Every coach says that having a strong set of hips is the key to greater athletic performance. Well, it is true that the hips are where most of the power is created in sport but what about the shoulders? Think about all the bench press you do and the toll that it can have on the shoulders.
The shoulder is a complex unit of muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments just like the hips. The two units function in the same way, the only difference being that the hips are a complex unit revolving around the pelvis, where the shoulder joints main structure is the scapula.
Now, I am not going to get into every single muscle and every single piece of anatomy. This isn’t an anatomy class, and frankly, no one wants to read a list of muscles and how they function inside the joint. And if you do then get an anatomy book!
All upper body movements (outside of core movements) are initiated with the arms and guess where the arm attaches? If you said the shoulder than you would be correct. The hips function in the same fashion.
The Hip + Shoulders Relationship
In short, if the hips are where all the power is created in the body. Then the shoulder is the distribution center. In general, most sports involve the arms and the power created from the hips needs to be transferred through the shoulder. If the shoulder is weak, then there will be a loss of power. Loss of power equals loss of performance.
When performing strength sports or weightlifting, having a strong set of shoulders is vital for upper back stabilization as well the prior mention of energy transfer.
And of course, we have to talk about the injury correlation between the two joints. It has been shown that when there is an imbalance in the hips, then the shoulders will eventually acquire some injury or complication. This can be seen primarily in track athletes such as shot put, discus, and javelin.
Why Is The Shoulder Important?
The shoulder joint is important because it creates stability in the upper back as well as performing obvious tasks that involve moving the arm.(Throwing, catching, jumping, pushing, etc.) Besides the obvious reasons to why it is important to let’s look at little deeper.
The overhead press or any other movement where an object is moved overhead is the best display of how the shoulder joint should be used as well as the most natural position for it. Chin ups are also a great example of a proper position of the shoulder.
The reason why overhead movements are a good example of optimal positioning is that of the way in which the scapula moves.
As the arm moves overhead, the scapula moves out and upward. Moving out of the way of the head of the humerus.
On the other side of the coin, there are movements that are not natural for the shoulder. The Bench press. Or any movements have your hands in a fixed pronated position.
Before you start with the trolling or hate, hear me out. The bench press for the shoulders can be hazardous due to the likely hood of impingement. This is where proper coaching of technique will help avoid it. However, back to why the bench press is not an optimal position for the shoulder joint.
During the bench press, there is a chance for the elbows to flare out to the point of impingement and pain. Which is why tucking your elbows is always stressed while benching.
Any position that has the humerus abducted above the glenohumeral joint with the elbow in a flexed position will cause an impingement and is not safe for the joint.
So What?
What is all this talk about anyway? This is a call to action for athletes wondering why they aren’t performing as well as they should be. You do all the movements associated with strong hips but for some reason, your leaking performance. Can’t you figure it out? It could be that you lack strength and integrity in your shoulders.
Start performing overhead movements, shoulder cuff movements, and hypertrophy movements for your shoulders. You will be surprised at the amount of progress and performance enhancement you will see!
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KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
