When you want something bad enough, nothing stands in your way. But to stay on the field throughout a long season, you must identify your body’s weak links. Neglecting to train specific muscle groups can hinder your progress.

For athletes who participate in “throwing motion sports” like softball, tennis, volleyball and swimming, a major potential weak link is the shoulder joint. Maintain a healthy shoulder in just ten minutes a day by adding these light resistance exercises to your pre-practice routine. (See also How to Improve Shoulder Stability: An Overview.)

This program can be used before or after practices or games, or at the beginning of your next strength training session.

Shoulder Weak Link Training

Shoulder Shrug

• Stand holding dumbbells at your sides
• Keeping arms straight, raise shoulders up as high as possible
• Lower and repeat

Shoulder Raise

• Grasp dumbbells in front of thighs with elbows, hips and knees slightly bent
• Bend over slightly
• Keeping elbows above wrists, raise upper arms to sides until elbows are at shoulder height
• Lower and repeat

Prone Dumbbell External Rotation Unilateral with Abducted Row

• Lie face down on a bench
• Keep legs separated for support
• Grasp dumbbells and lift dumbbells out to sides
• Rotate shoulders out
• Return and repeat

Prone Dumbbell Shoulder Fly

• Lie face down on a bench
• Keep legs separated for support
• Grasp dumbbells and raise dumbbells out to sides