Bullet Proof Your Shoulder

Setting your shoulder is a technique developed by HCA to alleviate shoulder pain due to impingement and to reduce the risk of injury due to improper rotation of the cuffs or other contributing muscles. Follow the next two steps and feel the difference this technique makes when it comes to shoulder movement. Go back to your regular technique to get a clearer idea. Pull your belly button by contracting your stomach muscles. You should be able to breath and talk normal as your perform this movement. Correctly done will result in a tightening feeling from your hip all the way up and past your rib cage. A useful visualization would be trying to get your belly button to touch your spine. Push the shoulders down and hold them there. Note that the shoulders are held in the frontal plane. Do not force your shoulders down if they are either sagging to the front or the back. Check your form in the mirror from the side. It will be easy to see if you are not lined up correctly.

Now your shoulders are set and you are ready to exercise. This technique is applicable to most upper body exercises. As you go through the routine in this program, be sure to set your shoulders before each exercise. As you become familiar with the technique, begin applying it to other exercise involving the upper body.