Smart Exercise: When Less is More
Exercise should be goal oriented, efficient, and effective.
Shoulder exercises commonly employ weight training. These exercises comprise one of four linear motions – push, pull, lift, and press. Something has to give when two opposing forces meet. The weight ( e.g. barbell) will move if the shoulder is strong. If the weight is overpowering, the shoulder gives way , resulting in injury. Shoulders fail due to weaker small rotator cuff muscles unable to stabilize the shoulder joint under stress.
The importance of well-engaged rotator cuff muscles cannot be over emphasized, especially among athletes involved in repetitive overhead sports or events that exceed normal physiologic load of the shoulder such as power weight lifting. Strengthening of the rotator cuff muscles requires an understanding of typical rotator cuff exercise techniques.
Routine rotator cuff strengthening exercises can be:
- Time consuming – working out only one muscle group a time
- Inconvenient – calling for different body positions or be tethered to an external support such as when performing elastic band exercises
- Just plain ineffective – one can barely feel the pull of the elastic band.
The ShoulderSphere rotator cuff training technique solves all these areas of concern.
The ShoulderSphere technique is efficient, convenient, and effective:
- Efficiency – the ShoulderSphere is a rotationally based workout technique, it trains ALL the rotator cuff muscles simultaneously. When used correctly with focused intensity, a tremendous workout can be achieved in under 3 minutes. Or 6 minutes for a comprehensive workout.
- Convenience – the user is not tethered to an external support nor does one need a “training partner “. The ShoulderSphere weighs only a few ounces but packs a powerful punch. It is portable and can be easily tucked inside a gym bag. The space needed during workout is just the length of the user’s arm and is not taken up by any object that extends out greater than 2 feet that weighs more than 2 pounds.
- Effectiveness – selective isolation of the rotator cuff in multi-directional rotational mode trains the muscles both concentrically and eccentrically. Eccentric strengthening is particularly important in preventing injuries that commonly occur in repetitive overhead throwing sports such as pitching in baseball. Studies suggest that that the predominant mode of failure of the rotator cuff in throwing sports is weakness in the external rotator cuff muscles unable to withstand the repetitive eccentric decelerate forces of of the rapidly moving throwing arm. Shoulder distraction force of over 200 pounds can be encountered during the deceleration phase of the throwing arm in an elite pitcher.
So, free yourself from all those dumbbells, bands, and cumbersome devices!
Be efficient and goal oriented when training your rotator cuff muscles!
Yes, you CAN achieve more by doing less. Train with bursts of focused intensity with something better, faster, and smarter!