Three Movements To Strengthen A Weak Shoulder
Weakness and imbalanes in our shoulder muscles can make it difficult to perform many of the activities through our day and can lead to shoulder pain throughout our day. Which is why building strong, balanced shoulders is important in preventing joint pain.
A better approach to strengthening our shoulders involves training movements, rather than individual muscles groups. The three movements needed to strengthen a weak shoulder are: the push, the press and the pull. While describing how to perform these movements is entirely dependent on the specific exercise you’re doing, in this article we'll provide a general overview to help you better understand each movement and provide an example of each.
Shoulder Strength Movement #1: The Push
Push movements are exactly what the sound like. Pushing weight in front of us. The bench press and push ups are the easiest example. Most push movements target our chest and other muscles groups on the front of our body. Good form with our push movements is absolutely vital as these are one of the more common contributors to shoulder and elbow pain when overdone or performed improperly.
Shoulder Strength Movement #2: The Press
Our Pressing movements involved pressing weight over our head. The kneeling press and push press are good examples. Press movements target the upper trapezius and other muscles that lie in our upper back and shoulders. Any time we press something overhead, strict form and maintaining a stiff core are important in protecting out joints during these movement.
Shoulder Strength Movement #3: The Pull
Pull movements involve pulling weight closer to us. Rows, pulls ups, even our kettlebell lift is an example of the pull movement. Most Pull movements target the muscles of our back. Easily the most important and undertrained, the pull is an important part of any strength plan designed to solve pain. Strengthening our back with pulls is so important many suggest that you perform 3 pull movements for every push/press movement.
Find 10 Row Variations Here
Training these three shoulder movements will help you strengthen a weak shoulder, perform your daily activities and keep you out of pain. If you have questions about your training or unsure how to perform any of these movements be sure to check out my Online Coaching Page, where we can work together, one-on-one
