shoulder

Comfortably holding a heavy weight over your head takes some serious shoulder stability and a good amount of mobility through your thoracic spine. You'll need stable and mobile shoulders to nail a good overhead lockout position with everything from barbell pressing to the Olympic lifts and even...

Upper-Back Isometrics and Shoulder Pain The barbell bench press is the universal standard for upper-body strength, but it’s also one of the most injury-inducing exercises. So what exactly gets injured the most when benching? Generally, the anterior part 58 of the shoulder. There could be...

4 Effective Supersets Some believe direct arm training doesn’t add pounds to your big compound lifts. Those people are wrong. Completely neglecting direct biceps and triceps work will hold back your big lifts. But many lifters are confused about when and how to add direct arm training into a...

If you hit the gym often but can't get the V-shape you want, you're probably not paying enough attention to your shoulder muscles. And that's why it's crucial to select the best shoulder workout to fit your goals. But exercise plans for these muscles should be about more than aesthetics...

Did you know that back pain is one of the most common chronic conditions in Canada? Every four out of five adults between the ages of 30-50 will experience at least one episode of back pain at some point in their life [1]. Whether you’re looking to build muscle for the aesthetic, increase...

There is no doubting most gymgoers’ attraction to the barbell bench press. It is part of the Big 3 lifts for a reason: The barbell bench press, with its stability and relatively fixed range of motion, allows the lifter to move the most weight possible. But through injury or range of motion...

BRING BACK THE BENCH, MINUS THE SHOULDER PAIN Since many lifters focus on mirror movements like presses and curls, a cumulative stress cycle through the shoulders usually results in overuse, pain, and injuries. Front-side shoulder pain is common. But the last thing many diehard lifters are...

Google the term “biceps curl,” and you’ll get over 20 million hits. There is no shortage of information about this beloved muscle group and its most popular exercise. Think back to your first time in a gym when you didn’t know much about lifting. Was one of the first exercises you performed a...

FROM WHEELCHAIR TO CROSSFIT Posture is the key to achieving maximum results in hypertrophy, leanness, and aesthetics. After suffering from severe hip pain that left me in a wheelchair at the age of 27 for nearly a year, I healed myself using a simple exercise therapy technique (Posture Alignment...

When the shoulder starts to hurt, one of the most common culprits is a stiff and excessively rounded thoracic (upper-mid) spine position. The thoracic spine also commonly lacks rotational capabilities in people with shoulder pain. When the thoracic spine fails to extend and rotate properly, the...

The 5 Worst Exercise Machines and What To Do Instead And What To Do Instead Exercise Machines Don’t (Always) Suck Lifters who begin training with barbells and dumbbells scoff at machine training. And sure, many exercise machines don’t suck. The right ones will overload muscles (not joints)...

I wondered if there were any exercises with the same multitasking elements. A few came to mind, but the one that stood out was the push-up. As I thought about all of the scenarios I've used some sort of push-up in, I began to appreciate its versatility. I also realized that even though the...

We've all heard the warnings about it. They say lifters have gotten their necks crushed by barbells which have slipped right out of their hands during the bench press. Maybe this is why the thumbless or false grip is also known as the "suicide" grip. But in spite of the risks, many of the...

NEW WAYS TO BUILD SHOULDERS It can be tough to build shoulders once you're past the newbie phase. Many lifters are tempted to double down on barbell overhead press or add weight to exercises that are already beating up their joints. Doing more of the same and expecting different results is...

Make Your Shoulders Bulletproof Fix Your Shoulders With Pulling Exercises Whether your goal is to build a jacked upper body or crush a bench PR 23, you have to push some serious weight to accomplish it. And if you’ve been training hard for years, your shoulders are probably feeling those heavy...

We’ve all had those off days. You look at your workout routine and barbell back squats are on the menu. Normally you can’t get enough of leg day, but on this particular workout day, you’re feeling a tweak your shoulder or knee after the previous night’s pick-up basketball game; now back squats...

When it comes to barbell back squats, have you ever wondered if you have the shoulder mobility to squat properly? Sometimes your shoulder mobility is what is throwing off your squat form. Keep reading to learn how to determine if your shoulders are too tight and how to fix them so you can squat...

Those who are serious about muscle want bolder delts, and arguably the best exercise to do that is the barbell and dumbbell overhead presses and their variations. These work all three deltoid heads (anterior, lateral, and posterior) for improved size and strength. For those who can do these and...

Do you need to raise your shoulders? Are your hands sweaty? Is your back grumbling about all of your shoulder twisting and pulling? If this is the case, it may be time for a shoulder exercise. Your shoulders are natural and auxiliary upper-body complex muscles that support your arms, back, and...

The Meadows row is a unilateral row executed with an overhand grip, a staggered stance, and a landmine setup. The angle of the landmine and clutching the fat end of the barbell maximize shoulder, upper back, and lat tension while minimizing stress on the shoulder joint. Because your rear hip is...