Build Bigger Arms & Shoulders - It's All in the Detail!

Videos, bayramcigerli.blogspot.com, Bayram Cigerli, YouTube Video, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Trainer, Fit Media Channel, Sport, Workout,

Read More

INSANE SHOULDERS & CHEST WORKOUT - BEASTMODE DAY 4"

Videos, bayramcigerli.blogspot.com, Bayram Cigerli, YouTube Video, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Trainer, Fit Media Channel, Sport, Workout,

Read More

KILLER CHEST & SHOULDERS WORKOUT - BEASTMODE DAY 2"

Videos, bayramcigerli.blogspot.com, Bayram Cigerli, YouTube Video, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Trainer, Fit Media Channel, Sport, Workout,

Read More

ULTIMATE BOULDER SHOULDER WORKOUT

Videolar,Videos, bayramcigerli.blogspot.com, Bayram Cigerli, YouTube Video, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Trainer, Fit Media Channel, 

Read More

"ANDREI DEIU BOULDER SHOULDRS - DAY 3 of 5"

Videolar,Videos, bayramcigerli.blogspot.com, Bayram Cigerli, YouTube Video, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Trainer, Fit Media Channel, 

Read More

TRAIN SHOULDERS WITH JUSTIN ST PAUL - DAY 3 OF 6"

Videolar,Videos, bayramcigerli.blogspot.com, Bayram Cigerli, YouTube Video, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Trainer, Fit Media Channel, 

Read More

SHOULDERS & TRAPS - ROSS DICKERSON DAY 5 OF 5 DAY SPLIT"

Videolar,Videos, bayramcigerli.blogspot.com, Bayram Cigerli, YouTube Video, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Trainer, Fit Media Channel, 

Read More

World's Best Shoulder Workout"

Videolar,Videos, bayramcigerli.blogspot.com, Bayram Cigerli, YouTube Video, Bodybuilding, Fitness, Trainer, Fit Media Channel, 

Read More

So, Good,Like,Sexy, Muscle Man, Bodybuilder , Six Pack, Big Muscle Man, Big Chest, Shoulder,

So, Good,Like,Sexy, Muscle Man, Bodybuilder , Six Pack, Big Muscle Man, Big Chest, Shoulder,

Read More

Fell, Big Muscle Chest , Shoulder, Muscle Man

Fell, Big Muscle Chest , Shoulder, Muscle Man

Read More

Shoulder

Shoulder

Read More

Fixing Your Achy Wrists

Do you experience pain in your wrists while doing exercises like bench presses or planks? If so, then read on!

As I've mentioned 1,000 times (and you're probably sick of me saying it already), we always have to look distally (farther away) from the area in question. Think of your entire arms as a train. If the shoulder isn't working properly, you bet that you're gonna have elbow and wrist problems too. Take a look at the photo on the right from Thomas Myers' Anatomy Trains. You can see here that the pecs of the chest will influence the structures all of the way down to the fingers.

The number one complaint I hear from clients when doing the front squat is that their wrists hurt them. While the wrist pain is the symptom, the cause typically arises with poor shoulder mobility. If your front rack position is sub-par, your wrists now have to bear the brunt of that load. The lower your elbows are, the more wrist extension you need to compensate. In this instance, you need to work on opening up the pecs and lats to ease the stress on your wrists.

Because of this horrendous shoulder mobility, his wrists suffer.

I see similar problems arise in pressing movements. In the bench press or the overhead press, clients occasionally lack the necessary strength in their forearm flexors, so they fall into a hyperextended wrist position throughout the lift. A more "neutral" wrist position can save them a lot of discomfort. In these cases, the problem might not be mobility, but grip strength. I would have these people do exercises like hangs from the pull-up bar, plate pinches, or farmer walks to combat this. Sometimes, cueing alone can also go a long way to correct this issue.

This image from Liftbigeatbig explains different wrist positions. We never
want significant extension in pressing movements.

Ultimately, if you feel pain in your wrists you have to check out how your shoulders are moving to properly assess the issue. Shoulder instability can manifest itself in a variety of different ways. Continuing to address your wrist alone will have little to no effect. I see a lot of people working to stretch their forearms to alleviate wrist pain, but rarely do they address other possible contributing factors like shoulder stability or grip strength. Global corrections will stimulate an entire chain reaction of positive effects.

Read More

The 4 Exercises that Your Shoulders Hate

It is common for a lifter to seek boulder shoulder status. While having protruding, rounded shoulders certainly looks nice, the shoulders are very vulnerable to injury. The demands of a sedentary, desk-ridden society already makes our shoulders unhappy, and if you translate this dysfunction into the gym, you're gonna have a bad time.

I have dealt with my own shoulder issues in the past, and I know just how aggravating it can be to have to modify workouts or avoid certain movements. Ultimately, I had to learn the hard way what exercises provoked my shoulder pain. Many common-place shoulder exercises can be effective for deltoid and pectoralis hypertrophy, but they also promote instability and compensation. For both myself and my clients, there are four main exercises that I avoid for the sake of sparing their shoulders:

1. Pec flies. Regardless of whether you're using cables, dumbbells, or even the pec-deck machine, you're most likely better off without them. With this movement, many lifters tend to go well beyond the necessary range of motion to isolate the pectoralis muscles in transverse shoulder flexion. You also run the risk of sufficiently irritating your biceps tendons. Instead, they end up stretching the hell out of their anterior deltoids and forcing their shoulders into a yucky internally rotated position that makes me cringe. For chest development, I prefer to have clients do reverse grip bench press, neutral grip dumbbell bench press (with a slow eccentric focus), and Spoon presses. If you're hell-bent on keeping pec flies in your workout routine, try to minimize the range of motion so that your arms only go slightly above parallel, and make sure you maintain a slight bend in your elbows.
2. Behind-the-neck lat pull-downs. I've addressed my feelings about behind-the-neck exercises previously, so to save you from a redundant rant, I'll give you the abridged version: these movements (especially in lat pull-downs) encourage you into flexed cervical spine and often reinforce poor shoulder movement. Very few people possess adequate shoulder and thoracic mobility to perform these. If you really want wings, stay away from these. Instead, try rowing variations, pull-ups (you add weight or go chest-to-bar if you want a greater challenge), straight arm pull-downs, and maybe the occasional Red Bull. (I couldn't resist...)

   

   Yikes!

3. Box dips. In a recent Instagram video, I mentioned that I stray away from programming dips on a bench or a box. Effectively, this variation places unnecessary stress on the anterior capsule and tendons of the shoulder. To perform these, a client must flare the elbows out excessively, while the shoulder again shifts into a precarious position. You will see this as well on bar dips, but to a lesser degree, because the athlete's shoulder and elbows are closer to his center of mass. The ideal way to do dips, in my opinion, though, is on the rings. The rings force the athlete to properly adduct his shoulder, and his arms are closest to his center of mass (thus resulting in a more mechanically advantageous position. If you're currently unable to do ring dips, stick to push-ups on the rings, and then slowly progress to a full ring dip.
4. Upright rows. I'm sure you've heard trainers shun this exercise before. While I think it can be helpful for developing the shoulders for the right client, there are always other options. I've found that they cause more harm than good for most people, as usually the anterior deltoids are the strongest part of the shoulder. Instead, many people would benefit from training the posterior or rear deltoids with back flies to balance out the omnipresent imbalance from front to back.

In general, gym goers can benefit from fewer pushing exercises and more pulling exercises. I usually propose a 2:1 ratio for upper body pulling:pushing days. By this, I mean that you should only spend about one day per week doing bench press, push press, etc. (or at least with those movements as your primary focus), and two days with a pulling/rowing focus. The anterior deltoids and pectoralis tend to run the show (especially in men), and, thus, can cause a lot of pathologies and mobility restrictions. Your rhomboids, rear deltoids, lats, and lower trapezius can always benefit from some more love and attention.

There are plenty of safe and effective exercises that will still give you strong shoulders, such as those that I've listed in this article. You can be smart about your upper body training and avoid nagging injuries that will keep you sidelined for weeks at-a-time. Make these changes to your routine, and your shoulders will be happier in the long run!

Read More

Sturdy Shoulders (How to Spare Your Shoulders from Injury)

I'd say nearly every person I've trained has, during an assessment, mentioned a previous shoulder injury. Even I have suffered from the plague that is shoulder pain in the past.

The shoulder (glenohumeral) joint is the most mobile joint in the body. The ball and socket architecture allows it to move through all different planes. The downside to this excessive range of motion, however, is that, if the musculature surrounding the joint is not strong enough, injury is surely impending.

As a coach, I see two ends of the spectrum: the hypermobile (like myself), who have an abundant range of motion but lack the appropriate control overhead, and the stiff, tin men who can barely extend their elbows all of the way. Generally, men tend to fall on the latter end, while women are usually guilty of the former. Of course, there are plenty of ladies with tight shoulders, and mobile men, but this is the typical trend that I have noticed.

The ideal situation would be the middle (wo)man: someone who can achieve the positions necessary for his or her sport, but has sufficient strength as well.

Keep in mind that not all shoulder injuries are created equal. Depending where on the list of mobility you fall, your exercise prescription may need to change to cater towards your individual weaknesses. Someone who has really tight lats is not definitely going to be doing the same "prehab" as someone with weak lats.

Below, I will explain each scenario a bit more in depth, and give you some corresponding exercises to remedy those imbalances. Beware, as there are 7,000,000 clickable links coming your way for the exercise demonstrations.

Case 1: Hypermobility

The hypermobile individuals need more stability. I often find that these people  These people need to strengthen the shoulder girdle and the back (latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, etc.)

Although these guys can seamlessly execute an overhead squat, core strength tends to be minimal in this group. Usually, this will go hand-in-hand with poor rib position during overhead movements. Therefore, we need to address the lack of midline stability first, and strengthen the rotator cuff second.

Here are some exercises that will go a long way for this population:

1. Arm bars (progress into the Turkish Get-up)
2. Barbell overhead carries (or single arm with a dumbbell)
3. Barbell roll-outs
4. Supine barbell rows
5. Scap push-ups (or banded protraction)
6. Deadbugs
7. Face pulls
8. Dumbbell serratus pull-overs (or with a barbell)
9. Upside-down kettlebell press (or use a PVC)

Case 2: Poor Mobility

If you fit into the "incredibly tight shoulders" group, then movements like an overhead squat are completely out of the question; the rack position on a clean or a front squat is nonexistent. Most likely, these people will have limited mobility in the thoracic spine (rib cage area). The pectoralis muscles and the latissimus dorsi are excessively tight, and then the lower/middle trapezius, rhomboids, infraspinatus, teres minor will be weak.

Click to enlarge.

First, you'll want to release tight muscles like the pecs and the lats. You can also try this stretch on the foam roller or this stretch on a bench to open up those overused muscles. The next step is going to be to strengthen those weak areas I listed previously. Some of the best ways to reach achieve that are the following exercises:

1. Y's, T's, and W's (or fall-outs on the rings)
2. Farmer carries
3. Cable external rotation (or with a band)
4. Kettlebell overhead press
5. Band tears
6. Cable reverse flys
7. Wall slides
8. Forearm wall-slides
9. Hangs from the bar (or single arm)

As you can see, the type of corrective exercises I would issue for each group is pretty drastically different from one another. Case 1 is working to stabilize the shoulder joint, whereas case 2 has a bit too much stability and needs to improve flexibility. While each exercise may add value to any workout routine, it's important to prioritize the most valuable movements, rather than trying to add 75 different correctives. Honestly, I could've added a gazillion more exercise ideas in here, but I figured it was best not to overwhelm you with even more links than I've already included!

As always, breathing will also influence the strength and stability of the shoulders, so make sure to reinforce proper breathing when you're doing these exercises, and even when you're just going about your day-to-day activities. Make some of these exercises a part of your regular routine, and you'll be well on your way to having solid shoulders resilient for any sport.

Works Cited:

1. Beasley, Lauren. "Getting Control of Overhead Movement: 5 Basic Drills to Prepare the Body." Breaking Muscle. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
2. Beasley, Lauren. "The Scapula: How It Can Make or Break You." Breaking Muscle. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
3. Cressey, Eric. "Shoulder Hurts? Start Here." Eric Cressey. N.p., 16 May 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
4. Cressey, Eric. "Shoulder Impingement." Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training. N.p., 18 Jan. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.

Read More

3 Reasons Why Your Neck is Always Tight

If you had to pick one place where you regularly carry the most tension in your body, what would you choose? I'm willing to bet you chose your upper trapezius muscles.

The upper trapezius muscles seem to be (in my experience) some of the most overused and abused muscles in the human body. Many people I see are, either consciously or unconsciously, in a constant shrugged posture: their shoulders are by their earlobes and necks are pulled forward. Why is this?

There are a few factors that contribute to tight upper traps:

1. Posture. Sedentary individuals seldom remember to sit upright. Often times, you see people with significant flexion in the thoracic spine, protraction of the cervical spine (neck) who are hunched over their computers. Forward head posture will place extra stress on your vertebrae. According to chiropractor Dr. Jason Queiros, "Every inch you hold your head forward, you add 10 pounds of pressure on your spine. Let’s say you’re leaning into your monitor by just two inches, that’s 20 extra pounds that your back and spinal column have to endure." The muscles in your back and neck need to compensate for this imbalance.
2. Breathing. Stress individuals have the propensity to overuse accessory muscles for breathing like the scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, and the upper trapezius, rather than the diaphragm. The tonic muscles in the front of the body shorten, while the phasic muscles in the back lengthen. Neck breathing facilitates a constant "shrugged" position of the shoulders, which are going to put your upper trapezius muscles into overtime.
3. Shoulder stability. The overworked upper trapezii may prevent the other shoulder stabilizers and rotator cuff muscles from functioning as they should. The lower and middle trapezius, the serratus anterior, the rhomboids may all be dysfunctional or under-active as a result.

Now, the way most people look to alleviate tight traps is through stretching or massage. While these modalities can be extremely effective, they are usually short-lived in their relief.

To nip the problem in the bud, you need to address all three of these elements above simultaneously. Surprisingly, changing your breathing first may favorably impact the other two areas. When the breath is out of whack, the body cannot function optimally!

Now, conjunction with adding some breathing drills into your daily routine, some supplementary shoulder stability work could do you some good. Here are a few of my favorite exercises:

1. Scap push-ups
2. Y's and t's
3. Cable external rotation
4. Bear crawls
5. Wall slides
6. Reverse shrugs
7. Serratus pull-overs
8. Band tears

What's most important, throughout all of these movements, is to make sure you're not shrugging your shoulders, otherwise your efforts will be ineffective. I often find myself tapping my clients on their shoulders to remind them.

If you want to find provide your traps with some relief, corrective exercises and breathing drills are going to be the most effective methods to lessen tension. Once you're aware of it, you'll probably be surprised to find out just how often your body instinctively reverts to a shrugged position. The key is consistency. Let some of your other surrounding muscles do their job and give your traps a break...

Read More

Behind the Neck Exercises: Do You Need Them?

For every exercise, there's an equal and opposite, behind-the-neck variation. Behind-the-neck lat pull-downs, pull-ups, push presses, strict presses, are just a few examples of exercises I've seen people try to do behind their necks. Perhaps they're trying to hit the same muscle groups in a new way, or target different muscles altogether. Regardless of the reason, I am not generally a fan of the behind-the-neck training club.

Given the overwhelming number of shoulders stuck in internal rotation and spines stuck in kyphosis for the average desk-worker or sedentary individual, many people already come into the gym with a slew of shoulder restrictions and postural limitations. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. Because of the huge range of motion in the joint, many people have poor stability overhead. Men and women alike suffer from scapular flaring (see below) as a result of lifestyle habits and poor posture.

She may look like she's at peace, but she's forcing her shoulders into an unstable position!

It is often difficult enough for someone to maintain shoulder stability in the traditional variations of a pull-up or strict press. Now, once you start trying to do these movements behind the neck, you're just reinforcing a dangerous position that may lead to pain or injury in the future.

For starters, let's analyze the neck position of someone doing an exercise behind his neck.

If you've read my previous posts, you understand that the position of the neck impacts the position of the rest of the spine. This particular...gentleman is obviously very muscular. Despite this, however, his cervical spine (neck) is flexed, and he is reinforcing the dreaded forward head posture ("chicken head" posture). This exercise may be counterproductive for him as it could potentially lead to some neck pain down the line.

Now, let's move on to what might be happening to the shoulders in a movement like the lat-pull downs in the above photo.

As the result of the neck position, (because the human body works as a chain) his shoulder stability is also compromised. Ideally, his scapula should slide down the ribcage as he pulls the bar towards his traps. However, if the shoulders are internally rotated, the shoulder blade tilts forward and slopes off of the ribcage.

Many Olympic lifting coaches teach jerks or presses behind the neck, because it enables the athlete to keep his torso more upright in the dip. Unfortunately, for most, this might also damage the integrity of the shoulder position in order to maintain a vertical torso.

In an ideal situation, a behind-the neck exercise might be beneficial for an athlete. Unfortunately, the shoulder position is often compromised. If you have had shoulder issues in the past, you more than likely lack mobility or stability in the shoulder joint, and these types of exercises will just exacerbate your issues.

Unless you are certain you can sustain an ideal position in a behind the neck exercise, perhaps your routine is better off without them!

Read More