This week we will continue to progress upper extremity strength, specifically trying to identify movements that feel weaker in the problematic upper extremity
I recommend that all single arm movements be done on both arms to attempt to assess if one arm is much weaker then the other
You will continue to do the daily movements with incorporation of a couple alternative positions to try
The goal with the daily sequence is to establish a sequence of 4-5 movements that you do daily to move areas of your body that typically don’t move enough during our day
As new options are introduced you want to pick and choose the movements that you feel are most beneficial
Judge that based on movements that feel really tight or movements that feel good/ pull on areas that typically feel tight/uncomfortable
Strength Circuits
These will begin to get more challenging, so be careful with all newer movements
Each exercise will have a goal for time or for a certain number of reps
If you achieve the goal, you are probably ready to increase the resistance or the challenge
For example: I usually give a range of 8-20 reps for an exercise, if you get to 20 reps, you are probably ready to increase the weight and start back at 8-10 reps again gradually working your way up to 20 reps
Make sure you don’t rush it and end up increasing pain
IDEALLY: You should feel fatigue in muscle with very little to no tendon pain
If you are getting tendon pain, you want to adjust the parameters of the exercise to see if you can keep it less painful
This could be less weight, going through less motion, doing less reps
Daily Sequence
This is meant to be somewhat easy and focused on maintaining mobility and muscle activation
You should choose a couple of these movements as options to do gently throughout the day to break up static postures
10-20 reps of each movement is recommended
They can be done in a circuit 1-2x a day along with doing a couple of them frequently throughout the day as able
Strength Circuits
These are meant to challenge you and should be done every other day in addition to the daily stuff
Goal is to try and remain in a range where you are able to achieve muscle fatigue with the least amount of pain
Typical issues arise when individuals push too far into a movement to quickly
I would rather you remain in a shorter range of motion and do 20-40 reps versus do 5 too deep into the notion and get pain
If any of these movements cause an increase in pain, either try to adjust the exercise or email me…if have a pretty extensive arsenal of options so if something doesn’t feel right I can probably find a better alternative
Do all reps slow and controlled in a range of 5-30 reps ( I know that is a wide range)
I would rather you do 5 very slow and controlled reps with great form rather then rushing to 30 reps out of boredom
At the same time I want you to get to some muscle fatigue with more of and emphasis initially on higher reps and endurance, so don’t stop at 10 because we are somehow programmed that 3 sets of 10 reps is the golden rule for exercise
Sometimes I switch to doing an exercise for time for those who refuse to count, rush to get to 30reps, don’t have the attention span to count. time goal is 30sec to 2 minutes
This works better for some as it takes away the motivation to rush through and exercise
Either option is fine
IF YOU WANT TO GET BETTER, DO EACH REP SLOWLY, FOCUSED ON TECHNIQUE AND CONTROL, AND DO IT UNTIL YOU FEEL TIRED OR AN INCREASE IN PAIN…TRY TO REMAIN IN A RANGE OF MOTION THAT DOES NOT HURT…AT ALL IF POSSIBLE
Ideally light pulling in the front of the shoulder is ok, not on the top or in the back, stay short of feeling top or back of shoulder in regards to pinching or pain
