The shoulders are often the most troublesome and frequently injured part of the body for many lifters. There are several factors to consider:
– Rotator cuff weakness
– Poor scapular stability (a term that can be described as Controlled Scapular Mobility)
– Postural issues
– Acromion type
– Scapular kinematics (for example, an inability to upwardly rotate)
– Poor programming
– Poor technique
There’s a balance to strike between peak performance and shoulder health. In training, you want both optimal performance and a healthy joint.
Shoulder performance
The goal for many athletes is to get bigger, faster, and stronger, which usually involves lifting heavy objects. When you watch a strong person lift, you’ll notice the shoulder blades are carefully controlled and still. They’re retracted and depressed, providing a stable base for pressing and a solid platform that supports the torso during lifts like the bench press, squat, and deadlift. This stable positioning helps transfer force efficiently through the kinetic chain.
Bench press setup: keep the shoulders together and down to create a solid base.
Shoulder health
A practical approach combines stability with mobility. The shoulder blades perform several movements: retracting and protracting, elevating and depressing, upwardly and downwardly rotating, and posteriorly and anteriorly tilting. Having access to the full range of scapular motion is essential for optimal shoulder health.
We often tell people to squeeze their shoulder blades together, which isn’t wrong, but overdoing it can lead to issues such as downward rotation. Protraction—allowing the blades to move forward when appropriate—can be a real game changer.
Drills and fixes
1-Arm quadruped protraction is a useful drill, as is a simple fix for scapular winging that helps restore healthier movement patterns.
Beyond corrective cues, a common mistake in push-ups or row variations is keeping the shoulder blades pinned together. With push-ups, aim to push away and finish at the top, rather than keeping the blades glued throughout. With rows, don’t let the scapulae stay stuck in one position; let them move around your rib cage as they’re meant to.
That small adjustment can make a big difference for shoulder health and performance. It’s pretty straightforward and effective.
In short, addressing both ends of the shoulder spectrum—performance and health—will lead to better programming and better results. Shoulder issues can still happen, but a balanced approach improves outcomes.
