For any athlete, including mixed martial arts fighters, smart shoulder training is essential. It is extremely simple to sustain an injury to the shoulder, and recovering from one requires missing training sessions and the gym.
It occasionally may even signify the end of a career. For those of us who are fitness enthusiasts, the stakes might not be as high. However, sticking to the same common sense schedule makes perfect sense. When we’re trying to get fit quickly, we don’t really want to wind up on the injured list, do we?
Naturally not.
The following shoulder training advice will reduce your risk of injury, give your shoulders a real strength and muscular appearance. What more is there to ask for?
There will be three days a week that we train shoulders.
We’ll need a few kettlebells and a barbell, but adjustable dumbbells will work just as well in a pinch.
Developing speed, endurance, and explosive power will be our main goals instead of lifting extremely heavy weights. This is a precautionary measure that really pays off.
The Kettlebell Clean and Press.
Our shoulder training is built around this strenuous exercise. It strengthens the muscles in your arms, upper chest, quads, and abs in addition to your shoulders. It calls for some technical proficiency. I hope you understand the movement by watching a few videos of kettlebell cleans and presses before proceeding step-by-step.
- Stand with feet positioned roughly shoulder width apart with a medium to light kettlebell in your right hand hanging in front of your body (35lbs is a good weight for a reasonably strong man, 15lbs for a woman. Do your
first few training sessions with a lower weight until your mind and body gets the hang of the movement)
2. Bend knees and do a partial swing of bell between legs.
3. As the kettlebell comes up drop under bell catching it on upper chest and shoulder (the “rack position”)
4. Explode out of the bottom position (which is like a quarter squat) pressing the kettlebell overhead.
5. Return kettlebell to the rack position.
6.Return to start and repeat.
Four sets of ten reps alternating sides. Be sure to keep
your abs tight for the entire movement!
