shoulder stability

[everything]

I was reading today that the shoulder is very flexible mainly because the joint is proportionately more soft tissue and less bone but that means stability is also reliant on soft tissue doing its thing.

anyway, my left shoulder isn't so stable. for example, holding just a 10-15 lb weight above my head and moving my torso around (or, say, doing a turkish getup), I can feel it "wobble" and seek stability whereas on the right, stabilizing is automatic and not really felt. there are too many reasons for this issue due to injuries that i can't really understand all the problems, but other than subjective feeling of more stability, what should I be looking for as far as signs of improvement? I don't need to do a handstand or anything. I would like to do the TGUs but I don't really want to use a much heavier weight on the right side and throw everything else out of balance so I'm stuck using whatever my left agrees with for now...

[David Boxen]

Don't know what your limitations are since you say you've had injuries, but barring any medically diagnosed reason not to, I'd say use a barbell and press overhead. Sign of improvement - being able to lift more weight.

[Peacedog]

+1 on the overhead press with a barbell. If you can press overhead without pain, it sounds like you just need to get stronger. You can start with an empty 20kg/45lb barbell. Add 2kgs/5lbs a session. When that gets too heavy add 1kg/2.5lbs per session. Micro-load after that.

[Finny]

[middleway]

I am using fitness bands to perform 'shoulder dislocates' at the moment. Very controlled and very slow. I do them led face first on the ground. Also simple hanging from a pull up bar is something i have trained and am playing with. Changing position using scapular related muscles and also externally and internally rotating the shoulder while hanging. Lastly i perform Dragon Serves Teacups from Ba gua.

Shoulder Dislocates.



Here is a couple of great videos for shoulder work.





Here is some Active Hanging stuff.



cheers

[meeks]

[everything]

Thanks a lot guys.

I'm doing something like that first Bagua exercise - rotating a KB using two hands around my head.

A barbell would be too heavy, sadly.

I know I should see a trainer or my PT but for now I'll try adding a small amount of weight to my exercise.

Just holding a 10 lb weight overhead and shifting my torso out of the vertical plane isn't working so well.

Hanging from a bar is fine and feels great.

I think it's just a certain angle that is messed up.

[Simon]

Actice and passive hangs is a good place to start for a month, if you can do it everyday starting with 10 secs each for multiple sets. Ido did a challenge not long ago on this http://www.idoportal.com/blog/hanging

[I-mon]

Active hangs and arch hands especially are most important (as in the above videos) - passive hang can be damaging in the beginning if the shoulder is very loose.

Also essential for scapula control:




Then integrate the scapula control back into standard movements: pushups/bench press, overhead press, pullups, bent over rows or incline pullups, dips, windmills-bent press, TGU, etc

[I-mon]

She's doing them badly (weight needs to be held straight up) but these are good too, spiral fully into internal rotation on the way down, external rotation on the way up:



and also some variation of cuban rotations - chances are your external rotators aren't doing so good, so you need to switch em on:

[everything]

Coming back to this thread after too long. I finally tried the "shoulder dislocates" with a stick. Feels really good. My bad shoulder seems to really like this exercise.

So I'm wondering about very tiny progressions from here. Perhaps do:
- shoulder dislocates with somewhat heavier bar (like 1-2 lbs)?
- kettlebell halo exercise?

I can't do the press overhead yet because it causes more (bad) pain. I can't even do TGUs with a 15 lb KB w/o having issues. I want to get to the right amount of strength/mobility so that I CAN DO the TGUs as part of that Pavel minimum KB routine (TGUs and swings). I don't intend to do military press. That would be an astounding amount of icing on the cake.

Thanks for any more advice or for elaborating on your earlier points.

[qiphlow]

it may be worthwhile to find an orthopedic surgeon who does sports medicine and have him/her take a look at your shoulder.

[everything]

Yeah have done but they offered to rebreak. Going more conservative on the soft tissue healing

Also applied heat which was amazing