Do you exercise a healthy rotator cuff?

[aaaargh]

So the other day I tweaked my shoulder pretty good with some bad ukemi. It seems to be fine now, but I started thinking about prophylactically exercising my rotator cuff to prevent injury. I looked up some exercises and they are like nothing I've ever seen before. Basically I wanted to ask if the other folks here ever do exercises like these, and do they seem helpful, or am I just wasting time I should spend doing squats?

Here's an example:

http://www.aafp.org/afp/980215ap/980215a.html

[meataxe]

That's pretty much the right stuff you have there. I would recommend doing these. (I've been there.) Also if you do weights, don't spend a disproportionate time on pecs and biceps without equal attention on the antagonist muscles.

[Cullion]

If you have a shoulder injury, you need to talk to a properly qualified physiotherapist. Joints are complicated, and at times, delicate, things to rehabilitate from injury.

[Kentucky Fried Chokin]

Do halos, they great for your shoulders, they build strength and flexability. It's kind of difficult to describe, but grab a weight plate by the edges with both hands and rotate it around your head in a circular motion. If you watch TUF, they do this exercise all the time. I do it everytime I lift, to warm up my shoulders.

[Emevas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ONHZmsFec

This should be helpful.

[Deadmeat]

I have stupidly inflexible shoulders, and I do those four exercises regularly now, along with a range of static stretches.

If you have recently injured it, speak to a physiotherapist before attempting exercises - furthermore, the physiotherapist can recommend/prescribe appropriate routines.

It seems that you have recovered from the twinge, and as such, probably don't feel the need to consult a physio, but it would still be a good idea to get advice in regards to prophylactic exercise - particularly in relation to anything to do with the shoulder, as it is a very complicated joint, prone to idiosyncratic injuries. Some exercises that others can do easily cause me pain and discomfort, and others that I can do comfortably are problematic for some people I've trained with.

Bottom line: get an assessment by a trained professional.

[tyciol]

Do halos, they great for your shoulders, they build strength and flexability. It's kind of difficult to describe, but grab a weight plate by the edges with both hands and rotate it around your head in a circular motion. If you watch TUF, they do this exercise all the time. I do it everytime I lift, to warm up my shoulders.

I've seen those halos done with kettlebells too (they hold it by the 'horns). I'd imagine the hands would be closer together than using a large plate like this, though using a small plate might be sort of similar.

I tried it with this 5lb dumbell I have lying next to me since I'd been getting some shoulder pain. Doing it slowly and responding to the feelings I think might help to lubricate it, I did feel the shoulder and back warm up a bit, hopefully the warmth is something that can help. In general, doing stuff that makes blood flow is good for injuries right? At least, for rehabing them (obviously not immediately due to swelling you want to ice).

Even doing them holding nothing, just keeping your hands together in some way, is something. It's not as consistant as an object though.

When you do them, do you focus on having your elbow travel almost above your crown and getting the upper arms to come near your ear?

[Teh El Macho]

One should not only strenghten the shoulders. They should be stretched as well to avoid impigment.

http://www.bullshido.net/forums/show...33&postcount=5

^^^ Caveat: don't do the rhomboids' part unless you suffer from pain/dullness between the shoulder blades.

[Jhemsley]

Also if you do weights, don't spend a disproportionate time on pecs and biceps without equal attention on the antagonist muscles.

To expand on this, as a rule of thumb, you need 1 vertical pull for every 1 vertical push, and 1 horizontal pull for 1 horizontal push if you are balanced to maintain the balance. So if you do benches for 3 of 10, you need to ro 3 of 10. Loading will be different, but the amount of work performed shouldn't be.

If you have an existing imbalance, you need to go 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 when pulling to pushing. Most people who workout have an imbalance because there are more ways to push effectively with calisthentics, dumbbells and barbells, and pulling motion are in gernal harder.

If you stand in front of a mirror relaxed and natural with arms hanging, look at your hands. If the top of your thumbnails are parrallel to the mirror and back of your hands are perpendicular, and none of the knuckles on the back of your hand are prominently displayed in the mirror - you can go one to one for pulls and pushes.

If your thumbs are at a 45, and you can clearly see the first two knuckles of your hand in the mirror, you need to go 2 to 1.

If you thumbs are perpindicular and you can see the back of all your knuckles in the mirror, you need to go 3 to 1.