Here are 5 of my go-to exercises for healthier and more durable shoulders. If you are serious about training consistently, and feeling good, I recommend adding some or all of these exercises to your training toolbox. You can use them as part of your warm-up, as filler exercises, or on your off/recovery days. These exercises have made a tremendous difference to my pull-up (and muscle-up), push-up training, and much more.
All of these exercises require minimal equipment so they can be done anywhere, any time.
#1) Prone I-T ‘s With Lift
This exercise improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and strengthens the mid and lower traps.
Start off using a low surface and increase the height when you are ready.
Coaching Tips:
- Place two objects like yoga blocks so they are over your head, and are outside of shoulder width apart
- Start so your body and arms form a “t.”
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- While keeping your wrists and elbows in a fixed position and off the floor, use the muscles around your shoulder blades to move your arms over the objects and overhead so your arms and body form a ‘’I.’’
- Pause for a count in the ‘’I position,’’ and return your arms to the starting “t” position.
- When you do the ‘’I’’ your shoulder blades should upwardly rotate, protract, and elevate (move away from your spine, around your ribcage, and away from your opposite hip).
- When you do the ‘’t’’ your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or hands or arms to touch the floor (or the yoga blocks).
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not compensate and perform the movements by hyperextending your lower back, flaring your ribcage, or excessively lifting your chest or head off the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Kettlebell Screwdrivers
This exercise improves shoulder and scapular stability, and grip.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on your back on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Hold a kettlebell in a bottoms-up position.
- The knee that is on this side of your body should be bent, and the knee that is on the opposite side of your body as the hand that is holding the kettlebell should be fully extended.
- Press the kettlebell up towards the ceiling and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from your spine).
- Slowly rotate your torso and hips, and bring the knee that is bent across your body, and place it, your lower leg, and foot, on the ground.
- In the starting position, your palm should be in a neutral position.
- While looking at the kettlebell the entire time, rotate your wrist, forearm and elbow so your palm is facing away from you.
- Pause for a count, then perform the reverse movements and rotate the kettlebell so your palm is facing you.
- For the duration of the set, use your adductors and really press your inner thigh (of the bent leg) into the floor.
- Perform this sequence 3-5 times, and then perform the reverse movements and return your body and kettlebell to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, make sure the kettlebell remains directly above your shoulder, and that your wrist remains in a neutral position.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#3) T-Raises From Bear Crawl
This exercise strengthens the traps (most notably, the mid traps), improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability. This exercise is extremely anti-rotational in nature, and is so much tougher than it looks!
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a light dumbbell or other weighted object. You will not need to use much resistance to make this both challenging and effective.
- Get into a bear crawl position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Your thighs should be vertical, knees bent, and several inches above the floor. Place your feet so they are about hip to shoulder width apart.
- On the planted side, your hand should be underneath your shoulder. Spread your fingers, and pretend you are suctioning or screwing your hand and fingers to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now perform a lateral/t-raise and retract your shoulder blade. Think about drawing your shoulder blade in towards your spine.
- Once you hit your end range, really contract the muscles around your shoulder blade.
- Then lower your arm and the weight to the starting position with complete control.
- Your shoulder blade should perform the opposite movement and should protract (move away from your spine, and around your ribcage).
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug or round, or shoulder blades to elevate. Really focus on keeping your shoulders and shoulder blades down.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your spine to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from foot to foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
SAVE $37 – Get a package of The Ultimate Pull-Up Program and The Ultimate Push-Up Program for $157. Both programs regularly cost $97 each, so you save $37.
#4) Band Resisted Prone Bodyweight Pulls
This unique exercise improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
This exercise can also be a great way to work on your pull-ups if you don’t have access to a bar, and it is also a great accessory exercise to include in your pull-up training. While no, this exercise is not identical to pull-ups, it is a great way to work on pull-up mechanics.
This exercise is very deceptively challenging, at least if it is being performed correctly. Start off doing this without band resistance.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on a towel, or something that will slide.
- Fasten a resistance band around a secure surface, and loop the band around your ankles. Or you may do what I did, and may secure the band by putting one end under a closed door. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- In the starting position, your arms should be fully extended, and in an overhead position.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now draw your shoulder blades in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip, simultaneously drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards your feet, and pull your body forward.
- When you reach the end position, your elbows should be at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso, and you should really feel the muscles around your shoulder blades and your lats working.
- Gain a moment of control, then perform the reverse movements and press your body backwards so your arms return to an overhead and fully extended position.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- Do not allow your shoulders or shoulder blades to elevate during the pulling component. Many people will struggle with this component.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes and quads.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Prone Presses
This exercise improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and strengthens the mid and lower traps.
Make sure you can do this exercise properly using bodyweight only before you add weight. You will not need to use much weight to make this challenging and effective.
Coaching Tips:
- Start so your body and arms are in the bottom position of an overhead press.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now the muscles around your shoulder blades to move your arms overhead so your arms and body form a ‘’I.’’
- Pause for a count in the ‘’I” position,’ and return your arms to the starting position.
- In the starting position, do not allow your elbows to flare out. They should remain at about a 45 degree angle with your body.
- When you do the ‘’I’’ your shoulder blades should upwardly rotate, protract, and elevate (move away from your spine, around your ribcage, and away from your opposite hip).
- When you do the ‘’t’’ your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or hands or arms to touch the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not compensate and perform the movements by hyperextending your lower back, flaring your ribcage, or excessively lifting your chest or head off the ground.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
SAVE $37 – Get a package of The Ultimate Pull-Up Program and The Ultimate Hip Flexor And Core Guide for $157. Both programs regularly cost $97 each, so you save $37.
Join THOUSANDS Of People From 86 Countries Worldwide And Get The Ultimate Pull-Up Program Now
