I call today’s technique the Shoulder Rotation Robot and it’s an example of a reciprocal movement, which is when your limbs perform opposite movements i.e. how your arms and legs work when you walk.
It looks kinda like the robot dance, which I always love to see:
This move won’t get you to this level of slickness, but in addition to internal and external rotation mobility, the Shoulder Rotation Robot also trains one of the most important movements that develops scapular control & stability – POSTERIOR TILT.
Yes, your scapulae can tilt posteriorly and anteriorly just like your pelvis and learning how to perform this motion, especially in the presence of humeral (upper arm bone) rotation is critical to the health of your shoulders as anytime you throw, your scaps should avoid excessive anterior tilting, which can cause impingement.
One thing to watch for when you perform this move is your shoulders downwardly rotating when you’re internally rotating (moving your hand down towards the wall).
This is a common compensation for a lack of internal rotation mobility so be aware of it as you do the move and only go as far as you can while keeping your shoulders neutral.
Love the exercises and your demo's. Just the right length of time on each exercise and easy to listen to. It's amazing how well some of the exercises target the area; and how testing they are with little or no weight/ resistance.
My scapula are already becoming less winged, and my shoulders feeling healthier and stronger. I have increased my shoulder press as well. These new types of exercises have re energized me in my training as well, keeping it interesting.
Jason R. followed the Scap Control Program
Shoulder Rotation Robot: Scapular Stability Technique
- Stand with your back against a wall, fingers pointing down toward the ground and elbows slightly bent
- Keeping your upper arm and elbow pressing into the wall, start to lift your right fingers and forearm away from the wall as you rotate them up
- Let the back of your hand reach the wall, fingers pointed up, and pause, pressing both hands into the wall
- As you rotate your right arm back down to the starting position, lift your left arm up, swapping positions
- Continue to move, taking one hand up as the other moves down and pausing in between
Do 8-12 reps per daily for a week, as part of a warmup or at the end of workouts for 2-3 sets with a 2 sec hold in each position to work this movement more intensely.
