Shoulders are an interesting beast. Of all the joints in the human body, shoulders allow the widest range of motion which is why we can do so many things with our arms. But along with this ability comes the need to build up sufficient strength to maintain both stability and function.
There are 17 muscles that attach to the scapula and impact shoulder health. All are important in their own way, especially when it comes to your rotator cuff. These muscles provide functional shoulder joint stability, which in turn enables us to hold weight in different positions, move our arms without pain, and carry heavy loads over our head.
Side lying shoulder external rotation has been demonstrated to produce the most electromyography(EMG) activity of the infraspinatus and teres minor among all available exercises. This simple yet effective exercise is my favorites among the sidelying trio for increasing recruitment and activity of the rotator cuff musculature.
The half-kneeling landmine press is also a great way to modify any overhead (OH) pressing and increase loading capacity if you have pain during OH activities. It’s also a great way to work on core stabilization while performing OH-related movements.
Wall slides are fantastic for activation of the serratus anterior at and above 90 degrees of shoulder flexion. The serratus anterior stabilizes the shoulder blade at and above 90 degrees of shoulder flexion, which is crucial for improving overhead load capacity.
It’s important to remember that getting assessed by a physical therapist is crucial if you are experiencing pain. You may need to modify some activities so that we do no further harm and can tailor the programming specifically to your needs.
