Team! This week we focus on a joint complex that can be such a trouble-spot for mid-life women and that is the all mighty shoulder! Our shoulders are the gateway to upper body strength, performance and vitality. It's a joint we take for granted until something goes wrong. So today we show this joint some love with a new movement: the floor-seated shoulder press! Enjoy! -Carla
Our shoulders are the gateway to upper body strength, performance, and vitality. It’s a joint we take for granted until something goes wrong, as anyone who has endured rotator cuff surgery and recovery can tell you.
During the hormonal changes of mid-life, muscle mass and strength decline, the tendons and ligaments surrounding our joints change in character which can result in increased joint pain, instability, and mobility limitation. I experienced this myself in 2020, in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic when I turned 50. Something happened to my right shoulder that I could not pin on an injury, but it left me severely limited in movements where I was previously very proficient.
Fortunately, with the help of my amazing Coach @Erika_Snyder_, The Ready State and Crossover Symmetry, I was able to not just recover, but take my shoulders to the strongest, most stable place they have ever been at age 53. For these reasons, this workout is near and dear to my heart because it’s all about showing your shoulders some love to keep them happy, healthy, and doing right by you for the long haul!
Warm Up
This is a little different from our usual warm-up, but I love this for a nice, quick, total-body jump start. See the linked video from one of my favorite programming gurus, Train FTW.
Movement Practice
This workout features a movement that we don’t see very often: the floor-seated shoulder press. I love this movement because it challenges your core stability differently when compared to the standing or bench-seated shoulder press.
Please watch the linked videos for the movements below. Alternatives are also provided. Take 5-10 minutes to practice each movement and select your weights/options for the workout.
Select weights/options that allow you to perform all repetitions for all rounds unbroken. This is a light to moderate weight that gets challenging during the last 3-4 repetitions.
Hand-release push-up (Alternative: elevated push-up. Use a STABLE bench, chair, step, or plyo-box at a height where you can perform 7 repetitions unbroken)
Floor seated shoulder press (This weight will need to be lighter than you think!)
Workout
EMOM 20 (Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes). Set a workout timer for EMOM 1:00 intervals for 20 minutes or a standard timer starting each movement at 0:00 and at the turn of the minute.
Minute 1: 7 Hand-release push-ups
Minute 2: 10 Seated shoulder press
Minute 3: 10 Bent-over barbell or dumbbell rows
Minute 4: Rest
Repeat this movement scheme for a total of 5 rounds to complete 20 minutes.
Cool Down
This is another great 7-minute, follow-along stretch sequence from Train FTW to help recover your shoulders after today’s workout.