The Bar Method and shoulder injuries

Can the Bar Method help me with a shoulder injury?

When we humans evolved into hunters and gatherers, we traded joint stability in our shoulders for greater range of motion. The result is that we can pick fruit from trees and throw javelins (unlike horses, for example). The downside is that our shoulder joint opened up to allow the arm to move more freely, thereby becoming more vulnerable to injury.

The Bar Method’s arm-work is designed by physical therapists to help stabilize your shoulders by helping you strengthen the “stabilizer” muscles around them. Unfortunately, many students who come to class already have shoulder injuries and need to modify the exercises until their shoulders heal.

So if you have a shoulder injury, the Bar Method strongly recommends that you see a doctor before signing up to exercise. Physical therapy works well on shoulders, so you’ll optimize your recovery by putting yourself in the hands of a physical therapist before coming to a Bar Method class.

Then, when you’re feeling better and get the okay from your doctor to exercise, here are the modifications to use in class that will help your shoulder continue to heal:

Shoulder walks:

Use free weights that are light enough for you to control without strain. Then limit your range of motion to shoulder-height, as shown.

Push-ups:

If push-ups on the floor bother your shoulders, perform them against the bar.

Reverse push-ups— two modifications:

If you have limited range of motion in your shoulders, you can perform the reverse push-ups (“triceps dips”) keeping your seat on the floor.

Or if you simply feel excess strain in your shoulders, elbows or wrists, you can perform the triceps exercise by using a weight positioned behind your shoulders. Lift this weight up and down in small moves to the tempo of the exercise.

“Pretzel”:

If you feel discomfort when you raise your arms higher than your shoulders, do the “pretzel” with your hands on the floor, as shown.

Fold-over with elbows down:

Similarly, do the “fold-over” exercise by holding onto the bar with your elbows down, as shown.

Round-back with a strap:

In this exercise, use a strap to stretch your hamstrings instead of pushing up under the bar.

Flat-back with two straps:

Use two straps in the “flat-back” exercise, as shown. You’ll work your abs as much or more than your fellow students who are holding onto the bar.

Curl with a strap:

Using a strap in curl allows you to keep good form while working your abs. So don’t hesitate to get a strap for this exercise if you need one!

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