Overview

Perform 10 reps for each 'dynamic stretch' and perform 3 reps in each direction for the shoulder and scapula CARs.

Lat / Overhead Stretch

Form

• Find a railing or place a bar level with the middle of your torso (bar in a bench press or squat rack).
• Stand square to the bar, hands holding it level with your shoulders.
• Hinge at the hips and drop the chest to the floor while breathing out fully to get a deep stretch in the lats.
• Stand back up and repeat.

Pec Stretch

Form

• Place your forearm up against a surface with the elbow slightly higher than your shoulder.
• Adopt a staggered stance with the opposite leg forward and place hands around the rib cage.
• Lunge forward and rotate away from the arm to achieve a stretch in the pec tissues. Exhale as you do this.
• Reverse the motion and repeat for desired reps.

Shoulder CARs

Form

• Start standing or in a tall kneeling position.
• Solidfy the body by tensing your abs, glutes and opposite arm - we do not want any unwanted motion as we are trying to isolate the shoulder.
• Imagine that air is about 50% more dense and contract the muscles of the arm before you perform the exercise.
• Reach up, keeping the hand in line with your shoulder and the elbow locked. Go into as much shoulder flexion as you can before you hit end range.
• Turn the palm away from you and feel that internal rotation winding down into the shoulder.
• Reach back as if you are drawing the biggest circle you can on a wall next to you.
• Keep turning the arm inwards until the palm is facing away from your hip.
• Reverse motion by first reaching back. Again, shand directly in line with the shoulder.
• Turn palm to the ceiling to fully externally rotate the shoulder.
• Reach up and pull the hand back in line with shoulder until the bicep is level with your ear.
• Return to start position and repeat.

Scapula CARs

Form

• Start standing or in a tall kneeling position.
• Raise the arm until the hand is in line with the shoulder and elbow is locked.
• Reach forward to 'make your arm long' ... this will draw the shoulder blade around the rib cage.
• Shrug the shoulder blade up to the ear, keeping the hand in line with the shoulder the whole time.
• Pull the shoulder blade back to the spine 'make your arm short'.
• Drive the shoulder blade away from your ear - think shoulder blade sliding down into your back pocket.