I spent last weekend in St. Louis with Dean Somerset teaching our Complete Shoulder & Hip Workshop to about 25 personal trainers, coaches, and physical therapists at Blue Ocean Fitness just outside the city in Chesterfield. If you’re around, you can reach out to John Farkas—great coach and staff. I also ended up eating a lot of meat over the weekend.
Outside of the barbecue talk, the workshop was a success. Nobody left early, no one asked for a refund, and it seemed everyone walked away with several big “ah-ha” moments.
A few key takeaways
1) Shoulder assessment goes beyond watching for a rounded upper back. It’s important to look at superior–inferior balance as well, including the ability to upwardly rotate the scapulae and control downward rotation eccentrically.
2) If someone can’t achieve adequate shoulder flexion, they probably shouldn’t be doing overhead pressing, AMRAP snatches, or kipping pull-ups.
3) The term “shoulder stability” is a bit misleading. Stability implies rigid bones and ligaments; with the shoulder, a better term—one I borrowed from Sue Falsone—is “controlled scapular mobility.”
4) The anti-flexion pattern can create other serious shoulder (and spine) imbalances—especially for people who are stuck in extension with depressed, downwardly rotated shoulder girdles. Treatment and programming for these postures differ greatly from those who sit in flexion. For those in a more extended posture, over-relying on upper-trap activation to drive upward rotation isn’t always desirable.
5) Not everyone is meant or designed to squat all the way to the ground. Respect people’s anatomy and joints—don’t force a one-size-fits-all squat.
6) Perceived mobility limits can come from motor control or instability. Don’t automatically assume you need endless stretching or aggressive foam rolling or other soft-tissue work. Aggressive soft-tissue work has its place, but it’s easy to overdo.
7) Improving proximal stability with planks and rolling patterns helps the core fire and, in turn, enhances distal mobility.
We didn’t film the lectures, but there are a few related videos worth watching: Dr. Perry Nickelston discusses the soft-roll technique, an older video of Dean highlighting how planks can improve hip range of motion, and a lighthearted clip of me using a Swiss ball for corrective exercise.
And now it’s a wrap. After each workshop I tend to collapse on the hotel bed, veg out, and binge-watch HGTV. It’s funny what passes for excitement when you’ve just finished a long weekend. I woke early this morning and am typing from the airport as I wait for my flight to Cincinnati to connect back to Boston.
I didn’t have a concrete idea for today, but a question from one of the attendees stuck with me: “How did you get so good with shoulder stuff? Where did you learn it from?” It was a big compliment, and it caught me off guard because I don’t see myself as some kind of shoulder guru.
If we’re being honest, I’m no genius with everything, but I’ve learned a few things over the years. I’m also lucky to have a close circle of coaches, including Eric Cressey, which gives me opportunities I wouldn’t have imagined.
Here’s the core message I want to share: whatever you want to get better at—shoulder anatomy, assessment, biceps, or anything else—there’s no single correct path. The key is you. Ask questions, stay curious, and get as many repeated exposures to the material as you can. And then keep at it.
We’ll be in Chicago on October 17 and in Los Angeles on November 13. If you want details, shoot me an email.
I’m a Star Wars nerd. Star Trek is probably even nerdier.
