Climbing specific shoulder exercises

Whenever my arms are above shoulder height I feel very weak. Anytime I place gear high, coil the rope around my neck, or any motion with my arms above my shoulders, my shoulders really burn. It doesn't hurt, but fatigues too quickly.

What exercises could I do to strengthen my shoulders so they are stronger for climbing activities?

I have the same problem when hammering or using a screw driver above my shoulders too

Thanks in advance!

Beth Rodden has a page of shoulder specific excercises. The link is Here... Scroll down.

Stever wrote:Whenever my arms are above shoulder height I feel very weak. Anytime I place gear high, coil the rope around my neck, or any motion with my arms above my shoulders, my shoulders really burn. It doesn't hurt, but fatigues too quickly. What exercises could I do to strengthen my shoulders so they are stronger for climbing activities? I have the same problem when hammering or using a screw driver above my shoulders too Thanks in advance!

'Fatigues too quickly' means lack of endurance.
Lack of endurance usually means you should use light weight/low resistance and high reps.
Decrease weight as you go if you have to in order to get high repetitions in.
Shoulders are extremely easy to injure and take forever to heal.
My best advice would be to TAKE IT SLOW.

Also-
Don't stretch cold muscles.
Circles (lg & sm) and scissors (in front of your chest and above your head) will get you warmed up.

good advice from the previous responses, but you may also consider having it checked to see if there might be other underlying causes behind your fatigue symptoms besides a perceived lack of endurance.

Regarding strength training the best advice is not to add strength on top of dysfunction.

Once you have been able to determine that there isn't something else going on, a very good source online on shoulder and overhead training is Eric Cressey. He is best known as the trainer to professional and collegiate baseball pitchers, but I found his approach and training recommendations to be very applicable to climbing.

Here is the link to his home page:

ericcressey.com/

check out the old blog postings, articles, etc. and his online videos, but more specifically to shoulder exercises, here is an old article with exercises to strengthen the four shoulder stabilizer muscles. These exercises can be done with very light weights (3kg barbells for example) and still be effective.

t-nation.com/free_online_ar…

And one final video on shoulder rehab exercises from Eric Horst and Nicros

nicros.com/training/article…

Following up on my previous post, it is really important that you first have a qualified professional examine you. The proper sequence is to

a) assure proper alignment of the upper body (from pelvic, lumbar, thoracic, scapula to cervical spine)

b) address any mobility deficits (and compensatory patterns)

c) only then address any strength deficits

d) develop dynamic stability

e) and finally disassociate the arms from the spine

Similar symptoms found out I have torn rotator cuffs, both shoulders. Seek professional help.

Stever, is this an ongoing issue, or a recent development? If the latter you should definitely see a professional.

I'm no doctor, but I was experiencing similar shoulder pain. The exercises in this video have really strengthened my rotator cuff and fixed the problem. One warning: use light dumbells. This is injury prevention, not strength training.

youtu.be/NDw5dxst_ls

Thanks for all the responses everyone.

I had tendinitis in my shoulder a few years ago and went to physio for that. Aside from that, I have had no injuries to my shoulders.

On a similar note, when I do pullups, on the downward motion into a full dead hang my right shoulder area pops. it feels like a tense rope going over an edge. But only in my right shoulder.

The more I talk about it, the more I am convinced to see a professional. and since there have been so many recommendations to get it professionally checked out, I will go ahead and do that before I do any endurance exercises.

Dallas R: did you have constant pain? I figured a torn RC would be painful?

I should note that the fatigue or weakness isn't instant, it usually happens several seconds (or longer) after the motion above my shoulder line.

Would any MD be able to diagnose my problem, or do I need to see a specialist?

Thanks everyone!!

Hi Steve,
This is a good one.
http://www.mikereinold.com/2014/09/great-exercise-enhance-posterior-shoulder-strength-endurance-overhead-stability.html

It promotes stability and strength when your arms are above your head. I have a whole email draft of links and things that really helped me to regain strength after a shoulder surgery, send me an email if you would like the whole list.

Chris

+1 for Mike Reinold (he works very closely with Eric Cressey).

My progression list above is directly from Cressey's and Reinold's material on Functional Stability Training for the Upper Body.

Regarding which professional to see, I would seek physical therapists that have significant experience working with "overhead" athletes such as baseball & volleyball players, swimmers or climbers.

Look for professionals with certification from The Postural Restoration Institute, but other disciplines/certifications should be able to do a physical examination to look at asymmetries, range of motion, sources or pain, etc. and put you in a corrective program.

Excellent, I will look for a specific therapist.

Thanks for the links, I will check them out this evening