So far I have explored chest, triceps, back, biceps, legs, and core workouts. The only thing left to dive into is shoulders! Shoulders are often something we take for granted. Whether you are reaching over head to grab something on the top shelf at the grocery store or brushing your hair, you shoulder muscles play a pivotal role. This is especially true for athletes. Athletes you their shoulder muscle to swim laps, shoot a ball in basketball, bat a baseball, and more. For volleyball athletes, your shoulders are used vigorously and repetitively. Shoulders play a key role in moves such as hitting, serving, and even blocking. Without strong shoulders, you will inevitably be less efficient on the court.
So what are the benefits of having strong shoulders? The list is vast!
Strong shoulders result in:
- Less injuries such as internal impingement and SLAP tears
– This is a result of increasing stabilization in muscles, ligaments, and tendons
- Increased flexibility and shoulder health
- Increased range of motion
- Increased conditioning allowing your shoulder to last longer under strenuous activity
- Enhanced posture
- Increased hitting power
- Increased arm swing speed
- Aesthetic appeal
When considering how to properly and effectively strengthen your shoulders, it it critical consider a proper warmup. Without a proper warmup before a workout, especially with shoulders, it is very easy to injure yourself. In addition, for someone like me who has a previous shoulder injury, it is extra important to make sure you are properly warmed up
The Warmup:
- 5 minute bike to get warm and get the blood flowing
- Quick upper body roll out
- Using a light resistance band do 10-15 internal and external rotations for both arms
- Sleeper stretch
- Using a light resistance band do 10 external rotations/arm at 90 degrees
- Scapular wall slides
- Using a light resistance band do banded pulls to warm up the back of your shoulders
- Using a light resistance band do 10 shoulder opener repetitions
This warmup is an efficient and effective way to warm up your muscles as well as improve their mobility! This warmup should take around 15 minutes. After completing this you can begin the workout.
The Workout:
- Y, T, W’s – 3 sets of 10 reps for each movement on each arm ( this can be done with light dumbbells, resistance bands, or body weight)
- Front press 90 degree hold – 3 sets of 30 seconds/arm
- Military press – 3 set of 6 reps
- Seated dumbbell shoulder press – 4 sets of 10
- Lateral raises – 3 sets of 10
- Rope face pulls – 3 set of 10
- Plate squat to press burnout – 3 sets of 15 reps with 30 seconds rest in between
This workout is geared towards mobility, stability, and strength. It is a well rounded routine that will hit all these areas and improve shoulder efficiency in athletes. I will be trying this workout for this first time tomorrow afternoon when I hit the gym! I looked forward to feeling the burn.
Photo Credits: Header photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash