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This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/I3keaSfrc-w
Brad: Today we're talking about keeping our shoulder joints as healthy as they can. They're very mobile, reach behind, over. You can do circles in both directions. Let's keep them healthy when we strengthen them.
Mike: So we're going to go over five shoulder exercises you should avoid and what you can do instead, or how to perform them correctly.
Brad: That's right. Let's get to it, Mike. Alright, let's talk a little bit about the shoulder mechanics and why it's so complicated and we want to really take care of it. If we look at the ball of the humerus here in the socket, this joint moves very well. It does a number of motions, but this is only approximately 60 to 65% of the shoulder's motion.
Brad: We must think about the scapula and all the motion that comes from the scapular motion. Sam shows really good motion of the scapula. So he goes up and it actually slides across the rib cage and that goes up approximately 30, 35%, and the rest comes from the ball and socket.
Brad: If these don't work together and the scapula gets scarred down or tightened down, too much stress on the shoulder here causes problems like, what's that one again?
Mike: Shoulder impingement!
Brad: There you go! Shoulder impingement. A little brain fart from my 60-year-old brain. Anyway, let's go on and show the right way to work the shoulder. Alright, now the first one I talk about is the military press or overhead press. Mike's using just the Booyah Stik, demonstrating as if it were a barbell. Can you show it from a profile? And what happens is, particularly if you go behind your head, it really does stress that GH joint, we do get this, especially if you have tight scapulas already.
Brad: So what you want to do is bring it in front of your head. That stresses it less. A lot of times if I have a patient with shoulder pain, I say just stay away from this exercise. There are other options and this goes with dumbbells too. If we're doing it back like this versus in front of you, or even best a bench that wreaks inclines a little bit. We don't have one here. Other things, if you have bands and you're stepping on them, this is a nice way to work it.
Brad: But again, it's overhead. We're arm-impinging a little bit. Let's just stay away from it, particularly if you have pain while you're doing it, it's a red flag. You need to stop.
Mike: Yeah, with a barbell movement, especially in standing, you want to kind of almost arch a little bit back. That way my pecs are going to get involved and then I press and bring it overhead as I go up. But it always starts in front of my body. This allows the GH joint to move and function like it is. If you're having pain or discomfort, just don't even do the exercise. It's not necessary.
Brad: Let's go to number two. Alright, now we're going to talk about flies. This is actually one of my favorite ways to work the pecs. However, if you do them improperly, you're a beginner, this is a really good way to stretch or actually tear a muscle or hurt the joint. And if you do this with straight elbows, Mike, do you want to talk about this? So that we can go through it.
Mike: As Brad is going down, he is going into an uncomfortable position. Even though he has the mobility, it kind of hurts him and his elbows are super straight. This can put a lot of strain on your shoulder joint.
Mike: So what you want to do instead is, I'm showing in the same position here, go down elbows slightly bent and just bring it down to what is comfortable for you. Once you start feeling a bit of a stretch, hold there, and then come back up. It's good to maintain that position throughout the motion.
Mike: Don't, you know, go into this weird curling motion. If you're doing that, the weight's probably too heavy. This goes for cable flies, for banded flies. Any variation of this. It's good to have a slight bend in the elbow as you do the motion.
Brad: Yeah, let's go right ahead and show it. If you do have bands that are at home and you're working it and you have it strapped up to a wall anchor or a post or whatever you may have to anchor your band. The same thing here is to make sure you got that bend here. We're not going back like this and stretching that muscle. You get a stretch, but when you have a stretched muscle and you put a lot of resistance on all at the same time, it's a good way to strain or tear a muscle.
Mike: We'll say you're going to be safer with the band if you go too far because the amount of force on it in that position is less. So you're less likely to injure yourself.
Brad: Right. Little safer there, but still be careful with those joints in those extreme ranges. Alright, number three.
Mike: Number three is commonly known as the upright row. It has lots of other names as well, but essentially you're still working the shoulder joint, but you're bringing the weight in front of you. Normally it's a dumbbell, barbell, or band like Brad is showing. And oftentimes, people keep their elbows up kind of high. Now, yes, it's working your shoulder joint, but oftentimes, this can feel uncomfortable for people, especially if you have shoulder impingement.
Mike: The primary motion with this is technically shoulder abduction, which is the next exercise we're going to show. So that would be a better option to hit this muscle group versus this.
Brad: Right, and there's a good way and a bad way to do that. We're going to get to that next. Alright, number four, lateral ranges working the abductors, that was deltoids. Now, we like going out to the side, but once you get above 90 degrees here, you can impinge on those shoulders, that GH joint, and cause some tendon irritation there. So we just like to go up to 90 degrees. This should feel comfortable, back down, and good control.
Mike: I often see a gentleman in my gym doing this and he goes like this and he kind of winces and he pushes through. Yeah, simply make sure your palms are facing down too. I see a lot of people kind of do a neutral grip, so down and then it's important to control it on the way down. That's going to develop more muscle growth, holding it for a duration of time and going down. You don't need a lot of weight for this.
Brad: That's right. That's the eccentric, right?
Mike: Yes.
Brad: Not that you're eccentric, but the movement is eccentric.
Mike: Sometimes I'm eccentric.
Brad: That's right. I'm just kidding. Let's go to number five. Alright, we're going to talk about pushups. Now you can do pushups without irritating your shoulders, or you can do pushups and irritate your shoulders, or put stress on them. So I'm going to show the way that you do not want to do it first. So you know whether you're doing it on your knees or on your toes and you let your elbows go out to the side and up.
Brad: So I'm actually, Mike is showing it there. It's like you got, you know, you've got wings or whatever you're abducting.
Brad: Ooh. And it actually kind of hurts my shoulders doing that. Now when I point my fingers forward, and bring my elbows alongside my ribs, like this, much better, feels much better for me. You get more tricep there, and less stress on that GH joint. It's a great way to do them.
Brad: So again, you know I used to do pushups with my arms out wide in different positions to work all the muscles in my shoulder joint. Now I just do them here. My shoulders have had enough irritation over my life. I do them the way they should be done and I'm safe. And then work the other way. Mike, have you got some additions?
Mike: Yeah, so if you're out at 90 degrees with your elbows, this is putting a lot of stress on it. If you go somewhere like 45 degrees and it feels good, that's fine. It's going to get a little more pec activation. If you go closely like Brad is doing, it's going to get pec and tricep.
Mike: So just kind of find the sweet range. At 90 degrees is normally problematic for most shoulder pain issues.
Brad: Wonderful. All right shoulders, keep them healthy, fine, and pain-free. Let's go on, we have another video, I think.
Mike: We do.
Brad: Yeah, let's see what we've got that's going to help. There it is. All right.
Mike: So if you'd like to check out more videos on shoulder exercises, watch "3 Essential Daily Shoulder Exercises For Ages 50+ (Only 2 Minutes)."
Brad: Well, and they're good for if you're under 50 too, but particularly over 50.
Mike: I'm not 50 yet.
Brad: But you could, and you will be someday. And then you'll understand why we talk about these things. Alright, carry on. Have a good day.
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