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.
No comments:
Post a Comment