, is doing with some of the high school wrestlers he coaches.  Scott was a 2-time New York state wrestling champion and now works with a local high school as an assistant wrestling coach.  Never one for conventionality, Scott has devised a workout course designed to make his team stronger and fitter.  You won’t see anything fancy .. mostly home-built stuff.  But a lot of thought has gone into this program.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Update – still “farm boy” strong

So, what are the long-term effects of being farm boy strong?  Well I can’t say for everybody, but my dad is 71 now.  He gets up every morning and works out on his Total Gym, does pushups and situps.  Then he goes to his business and puts in an 11 hour day.  After that, he usually comes up to my house in the country and piddles around with his grandkids, horses, tractors and turkeys.  Yea, I think there’s something to being “farm boy” strong.  Thanks, Dad !!

Want More Shoulder Rehab and Performance Info?

If you like this article and want more shoulder information, then please sign up to have our updates sent to your email.  Or join our growing community on Facebook … you’ll be glad you did.Readers of this article also liked:

• How to Swing a Sledge Hammer
• Intense Shoulder Workout – Low Budget Strength
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• Self Myofascial Release for Shoulders
• The Rotater, DEEP OSCILLATION and The Fitness Balloon

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Post tags: shoulder exercises, shoulder mobility

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“How to Prevent Shoulder Injuries” – wow … that’s an ambitious title.  A better title would probably be – “How to Decrease the Likelihood of Having a Shoulder Injury”.

Here are a couple of videos from Jerry Shreck of VarietyTrainer.com along these lines.

Jerry is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach and Fitness Facilities Coordinator at Bucknell University and has been featured in Men’s Health magazine.   This first video demonstrate three of the shoulder exercises he uses in his shoulder health program.

• Scapular retractions with a band
• Open can raises with a band
• Empty can raises with a band

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this second video, Jerry moves on to:

• high external rotation against band resistance
• external rotation crossovers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Give these shoulder exercises a try and let us know what you think.

Sign up or join up and get more great shoulder information

Sign up to have our latest blog posts sent directly to your email inbox.  No spam, just articles like this one.  Or join our active community on Facebook.  Either way, you’ll find lots of great shoulder information.Readers of this article also liked:

• Overlooked Shoulder Exercises You Need to Know
• Shoulder Impingement 101 – Everything You Want to Know
• Stretching the Shoulder via Hip Rotation
• 3 More Trigger Point Tools for the Shoulder
• Shoulder Flexibilty and Your Golf Swing

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Post tags: external rotation, rotator cuff, shoulder exercises, shoulder injury, volleyball

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You have a son who is a great age-level pitcher … maybe the next Nolan Ryan or Marian0 Rivera.  You’ve got him on a strength program and you probably make sure he receives personal instruction from a very good personal baseball coach.  But, are you overlooking the obvious?  His natural throwing motion may be flawed … and you’ll never notice it.  In fact, most people will probably never notice his throwing errors.  WHY?  Because …

• Your eyes are too slow
• You don’t know what to look for
• If you do see a problem, you don’t know how to fix it

3P Sports – Identifying and Fixing Flaws in Pitching Mechanics

The answer is to let the professionals watch your son pitch … examine his mechanics and use their expertise to correct any flaws in his throwing mechanics.  What if you could get people like former major league General Manager, Jim Duquette or former major league pitching coach, Rick Peterson or the most well-known orthopedic surgeon – Dr. James Andrews, to take a look at your son’s throwing motion.  Sounds good … BUT that sounds expensive … very expensive.  Right?  Maybe not…watch this video and see for yourself.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Answer – Biomedical Study of the Pitching Delivery

Dr. Andrews, Rick Peterson and Jim Duquette have created a business – 3P Sports – to help people like you and your son.  The formula is simple:

1. Biomedical Video Analysis – a scientific video analysis of a pitcher’s delivery by experts who know how to identify “red flags” or flaws that will limit pitching performance and may lead to shoulder and / or elbow injury.
2. Pitcher Specific Strength Training – a pre-season, in-season and post-season strength training program to increase pitching performance and help your son remain injury free.
3. MLB-Pitching Drills – learn and use the same training formula that elite, professional pitchers use
4. Performance Behavior Coaching – helping your son develop the work ethic and mental skills needed to perform at the highest level

3P Sports – an Affordable Pitching Program

Okay…sounds good, but can you afford it?  I wondered the same thing … it must cost thousands, right?  No!  Not only did it not cost thousands, it’s very affordable – less expensive than your cable or internet bill.  Incredibly, the cost is only $39.95 a month or $399 for and entire year!  Visit their product page and see for yourself.

Bottom Line – Does the 3P Pitching Program Work?

It all boils down to one thing – DOES THE 3P SPORTS PITCHING PROGRAM WORK?  It certainly has the backing of some pretty notable pitching experts – from professional pitchers to pitching coaches to orthopedic surgeons.  But what do the end users think?  Here are some testimonials from people using the 3P Pitching system.

Disclosure – I am not affiliated with 3P Sports in any way.  I was not compensated for this article.  Check out their program and let us know what you think.

Disclosure Part 2 – We have a great Facebook community

We have a great community of people who share shoulder rehab information and tips daily.  Why not stop by our Facebook page and see for yourself?Readers of this article also liked:

• Shoulder Rehab and Stretching Device Used by Senior League Baseball Players
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• Rehabilitation, conditioning, strength training, etc. – it’s all hard
• 6 Reasons Overhead Athletes Shouldn’t Do Overhead Work

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Post tags: baseball, pitching, shoulder development, shoulder exercises, shoulder injury, softball, throwing

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Last month, I posted an article – Shoulder Pain? Trigger Points … Aaargh! – and listed a couple of trigger point tools you could use at home.  Here are a couple more you will find helpful if you’re a “hands-on” kind of person.

The Grid:  Foam Roller

• It’s affordable – only $39.99
• It has Matrix & Distrodensity Zones – that means it has notches and knobs on it
• Get it at Trigger Point Performance Therapy

The Grid in action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Rumble Roller

Okay…think a more radical version of the Grid.  Here’s a great explanation of how and why to use the Rumble Roller:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click “here” to find a Rumble Roller distributor near you.

FENIX Trigger Point Therapy

The FENIX Trigger Point Therapy tool is a little hard to describe.  Basically, it’s a piece of wood with holes that you place wooden pegs of various height into.  Here’s a video that will help:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Your Best Shoulder Tool

Good Information!!!  If you want to know more about the shoulder, then sign up and receive updates in your email or join our Facebook page.Readers of this article also liked:

• Shoulder Pain? Trigger Points … Aaargh!
• Self Myofascial Release for Shoulders
• 5 Shoulder Exercises to Prevent Shoulder Injuries
• Deep Massage for Shoulder Pain
• 3 Sources for Your Shoulder Health and Sanity

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Post tags: self-stretch, shoulder mobility, shoulder rehab, trigger point therapy

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My Shoulder Hurts !!

This is common and I hear it a lot … So,

• Should you see a doctor?
• Should you see a physical therapist?
• Should you wait and see?

Click here to view the embedded video.

From the video, some things to consider:

Is your shoulder injury acute (sudden, recent, traumatic)?

• Did you fall on your shoulder or an out-stretched hand?
• Do you have severe shoulder pain?
• Do you have unexplained loss of shoulder strength or shoulder mobility?

See a doctor…preferable sooner.

Is your shoulder injury a couple of weeks old?

• Is your pain tolerable?
• Lower you activity level
• Ice your shoulder
• Rest
• Does your shoulder health improve?

Is your shoulder injury more than 4 weeks old – chronic?

• Your shoulder pain is not getting better
• Your shoulder mobility is not getting better

See a doctor

Best Advice:  See Your Doctor

• Shoulder pain and injury are serious.
• Don’t take any chances…see your doctor and get checked out.
• It could be a simple shoulder sprain
• Your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist for treatment

Keep up with current shoulder info

Check out our Facebook Page for the latest shoulder rehab and performance information.Readers of this article also liked:

• How to increase your shoulder strength and flexibility with these Brazilian Shoulder Exercises
• Frozen Shoulder Manipulation
• Shoulder Pain? Trigger Points … Aaargh!
• New Procedure For AC (Shoulder) Separations
• Stretching for Rehab, Performance and Life

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Post tags: physical therapy, range of motion, rotator cuff, shoulder injury, shoulder mobility, shoulder rehab

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Chronic shoulder pain!!  It just never seems to go away… the constant nagging … no relief … struggle!  What can you do?  We’ll that all depends on the kind of pain you’re having, but always see a doctor first.

New Research Points to Trigger Points as the Culprit

A recent study on myofascial trigger points in patients with chronic shoulder pain concluded – “comprehensive treatment of MTrPs in shoulder muscles reduces the number of muscles with active MTrPs and is effective in reducing symptoms and improving shoulder function in patients with chronic shoulder pain.”

What does that mean for your chronic shoulder pain?  You might want to check into Myofascial Trigger Points… here’s a video explanation:

Click here to view the embedded video.

National Association of Trigger Point Professionals

There’s an national organization, so if you want more information you should visit the National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists website.

What Can You Do?

Believe it or not, this is something you can do … at home.  It’s called Self Myofascial Release and you should check it out.

The Theracane – Self Massage Tool

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s an Amazon link to Claire Davies book – The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, mentioned in the video.

The Stick – website link

Click here to view the embedded video.

More Tools You Can Use At Home

There are more “self” myofascial release tools available … but we’ll save those for another day.  One thing you may not know is that you can receive email notification when we update Shoulder Rehab and Performance.  It’s simple … just “click” this link and sign up … oh, and we’ll never SPAM you or share your information.Readers of this article also liked:

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• Rotator Cuff Training Tools – the SpeedChain Approach
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Post tags: shoulder injury, shoulder pain, shoulder rehab device, trigger point therapy

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Well, first we need to know:

• What does a healthy shoulder look like?
• How does a healthy shoulder move?
• Do you have shoulder range of motion deficits?
• How is your External Rotation?   (What is External Rotation?)
• What about your Internal Rotation?

Here’s a shoulder girdle assessment video to help you answer these questions.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shoulder Test

• Did you test your shoulder?
• How much external rotation do you have?
• How much internal rotation do you have?
• How is your shoulder range of motion?
• Overall, how did you do?

More Shoulder Information Links

We post 3 – 5 links to new shoulder information on our Facebook page everyday ….PLUS … sometimes we give away FREE stuff.  Please stop by and “Like” us Readers of this article also liked:

• Shoulder video: The Rotater now on Youtube.com
• 3 Sources for Your Shoulder Health and Sanity
• Self Myofascial Release for Shoulders
• Internal rotation and external rotation made easier with the Rotater
• Shoulder Flexibilty and Your Golf Swing

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Post tags: external rotation, internal rotation, shoulder flexibility, shoulder mobility

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Big, Strong Shoulders?  Get em Here

You say you want BIG shoulders, BUT just can’t afford a set of weights, benches, racks and everything else you might need.  A gym membership is out of the question…so what do you do if you want to build big, strong shoulders?  Simple solution is to go down to your local service station or tire dealer and ask him if he has any tires he’d like to get rid of.

I know…you’re asking yourself…”has Chris lost his mind”?  What do old tires have to do with shoulder workouts?  Here’s your answer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

FREE Tires for Your Shoulder Workout

My father has been in the auto repair business for 30 years…I can tell you for a fact, most places that do tire work will GIVE you all the old tires you want. Why? Because they have to pay to get rid of them. So visit your local service station or tire dealer and pick out some workout tires of various size and get busy building BIG, POWERFUL shoulders.

Do you want Big, Powerful Shoulder Information?

Okay, maybe it’s just regular-sized shoulder information.  BUT … there’s lots of it.  Join our Facebook page and get all kinds of shoulder information and videos.Readers of this article also liked:

• “Farm Boy” Strong Shoulders – see the video
• How to Swing a Sledge Hammer
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• Shoulder Injury Prevention is much less costly than Shoulder Repair
• The Rotater gets a new home

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Post tags: shoulder development, shoulder exercises, shoulder strength

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