The shoulder is the most flexible joint in the body, so it's not surprising that it is also one of the most commonly jacked up joints. Almost everyone I've worked with has mixed up their shoulders at some point (including me). It's easy to do once you know how luckily it is also relatively easy to fix.
To know exactly what to do, we need to understand how the shoulder works. The humeral bone (upper arm) is the ball of the ball and socket joint and is located in the glenoid cavity of the shoulder blade, which, as you guessed, is the socket – a shallow socket.
Happy shoulders
So this is a happy shoulder joint down below.
Now you may not mind if you pull your rounded shoulders forward, but I'll tell you what you're going to mind. The boo-boo you get when you try to do something different. I'm trying to say that muscle weakness or tension affects the way your shoulder works.
Yadda, Yadda, Yadda.
See where i'm going To fix all of your shoulder problems, you need to treat your shoulder joint like a joint. That's it.
That means training it under control in all directions and ranges of motion.
I know it's easy to say, but it doesn't have to be that difficult either.
If I had to pick three things to add to your workout to give you happy, healthy shoulders that can do anything you want, it would be these::
1. Shoulder-controlled joint rotations (CARS)
No, not brum, brum cars. CARS is a fancy name, but easy to do and a basic concept. It means simply moving the shoulder through the range of motion with control and intent.
Try this below and it should highlight any range restrictions you might have. This is the shoulder CAR from the Mobility Reset program.
2. Cuban rotations
These are just great. Cuban rotations strengthen all four rotator cuffs, and rOtator cuffs are a major cause of shoulder injuries. There is not enough time for all of the good things I have to say about this exercise.
3. Work on your extension
Most people have terrible shoulder extensions. The shoulder extension is a heavily under-trained area that your shoulder should be.
This short video shows you how to build strength in this long-forgotten area.
Look, everyone wants to do the funny stuff. I get it. But you need to watch out for the pitfalls in ignoring how you want your body to move because of it will bite your ass and you won't do funny things when injured. Keep an eye on your body because if you spend a little time making everything go well, you will have more time to do what you love.
If you want to move around painlessly, check out my reset series. It is an easy to follow course and especially one that is given at home and that will help you move better and more pain-free.