This Secret Foam Roller Exercise Will Save Your Pain-Ridden Shoulders
It will take you less than 60 seconds to complete!
The shoulder joint is anatomically vulnerable but can be trained into a robust powerhouse if you give it the right stimulus. This work is by no means complicated, we’re just often looking in the wrong places to build up stability and strength. I want to encourage you to put down your barbells and dumbbells for a moment and look to a muscle that we’ve been neglecting for far too long.
The secret to shoulder stability lies in protraction, or the separation of the shoulder blades from each other. This action engages the serratus anterior, a fan-shaped muscle that plays a huge role in stability during arm flexion. While we’re often taught to squeeze the scapulae together during upper body movements, few practice the opposite action. Yes, this is a subtle movement, but it can make all the difference in ensuring that you not only have a sufficient range of motion here but that the shoulder is supported by strong muscles that know when to engage at the right times.
To achieve this, I want to introduce a simple exercise using a foam roller. This is not your typical foam roller exercise, however. This has nothing to do with ‘myofascial release’ and everything to do with boosting stability and…
