Climbing can be really hard on the shoulders. Knowing this, it makes good sense to be proactive about doing exercises to help strengthen the stabilizing muscles that surround the shoulder.
“The shoulders are the most movable and unstable joints, and next to the fingers they are the most at-risk body parts for rock climbers.
In particular, those of us with a preference for overhanging walls and V-hard boulder problems must recognize the potential for developing a shoulder injury that could plague us for years or even require surgical intervention.”
-Eric Hörst
Push-muscle exercises (push-ups, dips, etc) are a good starting point for strengthening and protecting the shoulder joint, but in order to train the smaller muscles of the rotator cuff, you need to do targeted exercises.
This article from nicros.com shows a key exercise for strengthening internal rotation in the shoulder.
Learn it and try it to help keep your shoulders injury-free and strong!
CLICK HERE: Rotator Cuff Training
(photo courtesy of nicros.com)
