The Half Kneeling Face Pull The half-kneeling face pull is a great exercise for maintaining healthy shoulders. The face pull is a nice progression from a row to a pullup; in other words, a face pull is at an angle between a horizontal and vertical pull. This is a good progression for athletes that struggle […]…
The Scapular Plank Pushup One of the most common frustrations athletes have in the gym is the inability to get their arms overhead comfortably. Whether it’s pullups, a shoulder press, or an overhead squat, supporting weight overhead is an important part of upper body training. Here’s the catch: oftentimes what seems like a flexibility limitation […]…
Improving Shoulder Position for the Overhead Squat The following sequence prepares the shoulders for the overhead squat, which requires motion at the shoulder blade (scapula) and arms. A stable shoulder blade position on the ribcage requires proper retraction and posterior tilt to support good arm position. Four Elements to Establishing a Good OHS Position #1: […]…
Banded Breathing for Core Stability This exercise restores diaphragm function for improved core stability. A band is tied around the lower ribcage to encourage lateral expansion of the lower ribcage. Diaphragmatic breathing is different than chest breathing and often confused with belly breathing. If you are just breathing into your belly and not expanding the […]…
Scapular Stability for Shoulder Mobility Scapular Upward Rotation Many athletes that struggle with pressing or pulling overhead are victims of what Shirley Sahrmann calls “Downward-Rotation Syndrome.” Full range of motion for raising your arms overhead requires sixty-degrees of upward rotation from the shoulder blade. This coordinated movement of the scapula with the arm (glenohumeral rhythm) […]…