Where to begin…

Yesterday’s post included some stretching and strengthening exercises that we usually have clients get started with to begin strengthening the rotator cuff.

They may not seem like much, especially if you are used to heavy repetitive lifting. However, keep in mind that the goal is not to build power in the rotator cuff as much as endurance.

Endurance in muscle tissue comes with increasing perfusion of the tissues with capillaries in order to provide oxygen and nutrients to every muscle cell quickly and efficiently. This is accomplished with low load, higher repetition exercises. These repetitions must be done slowly and deliberately in order to recruit as many muscle groups as possible.

You will likely notice that the slower you move, the more shaky or ratchety the movement becomes. This is okay because you are not allowing ballistic movement or intertia to ignore weaker muscle fibers. As you continue with these exercises, you will find yourself moving in a more controlled, smooth and deliberate manner through your range of motion. This is essential for consistency through 18 holes of golf.

The following exercises are designed to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles in anticipation of guiding the head of the humerus in the shoulder socket (glenoid fossa) as you raise your arm overhead.

For these exercises, you will need some theraband or theratubing. These can be purchased in nearly any sporting goods department. Resistance is usually color coded with progression from easiest to stiffest as follows: yellow, red, green, purple, blue and black.

The rule of thumb is to start each exercise with 10 repetitions or until the point of fatigue (not exhaustion) in muscles. When you can do 25 repetitions slowly and smoothly, move to the next resistance level.

The three exercises that will be described in the next few days are named: shoulder extension, shoulder adduction and shoulder internal rotation.

Until then, work on your short game and…

Have a great game!

Steve McMurray MPT
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