HOW: Lie on your side with the shoulder you want to stretch closest to the ground. You can put a pillow under your head for neck support if you want but it is not necessary. Bring your elbow to your side up to shoulder height. Using your bodyweight to pin your bottom shoulder down, slowly lift your elbow straight up with your opposite hand.

 

FEEL: You should feel a deep stretching sensation in back of your shoulder on the ground. You do not want to feel any pinching sensations or pain in the front of your shoulder.

 

COMPENSATION: If you are not feeling the stretch in the right area, try putting your elbow slightly higher than your shoulder. You can also try rotating your body backwards just a bit.

HOW: Grab onto a doorway with the arm that you want to stretch. Let your shoulders be loose and then slowly step away from the door and slightly turn away from it until you feel the stretch.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in between your shoulder blade.

 

COMPENSATION: Let your shoulder blade completely relax and slide away from your body when you stretch it.

HOW: Stand with your back against a wall and form a wall angel. Your goal should be to try to keep your elbows and hands against the wall the entire time. If you are not able to, that is completely normal and it means you have some mobility to gain!

 

FEEL: You should the muscles in the front of your shoulder stretching as your raise your arms overhead.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your back arch, keep your core engaged the entire time. Try to keep your elbows and hands against the wall as you raise your hands up for as long as you can.

HOW: Get set-up next to a wall or doorway and place your hand on the wall down by your pocket with your palm against the wall, there should be some space between you and the wall. Focus on keeping your shoulder and shoulder blade in a good position by keeping it back, then perform the pec stretch by leaning your body forward and maybe rotating your chest away from your hand. While holding this position, rotate your head away from your hand as far as you can, return to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your pecs, the front of your shoulder, and maybe your neck as well as some tension on your nerves in your neck/arm when your head is fully rotated away. You shouldn’t feel any numbness or tingling or pins and needles in your arm/hand or worsening of these symptoms if you have them, if you do back off.

 

COMPENSATION: Try to focus on just rotation, do not side-bend your head and neck. Don’t let your shoulder fall forward, keep your shoulder blade back.

HOW: Get set up first by placing a barbell around thigh height on a rack. You can also perform this exercise on a box, bench, or any other object around that height. Then get down on both knees and place the end of your triceps, just before your elbows, onto the barbell or box. Scoot your knees back so you are comfortable. Arch your upper back and drive your elbows hard into the barbell to feel the stretch. When you arch your back, think of tucking a tail between your legs.

 

FEEL: You should feel a huge stretch under your arm pits and even into your shoulders and sometimes your triceps region.

 

COMPENSATION: The key is to arch your back with this stretch. Do not just simply drive your chest to the floor.

HOW: While seated, bring your chest towards your knees and reach down on the inside of your knee. As you reach down, rotate up to the ceiling with the opposite arm. Your chest should be facing the side you opened up to in order to get the best stretch. Alternate reaching down and twisting up with each arm.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your mid back, chest, and shoulder.

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t lean back as you rotate up for each side. Stay straight up once your arm reaches the best stretch for you.

HOW: Start with relaxing the tension in the ulnar nerve by extending your arm out to the side at shoulder height. Put your pointer finger and thumb together, bend your wrist down, and look towards that hand. From here, bend your elbow and place the circle you made with your thumb and finger upside down over your eye trying to bring your elbow up and high as you can comfortably go. Return to the starting position and perform this motion as prescribed. 

 

FEEL:  You should feel a stretch in your forearm, wrist and shoulder. 

 

COMPENSATION: Perform this motion in the correct order. Don’t skip a step and go slowly and with control.

HOW: Assume the table top position by placing both hips and knees at a 90 deg angle. You should have your core braced in this position, not letting the bottom of your rib cage flare out. Holding the kettlebell with both arms, slowly lower it over your head. You will reach a point when your ribs will want to flare, do not let it! Keep your core braced, ribs down, and pull the kettlebell back over your chest into the starting position.

 

FEEL: You will feel your core and the muscles on the underside of your arms and armpits working during this exercise. You will feel a stretch under your armpits in this same area as well.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not let your rib cage flare or your lower back to arch with this exercise. 

HOW: Start by lying face down with your arms out to the side of your in the shape of a “T”. Tuck your chin slightly and lift your head off the ground while still looking down. Then lift just your upper back off the ground – not your lower back. While keeping your upper back off the ground, squeeze your shoulder blades to now lift your elbows and hands off the ground in a T formation. Lift up as high as you can towards the ceiling. You should initiate the motion from the shoulder blade, then allow the shoulder to follow up as high as you can. Hold for a few seconds and slowly return back to the starting position.

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles in your upper back and back of the shoulder blade and shoulder working with this exercise.

 

COMPENSATIONS: Avoid arching the low back, only lift your upper back. Try your hardest not to let your chest lower as you go through your reps on this exercise. Do not shrug the shoulder blades as you bring your arms overhead.