3 Shoulder Stability Exercises to Supplement Your Training
Written by Invictus Athlete Josh Littauer
You’ve had the goal of getting your first pull-up for months, or maybe of overhead squatting your bodyweight. Well now it’s time to take the practical steps to attaining those goals with some accessory shoulder work. We recently posted an article on the importance of doing accessory work in addition to your normal CrossFit program. This post will cover a few practical things you can add to your warm-up or cool down that will provide a quick and simple way to improve your shoulder strength and stability, and help you achieve these goals.
Shoulder strength and stability is a common deficiency in athletes and can be a factor in preventing achieving some of your goals. Here are three exercises with recommended sets and reps you can add to your weekly training that will drastically change your shoulder strength and stability.
Band Pull-Aparts: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
– Shoulders back and down
– Pinching scapula together at the top of the movement
Scapular Retractions: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
– Pulling your shoulders down and away from your ears
– No bend in the arms
Pull-up Negatives: 4 sets of 5-6 reps with 3-5 second descent
– Keep lats engaged throughout controlled descent
– Use box or low bar to scale, if needed
Check out Ring Rows & Scapular Retraction for more on shoulder stability awareness and exercises.
Also Check Out…
The Only Three Reasons You Still Can’t Do A Pull-Up