PREP FOR SHOULDERS AND KNEES

THROUGH THE YEARS I’VE DEALT WITH A LAUNDRY LIST OF INJURIES IN MY COMPETITIVE SPORTS CAREER.

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Many were self inflicted with a lack of preparation/consistency, but over time I’ve learned my lessons and created prep routines that specifically target my shoulders and knees.

A great starting point is coming to the gym an extra 15-20 minutes before you usually do. EMOM’s are a perfect format for these prep exercises; you get a great aerobic stimulus over 15-20 minutes, allowing your body to warm up, and it will awaken the lungs for a more strenuous workout.

My go-to movements are Patrick Squats, Elevated Cossack Squats, Banded Shuffles, Glute Bridge Raises, Single-Leg Row or Bike, and Reverse Nordic Curls for my knees. My shoulder favorites are Banded Lat Pull Downs, Hang Dumbbell Clean & Press, Scap Push-Ups, Banded External Rotations, Banded or Dumbbell Upright Rows, and Downward dog to plank. All these movements are easy to jump right into as soon as you enter the gym.

A good rule of thumb is to complete 15-20 reps or 40 seconds of work for each movement. With a 20 minute EMOM, you can fit 5 movements over the first 5 minutes and that would equate to 4 sets of each movement!