A Bit on the Shoulder Complex

The shoulder complex is a very complex series of joints, capsules and deep tissues to encourage one thing: Integrity and mobility of the most movable area in the human body. The four joints that make up the shoulder encourage both a "stable" and "mobile" environment.

In my opinion, the shoulder complex is best described in this fashion by renowned strength coach Mike Boyle in this article.

Here, Boyle covers multiple joints and their disposition to "crave" stability, mobility or both. Simply put, the scapulothoracic (ST) joint (which is the scapula resting on the posterior thoracic cage) needs stability. Muscles that help encourage the proper force couples of this joint include the Serratus Anterior, Lower Trapezius, Pectoralis Minor and Biceps Brachii.

What needs to addressed as well are the infamous four rotator cuff muscles which aid in stabilizing the Glenohumeral (GH) joint. The GH joint is the most interesting as it is designed predominately for mobility - but also needs stability. I've seen many throwing athletes having the ability to develop the concentric forces needed to project an object, but fail to possess the eccentric forces necessary to slow down the throwing arm which can lead to probably injury or overuse.

When training the shoulder, consider this: Am I doing too much? Some training programs include a full "shoulder" day on top of all the pushing and pulling of other multi-joint movements. Is this really necessary? In my opinion, no.

Knock out the shoulder day and focus mostly on the horizontal and vertical pushing/pulling and supplement the workout with your favorite delt exercises. Committing a full day to shoulders could possibly lead to overuse injuries such as impingement syndrome, labrum tears or scapulo-humeral dysfunctions.

Compound Exercises

When it comes to exercise selection, choose exercises that are functional in nature. Research suggests that multi-joint, multi-planar exercises encourage increased calorie expenditure and muscle fiber recruitment. Meaning:

1. More calories are being consumed

2. Increased lean body mass (muscle) is probable

Both of these concepts are very important to consider when wanting to lose body fat and improve your appearance.

Try out this exercise in your next workout!

Research

In my research this afternoon I just read an amazing article that taught me something new: During the modified Thomas Test, if there is abduction of unresisted leg, that two possible probabilities are a reduced lengthening (tightness) of the TFL and Sartorius.

This makes sense to me as the Sartorius is a muscle built as a synergist and would be called into play should the primary agonists of hip flexion shut down or be called into over-time. The TFL joins the Gluteus Maximus to form the IT band - it's attachment to the Tibia easily can cause abduction

Good times.