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. Grab a dowel or PVC pipe with your palms face UP just a little bit wider than shoulder distance apart. 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. You can intensify the stretch by placing your hands even further apart to begin with.

 

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: Lay down on the ground with a towel roll under the forehead. Or, lie on the corner of an elevated surface like your bed. Put your hands out in front of you in the shape of a “Y”. With your thumbs up, slowly lift your hands up in the air. Think of pulling your shoulder blades into your opposite back pockets.

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles in the back of your shoulder blades working.

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t shrug with your shoulders to lift your hands up. Your neck muscles will be active, but you shouldn’t feel like you are primarily relying on them to lift your hands up.

HOW: Seated up, place hands behind you. With your legs straight out, drive your heels into the floor. Raise your hips up while bringing back your shoulder blades and opening up your chest. Squeeze your glutes at the top.

 

FEEL: Your hamstrings, glutes, and upper back muscles work together during this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your arms straight as you bridge up.

HOW: Start in a wide stance standing position. Have a band anchored under both feet. Hinge at your hips and lower down into the bottom of a deadlift, grab the band with both hands then drive your feet through the ground to stand tall. As you stand tall, simultaneously pull the band up similar to performing a high pull. Return to the starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: This will feel like a full body workout depending on how much tension you have on the band. At the bottom of the deadlift in this video, there was slack on the band, thus it felt more like an upper body workout as the high pull was harder with tension on the band.

 

COMPENSATION: All of the same rules apply with your traditional deadlift and high pull, perform the exercise by hip hinging as much as you can while keeping your chest up and sinking your hips down into the bottom position. With the high pull, drive your elbows straight out to the sides and have your forearms parallel to the ground in the finished position. Drive the pull through your lower body as well. 

aHOW: Start in a standing position, stand on an elastic band and hold the band with each hand. You can adjust the resistance and tension as needed once you begin. Begin the exercise by performing a front raise. Lift your arms directly in front of you to at least shoulder height, hold for a moment, then slowly lower down and repeat.

 

FEEL: This should feel like a shoulder workout, specifically your anterior deltoids. Your biceps and forearms will be working as well.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not excessively bend your elbows, try to keep the rest of your body straight. Do not use momentum to lift and lower the band, stay strong and packed with your shoulder blades up and back. Stay strong through your wrists and keep them aligned with your forearms.

HOW: Anchor a band at about elbow height. Place a towel roll underneath your arm in your armpit. Hold onto the band with the hand closest to the anchor. Keep your elbow at your side but bend your arm up creating a 90 degree “L” shape with your knuckles facing forward. Step away from the anchor for resistance. Quickly and in control, rotate your arm inward performing internal rotation of the shoulder.  

 

FEEL: You should feel your shoulder muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep that 90 degree “L” shape in your elbow at all times.

HOW:  Begin this exercise upright with the resistance band anchored at about shoulder height. Place your wrists inside a band, then pull your hands back and out to the side. You want to pull with the shoulder blades and the back of the shoulder to achieve the end position.

 

FEEL:  You should feel the back of the shoulders working with this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION:  Avoid arching the back and shrugging the shoulders as you perform this exercise.

HOW: Find an elevated surface to one arm on. In a high plank position keeping your body in line (feet up to shoulders). Allow the scapula to sag then push the scapula away from you pushing your chest away from the floor. Return back to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL:  The Shoulder muscles working.

 

COMPENSATION:  Avoid moving at the elbows as you perform this exercise. Make sure the motion is coming from your shoulder blade.

HOW: Anchor a band at about waist height. Walk out to a tension that works for you. Slightly bend your knees and extend your arms out keeping your core engaged. From here, move the band around doing the alphabet for the prescribed amount of reps. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your core and shoulder muscles working. 

COMPENSATION: Keep your arms extended with the tension from the side at all times.