Train Like an Athlete by ATHLEAN-X (Video Podcast)

If you rely on the overhead press for building big strong shoulders, as you should, then you’re going to want to check out today’s video. The overhead press is a great compound movement that develops strength and overall upper body mass. Unfortunately a lot of guys get sidelined from doing the over head press because of shoulder stiffness and mobility issues.

Today’s warm up will help you get those stiff shoulders greased up so they don’t feel so locked in place. While this won’t cure any injuries or structural issues, it will help prevent them from happening as well as help anyone who has overall stiffness or who struggles to get full over head range of motion.

To perform this move you’re going to need a physioball and a wall. Start by kneeling down, facing the wall. With your arm out to your side in an L shape, press the physioball into the wall. The key here is to keep your elbow in front of the body and make sure you’re pushing through your wrist and not with your hand.

Perform about 6 or 7 reps with the right hand, then move the physioball to the middle of your body and perform another 6 or 7 reps with both hands. Lastly, move the ball all the way to the left and perform the final 6 or 7 reps with the left hand. It’s important to move deliberately and to push through the wrist while maintaining proper elbow positioning. If you have any doubts about performance refer to the video for my demonstration.

This move isn’t intended to build muscle or develop cannonball delts but rather to set the stage so that you can better perform the heavy compound lifts, like the overhead press, that will accomplish the goal of building massive shoulders. This move is intended to engage the rotator cuff and lower traps to help support the shoulder girdle. This provides a more stable base to press off.

As I always say, you can’t fire a cannon from a canoe...if you’re shoulders are all locked in place forcing your to compromise your range of motion, you’re not going to get the most out of the over head press and you’re leaving strength and size gains on the table. Not to mention the fact that you’re more likely to suffer an injury. Once these stabilizer muscles are activated you’re going to notice a lot more strength and a lot less stiffness.

If you are looking for a science based step by step workout plan that helps you to build muscle by getting the most out of every exercise you do, head to http://athleanx.com and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System. See how training like an athlete and taking your training more seriously can speed up the gains you get and help you keep them for years to come.

For more videos on how to build bigger shoulders as well as tips for fixing sore shoulders, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at http://youtube.com/user/jdcav24