In almost any sport, the shoulder complex will not only play a major importance in success, but also in the longevity of one’s career. With many of the athletes on my team there has been a common theme in both posture and specific stiffness accompanied by antagonistic weakness. This has been brought on by posture, previous training modalities, and lack of soft tissue/flexibility work.
The solution is often easy, but getting them to do it on a regular basis and on their own time is a challenge for some athletes. This requires there program to often include flexibility and specific strengthening work paired with various movements throughout the workout in order to aid in correcting many issues.
The following is one of the more common things I see with athletes having shoulder issues. Pictured here is a defensive end who has had shoulder issues trailing back from spring football.
By the picture it is clear that there is anterior stiffness/shortness. His pectoralis minor tested short during evaluation. When speaking of this issue on scapular kinematics and overall shoulder health this can be very detrimental not only to performance but ability to remain on the field to demonstrate that performance. With this sort of stiffness alterations in upward rotation and posterior tilting of the scapula will be present. This can result in unwarranted humeral translation and impingement issues.
The approach I took with this athlete starts with correcting this issue in the warm up.
Specifically addressing the soft tissue we utilize the lacrosse ball to pin point smaller muscles. This is followed by a basic broomstick stretch to loosen the anterior stiffness thus setting up for great ability to activate the antagonistic muscles with exercises like wall slides for the lower trap.
Another flexibility exercises that can easily be utilized paired during a workout is a basic doorway or rack pec stretch. This can easily fill the gaps during rest periods on lower body days or is easy to do on their own time in a doorway.
Equally important as loosening up the anterior stiffness is strengthening the antagonistic muscles that will allow for the needed movement efficiency of the scapular region.
This is a time where isolation exercises really pay off. By isolating the specific muscle (lower trapezius) and strengthening it, you will be better able to integrate it in more subsequent compound movements. Here is an example if an isolation for lower trap, the prone I, and an integrated one, PNF D2 Flexion. You can also consider many other horizontal and vertical pulls as integration exercises as well. All these will help reinforce scapular stability as well as strengthen the muscles in which the pec minor is opposing.
Finally, addressing the issue at the end of a workout or regeneration portion is where I implement EQI exercises depending if the muscles group needs it. EQIs will add sarcomeres in series which will give you length in a muscle to loosen up that anterior stiffness or shortness.
Of course there are several other things that contribute to shoulder problems especially thoracic rotation/extension. This is of high importance and is of course included in all programs. But, as you can see, the solution is rather simple; it is more about finding a way to smoothly integrate the needed exercises throughout the program that will yield the desired result.
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