Strength and conditioning training has increased in popularity not just by top athletes but the average gym goer now, mainly due to its proven effect on the human body for increased performance. A likely portrayal of this improvement is the effect on the shoulders, which as a trainer is one of the most frequent muscle group I get questioned on by my male clients. However, the shoulders are also the muscle group I see the most injuries in, anywhere from shoulder impingements to rotator cuff tears. This shoulder guide is to explain how to effectively train your shoulders without causing injury. In this post we take a look at some of the fundamentals of shoulder strength, mobility & injury prevention training to help better improve your shoulder training as a whole.
ANATOMY & FUNCTION
The main shoulder joint is composed of a ball and socket joint allowing it to function freely in multiple planes of motion and is primarily made of three main muscles:
- Anterior deltoid – shoulder flexion (raising the arm forwards)
- Lateral deltoid – shoulder abduction (lifting the arm outwards)
- Posterior deltoid – horizontal shoulder abduction (moving the arms apart horizontally)
Although the shoulder joint is primarily composed of these three main muscles, it is also supported by the four muscles of the rotator cuff which serve as stabalizers and internal/externals rotators for the shoulders. Now that we have a brief understanding of the shoulder’s anatomy and its function, let’s take a look into which exercises best suit the overall development of the shoulder muscles.
EXERCISES
Any pressing motion will result in activation of the shoulder muscles in particular the anterior deltoid. A 2010 study found that EMG in the deltoid increases as bench incline increases, additionally a previous study found that a vertical press is most optimal for shoulder activation. However, as we know the anterior deltoid will experience a greater activation level than the lateral deltoid. With this knowledge, we can deduce that although an incline press does activate the shoulder, it does not significantly cause the lateral deltoid of the shoulder to grow at an optimal rate. It is best to perform a lateral raise with internal rotation as away from the scapula plane as possible, keeping the resistance in line with the body with minimum flexion of the elbow. For the posterior deltoids, most rear pulling exercises will activate the rear deltoids but only by a minimal amount. The best activation exercises would be to perform reverse fly motion (horizontal shoulder abduction) with internal rotation.
MOBILITY & INJURY PREVENTION
Of course with poor strength and weight training the shoulders can experience a higher level of risk to injury and according to a study in 2013 the prevalence of rotator cuff injuries does increase with age. A study in 2010 concluded that daily progressive resistance training can demonstrate clinical reductions in shoulder pain and tenderness, as well as increase muscle strength in adults with frequent neck or shoulder symptoms. Let’s have a look at some of the common shoulder injuries training people face:
- Rotator cuff tear
Explanation – One of the 4 muscles which comprise the rotator cuff is torn and it becomes painful to lift or rotate the arm.
Prevention – 3×10 slow and controlled external and internal rotations.
- Shoulder impingement
Explanation – A tendon in the shoulder rubs/catches against nearby tissue and bone when you lift your arm.
Prevention – 3×10 Supraspinatus, chest, anterior & posterior stretches.
- Shoulder dislocation
Explanation – Essentially the bone is forced out of place and the joint has become lose, meaning it will feel painful when you move your arm.
Prevention – 3×10 dumbbell/resistance band shoulder shrugs
- SLAP tear
Explanation – SLAP abbreviates for Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior and involves a tear in shoulder joint limiting overhead motions.
Prevention – 3×10 slow and controlled external and internal rotations.
If you found this post insightful, why not check out some of our previous posts on our blog page or if you are interested in becoming a qualified personal trainer check out our main page for course information. For more information about our blogs and training courses, please email us at info@focusfitnessuk.com.
Written by Daniyal Siddiqui.