5 Minute Shoulder Mobility Warm-up

by Mike Hanley

In this day and age we have such busy lives and schedules that it is crucial to make the most out of our time in the gym.  Many times we often forget the most important aspects of training and just go in and start throwing weights around.  In the long run this causes more problems than it saves time.  I get asked quite often how to get in all aspects of training with very limited time to do so.  When we think about training we think about strength, conditioning, flexibility,  mobility in that order when in fact it needs to be the complete opposite to stay in the game.  Mobility and flexibility of the joints, muscle tissue, ligaments and tendons surrounding those joints is crucial for maintaining a healthy body that can withstand heavy loads year in and year out.

Here is a great upper body warm up that incorporates dynamic warm-ups, mobility and muscle activation to prep our shoulder girdle, thoracic spine and rotators in 5 minutes.  It is a simple, quick and effective warm-up for upper body days.

Objective

To warm up and activate the muscles in  the shoulder region, upper back and thoracic spine.  Properly prepare our tendons, ligaments and muscle for the task to come and to improve joint integrity of the shoulder and thoracic spine.

Bodyparts Involved

Shoulder muscles including the all rotator cuff muscles, teres major and minor,  rhomboids and thoracic spine.

Warm-up

1.    Unilateral External Circular Rotations – 10x each arm
2.    Unilateral Internal Circular Rotations – 10x each arm
3.    Bilateral External Circular Rotations – 10x
4.    Bilateral Internal Circular Rotations – 10x
5.    Corkscrew Shoulder Twists – 20x
6.    Squat Position Unilateral Thoracic Mobility Reach – 10x each side
7.    Band Shoulder Dislocates – 10x
8.    Band Diagonal Shoulder Dislocates – 5x each way
9.    Band Pull Aparts – 10x
10.  Diagonal Band Pull Aparts- 10x each way

Give this warm-up a try on your upper body days or even on a squat day if your shoulder are tight.  It will help alleviate some tightness in the shoulder while squatting with a bar on your back.  Many times our shoulders get just as beat up on a squat workout as they do on a bench day.

This warm up is quick and it works.  If you are pressed for time it will take 5 minutes and your shoulders will feel like a million bucks

Author’s Bio

Check out Mike and his killer blog at http://www.hanleystrength.com .  He has a massive free report, you better go pick it up!

We have discussed the importance of warming up many times here on Diesel.

Essential Hip Mobility

3 Insanely Effective Upper Body Warm-ups

Ultimate 2 Minute Shoulder Warm-up

Ultimate Shoulder Rehab Video

and this is only a couple of the cool videos on my Youtube:  TheDieselCrew

Why is a Good Warm-up Important?

You also know that I just released the best selling warm-up system this year with Joe Defranco, called AMPED Warm-up.

With all this attention to warming up, do you think it might be an important component of a good workout?

For years I went into the gym, put plates on the bar and started hitting reps.  Years later I couldn’t jump, I couldn’t squat full range and both shoulders felt horrible.

Over the last two years, both Joe Defranco and I have been really focusing on the warm-up, activation exercises and mobility.  It is now a staple in all of our programs.  That is the truth.  It is that important.

Today I can honestly say I am more mobile, agile and hostile.  I can jump again, squat again and hit any exercise I want to hit.  Working out is supposed to get you stronger and more explosive.  It isn’t supposed to make you less flexible, hurt your joints and injure you.

If you make the warm-up a focus in your workout, you will be rewarded immediately AND be able to lift virtually injury free for as many years as you want.

I recently got a note from Shawn Phillip’s who got a copy of AMPED.  He let me know that he really liked the program and has been using it for his workouts.  I decided to do a special new warm-up routine and name it the Shawn Phillip’s Warm-up Routine.

There are over 90 exercises in AMPED and literally 100’s of different warm-up routines you can create for any sport, any workout or any program.  These are just a small few that I’ve demonstrated!   Now if you use AMPED along with AMD (complete muscle building / strength training system) you’ll not only have all the warm-ups you need, you ‘ll have 16 weeks of killer workouts AND you learn how to create your own routines!

“Joe and Jim have done the unthinkable<they’ve made warming up seem cool.
The Amped book and DVD are a must-have for people who want to be strong and
injury-free throughout their training careers. Every move and technique
you’d ever need is in here, along with plenty of sample routines so you
never get bored. I can’t wait to “Bitch Slap My CNS” next workout!”
-Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S., fitness editor for Men’s Fitness magazine

Shawn Phillip’s AMPED Warm-up Routine

20 Awesome Warm-up Exercises

PRINT THIS OUT AND TAKE WITH YOU TO THE GYM

Shawn Phillips, 10 minute AMPED Warm-up Routine

Jumping Jacks, 20 reps
Seal Jumps with Leg Switches, 20 reps
Full Body Circles, 5 each way
Arm Circles, 10 reps each arm, forward and back
Elbows Circles, 10 each arm, forward and back
Wrist Circles, 10 reps
Shoulder Twists, 5 reps each way
Bodyweight Squats, 8 reps
Squat to Stand, 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 1), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 2), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 3), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 4), 5 reps each arm
Cobra, 5 reps
Striders, 5 reps each leg
Striders with Rotation, 3 reps each side
Hamstring Stretch / Hip Flexor Stretch, 3 reps each side
Band Pull Aparts, 10 reps
Band Dislocates, 5 reps
Backward Rolls into Hamstring Stretch, 5 reps
Backward Rolls into Glute Stretch, 5 reps each arm
Squat to Forward Lunges, 3 reps each leg
Standing Glute Stretch, 5 reps each leg
Cradle Walks, 5 reps each leg

We have discussed the importance of warming up many times here on Diesel.
Essential Hip Mobility
3 Insanely Effective Upper Body Warm-ups
Ultimate 2 Minute Shoulder Warm-up
Ultimate Shoulder Rehab Video
and this is only a couple of the cool videos on my Youtube:  TheDieselCrew

Why is a Good Warm-up Important?

You also know that I just released the best selling warm-up system this year with Joe Defranco, called AMPED Warm-up.
With all this attention to warming up, do you think it might be an important component of a good workout?
For years I went into the gym, put plates on the bar and started hitting reps.  Years later I couldn’t jump, I couldn’t squat full range and both shoulders felt horrible.
Over the last two years, both Joe Defranco and I have been really focusing on the warm-up, activation exercises and mobility.  It is now a staple in all of our programs.  That is the truth.  It is that important.
Today I can honestly say I am more mobile, agile and hostile.  I can jump again, squat again and hit any exercise I want to hit.  Working out is supposed to get you stronger and more explosive.  It isn’t supposed to make you less flexible, hurt your joints and injure you.
If you make the warm-up a focus in your workout, you will be rewarded immediately AND be able to lift virtually injury free for as many years as you want.
I recently got a note from Shawn Phillip’s who got a copy of AMPED.  He let me know that he really liked the program and has been using it for his workouts.  I decided to do a special new warm-up routine and name it the Shawn Phillip’s Warm-up Routine.
There are over 90 exercises in AMPED and literally 100’s of different warm-up routines you can create for any sport, any workout or any program.  These are just a small few that I’ve demonstrated!   Now if you use AMPED along with AMD (complete muscle building / strength training system) you’ll not only have all the warm-ups you need, you ‘ll have 16 weeks of killer workouts AND you learn how to create your own routines!

“Joe and Jim have done the unthinkable<they’ve made warming up seem cool.
The Amped book and DVD are a must-have for people who want to be strong and
injury-free throughout their training careers. Every move and technique
you’d ever need is in here, along with plenty of sample routines so you
never get bored. I can’t wait to “Bitch Slap My CNS” next workout!”
-Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S., fitness editor for Men’s Fitness magazine

Shawn Phillip’s AMPED Warm-up Routine

20 Awesome Warm-up Exercises

PRINT THIS OUT AND TAKE WITH YOU TO THE GYM

Shawn Phillips, 10 minute AMPED Warm-up Routine

Jumping Jacks, 20 reps
Seal Jumps with Leg Switches, 20 reps
Full Body Circles, 5 each way
Arm Circles, 10 reps each arm, forward and back
Elbows Circles, 10 each arm, forward and back
Wrist Circles, 10 reps
Shoulder Twists, 5 reps each way
Bodyweight Squats, 8 reps
Squat to Stand, 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 1), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 2), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 3), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 4), 5 reps each arm
Cobra, 5 reps
Striders, 5 reps each leg
Striders with Rotation, 3 reps each side
Hamstring Stretch / Hip Flexor Stretch, 3 reps each side
Band Pull Aparts, 10 reps
Band Dislocates, 5 reps
Backward Rolls into Hamstring Stretch, 5 reps
Backward Rolls into Glute Stretch, 5 reps each arm
Squat to Forward Lunges, 3 reps each leg
Standing Glute Stretch, 5 reps each leg
Cradle Walks, 5 reps each leg

2 Insanely Effective Mobility Exercises for the Lower Body

Here are two exercises I just filmed on my alternative YouTube channel (Muscle VIP).    Both are highly effective for increasing the mobility of the hips, dynamically stretching the hamstrings and warming-up the entire body for a training session.

Spiderman Crawls (with Rotation)

Coaching Cues:

• Stay low to the ground
• Keep a neutral torso and head position
• Try and lay forearm to ground on initial movement
• Rotate toward the forward leg
• Watch hand during rotation
  

Squat to Stand

Coaching Cues:

• Grab under foot and hold throughout
• Drive hips upward straightening knees, dropping the head (dynamic stretching of hamstrings)
• Swing hips through while pushing chest through and upward
• Head should be in neutral
• Drive knees outward with elbows
  

In honor of AMPED Warm-up, I am re-posting two previously released articles for all of our new subscribers.

Check out this essential upper body warm-ups, how to warm-up article below.

If you’ve picked up the latest edition of Men’s Fitness, there is a big 4 week AMD workout in it. You know from all of my posts here on Diesel and if you’ve purchased this innovative muscle building system, that I’m big on full range of motion movements, a thorough warm-up, activation exercises, SMR and everything else that helps you stay healthy and move better.

It is so important as you get older and it is so important for coaches and personal trainers who are responsible for helping athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

With this in mind, I created a killer new video. Each warm-up might look like a whole lot of exercises; more than you’re used to. But as you get proficient, you’ll flow from exercise to exercise and it should not take you longer than 10 min.

In this video you’ll find 3 choices.

Three different upper body warm-up routines that you can pick and choose from for your workouts.

What To Do Next?

1. Watch the Video

2. Rate at 5 stars

3. Print out all 3 Warm-up exercise lists on this page, or in the description on the YouTube video.

Copy and paste the following into word and print it out. Take it with you to the gym.

Upper Body Warm-up Routines

Warm-Up #1

Perform 1 Run Through

1a) Jump Rope, 3 min

1b) Foam Roller, 30 seconds each area

1c) Shoulder Bridging, 10 reps each side

1d) Push-ups, 20 reps

1e) Push-up Plus, 10 reps

1f) Kneeling Reach Through, 5 each side

1g) Banded Diesel Face Pulls, 20 reps

1h) Muscle Snatches, 10 reps

Warm-Up #2

Perform 1 Run Through

1a) Jump Rope, 3 min

1b) Foam Roller, 30 seconds each area

1c) Med Ball Wall Dribbling, Left to Right, 10 times

1d) Db Laterals, 10 reps

1e) DB Flyes, 10 reps

1f) DB Raises, 10 reps

1g) DB Presses, 10 reps

1h) Banded External Rotations, 10 reps each arm

1i) Standing Rotator “Y”, 10 reps

1j) DB Lateral Drops (Activation), 15 reps

1k) Plate Extensions into Halos, 10 reps

Warm-Up #3

Perform 1 Run Through

1a) Jump Rope, 3 min

1b) Foam Roller, 30 seconds each area

1c) Lat Stretches, 5 resets each side

1d) Band Shoulder Stretches, 3 Ways, Various

1e) Hindu Push-ups, 20 reps

1f) Cable Face Pulls with External Rotation, 10 reps

1g) Cable Face Pulls, 10 reps

1h) Side Lying External DB Rotations, 10 reps each side

1i) Blackburns, 10 reps

1j) Full Range DB Laterals, 10 reps

Highly Effective Upper Body Warm-ups

PS. If you want to learn how to pull all of this together into a complete workout, guaranteed to not only build muscle and get you stronger, but also help you rehab your injuries and feel better now, check out Accelerated Muscular Development

PPS. Want power? Want real core strength? Check out Combat Core Strength

In honor of AMPED Warm-up, I am re-posting two previously released articles for all of our new subscribers.

Check out this essential hip mobility, how to warm-up article below.

You Are Going to Get Injured.

Yes, you will.

Sooner or later, the choices you make in the weight room will lead to injury. A severe injury or something minor is in your future, trust me on that!!

But you have a choice and if you act on it, you will see immediate results.

And you must make it immediately! You must take action right now without hesitation!

Change your workout. Change it NOW!

Because I know what you’ve been doing.

You haven’t been warming up. You haven’t been doing full range of motion movements. You haven’t been raising your core temperature before touching ANY weights.

This stops now!

I am here to make your workouts better and make you feel better.

What does training do to your body?

The SAID Principle and The Principle of Progressive Overload is based upon the foundation of tension. The more tension, the more adaptation. Good or bad. You are constantly striving to create more tension and more time under tension (TUT).

Good adaptations include building muscle and strength (combination of increasing cross sectional area of the muscle fiber – sarcoplasmic hypertrophy AND an increase in the number of myosin/actin filaments (sarcomeres) inside the cell – myofibrillar hypertrophy ), improved neural efficiency, tendon / ligament density, greater work capacity, development of specific physiological qualities (dependent upon volume, load, speed, tempo, implement, application), and so on…

Bad adaptations include the consequences of the recovery from heavy and prolonged strength training. Shortening of soft-tissues, adhesions and inhibition in movement is increased dependent upon % of tension (vs. current capacity), restricted range of motion movements coupled with current mobility limitations.

What does this mean?

If you load up a ton of freaking weight, day in and day out, and only perform short range of motion movements, you’ll be walking like Frankenstein and get injured from tying your shoe and farting at the same time.

Solution? Comprehensive, systematic, consistent application of a thorough, complete and all-encompassing warm-up and mobility drills prior to and after your strength training sessions.

Think I’m lying? Think I don’t know what I’m talking about? Think you don’t have time?

Bullshit.

I have been applying these techniques this year with not only myself, but all of my athletes. We’ve gotten stronger and my chronic injuries and limitations have gone away.

Now, if your goal is to lift heavy, lift often and lift hard for a few years, then screw it – who needs mobility work. But if you want to lift for a lifetime, then you better start doing these movements.

NOW.

You don’t want to be like this dude.

Essential Hip Mobility Movements

I just posted a new video of some really good hip mobility movements. These will get your heart pumping, open up your hips, improve your flexibility and get you moving again quick.

But you have to do them on a consistent basis. I’m not just talking about before lower body day, I’m talking about all the time.

Remember the previous post I put up about hip mobility and knee rehab? It showed how to open up the hips and activate the glutes. How about the lower back rehab post? With each post we are learning more and more and building more comprehensive workouts.

Right now we are concentrating on hip mobility.

Hip Mobility Exercises in the Video

Glute Stretch into Cossack
Wall Squats
Hip Flexor Stretch (Back Leg Elevated)
Hip Flexor / Quad Stretch
Hip Flexor Stretch and Reach
Bulgarian Split Squats
Striders into Rotational Lunges
Striders into Seated Glute Stretch
Fire Hydrants
Downward Dog into Quad Squat
Cobra into Dynamic Plough
Dynamic Adductors – Level 1 (Narrow)
Dynamic Adductors – Level 2 (Wide)
Dynamic Adductors – Level 3 (Horizontal Squat)

The Essential Hip

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Many of you know about my previous Pay It Forward article.

I posted about how fortunate I feel and how lucky I was to be in 3 major fitness publications in one month (back in Nov 2009).

Well, it has happened AGAIN!

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS KILLER POST AFTER THE JUMP (more…)