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Mobility: "Swim Stroke"
OBJECTIVE: Open shoulders & lats.
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Stand
upright.
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Straighten
arms then swing arms forward in big circles with full range of motion. Do NOT
bend elbow with each stroke—the movement should come from the shoulder joint.
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Repeat all
reps forward then reverse for “backstroke” reps using technique above.
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Perform
5-10 reps on each side in each direction.
Tips: Do your best to swing arms in shoulder joints
with healthy and "full" ranges of motion. Try not to bend elbows to
protect or compensate for tight shoulders--do your best to move "from the
shoulders" and NOT from the elbows for the most benefit.
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A very simple exercise for increasing functional and healthy mobility, but
you'd be surprised at many people cannot do this movement properly! They
end up just flexing the elbows and never really swinging arms in a true
circle.
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After trying above tips, if you still
cannot swing arms in big circles over shoulders because of excessive
tightness, hold arms more out to side in 'T' shape then swing with smaller
circles--kind of like a cone shape with the shoulders being the narrow end of
the cone and the hands being the top, or larger, part of the cone. Over
the course of many weeks, gradually work your "cone swings" into larger and
larger circles going more and more over the tops of shoulders until you get
the full "swim stroke" swing.
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This is one of my favorite "extras"
before I do hard lifting.
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Mobility
Exercises (Directions)
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Mobility Exercises (Organizer List Only)
*Note:
This exercise is intended for "normal healthy"
individuals. If you have an injury, or abnormal pain is present,
see your physician or a certified physical
therapist before continuing your exercises. RonJones.Org
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(Updated 5-28-05)
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