#1) Single Arm Floor Presses + Posterior Band Resistance
This exercise strengthens the rotator cuff muscles, particularly the subscapularis. The subscapularis is the biggest and strongest rotator cuff muscle. It is responsible for the internal rotation and adduction of the humerus, and stabilizes the shoulder.
Coaching Tips:
- Attach a band so it’s behind you, and hold the band in your hand (or loop it around your wrist). In the same hand, hold a kettlebell in a regular position (or dumbbell).
- Lie on the floor, and bend your knees. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace).
- Now perform a single arm press.
- Gain a moment of control when you are in the top position, and then return the kettlebell to the starting position with control.
- In the bottom position, do not allow your elbow to flare out.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- 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 braced (360 degree brace), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Band Resisted Serratus Wall Climbs
This exercise strengthens the serratus, and improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a tall kneeling position, and so your body is relatively close to a wall. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- While keeping your forearms in an ”11 o’clock/parallel” position, lightly press your wrists out against the band. Maintain this forearm position for the duration of the exercise, and do not allow the band to lose resistance.
- At the beginning of each rep, press your body away from the wall. When you do you should feel your shoulder blades protract. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart, and moving them around your ribcage.
- Now walk your hands up the wall, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- Do not move your hands up the wall by hyperextending your lower back and flaring your ribcage, or excessively shrugging your shoulders (a slight amount of shrugging is ok).
- Your torso and hips should remain square to the wall.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move and should protract and upwardly rotate as you extend your arms and walk your hands up the wall (move away from your spine, around your ribcage, and away from the opposite hip).
- Once you hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), perform the reverse movements and return your arms to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace) and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#3) Hollow Body + Banded Press-Downs
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Attach a resistance band around a secure surface that is behind you, and hold the band in one hand. The band should be in line with your armpit.
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- While keeping your elbow straight and arm in line with your armpit, lower your arm behind your body, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form/and feels good.
- Gain a moment of control, and bring your arm forward and down so it is in line with your side, and close to the floor.
- Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move. During this movement think about moving your shoulder blade away from your spine, away from your opposite hip, and around your ribcage.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug.
- 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, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- 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.
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#4) Wall Serratus Slides Using Yoga Block
This exercise strengthens the serratus, and improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Having the yoga block between the body and wall, and also adopting the staggered stance, helps prevent people from cheating by arching their back.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a staggered stance, and so your body is relatively close to a wall. Place a yoga block, roller, or pillow between your torso and the wall.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place your hands so they are slightly wider than the width of your elbows, and point your forearms up towards the ceiling.
- Apply pressure to the wall, and maintain this pressure for the duration of the exercise.
- Do not start with your arms too low down the wall as this can cause the shoulders to round forward, humerus bones to jam forward in the sockets, and shoulder blades to tilt anteriorly.
- At the beginning of each rep, press your body away from the wall. When you do you should feel your shoulder blades protract. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart, and moving them around your ribcage.
- Now slide your arms up the wall, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- Do not move your arms up the wall by hyperextending your lower back and flaring your ribcage, or excessively shrugging your shoulders (a slight amount of shrugging is ok at the end of the movement). Your torso and hips should remain square to the wall.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move. During this movement think about moving your shoulder blades away from your spine, away from your opposite hip, and around your ribcage.
- Once you hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), perform the reverse movements and return to the starting 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.
#5) Single Arm Pallof Presses + Weight Plate
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. Both the single arm, and the hanging weight plate make this exercise very challenging in terms of stability. This exercise is also great for the rotator cuff.
Coaching Tips:
- Fasten a resistance band around a secure surface. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Grab onto the band with one hand. Your hand should be in line with your armpit.
- Get into a tall kneeling stance. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked 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), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now extend your elbow. Once you get to your end range, lift your arm so your hand is at least eye height. Pause for a count.
- Now perform the reverse movements and return to the starting position.
- As you bring your arm back in towards your body, stop when your elbow comes into contact with your side.
- Do not keep your shoulder blade pinned. It is meant to move.
- When you lift your arm, your shoulder blade should upwardly rotate, protract, and elevate (move away from your spine, around the ribcage, and away from the opposite hip).
- When you lower your arm, your shoulder blade should perform the reverse movements.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulder to shrug, or shoulder blade to excessively elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise you 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.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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