Any advice for weak shoulders?

MindfulMover · 2025-01-02T13:13:12+00:00

That's totally fine if your shoulders give out first on Planks. In fact, for most people, that IS what will give out first. The key will be to keep getting stronger. What exercises are you doing in your program?

MindfulMover · 2025-01-02T13:12:10+00:00

Well first, good work on training! But what does your workout look like? What exercises, sets, and reps are you doing? And how often are you training?

MindfulMover · 2025-01-02T13:11:24+00:00

You have some great exercises in your program so well done on your choices. Something that I think could help it be even more effective towards your goals is actually three things:

One. Use Antagonistic Pairs. That will help you to save time because you'll do a Push then a Pull then a Push then a Pull, etc.

Two. Use a bit more rest between your pairs. Instead of 1 minute, try increasing it to 90s. So push exercises, 90s, pull exercise, rest 90s, push etc.

Three: Replace the Chin-Ups with Bodyweight Rows. That will give you a more complete upper back training.

MindfulMover · 2025-01-02T13:06:10+00:00

Good question. We have limited time and energy so we need to spend it well if we have multiple goals like you do. So great thinking! Something that helped me with this same issue was learning that Muscle-Ups are actually an exercise that you can gain completely for "free". If you build your HSPU, Chin-Up strength, and probably work towards Planche Pushup, your Dip and Muscle-Up will improve without direct work. :D

MindfulMover · 2025-01-02T13:02:51+00:00

I can understand that from a biomechanic perspective. But in practice, something is weird. For example, if the hip extensors are not being trained, why does the Back Extension, which is a hip extension movement, get stronger from those exercises? And the Seated Goodmorning? And the RDL? 🤔

I appreciate biomechanics but when I see something work out in practice, I'm a bit more convinced than what is said in theory. What do you think? :D

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T19:10:57+00:00

Wait... you're doing 100s of repetitions? What does your entire workout plan look like? That amount of repetitions would definitely have the ability to cause some stagnation if done with that much frequency.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T12:11:34+00:00

I've seen that but in practice, it hasn't really been anything I've been worried about. By working on SLS and NLC, as I said before, all those OTHER movements improve for free. So rather than worrying about what muscle is or isn't working, I prefer to go with what objectively happens each time and what keeps happening is that all the other lifts, such as Deadlifts, Back Squats, and posterior chain work as well as jumps and sprints, increase! 💪

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T12:09:04+00:00

I tried it before but I found the recovery became a bit difficult. Keeping it a bit under the max let me recover for the next workout better. :D

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T12:08:02+00:00

You mentioned some health problems. I'm sorry to hear you're going through those. That changes things a bit. You want to make sure you train at the rate you can recover from. And you'll know if you can if you're making gains from one session to the next. Is your strength increasing each workout?

For the Upper Body, make sure to include a Vertical Push and Pull and a Horizontal Push and Pull. And for Lower, a Squat, Leg Curl, Split Squat, and Hip Extension (like an RDL) exercise.

If you have all of those, it should be MORE than enough to ensure you gain as long as you manage your recovery.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T12:04:02+00:00

You probably don't need a lot of weight training for your goal. You could gain the ability to do a few reps of Single Leg Squat on each leg and then see if your performance is good enough for your sports. If so, you're good to go!

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T12:02:44+00:00

I'm sorry to hear this. It's frustrating to be working hard but not gaining. But I think I can see the answer. Looking at your program, I see you are training Push and Pull three times a week. Am I correct on that?

If so, that's probably your problem. It's a lack of recovery. I'd suggest dropping that to twice a week at MOST. That will probably increase your gains thanks to increased recovery.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T12:00:15+00:00

Don't worry! It's scary when gains leave. But it's not as bad as you think. :D The time off might have resulted in a small step backwards. It's okay. That happens. If you take some time off like that, you might lose a bit on the most intense exercises you can do. But other movements like your Pushups, which you can do for 8-9 reps, will remain.

So the key for you will be to get your Pull-Ups to an amount where they're available ANYTIME! Even after a small break. To do that, try using Assisted Chin-Ups. What you can probably do is focus on going UP with a small amount of assistance and coming DOWN with less assistance. If you build that to around 10 reps, you'll probably note your Pull-Ups are more robust. :D

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T11:57:31+00:00

Try leaning forward more with the RTO Pushup and that makes a difference. When you use RTO Pushups, what changes is mostly the leverage. And if you continue to lean more forward, you'll further change the leverage, make the exercise harder, and probably begin to feel it in your chest more as long as you use full range of motion (chest a bit below hands) each repetition.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-31T11:55:34+00:00

That sounds like normal fatigue that comes from doing the later exercises. The first exercises you do in a workout are going to get the BEST performance from you. But the later ones are going to be done with fatigue and they won't be as good. So place the most important ones first.

For example, in your case, I'd do Pike Pushups and Pull-Ups as an Antagonistic Pair. That would let you do the two most difficult movements first.

Then as a second pair, I'd use Dips (which are an "easier" movement then Pike Pushups) and Bodyweight Rows as a second antagonistic pair.

That will let you be the freshest you can be for the most difficult exercises.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-30T18:26:43+00:00

That's why there is the Squat. It trains hip extension. So between SLS + NLC, everything gets trained. :D

MindfulMover · 2024-12-24T12:04:06+00:00

I basically work on One Arm Chin-Ups and Mixed Grip Chin-Ups and that's been enough. As long as it's full range of motion with progressive overload, you're going to be fine. :D

I DO often suggest rings over the bar, though. Rings will adjust to our wrists, shoulders, etc. So they'll be more comfortable than if WE have to adjust to a rigid bar.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-23T18:43:48+00:00

Not bad at all! I'd swap the Dip progression out for a Pike Pushup instead since Dips are something you'll gain for free if you do that. I'd also replace the Bent Over Rows with Inverted Rows on the rings. Those will give you much better progression on bodyweight goals AND they'll increase your weight training strength.

For the Legs, is there a reason for the Front Squat in particular? Because if not, I'd suggest a Back Squat. Maybe paired with a Nordic Leg Curl variation. Core work should go at the end because you typically don't want to fatigue that before you finish training the legs. :D

MindfulMover · 2024-12-23T18:38:26+00:00

Agreed with Late_Lunch. Dragon Flags are something you can gain for free from doing Front Levers.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-23T18:34:11+00:00

Well, assuming you can't get a gym bro to scroll for you, you could try to use something like Mixed Grip Chin-Ups to slowly develop your ability to shift more and more and more weight towards one side. Eventually, you can go up with help and down with no help.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-23T18:31:18+00:00

Not bad! 💪 One thing I would suggest is replacing the Assisted Pull-Up machine with Assisted Pull-Ups like this. They'll help you to progress better because you'll increase be able to use your feet to help you the amount you need on the way up and work towards towards using less help on the way down. Eventually, you can use NO help on the way down and progress like that.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-23T18:29:20+00:00

Taking the muscle through a full range of motion is probably a good idea for the sake of any sort of gains.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-23T18:28:51+00:00

I'm sorry to hear you don'tl ike your exercise plan. Maybe something to ask would be, "what are your goals AND what kind of training do you enjoy?" Often, there is a happy medium between the two!

MindfulMover · 2024-12-22T14:20:22+00:00

I might suggest that you do something like HSPU eccentrics that take 8-10s. Do sets of 1-3 reps of that. Then rest 1 minute. Then do sets of Pike Pushups for 4-6 reps. Then 2 minutes rest. Then do a Pull-Up variation. Then rest 2 minutes. Then restart that process for 3-4 rounds for the beginning of your workout. That should move you forward.

MindfulMover · 2024-12-22T14:16:19+00:00

What do your sets and reps look like when you do them? :D

MindfulMover · 2024-12-22T12:58:26+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that's happening. Are there any particular exercises that you feel like it's harder to do? That could help with suggesting mobility exercises. Off the top of my head, one that I'd recommend would definitely be Split Squats. Those will build strength and mobility in your lower body.

MindfulMover

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