Self Myofascial Release of Pec Major/Minor
When tight, the pecs can limit shoulder blade and shoulder joint motion, creating inefficiencies and potential irritation in the shoulder joint over time. When the shoulder joint is sensitive, stretching the pecs may be aggravating. That is a great time to use self MFR instead.

Lat Stretching
Whenever stretching muscles around the shoulder joint, we want to predispose the muscle to be stretched without excessively loading the joint shoulder itself. Since the lat attaches into the low back, you can round your back and side bend to stretch it more.

Pec Stretch
Stretching the pecs can help change shoulder blade and shoulder joint positioning for better lifting mechanics. However, if the shoulder joint is sore, soft tissue work on the pec may be preferable so that the joint doesn’t have to be torqued.

Self Myofascial Release of the Lat and Teres Major
The lat and teres major are two muscles around the shoulder that get stiff and limit overhead mobility. They both internally rotate the shoulder as well. They can respond well to stretching, but direct tissue work is also very effective without having to pull on the shoulder joint.

Sidelying Dumbbell External Rotation
A rotator cuff strengthening exercise that all athletes should include in some way, shape, or form in their training. This exercise can be periodized in training to be low weight high rep, or high weight lower rep.

Ring Rows
This exercise serves many purposes. It’s a way to regress pull ups if overhead lifting isn’t tolerated, it is a horizontal pull variation, and a staple substitution when the shoulders are sore and painful overhead. It requires a good amount of trunk stabilization and core control.

Scaption Plane Lateral Raises
The dumbbell raise in the scaption plane (plane of the shoulder blade) strengthens the deltoids, scapular muscles, and rotator cuff with minimal stress on the joint. By being in the scapular plane, it reduces passive joint constraint tension.

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Adding in knee flexion to a hip flexor stretch loads up a muscle called your rectus femoris. This muscle can limit hip extension, causing compensation in the low back because. The ‘true hip flexor stretch’ is aimed more at the psoas and iliacus muscles.

True Hip Flexor Stretch
Improving hip extension range of motion helps to take pressure off the low back into extension. If the hips are tight in this direction, the low back typically compensates and that can lead to issues over time. This is a true ‘hip flexor’ stretch because the knee is not bent.