Here’s a fun fact: GymnasticBodies Athletes have amongst the strongest, most resilient shoulders in the world. If you are reading this post then, chances are, you are also looking for a way to train your shoulders to become strong, supple, and injury free.

Luckily, you have come to the right place. The methods behind Coach Christopher Sommer’s Gymnastic Strength Training^TM system were developed with over four decades of experience coaching national level gymnasts.

Well known for their inhuman physical capabilities, Coach Sommer’s athletes showcase incredible feats of strength as they effortlessly perform near impossible gymnastic exercises. These remarkable gymnasts are amongst the most powerful athletes known to man.

Their secret to nearly indestructible shoulders is in their physical preparation using the same exercises outlined in our GB Online Courses. Here are three essential shoulder prehab exercises that you can add to your routine today to help bulletproof your shoulders tomorrow.

Shoulder Dislocates

While the name of this exercise may sound concerning to you, incorporating the shoulder dislocate into your GB Training will actually help to promote the health and longevity of your shoulders. Incorporating this movement into your gymnastics workouts will simultaneously strengthen and stretch your chest, shoulders, and upper back muscles.

Shoulder dislocates can be done either with a towel, broomstick or a dowel, so grab what you can and give it a try. Place your towel or dowel rod in front of your hips with your hands in a wide grip, thumbs facing in. Begin raising your arms forward and overhead. Roll your shoulders forward slightly to allow your arms to rotate behind your body. As you bring your arms back behind you, think of squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Improve your shoulder mobility with this exercise from our Handstand One Course.

[Key Point]: Initially you may need to start with a wider grip. Over time you will be able to move your hands closer together as your shoulder mobility improves. The goal here is to aim for a smooth rotation of your shoulders. There should be no pinching or pain during the movement.

Hinge Row

There is no better exercise for strengthening your upper back and rotator cuff muscles than the hinge row. This fantastic exercise will do wonders to prevent injury to your shoulders while strengthening your external rotators and traps, otherwise known as your shoulders and upper back. Incorporating the hinge row into your gymnastics home workout plan will help counteract all the forward movement we do throughout our daily lives with our hands out in front of our body.

Show your shoulders a little TLC (tender loving care) with this little gem from Foundation One. Set up a pair of rings so that they are about a foot over your head when you are seated on the ground. Grab the rings and with straight elbows, lift your hips to form a straight line with your body from head to toe. Bend (or pike) at your hips until your torso reaches an upright position so that your arms form a 90° angle at the elbow. Lower down to the starting position and repeat for 5 reps.

Hanging Scapular Shrugs

When people think about shoulder mobility they often forget about the scapula. Restriction of the muscles around your shoulder blades will cause stiffness in your upper back and neck. Performing scapular shrugs while hanging from a pull-up bar is a great way to break up this tension and free up those tight shoulders.

Start out hanging from a pull-up bar with your shoulders in a passive hanging position. Think of allowing your shoulders to hug or squeeze your ears. Leaving your elbows straight, pull your shoulder blades down towards your back pockets to activate your lower traps. Lower yourself back down to a passive hanging position to complete your rep. Try a set of 10 and feel your scapula break free of all unwanted tension.

While most of us aren’t likely to become world-class gymnasts overnight, it doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from Shoulder Prehab with the most effective GymnasticBodies exercises.