You don’t need weights to work your upper body. In fact, this equipment-free rotator cuff workout is a perfect example of a bodyweight routine that will pay dividends well after your last set is done.
In this video, which is part of Sweat With SELF’s Upper-Body Strength series, instructor Roz “The Diva” Mays—a NASM-certified personal trainer and pole instructor—and her colleague Tanya Saint Medley take you through a bodyweight routine that is focused on your shoulders. More specifically? This routine really hits your rotator cuff, a group of four small muscles along the back of your shoulder that helps you lift and rotate your arm, as well as helps you stabilize your entire shoulder complex. And that is super important when you strength-train, especially if pressing motions, like overhead or bench presses, cause pain in your shoulder area.
Throughout the 20-minute equipment-free rotator cuff workout, Mays and Saint Medley will lead you through exercises like the snow angel, arm extension, goal post arm raise, modified unweighted bench press, and overhead hand clap. The key to these moves is to really focus on your mind-muscle connection and to stay within your body’s natural range of motion. This will help improve your shoulder mobility, which can help you move more effectively and safely through the upper-body strength workouts in your exercise program.
Another important thing to keep in mind? With these kinds of movements, proper form really is key. “We want to make sure we never sacrifice quality for quantity,” Mays says. In fact, you may not even want to count reps for this routine—just really focus on executing the movement and feeling it in your muscles! And if you want more upper-body work without any equipment? Come back next week to check out Mays’s newest Upper Body Strength installment from Sweat With SELF!
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