Banded Shoulder Dislocate

Slow pass of a band from front to back overhead with straight arms. Works shoulder flexion and external rotation range through the full arc with light, controlled tension.

DIFFICULTY
Beginner
EQUIPMENT
Band
PRIMARY MUSCLES
Deltoids · Chest
ALSO WORKS
Rotator Cuff · Traps · Lats
HOW TO DO IT
  1. 01Hold a light band with both hands at about double shoulder width, arms straight in front of the thighs.
  2. 02Pull the band apart until there is light tension and keep that tension the whole set.
  3. 03Raise the arms overhead in one slow arc, keeping the elbows locked out.
  4. 04Continue behind the head until the band reaches the hips at the back, then reverse the same path.
  5. 05Perform eight to ten passes, narrowing the grip slightly only when the arc stays smooth.
COACHING CUES
  1. 01Elbows stay straight — if they bend, widen the grip.
  2. 02Ribs down as the arms go overhead.
  3. 03Pull out on the band the whole time, do not let it go slack.
COMMON MISTAKES
  1. 01Gripping too narrow too early — the shoulder gets forced into range it cannot control and the elbows bend to compensate.
  2. 02Arching the low back to get the arms over — the lumbar spine supplies range the shoulders do not have.
  3. 03Snapping through the back half — the fast section is exactly where control matters most.

Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.

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