Who Is At Risk Of Rotator Cuff Injuries
Shoulders are the most movable joints in the human body, which makes them prone to possible injuries.
Shoulder pain is one of the most common health issues facing Americans, with over 13 million Americans visiting a doctor yearly over 20% have a tear in their rotator cuff.
These people need to strengthen their shoulders with resistance band shoulder exercises:
- People over the age of 40 have the greatest risk of suffering a rotator cuff tear due to natural wear and tear of aging.
- Those who work manual labor jobs that require overhead work such as painters and carpenters.
- People who overuse their shoulders in sports like baseball, tennis, and even weightlifting can get rotator cuff tears.
- Bad falls or traumatic injuries are also culprits in causing rotator cuff tears.
All in all, no one is safe from potential injury, but those who are stronger and train smart have less chance of injuring their shoulder joint.
Shoulder Exercises With Bands
This exercise targets the rotator cuff and is used for strengthening it.
It is gentle yet effective.
To do this exercise:
-Secure the band at waist height.
-Stand three to four feet away from the door with the arm youre exercising away from the place youve anchored the band.
-Keep your forearm parallel to the floor and your upper arms perpendicular. Make sure your neck is straight, chest up, and stomach tight.
-Rotate your arm out until it cant go any further.
-Keep the elbow of the arm youre exercising tight by your side.
-Hold it, then return to starting position.
Internal Rotation Of Shoulder With Theraband
The next exercise is to strengthen the internal rotators of the shoulder. As you can see in the figure, when we rotate our hand inwards it is due to shoulder internal rotation movement. The five muscles that internally rotate the shoulder joints are the subscapularis, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, teres major, and the anterior aspect of the deltoid.
So how can we strengthen it? The basic principle for all the strengthening exercises we are going to discuss is the same. Tie one end of the resistance band, in the figure I have tied it on a window grill. And hold the other end with the hand to be exercised.
To get maximum range of motion, start with the hand rotated as externally as possible and band in the tout position. Then firmly pull the band and do internal rotation movement of the shoulder against the resistance of the band. Take it to the maximum internally rotated position and then slowly bring it back to starting position. So you will do this exercise at least 15 to 20 times in a session.
Repeat the exact same procedure on the other shoulder. You just need to tie the resistance band on the opposite side. Do it at least 10 to 15 times at a time.
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Portable Inexpensive And Easy To Use
Resistance bands are portable, inexpensive, and easy to use, so you can easily incorporate them into your fitness routine. They also allow for plenty of variation and modifications.
Resistance band exercises can help improve flexibility and function and correct muscle imbalances. Plus, they may help relieve back or shoulder pain, especially after an injury or surgery, so you can go about your day in greater comfort.
If youre using these exercises after an injury or surgery, be sure to consult your healthcare team first.
There are lots of options for resistance bands if youd like to purchase your own. Here are some things to consider:
- how and where youd like to use the bands
- the type of resistance you want
- features you may find useful, such as handles
You can find more information about resistance bands and popular options in this 5 Bands for Resistance Training article.
Resistance Band Exercises To Strengthen Your Shoulders And Back
Whether youre looking to strengthen muscle or tone up, these resistance band exercises for shoulders and back from Nick Tumminello will help do the trick.
Resistance bands can help improve your strength, flexibility and endurance. This makes them a great addition to any strength training workout. Since theyre compact, taking them wherever you go gives you the chance to maintain fitness wherever you are. In this blog, adapted from Nick Tumminellos Your Workout PERFECTED, weve put together some great resistance band exercises for shoulders and back.
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Compound Exercise #2 Incline Chest Press
Another great compound exercise that will target your upper chest but also the front of your shoulders really well. This is a great exercise to combine shoulder training along with your chest training.
Find more tips to do this exercise in perfect form here.
Benefits Of Resistance Band Exercises
More and more of us are turning to resistance bands as part of our workouts. Theyre very lightweight and extremely portable, meaning you can effectively train anytime, anywhere. If you want to continue your strength training routine whilst on holiday, resistance bands could be the answer. For more information on maintaining fitness while on a break you can read our post from June 2017, Maintain muscle and fitness levels while on a break which features handy nutrition tips.
The bands also challenge muscles by creating resistance in multiple directions. They can be used to increase strength in specific muscles. Additionally, resistance bands can help strengthen stabiliser and support muscles, both of which are often neglected during traditional strength training.
Resistance bands can also be used to train all components of fitness and performance including power, cardio, core, fat loss, mobility, balance, coordination, agility and speed.
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Shoulder Rehab Exercises With Theraband
These theraband shoulder rehab exercises are a great place for almost anyone to start, however if you’ve had an injury/surgery make sure you can comfortably do these beginners exercises first.
With each of these theraband shoulder rehab exercises it is important that you start in a good position to get the best results.
Make sure you are sitting/standing upright, not slouched forwards. To set your shoulders in the right position, draw your shoulders up 2cm, then back 2cm and then down 2cm. This will engage the stabilising muscles around your shoulder blade to help open up the shoulder joint and allow free, controlled movement. You can find out more in the scapula stabilization exercises section.
Shoulder Exercise : Raise Two Arms Forward With A Fitness Resistance Band
Raising your arms forward is one of the best exercises for the deltoid muscles of the shoulders. Can be performed with closed-loop fitness resistance bands or fitness resistance bands with handles. This exercise complements your shoulder workout and helps develop the shoulder muscles in the front and makes the deltoid muscles of the shoulders more voluminous, more defined and more beautiful.
Execution:Take an elastic band , cover the middle of the fitness resistance band with a foot, hold both ends of the fitness band with your hands and straighten the body. Begin by raising your arms from the front to shoulder level or slightly above them, and then gently lower your arms to the starting position.The exercise can be performed with both hands at the same time or with alternating hands. The exercise loads the front shoulder and trapezius. Try not to stretch your arms completely.
Recommended number of repetitions: 12-16
Front Shoulder Exercise – Raise two arms forward with a fitness resistance band
Front Shoulder Exercise – Raise two arms forward with a fitness resistance band 2
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Benefits Of The Face Pull
A once unknown exercise, the face pull has quickly transformed into one of the most popular movements for rear deltoid development. Unlike many popular activities, the face pull differs because of its sheer simplicity.
All you need is a cable station with a rope attachment or a simple resistance band. The goal is to grab the band or rope, square your shoulders, flare your elbows, and pull toward your face.
The face pull is one of the best exercises trainees should do to maintain shoulder health and prevent poor posture. Face pulls offer a fantastic range of motion and emphasizes our posterior shoulder heads thanks to the high elbow position. Plus, the movements overloading potential is excellent, though its best to use light loads for 20 or more repetitions per set.
How To Perform Face Pulls At Home Without A Machine
The best place to do face pulls is a cable machine because of the overloading potential, constant tension, and ability to change the pulling angle. The good news is that you can also do face pulls at home, even if you dont have a machine.
Resistance bands are a fantastic option for doing face pulls at home. First, bands come in various tension levels, allowing you to pick the one that best fits your strength level .
You can start with a thin band and gradually increase the tension as you build up your upper back, rear deltoids, and biceps. Second, you can easily attach the band somewhere above your head. A resistance band door anchor works well.
Training with resistance bands is also beneficial because of their linear variable resistance . The more you lengthen a band, the more tension it provides, preventing momentum and forcing you to use good technique.
Plus, the band forces you to contract your rear deltoids and upper back muscles maximally to complete each repetition. As far as technique goes, you should follow the same instructions as you would for a cable station.
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Trap Resistance Band Shoulder Exercises
To fully develop the shoulder muscle group, its good to include an exercise targeting the traps. This is the muscle that slopes down from your neck to your shoulders and connects to your upper back.
11. Resistance Band Shrugs
Start by standing in the middle of the band with feet about shoulder-width apart. Then shrug your shoulders up towards your ears while keeping your arms straight down at your sides.
This exercise most closely replicates a dumbbell shrug. Also, to make this exercise challenging, you may need to increase the resistance by doubling up on bands or using heavy-duty power bands.
Resistance Band Shoulder Exercises Stretches And Workout Program
If you search the internet for arm workouts, likely, most of them focus primarily on your triceps and biceps.
These muscle groups deserve attention, but your shoulders can take your upper body physique to the next level.
So, how should we address our shoulders?
Dumbbells, barbells, and machines are very effective for helping you build and grow your shoulders. However, dont forget resistance band shoulder exercises!
Developing workouts that use resistance bands ensures that you can get in a killer workout no matter where you are no need to lug around awkward equipment or be near a gym.
I have been a personal trainer for many years, but that doesnt mean me and my clients live at the gym. I have helped multiple clients develop bigger, more shapely shoulders at home!
Now its your turn. Heres my list of all the shoulder exercises I recommend you start doing with resistance bands no matter your location.
These movements target your front, lateral, and rear deltoids, so there is no need to worry about one shoulder area getting more attention than the others.
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What Else Can Help
If you are suffering from shoulder pain, it is really important to know what is wrong before starting shoulder rehab exercises as not all exercises will be suitable for everyone. Have a look at the common shoulder problems section if you already know what is wrong or if you want some help working out what is going on, check out the shoulder pain diagnosis section.
If these shoulder rehab exercises seem a little to challenging for you e.g. you are recovering from an injury, your arm is feeling weak and stiff or you are nervous about starting exercise, start with our beginners rotator cuff exercises. Once you are confident with those, come back and try these shoulder rehab exercises.
You may also want to try some other shoulder rehab exercises such as:
Resistance Band Shoulder Workout
This intense shoulder routine shows how resistance bands can stimulate muscle growth, strengthen the joints, and transform boring workouts for lifters of all backgrounds.
Using bands can provide a welcome relief from free weights, but that’s not all bands can also provide exactly the stimulus your shoulders need to gain size and strength. To test this theory, we brought together two completely different training styles to create one intense shoulder workout. Worlds collide as fitness model David Morin and Bodybuilding.com employee and Strongwoman competitor Rachel Pyron band together for this challenging session. Morin has been using bands in his training for some time and is eager to show what they can do.
“After weight training for many, many years, I’ve experienced weaknesses in joints,” he says. “These areas of opportunity are where I can use a different modality to create strength in those joints.”
Pyron, on the other hand, admits that, like many in her sport, she uses bands primarily for warm-ups.
“I think that’s kind of traditionally how they are used in the Strongman world,” she explains. “Especially when you’re traveling and you don’t have a lot of equipment to warm up with.”
Morin and Pyron take you through a succession of movements to challenge your shoulders and target the secondary muscles around the shoulder joint. If you’ve only used dumbbells and cables, this workout will feel very different. That’s normal, according to Morin.
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Resistance Band Exercises For The Middle Delts
You have to do lateral raises for the medial delts, and bands may be better than dumbbells if you know the right way to apply tension.
Ill show you three different variations of lateral raises that you can do with a band, a banded version of the high pull and a resistance band exclusive called the Hip Hugger.
6.) LONG ARC LATERAL RAISE
The starting position is what makes the long arc lateral raise unique and effective.
To do the Long Arc Lateral Raise, anchor the band under the opposite side foot instead of anchoring it under the same side foot that Im lifting my arm up on .
Anchoring under the contra-lateral foot gives you more range of motion against the bands resistance.
Loop the band around the back of your hand so you can focus on the exercise and not your grip. You dont want to be at the mercy of any kind of grip, wrist, or forearm weakness that prevents you from performing this with peak tension at the apex of the movement.
7.) SHORT ARC LATERAL RAISE
Lets say you have wrist or forearm issues that prevent you from doing the long arc lateral raises.
The short arc version works great when youve got strength limitations from the elbow down, maybe elbow tendinosis, which is a common over-training injury.
For the Short Arc Lateral Raise, double-up a heavier resistance band around your arms and then drive your elbows out away from your body into abduction as much as you possibly can, hinging at the shoulder.
8.) CROSS BODY LATERAL RAISE
9.) BANDED HIGH PULL
What Muscles Does The Face Pull Activate
The primary muscles that work during a face pull are the middle and rear deltoids. Our rear deltoids assist with shoulder retraction and rotation. The posterior deltoids activate well thanks to their two-fold function , leading to remarkable growth. Similarly, the middle delts contribute to the movement and provide shoulder stability.
Face pulls are also great for training the rhomboids, infraspinatus, and trapezius. These muscles contribute to shoulder retraction and help us pull the rope toward our face. The only downside is that face pulls cant activate our upper back muscles that well since we use much less weight. The face pull also works our biceps and brachioradialis, both of which contribute to elbow flexion.
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Exercise #: External Rotation At 90 Degree Abduction
How to:
Benefits Of Resistance Band Shoulder Exercises
The shoulders are one of the most complex joints in the body. Its responsible for most of your upper body arm movements, from putting a seatbelt on to brushing your teeth. But being so complex also means its highly vulnerable to injury especially during exercise.
Thats where resistance band workouts come in.
With the ability to change the tension to the ideal level and engage your shoulders from almost infinite angles from different surfaces at different heights, resistance band shoulder exercises are an easy, safe and effective alternative to other more strenuous weight lifting exercises. Whether youre recovering from a rotator cuff injury, or hoping to improve your strength training, resistance band workouts can change the way you do shoulder exercises.
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Runners Lunge With Shoulder Stretch
Anchor your band above your head and grab the other end of the band with one hand.
Get into a runners lunge position with your front toe pointing toward the anchor. The hand holding the anchor should be the opposite arm of your front leg.
Lean your other forearm on your front leg and rotate your chest out so that the arm holding the band becomes fully extended and comes up so that your bicep rests against your face.
Hold here for ten seconds and switch to the other side.