Today we will be having a 30 minute AMRAP of standing still so we can do something that does not involve our shoulders. It should be a blast and probably would get more people to attend than let’s say 30 Muscle Ups for time. Sad but true. Anyways, I always hear your words and mumblings around the gym about the programming, equipment, coaches or whatever and I really try to take it all in, access the situation and come to a conclusion that I usually share with you but the one that has been sticking in my craw is the shoulder overuse topic. Now when I first heard this in conversation with a member I went back and looked through my last couple of weeks of programming and sure as shit, lot’s of shoulders indeed and I’m like oh oh. Then, though I took a pen to paper and compiled a list of movements that use the shoulders in some form or fashion and I stopped at 30 movements. I then scratched out everything that includes hips or static holds and came up with Strict Pull-ups, Shoulder Press, Strict Muscle Ups, Strict Handstand Push-ups as the movement that rely strictly on the shoulders while everything else had another element to ease the load on the shoulders mainly being those good old hips of yours. I can preach using your hips until I’m blue in the face but if you still insist on not using them to their fullest capabilities yes you are going to have some sore shoulders which brings me to my other topic rest days and shoulder mobility. Now I’m no angel myself when it comes to taking care of my shoulders or any part of me for that matter but I only complain about the workouts because they are hard but if you’re going to complain about something I would hope that before I hear those sweet words come out of your mouths I would be seeing you taking a daily interest in shoulder maintenance and not just after 3 months of a little nagging injury that has now finally blown up out of control leaving you with the feeling Grant programs way too much shoulder work. If you’re in this game to kick ass you gotta be kicking ass first and foremost with your recovery as a mentor of mine stated back in the day:
There is no such thing as over training, only under recovery.
Rudy Nielsen
Have an Outlaw Friday.