HOW: Stand next to a doorway or pole. Reach the arm you want to stretch over and across your body and grab onto the doorway with your palms face up, not down. Cross your leg on that side behind you. Slowly let your hips sink away from the door. Look under your armpit to further intensify the stretch.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch along the shoulder, lats, and even the side of your lower back with this stretch.

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure to “let go” and let your hips sink away. If you do not relax your shoulder, you will not feel the stretch!

HOW: Start by positioning yourself with your hands on the ground straight down from your shoulders, and your knees on the ground below your hips. Loop a band around your wrist. Push your chest away from the ground as you keep one arm on the ground, the other goes out in different clock numbers for the prescribed amount of reps. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your shoulder muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t slouch your back, keep it straight. Don’t move the rest of your body, only your arm/shoulder.

HOW: Start in a standing position with a band positioned at waist height holding the band in each hand with your thumbs facing forward. While keeping your elbows as straight as you can, begin the exercise by moving your arms backwards and squeezing your shoulder blades together.  Hold the end position for a moment, then return to starting position and repeat. If you need to slightly lean your trunk forward to get more shoulder extension range of motion, that is ok.

 

FEEL: This should feel like an upper body workout, specifically your tricep, the back of your deltoids, and shoulder blade muscles.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep the rest of your body still, do not excessively arch or bend your back. Do not use momentum to move your arms. Do not let your elbows excessively bend. Drive the motion from your shoulders and shoulder blades. 

HOW: Get set-up in a high lunge/split stance position with a band anchored at or above your head level. Have the band anchored to the side of you and the knee that is closest to the anchor will be forward. While holding onto the band with both palms facing down and keeping your lower body still, perform a chop motion diagonally downwards away from the anchor moving your arms and your torso. Slowly return to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles on the outside of your shoulders and shoulder blades working. You should also feel your core muscles and leg muscles working to stabilize the rest of the your body.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not lean forward or backward, do not tilt side to side, do not lose your balance, try to time your arm and torso movement accordingly. Maintain that split stance position!

HOW: Start by looping a band around your wrist. Stand close to a wall with your elbows on the wall straight out from your shoulders making your palms face each other. Keep your elbows in as you create tension in the band with your shoulders. Keep one arm stable as you move the other arm slightly in, up, and then out holding that tension on the wall once you go out. Repeat on the other side going up and down. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your shoulder muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t create tension in the band with your wrist or hands, keep them relaxed and only use your shoulders. Keep a bend in your elbow, even when you move up and down on the wall. Keep your back up straight, don’t lean forward or backwards.

HOW: Anchor a band about shoulder height. Face away from the anchor and grab onto it with one hand. Bend your elbow and raise it up to the side at shoulder height. Start close to the anchor as you bring your arm up to make a “L” position with your elbow straight out from your shoulder. Rotate your hand to the front so your knuckles are facing forward. Hold that position as you walk forwards. Once you find enough resistance, raise your hand up against the resistance, towards the anchor. Walk back and repeat. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your shoulder muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Maintain the 90/90 position as you walk backwards, don’t drop your elbow down.

HOW: Facing the anchored band on your side, bend your knees and have your elbow on the ground directly underneath your shoulder. Push into the ground with your knees and elbow and lift your hip up to where your knee, hip, and shoulder are in a straight line. Grab the band with the top hand, squeeze your shoulder blade, and pull the band towards you keeping your elbow at your side. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your core and upper back muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t let your hips drop in the plank position. Don’t let the band roll you forward, use your core to keep you stable.

HOW: Begin on your forearms with your elbows straight down from your shoulders.  Bring your feet together, straighten your legs, and stick your hips up into the air. Try to keep most of your weight on your shoulders, not in your foot.From this position, use your shoulder muscles and drive hard into the ground using your elbows. This should cause your hips to move up and back a bit. 

 

FEEL: You should primarily feel your shoulder muscles working. You will also feel your core working.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your legs and back straight, don’t bend at the knees or arch your back.

HOW: Get a band or cable anchored somewhere between waist and shoulder height. While standing perpendicular to the anchor and holding the handle with both hands close to your chest, step out to build tension in the band. Once there is enough tension, press your arms forward away from your chest until your elbows are fully straight. Hold that position for a moment while keeping your hips and shoulders square facing forward, then bring your arms in, step back in, and repeat.

 

FEEL: You should feel your core and back muscles working as well as your arm muscles to maintain optimal position and form. You may also feel your hip and thigh muscles working as well to maintain position.

 

COMPENSATION: You should step away from the anchor until there is enough resistance that is challenging, but not too hard where you can’t maintain optimal form. Do not let the band rotate your upper body, keep your arms straight and hips facing forward. Try to avoid twisting your back.