4 Shoulder Health “Tests” & Skills For Life

These solutions have created life-changing successes.

My knees sucked the joy out of my youth, but for many athletes, it’s the shoulder that crushes their dreams and darkens the bright spot that was once sports.

The following solutions have created life-changing successes.

I remember exactly where I was standing when a dad, quite emotional, told me how he never thought he’d see his son enjoy baseball again. He couldn’t believe we had solved it.

And I remember thinking to myself, “AND IT WAS SO SIMPLE!”

I recall another athlete, a 13-year-old volleyball player, telling me that she was the ONLY girl on her team who didn’t have to ice her shoulder after games because of shoulder pain!

It all comes down to DEMAND vs. ABILITY.

My biggest goal in life right now is to help athletes and coaches understand this subject more than previous generations.

Let’s start by looking at this cable exercise.

What am I doing?

I’m working on MEASURABLE INCREASE OF ABILITY IN REVERSE OF DEMAND.

A full, common-sense solution would be a reduction of overuse (by coach) PLUS an increase of ability in resistance to the overuse.

But as in the case of the volleyball player, ABILITY alone was able to protect her shoulders compared to the rest of the girls on her team.

The main downsides to this cable exercise are:

1. Cables aren’t common in school gyms.

2. Cables are widely inaccurate in terms of resistance.

So I wanted to show you that exercise as a PERSONAL skill in reverse of throwing.

It’s you vs. you.

Increase your pain-free ability, in resistance. Over years, become a “freak” of strength in this ability.

But I also want you to know two 100% accessible breakdowns of that exercise, using a dumbbell and a bench, which are in all gyms.

Test 1: The Powell Raise was named by trainer Charles Poliquin after one of his athletes, Mike Powell, an Olympic world record holder.

There are many styles of performing this exercise, and this is my favorite style for athletes.

You could start with a soup can.

But my goal is for athletes to build to at LEAST 10% of their bodyweight for 8 strict reps, resisting 4 SECONDS DOWN on each rep.

For extreme goals, get even stronger!

Test 2: External Rotation

The Powell Raise + External Rotation adds up to very similar total results of the first exercise.

My External Rotation goal for athletes is also 10% of bodyweight for 8 reps, resisting down 4 seconds on each rep.

Tests 3 & 4 are more for general shoulder health.

Push-ups and bench press are usually driven harder than other upper body exercises.

So my goal for you is to match that ability in reverse.

Example: I’m 185 pounds.

If I want to bench press 185 pounds for 10 reps, I should be able to row my bodyweight at a similar angle, for the same reps, and at the same tempo.

3 seconds down, 1 second pause, gives the clearest measure, since bouncing the weight off your chest in a bench press wouldn’t be fair unless you had a bouncy ball underneath you on the row.

You could do the same thing with a dumbbell.

Want to dumbbell bench press it?

Then row it for the same reps and tempo!

IMPORTANT NOTE: These are just helpful goals, not absolutes.

In fact, you could skip all the goals I use for the shoulder, and you might be just fine!

But when shoulders make lives worse, THEY USUALLY STARTED WITH A GOAL!

Throw 100 mph!

Bench 315!

Intent is the DRIVER.

ATG is the BALANCE.

I am merely trying to give you GOALS to balance out what’s overdone.

Test #4 has the same purpose.

Since push-ups and bench press are almost always done the most, I like to have a shoulder press goal.

I also do something very unusual when it comes to shoulder pressing: I have athletes press through their NATURAL range of motion, rather than stopping short.

25% of bodyweight per hand for 8 reps, 3 seconds down, 1 second pause, is my baseline goal.

But if you’re driving up your bench press: 25% of MAX BENCH is your new goal, for the same 8 reps, 3 seconds down, 1 second pause.

And do this from a seated position so you can’t cheat with your legs.

That’s it.

Those are my 4 most valuable shoulder skills for life.

Start as light as you need.

Never work through pain.

Slowly restore balance! And then turn your shoulder protection into a STRENGTH!

Yours in Solutions,

Ben

My new Exercise Skills For Life program uses all these shoulder exercises andmy knee exercises, because it’s a full body system designed to help you master all the most valuable progressions I coach. atgonlinecoaching.com

As you saw above, you don’t need any special equipment, but for someone with costly shoulder problems, our custom face pull strap ($28) could be a good investment. It’s made extra long compared to normal cable ropes, so you can work the reverse of throwing more naturally. atgequipment.com

And to see if a coach or gym near you has this stuff: map.atgforcoaches.com