Shoulder Strength Training

Shoulder strength is not joke. I came across four different headlines where a pro moto rider injured his shoulder while writing this article. So yeah, shoulder injuries are a big deal. And unfortunately, they’re one of the most common injuries in all of motocross.

From the moment you start riding, you hear from other riders how vital cardio and strength training are to improving your performance. But you don’t often hear how important it is in regards to staying healthy and preventing injuries.

So most of the workout routines you read about have few (if any) exercises that target your shoulders. That’s not good. Because all it takes is a decent tip-over or crash to do some severe damage. Without proper training, your shoulder is fragile and susceptible to injury. And a dislocated or separated shoulder means no riding.

So the question remains, what do you need to do to help prevent a shoulder injury? Yes, you know you need to strengthen it, but how? And what else can you do to protect it? The answers lie below.

Two Essential Shoulder Strength Workouts

Exercise #1: Seated Shoulder Presses

Shoulder presses. Military Presses. Call them what you will, they’re DYN-O-MITE at strengthening the muscles and ligaments in your shoulders. You can perform them either with a barbell or dumbbells.

• Sit on the bench with your back straight (benches with backrests are great for keeping the back as straight as possible) and the dumbbells resting upright on each thigh.
• Next, raise each dumbbell (one at a time) to shoulder height and hold.
• Rotate the dumbbells so that the backs of your hands are facing towards you.
• Push the dumbbells up until your arms are almost fully extended.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to shoulder height. That’s one rep.
• Perform three sets of 8-12 reps.

Exercise #2: Front Raises

Front raises are an isolation shoulder exercise that utilizes alternating dumbbells. They work the anterior deltoid.

• Grip two dumbbells (one in each hand) and stand with your back straight.
• Position the dumbbells to where they rest on the front of your legs. Make sure your arms are fully extended with your palms facing you.
• Lift one dumbbell (either arm) in front of your body while keeping your elbow slightly bent. At its peak, the dumbbell should be somewhat higher than your shoulder.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell back to its starting position.
• Follow the same routine with your other arm. That’s one rep.
• Perform three sets of 8-12 reps.

Other Ways To Help Protect Your Shoulders

In addition to shoulder workouts, you may also want to take the following preventative measures to further strengthen and protect your shoulders:

Wear a protective brace. There is a wide variety of different shoulder braces available for moto riders. They’re designed to help prevent hyperextension and protect the shoulder in the event of a crash. Pros and amateurs both benefit from the protection they offer.

Swim or row. Not into the whole lifting weight thing? Well, you should be. But if you’re looking for an alternative, you can’t go wrong with swimming or rowing of any kind. Both naturally work out and strengthen the shoulders via resistance.

If you have any questions or anything to add, please leave them in the comments or on our FaceBook page!

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