My take on shoulder injuries is that it has a lot to do with both weaknesses in the core and the shoulder. If you have a weakness in the core more stress will be put on the shoulder joint during the pull phase of the stroke.
The first rule is to prehab - don't wait until you have a problem to try and strengthen your shoulder and core. The second is to choose dynamic exercises that challenge the core and bring the shoulder through multiple ranges of motion while performing the exercise. Proper progression MUST be used, no pain should ever occur, and every movement shoule be controlled. Follow these guidelines and you are ahead of the game.
Here is an exercise that we use with our swimmers and MLB players. Works great but make sure you progress properly.
YouTube - Grif Fig and Adam Brush - dynamic shoulder exercise
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Thanks for the link. Several years ago I saw a PT who helped rehab my shoulder; she, too, was a proponent of stabilization exercises and recommended the Body Blade which looks a lot like the flexibar.
The body blade works great as well. The only difference is the body blade moves in only one plane of motion and the flex-bar moves in multiple planes. Since the end of the bar moves in multiple directions it requires a bit more stabilization. That being said, both are very effective.
Thanks for the link. Several years ago I saw a PT who helped rehab my shoulder; she, too, was a proponent of stabilization exercises and recommended the Body Blade which looks a lot like the flexibar.
The body blade works great as well. The only difference is the body blade moves in only one plane of motion and the flex-bar moves in multiple planes. Since the end of the bar moves in multiple directions it requires a bit more stabilization. That being said, both are very effective.
