Shoulder pain can cause a lot of issues not only throughout the day but also during exercise. An impinged tendon or nerve can cause the body to protect the injury and overcompensate with other muscles and body parts. This can further exacerbate the injury, overwork the surrounding area and increase the risk of injury in the Shoulder and elsewhere in the body.

Many of us spend hours of the day hunched forward at our desks, tightening our anterior (front) plane and weakening the posterior. This further worsens shoulder pain when we step in the gym and begin working on our Chest, rather than our Back. Here is a fantastic exercise to help open up the shoulders, strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and strengthen the posterior chain.

YTWI

Using our Power Straps this pattern of exercises is a perfect warm-up or workout to strengthen the shoulder girdle. The combination of exercises will help reduce shoulder pain as it focuses on the posterior chain and external rotation and flexion.

Setup

Secure your Straps to a high anchor point, extend the Straps to a medium length. The more vertical your body is, the less force will be placed on your shoulders and the exercise will therefore be easier. If you suffer from serious shoulder pain, then begin very vertical and as you get stronger aim to become more and more horizontal.

The Y

Front Raise. This helps open up the shoulders, training the Side Delts, Rhomboids and Traps. Keep your knuckles facing back and aim to bring your hands as far back as possible. Creating the gap between your hands, rather than hands together, aids in opening the shoulders up and creating more external rotation.

The T

The Rear Delt Fly position. This works the Rear Delts, Side Delts, Rhomboids and Traps. Keep your knuckles facing back and aim to bring your hands as far back as possible.

The I

Facepull, Shoulder external rotation to shoulder press. This combination utilises the Facepull, which is one of the best standalone exercises for shoulder pain. Begin with a high row, elbows back and high. Rotate your hands back towards your head so your arms create a 90-degree angle. Press up and in so your hands touch, and reverse back to the start.

The W

Facepull with Shoulder external rotation. Repeat the same exercise as above but without the shoulder press. It is so good, you need to do it again.

These exercises will help fix shoulder pain, and strengthen all the deep and superficial muscles to reduce risk of injury in the future.

Get your Camo Powerstraps here