Proper Shoulder Training for Throwing Athletes

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By Matthew Ellis - Primal Athlete Training Center, Cranston, RI

There are two schools of thought when it comes to shoulder training for athletes who throw. No matter what the athlete or the sport, pitchers, quarterbacks, javelin throwers, volleyball players, softball players, you typically get two differing opinions:

  1. These athletes use the shoulder every time they practice. Throwing pitches, spiking volleyballs, tossing footballs, launching javelins. If they use the shoulder every day at practice, there's no way we should do direct shoulder training in the weight room. This could lead to overuse and injury.

    2. Or...

  2. These athletes use the shoulder every time they practice. Throwing pitches, spiking volleyballs, tossing footballs, launching javelins. If they use the shoulder every day at practice, we need to directly train the shoulder in the weight room to build strength and prevent injury.

Many of you reading the paragraphs above probably fall under category number one. Training athletes who throw on a regular basis can be very tricky. In the weight room, the shoulder is used in almost every movement pattern. If you squat, the shoulders are pinched back. If you bench press, the shoulders get a lot of use. Pull-ups, you guessed it, more shoulders. Deadlifts, Military Press, Olympic Lifts, Medicine Balls, Kettlebells? More shoulder work. The shoulder gets used all day long. Direct shoulder work is useless and could lead to injury. Why take the risk?

Very few coaches who read this article fall under category number two and this is a shame. Because the shoulder is getting used and abused every day at practice there needs to be some direct shoulder work in the weight room to strengthen the shoulder and keep the shoulder in great shape during the entire season. When the proper exercises and techniques are used and proper rules are taken into account, training the shoulder directly can improve velocity and power throughout the entire season.

Listed below are 5 rules for training the shoulder in the weight room.

  1. Get off the machines – The next time one of your athletes throws, take a look at the movement of the shoulder. The shoulder moves throughout many different planes of motion. Your athlete is also standing on his feet. Machines lock the shoulder in place while the athlete is sitting down. Whenever possible, use compound movements to train the shoulders and get off the machines and on two feet.
  2. Full Range of Motion – Going along with rule #1, use a full range of motion with all shoulder exercises. Strengthening the shoulder throughout a full range of motion means the full throw will also be strengthened. This will lead to more velocity and less injury.
  3. Use the shoulder when training other muscle groups – Certain exercises that target other muscle groups can also help increase flexibility and range of motion in the shoulders. Some examples are overhead lunges and overhead squats.
  4. Incorporate Olympic Lifts – Olympic lifts are a very functional way to work explosive leg and hip drive while using the arms and shoulders to follow through. Rather than take the time to teach traditional Olympic lifts with a bar, use dumbbells with lifts like the clean and press and the snatch to work in the Olympic lifts.
  5. Actively warm up the shoulder – Use bands to actively warm up the shoulder. There are hundreds of articles and videos online from respected trainers like Zach Even-Esh, Joe Hashey, and Joe Defranco that show variations of dynamic shoulder warm ups with stretch bands. I will include a video link that shows a few examples at the end of this article.

Taking the above rules into account, here are my top 5 exercises to improve shoulder strength and mobility.

  1. Overhead Presses – The bread and butter of getting the shoulder stronger. Put weight on the bar and press it overhead. Make sure when doing overhead presses to finish with the bar back behind the head and the head and chest forward. Don't be afraid to use dumbbells or kettlebells to add some variation.
  2. Overhead Lunges – While these are more of a leg strengthening exercise, overhead lunges are great for adding flexibility and mobility to tight shoulders. Try both forward and reverse lunges with one or two dumbbells.
  3. See Saw Press – Similar to an alternating dumbbell press, see saw presses add a twist at the waist to add some core flexibility. As you press on one side, turn at the waist toward the pressing hand. As you bring the dumbbell down, twist at the waist and press the other side. So as one dumbbell comes down, the other goes up. Just like a see saw.
  4. Get Up Sit Up – Like the overhead lunge, this is a core strengthening exercise that emphasizes shoulder flexibility. Lie on the floor with your legs spread and a bar pressed over the chest. Forcefully drive the bar forward and sit up moving under the bar. As you reach the top, keep the arms straight and move the bar back as far as you can behind the head. Slowly lower yourself down to the ground to the starting position and repeat.
  5. One Arm Dumbbell Clean and Press – A fantastic exercise to incorporate explosive strength and power into your training. Start with a moderately heavy dumbbell in one hand. Squat down with the dumbbell between the legs around knee height. With a straight arm, forcefully extend the legs and hips, making the dumbbell explode up to the shoulder. Quickly dip under the weight, bend the legs, and explosively press the dumbbell overhead. Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position and repeat.

Incorporating exercises like the ones listed above into a proper training program will greatly decrease injury while improving strength and velocity during the season. As long as you follow the rules and teach proper form, your athletes will see a great benefit from directly training their shoulders. Visit www.YouTube.com/EliteThrowsCoaching for a video explanation of the above exercises and a great shoulder warm up using stretch bands.

Techniques for Healthier and Stronger Shoulders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL2MMoT7zHg

Band Pull Apart Techniques

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKyjn5ClN_g

About the Author...

Matthew Ellis is the owner of Primal Athlete Training Center in Cranston, RI. Matt has the unique opportunity to work with athletes from various sports at all levels of high school athletics. Matt has an aggressive, blue-collar style to his training that improves strength, endurance, and explosive power in all athletic movements.

Matt has spoken to thousands of coaches and athletic directors at many of the largest state and regional coaching clinics around the U.S. on topics such as functional training, kettlebell training for athletes, proper active warm-up, mobility drills, and proper technique in the various throwing events. Articles written by Matt have appeared in coaching magazines, books, and websites around the world. Matt is the former director of Bill Falk's overnight throws camp at Rhode Island College and is a member of the National Throws Coaches Association and the National Pole Vault Coaches Association. He is a certified kettlebell instructor. Matt is constantly investing in his coaching and training education to bring the latest techniques to the athletes he trains.