Do you have “good” shoulder flexibility?  Not sure?  Here’s how you can test your shoulder flexibility.

When we think of shoulder flexibilty, what we’re really referring to is how mobile our shoulder joint is … can it move throughout a full range of motion?  As children, we seem to be super mobile, but with time, repetitive use and injury … some of our shoulder mobility vanishes.

The “really BIG” question is:  Can we regain lost shoulder mobility?

For most of us, that thought never crosses our minds because any loss of shoulder mobility has occurred in small bits over time.  As these losses occur, we make adjustments and learn to live with it.  However, when we have a traumatic shoulder injury or take up a new sport / activity that challenges our shoulder we quickly realize our shoulder mobility “ain’t” what it used to be.

How to regain lost shoulder mobility

First things first…do the test above ( or try this shoulder flexibility test ) and find out how much shoulder mobility you have.  If you feel you need to increase your shoulder mobility, then search online to see what your options are.  Personally, I like to search YouTube for visual information … and you can find a ton of good information … ( along with some not-so-good stuff ).

I thought I had pretty good shoulder mobility until I saw Steve Cotter in this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Okay…I tried to do these shoulder stretches and found out I need to work on it.  But now I know … my shoulder mobility is not as good as it was.  But I’m working on it.

Stay up to date with your shoulder rehab and performance

Here’s some more great stuff shoulder information we’ve shared on our Facebook page:

Are Upright Rows Safe – Q&A – Lyle McDonald

The Top Ten Things You Don’t Know About Pain – Forward Thinking PT

Goniometer

Kettlebell Arm Bar for healthy shoulders – Nathan Donahue

A 7-Phase Approach to Protecting the Shoulders – John Izzo, NASM-CPT, PES

Mobile Shoulders Push Big Benches – Mike Hedlesky

SHOULDER STRETCH M – video

Shoulder External Rotation Stretch – video

Foundational Scapular Stability Program – video

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Post tags: shoulder exercises, shoulder flexibility, shoulder mobility, shoulder surgery

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How often have you wondered why you have shoulder pain?  What causes shoulder pain?  Is there anything you can do for your shoulder pain?  This video from PhysicalTherapy.TV will give you a place to start:

Click here to view the embedded video.

2 Steps to Deal With Your Shoulder Pain

1.  See a doctor or physical therapist…. let them find the “real” problem.  Is your shoulder pain being caused by a shoulder impingement?  Do you have shoulder tendinitis?  Could it be the dreaded rotator cuff tear?

2.  Develop a plan of treatment.  Do you need rotator cuff surgery?  Or can your shoulder pain be helped with physical therapy?

More Shoulder Pain / Treatment Information

Here is a list of the latest shoulder articles and videos we’ve posted on our Facebook page.  Please visit and join.

Shoulder Rotation – Video

Scapular Stretch for Shoulder Mobility – theRotater.com

Shoulder impingement syndrome – Video

causes of shoulder pain – Shoulder Arthritis and Rotator Cuff Tears

The Triceps and Implications for Shoulder Health – Train Out Pain

Breaking Down the Shoulder – Strong Girls Win

 Shoulder Flexibility for Golfers  - GolfersMD

We try to post 3 – 5 new shoulder articles and shoulder videos everyday to keep you up to date with the latest shoulder information.  Please stop by and join the Rotater community.Readers of this article also liked:

• Shoulder Impingement 101 – Everything You Want to Know
• Do you have a Rotator Cuff injury?
• Dynasplint Shoulder Rehabilitation System
• SLAP Tear hits close to home
• Shoulder Pain – Do You Need To See A Physical Therapist?

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Post tags: physical therapy, range of motion, rotator cuff, shoulder pain

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One of the great shoulder rehab devices available is the Dynasplint.  It has been around for a long time and is trusted by physical therapists, doctors and shoulder rehab patients.  The Dynasplint can be used during your shoulder rehab for everything from Adhesive Capsulitis to total shoulder replacement.

Here’s a video of Kevin Wilk, DPT .. one of the “rock stars” of the shoulder rehab / physical therapy world discussing why he uses the Dynasplint.  Kevin works very closely with Dr. James Andrews, who many believe to be one of the best shoulder surgeons in the world.

Shoulder Rehab and Performance Information You Missed

If you aren’t a member of the Rotater community on Facebook, then here are some of shoulder rehab and performance articles and videos you missed.

The Rotater and Customer Service - The Rotater

Cross Body, Shoulder, External Rotation – Video

PT-Supervised Exercises Trumps Home Rehab for Improved Shoulder Function Post-Surgery, Study Finds - PT Products

Strength Exercise of the Week: Prone External Rotation – Eric Cressey

Tips to ensure (hopefully) a successful outcome after surgery - Dr. David Geier Jr., M.D.

Baseball Strength and Conditioning Programs: How Much Rotator Cuff Work is Too Much? – Part 2 – Eric Cressey

How to Treat Shoulder Injuries When You Can’t Get to a Doctor – Video

The incredible unaging triathlete – Sweat Science

Rotator Cuff Tears – John Post, MD’s Blog

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection Therapy: A Musculoskeletal Panacea? – Physical Therapy Sports and Wellness

If you want to stay up to date on cutting edge shoulder information, then join the Rotater community on Facebook or follow us on Twitter …. We’ll keep you informed with articles and videos to help your shoulder rehab and performance.Readers of this article also liked:

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• Rotator Cuff Exercises You Can Do Almost Anywhere
• Shoulder Exercises for Rehab and Performance
• 5 Shoulder Exercises to Prevent Shoulder Injuries

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Post tags: adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder, shoulder rehab, shoulder rehab information

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Knee replacements are common…very common.  In fact, I knew a woman who had both knee joints replaced about 15 years ago.  Did I mention she was 70 at the time?  That’s pretty incredible…so it’s no big deal to hear of someone having a knee replacement these days.  BUT, a shoulder replacement is a whole different story.  Although they are becoming more common, shoulder replacements have a long way to go before reaching knee replacement status.

Here’s a video that will give you a good overview of what you can expect:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shoulder Replacement – How ?

• The “ball” end of your upper arm bone (humerus) is removed
• A metal ball is inserted to replace the removed part
• The shoulder socket is widened and a smooth pad is added to allow the metal ball to move freely

Why?  To Regain Shoulder Function and Quality of Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

Actual Shoulder Replacement Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Chronic Shoulder Pain? Is Shoulder Replacement Right for You?
• Reverse Shoulder Replacement
• Shoulder Flexibility – How to Hit the Golf Ball Farther
• Shoulder Dislocation
• Shoulder Separation / AC Separation

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Post tags: osteoarthritis, shoulder injury, shoulder mobility, shoulder pain, shoulder replacement

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We post a lot of shoulder info here and on our Facebook page.

• sometimes it’s medical research or technical videos related to shoulder rehab or shoulder health
• sometimes it’s how-to videos from the fitness world on shoulder performance
• sometimes we post about new / different rotator cuff rehab tools and techniques
• and sometimes it’s just plain old fun stuff to help your shoulder mobility

I stumbled across this video on YouTube and thought it would be a refreshing change of pace.  Take a look and see some of the shoulder movements Laura Hames Franklin takes you through in a park, no less…to help increase your shoulder mobility.  Great stuff!!  Thanks Laura!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shoulder Rehab Issues?  Don’t Forget …

Don’t forget to check out our shoulder rehab and performance tool – the Rotater.  It’s easy to use, inexpensive and people love it.  Here’s a quote from one of our customers vis our Facebook page:

Thanks for a great product! I’m not a PT or anything, but I can tell what works and what’s bullshit. The Rotater works, plain & simple, and is a no BS product that just gets the job done.

Bob Wanamaker

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• How is Your Shoulder Flexibility?

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Post tags: adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder, physical therapy, rotator cuff, shoulder exercises, shoulder mobility, shoulder rehab

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People with shoulder pain want relief…which often motivates them to invent tools and devices to remedy the situation.  I originally posted this video on our Facebook page and it provoked several responses.  Here’s the video of the SpeedChain for rotator cuff training…take a look and let me know what you think:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you want to know more about the SpeedChain, then visit Oates Specialities.Readers of this article also liked:

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• Why Do I Have Shoulder Pain?
• Do you have a Rotator Cuff injury?
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• How to Test Your Shoulder for a SLAP Tear

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Post tags: rotator cuff, shoulder exercises, shoulder rehab, shoulder rehab device

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Here’s a video showing you how to strengthen your external rotator cuff muscles … specifically the infraspinatus and teres minor.  What do you need?

• a wall
• very, very light weight – lots of stuff you can find around the houes – small dumbbell, can of food…you get the idea
• good posture

More Shoulder Health Videos Featuring the Rotater

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• Rotator Cuff Exercises You Can Do Almost Anywhere
• Shoulder Tension? Swing Your Shoulder for Relief
• Why Do I Have Shoulder Pain?
• Do you have a Rotator Cuff injury?

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Post tags: external rotation, rotator cuff, shoulder exercises, shoulder rehab, shoulder strength, the Rotater

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Do you remember your first shoulder exercise?  Was it the military press?  Dips? …maybe it was pushups?  Nope, it wasn’t any of those shoulder exercises.  The first thing you did to increase the strength and mobility of your shoulder was learning to crawl.  That’s right – crawling was your first shoulder exercise.

Pushing up on our hands gave us our first opportunity to see more of our world…then by placing weight on our shoulder joints and moving our arms, we began to move to all these new, great things we saw.  Your shoulders were your first weight-bearing joint.

Your First Shoulder Exercise

Crawling for Shoulder Mobility

Crawling is a great way to increase your shoulder mobility in a safe and controlled manner.

• YOU control the amount of weight placed on your affected shoulder joint….from very little by using your knees and other shoulder as support to more by leaning on the affected shoulder.
• YOU can gain mobility just by getting down on all fours and rocking back and forth, side to side, round and round or any variation of these movements.
• YOU can increase your shoulder range of motion and strength by beginning to crawl.
• YOU can reach farther for more mobility or you can reach only a little for more control and stability.

Downhill Crawl for More Resistance

More Cool Shoulder Information

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Post tags: range of motion, self-stretch, shoulder exercises, shoulder mobility, shoulder rehab

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As a follow-up to my previous post, Farm Boy Strong Shoulders, I thought I’d post this video on Sledge Hammer Swinging technique.  I’ve recently returned to a regular, regimented workout program with equipment I have here at my house.   Lots of free weights, plus some of the stuff you’d find on a farm.   For example:

• weighted cart – I don’t have a prowler, but I do have a big, heavy duty cart that I can load up with weights (or kids) and push around
• thick rope – I just found a thick rope (about 1.5 inch diameter) at a local antique store this week…the price was right and I can’t wait to use it (maybe later today)
• home made sandbag – simple tool, great results
• odd object stuff – 100 lb anvil (from my horse shoeing days), water bottles filled with sand, home made kettlebells, etc
• sledge hammer and tire

Shoulder Strength and More with Sledge Hammer Swings

The Sledge Hammer is a great tool that will work your butt off and create powerful shoulders!!  If you know of anyone who works (makes a living) with a sledge hammer, then you know what kind of results you can expect from regularly swinging a sledgehammer.

So, I went online to see how the fitness world uses a sledge hammer.  Lots of videos … lots of advice … lots of poor technique.  Plus, most are missing a very some very important points.  So, I created a this Sledge Hammer swinging video, demonstrating how I use one during my workouts.  There are 4 stages to the sledge hammer swing… and I think it’s important that you know what they are.

If you don’t want to read my explanation, here’s my sledgehammer swinging video … the explanation is below.  Warning, this is a 9 minute video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stage 1 – The Sledge Hammer Swing Setup

A lot of the videos I’ve seen online pay very little attention to how you should “address” the object you want to pound with your sledge hammer.  This is a big mistake!  Everything begins with the setup and here’s what you need to know:

• Your feet should be “square” to the object you intend to demolish ( in most cases, a tire of some sort )
• One hand should grasp the bottom of the handle
• Your other hand should be holding the weighted end of the sledge hammer
• You should be in a “linebacker” stance

Stage 2 – Loading Your Sledge Hammer

For explanation purposes, we’re going to assume that your left hand is nearest the empty end of the sledge hammer and your right hand is near the “working” end.

• Lift your left hand to a position nearly directly over your head.  Your left arm should be slightly bent ( 5 – 10 degrees )
• Move your right hand to a position above your right shoulder as if you were getting ready to toss a ball
• Your torso should be stretched and tight … slightly twisted and like your are reaching for something above you

Stage 3 – The Explosion

This is where is see a lot of people miss out on the great benefit of using the sledge hammer as a part of your workout.  In the videos I’ve seen, people seem to think this is a semi – aerobic activity.  IT’S NOT !!!  This is a sprint … a series of rhythmic explosions in which you are trying to move something – BY EXTREME FORCE.  I like to tell people to swing the sledge hammer with “bad intentions“.

• From your loaded position, begin the motion with the forceful hinging of your hips
• Powerfully contract your torso, lats and shoulders
• Allow your right had to slide down the handle to a position above your left hand
• Hit the tire with “all you have”

Stage 4 – The Rebound

At this point, your hammer will bounce slightly.

• Slide your right hand back up the handle to it’s original “setup” position
• Return to your “linebacker” position
• Repeat .. multiple times

When you’ve completed your set, reverse your hands a do the same number of reps from the other side.  If done correctly, you’ll be breathing like a “freight train” and ready to throw your sledge hammer down.  Good job!!  You’ve just completed your first set of sledge hammer swings.

More, More, More

Shoulder info is all we do.  Click here if you want more OR join our community on Facebook.Readers of this article also liked:

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Post tags: exercise, shoulder development, shoulder exercises, shoulder strength

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The first time I remember hearing the term “farm boy” strong was in the early 80′s.  I was going to school at Auburn University, had caught the bodybuilding bug and was working out at Bill Kazmaier’s gym – Kaz Fitness.  Prior to Kaz’s, I had been working out at the “student” weight room, which was literally in the basement of the university coliseum.  After hearing about a “real” gym, I had to see for myself.

I stopped by to check Kaz’s out and was amazed at the amount of equipment … waaaay more stuff than the universal gym and scattered weights in the student dungeon …plus, the guy’s working out there were huge … or on their way to getting huge.  So I signed up and started learning how to get big and strong.

Sometime later, my father came to visit me and while he was there, went with me to workout.  Naturally, I wanted to show him how strong I’d become.  After a few minutes at the gym, he said, “If you want to get strong, do what farm boy’s do”.  At the time, I blew that statement off … what a mistake.  This is definitely one of those times that I wished I’d paid a little more attention to what my Dad was saying…BUT he was old (about 42 at the time … 8 years younger than me now) and had never REALLY worked out like me!

Farm Boys Work Hard … Every Day!

My dad was a farm boy.  He and 11 brothers and sisters had grown up “farming on halves”.  What that means is my grandfather had a standing agreement with another man.  This other man would provide the land, seed, fertilizer and my grandfather would provide the labor (himself, his kids, mules and equipment) to work the crops…then they would split the harvest 50-50. Yea, they were sharecroppers!

my son - 3 & my dad - 71 .. a couple of farm boys !!

When my father turned 17, he talked his mother into signing his Army enlistment papers and became a military man where he fought in 2 wars, became a drill sergeant (training young men to fight in Viet Nam) and eventually retired as a first sergeant at the ripe old age of 40.

One time, I asked my Dad why he had joined the Army … he told me that he was tired of looking at the “south end of a north-bound mule”.

Fast forward to now and all the craze in the workout world is functional movements …. stuff my father was trying to tell me 30 years ago.  If you want to get strong, do what farm boy’s do:

• push a heavy wheel barrow or do farmer’s walks
• lift, shoulder and carry bags of seed, feed and fertilizer or get yourself a sandbag
• try to persuade a 1200 lb mule to do what you want or train at the local BJJ / MMA gym
• use a sledgehammer to work on farm equipment or get a tire
• pushups, pullups, lifting and carrying, heavy, odd shaped stuff

Yep, Dad was waaaay ahead of his time.

Here’s a video of some of the cool stuff my business partner and inventor of the Rotater, Scott Kay, is doing with some of the high school wrestlers he coaches.  Scott was a 2-time New York state wrestling champion and now works with a local high school as an assistant wrestling coach.  Never one for conventionality, Scott has devised a workout course designed to make his team stronger and fitter.  You won’t see anything fancy .. mostly home-built stuff.  But a lot of thought has gone into this program.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Update – still “farm boy” strong

So, what are the long-term effects of being farm boy strong?  Well I can’t say for everybody, but my dad is 71 now.  He gets up every morning and works out on his Total Gym, does pushups and situps.  Then he goes to his business and puts in an 11 hour day.  After that, he usually comes up to my house in the country and piddles around with his grandkids, horses, tractors and turkeys.  Yea, I think there’s something to being “farm boy” strong.  Thanks, Dad !!

Want More Shoulder Rehab and Performance Info?

If you like this article and want more shoulder information, then please sign up to have our updates sent to your email.  Or join our growing community on Facebook … you’ll be glad you did.Readers of this article also liked:

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Post tags: shoulder exercises, shoulder mobility

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