Shoulder Stability Exercises
Perform one of the following exercises during each workout to strengthen the crucial stabilizing muscles in your shoulders.
Physioball Walkout With Push-Up
- Assume push-up position with hips centered on physioball
- Keeping back flat and core tight, slowly walk hands forward until feet are on top of physioball
- Perform Push-Up
- Walk hands backward and return to start position
- Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×10
Benefits: Your shoulders work to balance the body and prevent you from falling off the ball, strengthening the small stabilizer muscles that help you deliver a blow or absorb force contact with an opponent or the ground.
External Rotation
- Lie on side holding light dumbbell in front near mid-torso with elbow bent at 90 degrees and palm facing in
- Keeping elbow pinned to side, rotate hand away from body until forearm is parallel to floor
- Return to start; repeat for specified reps
- Perform set with opposite arm
Sets/Reps: 2×10 each arm
Benefits: This targets rotator cuff muscles, which keep your shoulder joint together. These muscles are easily injured, so it’s important to condition them to keep your shoulders healthy.
Hand Ladder
- Perform the following speed ladder patterns with your hands while maintaining push-up position.
- Forward Run: one hand in each box
- Lateral Shuffle: two hands in each box, no crossover
- Ickey Shuffle: two hands in each box, one hand out in diagonal shuffle
- Reverse Ickey Shuffle: two hands in each box, one hand out in backward diagonal shuffle
Sets/Reps: 2x each pattern
Benefits: The different ladder drills train the shoulders to be strong and stable in their full range of motion, preparing them for unexpected movements or blows sustained during sports activity.
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Shoulder Stability Exercises
Perform one of the following exercises during each workout to strengthen the crucial stabilizing muscles in your shoulders.
Physioball Walkout With Push-Up
- Assume push-up position with hips centered on physioball
- Keeping back flat and core tight, slowly walk hands forward until feet are on top of physioball
- Perform Push-Up
- Walk hands backward and return to start position
- Repeat for specified reps
Sets/Reps: 3×10
Benefits: Your shoulders work to balance the body and prevent you from falling off the ball, strengthening the small stabilizer muscles that help you deliver a blow or absorb force contact with an opponent or the ground.
External Rotation
- Lie on side holding light dumbbell in front near mid-torso with elbow bent at 90 degrees and palm facing in
- Keeping elbow pinned to side, rotate hand away from body until forearm is parallel to floor
- Return to start; repeat for specified reps
- Perform set with opposite arm
Sets/Reps: 2×10 each arm
Benefits: This targets rotator cuff muscles, which keep your shoulder joint together. These muscles are easily injured, so it’s important to condition them to keep your shoulders healthy.
Hand Ladder
- Perform the following speed ladder patterns with your hands while maintaining push-up position.
- Forward Run: one hand in each box
- Lateral Shuffle: two hands in each box, no crossover
- Ickey Shuffle: two hands in each box, one hand out in diagonal shuffle
- Reverse Ickey Shuffle: two hands in each box, one hand out in backward diagonal shuffle
Sets/Reps: 2x each pattern
Benefits: The different ladder drills train the shoulders to be strong and stable in their full range of motion, preparing them for unexpected movements or blows sustained during sports activity.