akhawk said...
Years ago I also used to do a lot of weight training focusing on heavier weights for lower reps.
I still do, but rarely to failure and far less overall volume than once. Once I'd train medium reps, medium weights, to failure, many exercises on the same groups. Bad idea. Also any bench, shoulder or overhead presses. Particularly the overhead and shoulder presses encourage shrugging. I still bench heavy, but very carefully and strictly.
akhawk said...
I'm now focusing on strengthening the stabilising muscles using a series of exercises from the physio using resistance bands.
Three exercises that help me.
(i) Flex your shoulder blade, just one side. I don't remember how it was described to me years ago, but now it feels to me like I'm pulling back, down and towards my spine. You will involuntarily flex your pectoralis major. The goal is not to. In order to not activate the pectoralis, you will need to start with a very, very minor flex, hardly at all. You want to isolate the muscle that assists with the deltoids and latissimus dorsi. I think it's the teres minor (and maybe major). I can do it very easily now, after many, many reps. I used to do 100 per side. It's easiest sitting or lying so you have some resistance and can feel what's happening. After a long, long time, you'll be able to flex the crap out of it without activating the pectoralis at all.
(ii) One arm straight arm pushups. Start leaning against the wall. Keep your arm straight. Just use your shoulder and move it backwards and forwards to get the action happening. Keep your elbow locked, all movement comes from the shoulder joint. Once or twice per set, shrug heavily then drop to the correct position just to remind you what's right and what's wrong. I'd do 30 per side. As you get better, transition to e.g. a strong bench or couch back (i.e. a steeper incline), then eventually to the floor.
(iii) Take an unstable weight of about 2kg to start. I used old 3L plastic milk bottles with water. Hold in one hand at shoulder height right in front of your shoulder, elbow down next to your side. Step forward with the opposite leg, doing a lunge. As you lunge, reach forward. Step back, reach back. Repeat for e.g. 30 reps. Occasionally shrug as before to remind yourself what's right and what's wrong. As you get used to this exercise, vary it by reaching all around an imaginary circle on the lunge (reach up, reach down, reach across both sides, diagonal directions, etc). You can also vary the start position, sometimes next to the shoulder to the side, sometimes high, sometimes low. Fill up the bottle a bit more over time. 3L is about as much as my stabilisers can handle.
YMMV, IANAD.
the pictures i have seen, they hmmm? could be alright !!!!!
