Avoid shoulder injuries with these 3 tips.
When you’re an athlete the inevitability of suffering a training injury is a foregone conclusion. If you’re looking to get into shredded shape or if you just want to be strong and explosive then the reality that injuries will be incurred should be understood and accepted. At least that’s what some people have come to believe. The reality of the situation is that there are preventative measures to suffering injury during training. The thing is if you’re not informed then you’ll have no idea how to avoid sustaining injury.
In terms of lifting related injury it seems that the shoulders are a constant problem area for most athletes. Maintaining shoulder health is important to ensure that you’re consistently getting upper body gains. If your shoulders are ruined then it’ll make benching a hard task to accomplish. Even your deadlift could suffer from crappy shoulders.
If you intend on having healthy shoulders and want to maintain a steady increase in muscle mass on your upper body then follow these awesome rules and exercises.
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Say no to the overhead press
Many people advocate the overhead press as one of the best exercises for your shoulders. That could be right if you had the correct form and the proper genetic make up for your shoulders to withstand the pressure from a heavy load. But for most people this isn’t the case. The overhead and military press has been responsible for countless shoulder injuries and many athletes have been opting out of including the exercise in their routines. If you have a nagging shoulder injury then ditch this movement ASAP.
Bradford Press
Though it may not look like much, the Bradford press is a great exercise that promotes shoulder mobility and health. It has proven to be a great tool for hypertrophy as well as strengthening and building up the delts. Take a look at this video for why you should include this move into your routine.
Be a Powerbuilder
Another great way to avoid shoulder injury is by checking your form on the classic exercises for chest and back. Since building your chest and back requires multi-joint movements, including the shoulder, then you’re going to want to be sure your form is perfect to avoid injury. Regular benching form can potentially put your shoulder under a tremendous amount of pressure. Changing the form to more of a power lifting form (shoulder blades pinched together, chest high, elbows tucked under, and placing the bar a little lower on the chest) can help you avoid that dreaded shoulder pain.
As for your back, performing bodybuilding classics, dumbbell rows and lat pull downs, are great options. Just be sure to work with moderate weight if you’re experiencing shoulder pain. This way your shoulders won’t be stressed, yet you can still build up joint strength for when you do intend to go heavy.
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Do you have any shoulder issues? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.