For years we’ve been told to avoid behind-the-neck pulldowns and pull-ups. And for good reason — they place a tremendous amount of stress on the shoulders when you’re lifting a heavy load with the humeri abducted and in a position of maximum external rotation. It’s a problem waiting to happen. Besides, it’s not a natural…
Most gym rats are “pushers,” not “pullers”—and most do too much horizontal pushing and not enough vertical pushing. If you’re able to press 100-pound dumbbells lying flat on your back, then you should be able to press 70-pound dumbbells overhead for the same number of reps. For every pushing pattern you perform, you should also…
As 2019 comes to a close, let’s take a look back at our most popular and impactful articles of the year. These posts sparked conversation, challenged the norm, and offered practical strategies to help you train smarter. Here are the top 10, plus a bonus: 1. Heavy Hip Thrusts Are Dangerous One of the most…
Here’s a simple way to reduce stress on your shoulders during pressing movements. Next time you’re in the gym, take a look around. Most people perform presses with a pronated grip (palms forward) and flared elbows—an approach that can put a lot of strain on the shoulders and eventually lead to injury. A healthier alternative…
Paused reps can be a game-changer in your training. By deliberately stopping at key points during a lift, you reduce momentum, reinforce proper technique, and dramatically increase muscular tension. In the case of chin-ups, pausing at the bottom not only reduces cheating, but also provides a brief decompression for the spine and shoulders—something many lifters…
Horizontal adduction and internal rotation of the humerus are two primary functions of the pectoralis major muscle. To stretch this muscle, you would perform the opposite actions and hold the end range as demonstrated in the video below. This particular stretch, done in a power rack, is far more effective than the typical corner or…
Today, more training tools are available to personal trainers than ever before. How do you decide what equipment is best? It depends on the situation. Take resistance training, for example. As far as I’m concerned, free weights reign supreme. Whenever I’m asked about a particular machine, my response is always the same: Get yourself a…
Most people “wear their shoulders too low,” according to Dr. Shirley Sahrmann, author of Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes. At an Ontario Kinesiology Society seminar in 2004, Sahrmann pointed out that shoulder depression causes more problems than elevation—one of the most common being neck pain. Simply raising the shoulder girdle can improve cervical…
The bench press is one of the most popular exercises in the gym, but how many people train the opposite movement? Think about what happens to your shoulders and posture after weeks, months, or even years of pressing without balancing it with pulling exercises. Over time, this imbalance can lead to poor posture and shoulder…
Many lifters struggle with an imbalance between the internal and external rotators of the shoulder. Most of the time, the internal rotators (pecs, lats, and anterior delts) are overactive and tight, while the external rotators (infraspinatus and teres minor) are weak and underdeveloped. The ShoulderHorn is a well-known tool for targeting the external rotators in…