This is Part II in my upper body series. Last week’s column was about arm development. Many thanks to those who attended my arm strength and sculpting workshop last Saturday. At this Saturday’s workshop we will be focusing on strength and development of the shoulder girdle.

One of the most common issues people will experience within the shoulder girdle will be rotator cuff injuries. Muscles within the rotator cuff will atrophy without regular exercise. Unless you have been properly training your shoulders, by the time you’re reach your mid-40s, the supraspinatus muscle is dangerously weak and underdeveloped.

One day you’re outside throwing a ball or you awkwardly reach back to grab something from the back seat of your car and OUCH! You just tore it. The supraspinatus muscle is the one that allows you to raise your hand above your head. It’s probably the most common rotator cuff injury.

If you are over 45 and you don’t take time to properly train the specific muscles in your shoulder girdle, you are at high risk for a shoulder injury.

The most common causes of shoulder injuries and pain are usually: 1. Weak deconditioned muscles; 2. Improper training techniques; 3. Postural stress; 4. Cervical Disc Disorders; 5. Reduced range of motion; 6. Tendonitis of the latissimus dorsi (Lats); and 7. Training with machines instead of free weights and conditioning.

Most people think of their shoulders as one specific region where their arms attach to their body. The shoulder is so much more.

To get strong, powerful and sculpted shoulders you need to learn how to identify and train all the parts of the shoulder girdle. The beauty of the shoulder joint is it’s vast range of motion — which is also the shoulder’s main source of vulnerability.

First you have the deltoids on the sides, but you also have posterior muscles between the shoulder blades like the rhomboids and the “traps.” Then you have the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff. Then you have anterior muscles in the pectoral region. Last but not least you have deep muscles, such as the scalenes from the neck and serratus muscles off the ribs.

Confused? Don’t worry. I’ll be showing you the correct exercises and how to identify where you’re feeling them. It’s easier than you think.

Join me this Saturday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. in my SpineFit Training Center (meet in the lobby at Fit Republic), for a free, fun and informative workshop on “The Secrets to Training Your Shoulders.”

You will learn proper technique and how to avoid injury. You will finally know how to build the strong, powerful, sculpted and pain free shoulders you’ve always wanted.

All attendees will receive a free spinal fitness, nerve function evaluation and athletic symmetry exam.

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