2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Table of Contents
A Letter from Eric ............................................................ 3-4 Intro ..................................................................................... 5 Thoracic Spine Mobility ................................................... 6-7 Postural Restoration ...................................................... 8-13 Integrated Movement: PNF Patterns ................................ 14 Absolute Isolated Strength ................................................ 15 Gross Strength Balance ..................................................... 16 On Basic Training Technique ....................................... 17-18 Summary ............................................................................ 19 Conclusion ......................................................................... 20

2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Hello Person with a Bum Shoulder (or one wanting to prevent a bum shoulder), Eric Wong here. For those of you who know me already, you could skip this page. But you wont want to. For everyone meeting me for the first time, please take 5 minutes to read this little intro and background info so yall can get to know me a bit better. First of all Ive included this recent (late 2011), shirtless picture of me to show you Im not all smoke and mirrors when it comes to training and nutrition I walk the talk. Theres little more I cant stand than keyboard warriors who talk a big game but then have stomachs that could be mistaken for those overstuffed feather pillows you find in chain hotels around the world, or use pictures from 10 years ago because theyre now worse than all the people theyre selling stuff to. Second, my main function is as a strength and conditioning coach to MMA fighters, both in-person and online. In-person, Ive worked with guys in the cities of Hamilton/Toronto in Ontario, Canada, including UFC fighters Jeff Joslin, Claude Patrick and Mark Bocek, plus a bunch of guys you probably have never heard of. If you dont know the 3 names mentioned above, look them up on Sherdog to see learn more about them.

Finally, why am I putting this all together for you, and why am I giving it away for FREE?
Partly because Im a nice guy, but heres the more pragmatic answer While I could charge for this guide, or bundle it in a package with one of my other programs to increase its value, or stick it in my INSIDERS ZONE (which is the only place I offer my personal support and guidance nowadays), Im doing this to reach out to a new population of fitness enthusiasts to EARN YOUR TRUST. There are a lot of untrustworthy folks peddling their wares online and I want to separate myself from the pack. I also want you to sample my approach, not only towards training, but also towards putting programs (ebooks & videos) together and show you how I package everything in an easy-to-follow manner that still gives you the understanding you want (and need) for successful implementation.
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I figure that people who are looking for info on shoulder injuries arent your average 15 year old video game playing, pop-drinking teenaged boy looking for six-pack abs <shudder>. Youre a guy or gal who wants to get their injured shoulder back to the way it used to be so they can get back to doing the things they love. For my current athletes, followers and customers, its so they can punch people in the face and not have to tap out due to a nasty Americana or Omoplata. Fun stuff let me tell you For the rest of you, it might be baseball, or tennis, or maybe lifting weights, or throwing kettlebells around it doesnt matter the info inside is very complete, holistic and grounded in science. Which reminds me to mention the fact that Ive got a Bachelor of Science from one of the top universities in Canada the University of Waterloo where I was lucky enough to have world-famous low back rehab expert Dr. Stu McGill as a prof, who has greatly influenced my training philosophy. So Im not just a pretty face. ;) Anyway, theres a short bio that hopefully wasnt too yawn-inducing and gives you an idea of whos behind the info youre about to read. If you find this little ebook and video combo helps you out and gets your shoulder back in action and maybe even better than it used to be, maybe youll be interested in signing up for one of my Premium Programs to take your fitness to the next level and workout following my unique methods focused on performance while providing dramatic physique transformations, almost as a side effect. If my Premium Programs arent for you, no worries, if I helped you out, maybe you can just share your story in the Comments section where you downloaded this PDF. I do read through everything and it motivates me to continue creating and sharing (FREE) info like this to help you out. Or just send me some good Karma through the cosmos I love that stuff. Peace,

2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Intro (and Legal Disclaimer)

Before you get into any of the exercises here, note that I am in no way going to help you with a diagnosis of your injury. That is far beyond the scope of this ebook and video package. If you are in some serious pain or you suffered a traumatic event that led to your shoulder injury, its a good idea that you see a doc/therapist that can get you diagnosed and possibly take some x-rays or other imaging to see the extent of the damage. You dont want to do anything that will further damage your shoulder. If you do decide to follow any of the recommendations or exercises, you do so at your own risk. Basically, if you happen to die while doing anything that I recommend, its not my fault. But I hope that doesnt happen. This program is good for the following: a) Preventing future/recurring shoulder injuries b) Taking you out of chronic shoulder pain c) Taking you from the acute injury stage to high performance If you fall into any of these categories, then this guide is for you. Before continuing, I want you to read 2 articles on my blog: 1) http://ericwongmma.com/prinicples-of-efficient-training/ While embarrassing, this article will introduce you to my philosophy of efficiency, which is why this shoulder injury rehab program isnt filled with dozens of wimpy little exercises 2) http://ericwongmma.com/shoulder-injuries-rehab-prevention/ Although it has some MMA specific recommendations, it gives you an overview of exactly what youre going to go through here and some basic anatomy and terminology. Done? If not, your computer will explode if you continue. Dont say I didnt warn you. Im Chinese, I can make these magical technical feats happen Oh, and feel free to share this with any friends with a bum shoulder

2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Thoracic Spine Mobility

The thoracic spine (T-spine) is intimate with the shoulder. If the Tspine is not in good shape, the shoulder will be soon to follow. T-spine extension in particular is what makes the shoulder happy because without it, the shoulder is unable to move safely through its full range of motion. Ive found the following 2 exercises to be the most effective at improving your T-spine extension. Perform them daily anytime and always before warming up youre your workouts. While some people may not be able to improve their extension because of decades of bad posture, these exercises will prevent further degeneration. T-Spine Mobility Exercise #1 - Bench Extension

Remember to inhale as you go over to get maximum extension. Also make sure youre not moving too much from the lumbar spine you want T-spine extension here.

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T-Spine Mobility Exercise #2 - Feldenkrais Shoulder-Arm Integrator

The key to this exercise is to stay RELAXED. Do not force the movements, just let them happen.

Click Here for All Instructional Videos

NOTE: Im not going to repeat exercise cueing instructions here, as everything is in the videos. That would be against my principle of efficiency! Did you read that article on the blog? If not, boom goes your computer!

However, if someone wants to write up some bullet points and send them to me, Ill put them in this guide and give you credit, and possibly some kinda bonus as a thanks. Itd be much appreciated!

2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Postural Restoration
Wikipedia defines posture as the intentionally or habitually assumed position. This is a great definition, because posture is both under our control and a habit. It is under our control because we can stand up straight on command, but once our attention goes elsewhere, we will slump to our habitual position. Thats why weve got to reset our habitual position to one that is healthy for the joints. Restoring a good neutral posture of the shoulder girdle will eliminate many of the stresses that shoulder problems to happen in the first place, persist and recur. Neutral posture is the position where movement can happen the way its supposed to, but modern society, poor training habits, or sports specific skill development can lead to throwing the posture of your shoulder girdle out of whack. Refer back to the demonstration in the blog post with raising your arms overhead and you can feel exactly what poor posture does to your shoulder. To restore good posture requires 2 things: 1. Stretching short and tonic muscles 2. Strengthening and increasing tone of long, weak muscles When I talk about tone, Im referring to neuromuscular pathways a muscle with high neuromuscular tone (tonic) is a muscle that often works when its not supposed to because the body is used to using it. Its like doing things with your dominant hand youre used to using it so even for new tasks you use it automatically. For example, lots of guys (myself included) have tonic pectoral muscles from years of too many pushups and bench presses. During exercises like rows, the pecs can fire more than they should because they are tonic, rotating the entire shoulder girdle downwards in the sagittal plane, increasing risk of straining the biceps tendon.
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That was possibly an overly technical example, so heres one thats a little more layman-friendly: glutes are often inhibited because we sit on our asses all day, so the low back and hamstring muscles compensate by increasing their tone and do more work than they should, creating flat bums around the world. Now, the most common postural problem increasing risk of shoulder injuries and pain has been termed upper cross syndrome by therapist Vladimir Janda. I wrote about this in the second blog post that I recommended you read, so Im not going to cover any more here. To address this, there are 2 stretches, 2 rhythmic stabilization exercises for muscle activation and 2 isometric exercises for increasing tone and shortening muscles that work together to help you restore a healthy, neutral shoulder posture. Perform the stretches daily until you feel your shoulders rest in neutral posture better, at which point you can decrease the frequency.

Stretches
Stretch #1 - Chest (Pec) Stretch

For this stretch I recommend using a swiss ball as I feel it gives me the best stretch when compared to doing it on a wall. Use the method I show you which is to contract and relax the pecs as well as contract the opposing muscles (scapular retractors). Its also a good idea to stretch your pecs before you do any pulling exercises to decrease the tone of the pecs to allow you to fire your lats, rhomboids and mid/lower traps better. Stretching muscles
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momentarily inhibits them, which is why you mightve heard you dont want to stretch before training, especially power training because youll inhibit the muscles that you stretched and lower your power output. But we are using this same phenomenon for a specific reason to decrease tone to the muscles that are tonic. So the blanket statement that you never stretch before/during training doesnt apply to all situations. Its all about understanding, not dogma. Stretch #2 - Short Cervical Extensors (Chin Tuck) Stretch

Where the head goes the body follows so if youve got forward head, like most people in todays computer obsessed society, youve got to address it. This stretch is the most effective one to do for forward head. Hold for 10 seconds and perform 3 reps each time you do this exercise. Its a good one to do at the desk every hour too.

Rhythmic Stabilization Exercises

The exercises in this section look dangerously similar to the shake weight (ie. masturbation trainer). In fact, you could use a shake weight and it would work as well, albeit in a slightly different fashion. But I personally dont need to use this because, well, I hammer a lot of nails for fun which eliminates my need for it. The rhythmic stabilization (RS) exercises will help activate sleepy muscles, but more importantly, they will reprogram your nervous system to maintain a better position as the normal resting posture. I first learned about the concept of RS exercises from Eric Cressey a well-known and excellent strength coach who works with a lot of baseball players. As such, he deals with a lot of shoulder problems.
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He recommends an exercise done with a partner (seen here) and he calls it RS, but I believe it would be better named a Random Perturbation exercise, since there is in fact no rhythm involved compared to the exercises Im going to show you. This random perturbation exercise is great for training stability of the shoulder, but I believe the true RS exercises Im going to show you are better at reprogramming the nervous system for postural restoration. The repetitive contraction and relaxation produce by RS exercises results in a lot of info going to and from (afferent/efferent) the nervous system. Because of all this info if you do the exercises in proper position (shoulder blades down and back, chest up) then you are reprogramming your nervous system to remember this as the new normal. A set of these exercises is like doing 30 or 40 reps or more, but is a lot quicker and more fun. Perform these exercises 3 days/week and/or as part of your dynamic warmup. 2-3 sets of 30 seconds per arm, but dont go to fatigue, it is not a muscular exercise, we want you fresh and sending good info back to the brain, so fatigue often causes bad form and the body will want to avoid this position, not stay in it. RS Exercise #1 - Twirling with Arm by Side

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RS Exercise #2 - Twirling with Arm Straight Ahead

Isometric Exercises
The exercises in this section are isometric exercises. Isometrics are great for training muscles in a specific range of motion (ROM), which can shorten them via increased strength in this ROM and increased tone to the exercised muscles. Isometric Exercise #1 - Prone Cobra Perform at the very end of workouts, for 2 sets, 2 reps, holding 30 sec each rep, resting 30 sec between sets and about 5 sec between reps. If you cant do it at the start, work up to it.

This exercise is a Paul Chek favourite. Paul is one of my earliest teachers of exercise program design and hes had a huge influence on me. Ive spent over $10K on CHEK books and workshops and theyve been worth every penny. At least thats what I tell myself.

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The Prone Cobra hits your lower traps and external rotators with your arms down low by your sides. Try to keep your abs a little bit braced and make extension happen at the T-spine, keeping your lumbar spine (low back) in neutral and relaxed. You may also need to squeeze your glutes to do this. Isometric Exercise #2 - Bench Supported Field Goals Hit this for 2 sets, 10 reps x 5 sec hold per rep after the Prone Cobra. Rest 30 sec between sets.

This hits more of your mid-traps and external rotators with your arms up compared to the Prone Cobra. Key here is to keep your shoulder blades down and back, which will help to balance the strength between the upper and lower traps. The upper traps are always going to be stronger, but this will help. IMPORTANT: the other thing youve got to do is reassess your exercise program design and ensure youre doing more sets of pulling and external rotation exercises than pushing. At least a 2:1 ratio of sets of pulling to pushing exercises is recommended. If youre in really bad posture, you can cut pushing out completely for 2-4 weeks and go back to a 3:1 ratio, then a 2:1 ratio, which youll probably want to stay at for life.

2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Integrated Movement: PNF Patterns

The term PNF, which stands for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, is usually associated with the stretching technique I showed you earlier. While this stretching technique is a part of the PNF system, PNF is actually a variety of exercises, stretches and techniques for physical rehabilitation, not just contract-relax stretching. [For a good overview of PNF and intense brain exercise from the dense info, see Mel Siffs exercise bible Supertraining] PNF movement patterns are 3-dimensional, working you through the sagittal, frontal and transverse planes of motion. PNF patterns also always cross the midline of the body. These traits accomplish give us a couple of benefits: 1. They work your joints through the entire 3-D ROM 2. They train activation to relaxation of muscles to create smooth movements 3. They integrate both the left and right sides of the brain Perform these exercises 2 days/week at the end of workouts once youve restored a better resting posture of the shoulders. Do 2 sets of 10-15 reps at a controlled pace, focusing on technique, not fatigue. PNF Exercise #1 Sword Pretend youre a medieval knight and youre about to battle with the opposing countys king and you want to show him just how big your sword is to hopefully scare him into submission instead of having to risk getting decapitated in battle. Or not. PNF Exercise #2 - Backhand This exercise is just like you found out your little brat kid just put a dent in your new car and you Oh wait, this isnt acceptable anymore damn it I took my beats but now dont get to dish them out to my next of kin! Too bad, it woulda been kinda fun

2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Absolute Isolated Strength

Absolute isolated strength (AIS) is a big one and Ive seen it deficient in so many people with bad shoulders extreme weakness in the external rotators with the arm at the side. Ive had big strong fighters not be able to move 10 pounds when I get them to do the side-lying external rotation exercise and more often than not, theyve got bum shoulders. Is it the cause? Cant say. Correlation? Definitely. If youre a guy under 200 lbs, aim to be able to do at least 15 lbs for 12 reps in good form. Over 200 lbs aim for 20 lbs for 12 reps in good form. 8-10 lbs for 12 reps is a good goal for most females. Hit this exercise twice a week for 2 sets, doing 8-12 reps through a FULL ROM under control no cheating reps here. This would be performed before the PNF exercises. AIS Exercise Side Lying External Rotation

In fact, no cheating reps anywhere. Youre not cheating me only yourself!

2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Gross Strength Balance

Once you get through the previous phases, you can focus on your gross strength balance (GSB). GSB of the shoulder is the strength balance between your horizontal push and horizontal pull muscles. The Flat Dumbbell Bench Press and 1-arm Dumbbell Rows are the exercises of choice here and you want your strength to be either the same, or higher for the 1-arm Rows.

So if you can push 80 lbs for 4 reps on the DB press, you should be able to row 80 lbs for 4+ reps. Make sure you watch the videos to see good form and test yourself out. Cheating on the 1-arm row is the most common thing and can lead you to believe you have good GSB when in fact you dont. If youre a lot stronger in the Flat DB Press, say bye bye to pushing exercises until your strength becomes balanced.
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Notes On Basic Training Technique

Rows
A common problem I see with rows is trying to bring the elbows too far behind the body, like the picture below:

Avoid Elbow Behind Body

When you try to get your arm as far back as possible, your pecs get recruited and rotate your shoulder girdle down, promoting two things we dont want: pec recruitment and downward shoulder rotation. This position puts a lot of stress on the origin of your biceps and can cause bicep strains and shoulder, since the short head of the bicep originates on the coracoid of the acromion and when its working hard (during heavy rows) and the shoulder is in this position, it puts excessive stress on it. So instead, when you row, once your arm reaches your ribcage, stop trying to pull it any farther back behind you and instead finish the movement by pulling your shoulder blade and entire shoulder girdle back (retracting), as I stress in the GSB video. This goes for 1-arm rows, bent over rows, seated rows and any other horizontal rowing movement.

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Chinups / Pullups
When performing these exercises, avoid any downward rotation of the shoulder at the top of the motion and try not to round your back, which is usually flexion at the T-spine. Once this starts to happen, stop the set as fatigue prevents you from maintaining good form.

Pushing Exercises
Pushups require you to use good scapulohumeral rhythm. This means that when youre at the top, your shoulder blades can be protracted. As you descend, your shoulder blades come together so there is a smooth rhythm of the shoulder blades. The thing to avoid with Dips is the same as with rows dont allow downward rotation of the shoulder girdle. This means you probably should stop when your elbows hit 90 degrees. For any type of presses on a bench, you want to keep your shoulder blades fixed in a retracted position, so with your chest out. This will prevent overuse of the anterior deltoids and shoulder problems as a result.

T-Spine Flexion Starting...

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Shoulder Injury Prevention & Rehab Program Summary

OK so lets put this all together on a single page that will be easy to reference that you can print and follow.

Initial Postural Restoration Phase: 4-8 Weeks

These 4 components will improve the resting posture of your shoulder girdle. Thoracic Spine Mobility Daily + Before Warmups 1. Bench Extensions 2 passes through T-Spine 2. Feldenkrais hand at temple and arms straight, 10-15 reps each Stretches Daily + After Workouts 1. Chest on SB 2 reps x 3, 5 sec contractions at 50%; also perform before rowing exercises to decrease tone 2. Chin Tuck 3 reps x 10 sec; also perform during the day if youre an office worker or drive truck Rhythmic Stabilization Exercises Perform 2-3 sets as part of your warmup for 30 sec each. 1. Arm twirling with arm at side 2. Arm twirling with arm straight in front of you Isometric Exercises 2-3 days per week at the end of workouts 1. Prone Cobra 2 sets x 2 reps, 30 sec hold per rep, rest 30 sec between sets and 5 sec between reps 2. Field Goal 2 sets x 10 reps, 5 sec hold per rep, rest 30 sec between sets

Integration Phase
Once youve restored neutral posture, begin using these exercises to make your shoulders indestructible. Do less of the above exercises in favour of these: Absolute Isolated Strength 2 days/week at the end of workouts (before PNF) 1. Side-lying External Rotation 2 sets x 8-12 reps, 1 min rest between sets PNF Exercises 2 days/week at the end of workouts 1. Sword 2 sets x 10-15 reps 2. Backhand 2 sets x 10-15 reps

2012 by EricWongMMA.com.

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Conclusion
Friends, the time has come for me to bid you farewell. I hope this has been an educational and enlightening read (and watch) for you and will lead you down the path of shoulder health. If you found this book and the videos beneficial and like what I have to offer, there are 3 things to do right now: #1 Signup to my Newsletter List (Its Worth It) I write articles, make videos and release cool stuff like this to my subscribers all the time, best of all, its FREE. If youre not yet subscribed or youve only been on my list for a little while, Ive put together a new list that will automatically send you some of the Best Of my blog and other resources that Ive published over the years. ==> Click Here to Register for my Best of Newsletter list Do it now! #2 Leave Me Feedback (Please!) Like I said, your feedback motivates me and also helps me create better products, write better articles, and shoot better videos. So let me know how I did with this ebook + video series on the page below: ==> Click Here to Leave Eric Feedback About This Shoulder Injury Program #3 Check out my Premium Programs (If Youd Like) If you really like what Ive done here, please check out the premium programs I sell in my store. While you may not want anything right now, its a good idea to see what I have to offer in case youre interested in something in the future. ==> Click Here to Visit Erics Online Store Thats that! Thanks for paying attention and I hope to hear some great feedback from you!

Eric
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