Shoulder On

Poor form or technique can turn shoulder workouts into shoulder problems.

About a third of all resistance training injuries involve the deltoids, the muscles that form the rounded contour of the shoulder, making them one of the most common injuries that occur in the weight room.

Many of these injuries can be prevented with small changes in technique.

The most popular shoulder exercises for men and women is the upright row. To perform an upright row, pick up a barbell with an overhand grip, hold it by your waist, and lift straight up toward your chin. The objective is strengthening the trapezius, a large muscle that spans the neck, shoulders and back, and the medial deltoid, the middle of the three muscles that make up the deltoids.

Most people lift the weight too high, which can lead to shoulder impingement, in which the shoulder blade rubs, or impinges, on the rotator cuff.

Here are three methods that can reduce the risk of injury:

*Keep the weight as close to your body as possible during the movement.

*Avoid the temptation to pull the weight up to your chin or nose.

*Don’t let your elbows or the weight get any higher than your shoulders.

You increase the chances of impingement when you bring your elbows up beyond 90 degrees — basically when they’re past parallel to your shoulders.

Also, skip the behind-the-neck shoulder press because lifting behind the neck can strain the rotator cuff and put excessive stress on the shoulder joint. A related exercise, the behind-the-neck pull down, causes similar problems and raises the risk of impingement.

Pull the bar down in front of your head, not behind it. If you pull down hard behind the neck you can damage your cervical spine. You don't want that. Studies also show that the front lat pull down has greater muscle benefit.

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