WODdoc Episode 86 Project365: Turkish Roll For Improved Shoulder Stability

Shoulders… man… they are interesting joints right… I mean, we always talk about how to mobilize them… always trying to gain better overhead range. Which in itself is ironic because the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body.  Its also the most unstable … which in turn makes it the most susceptible to injury. Yet how many of us focus on shoulder stability on the regular??? The good do but, most?!?!?…. yeah most don’t.

The turkish roll is a self named exercise I tweaked in my time of rehab.  I love this exercise because it allows the athlete to train posterior cuff stabilization without putting the arm in a compromising position (especially an injured one). To reach overhead we use a combination of movements (flexion, abduction, rotation) in multiple planes of motion (sagittal, frontal, transverse).We are simplifying this because it is sooooooo important to become efficient in single planes of motion before we play around with complexed motions.

The turkish roll challenges shoulder stabilization in the transverse plane (more to come this week on exercise that challenge other planes).

Steps of the Turkish Roll:

1. With weight over chest punch toward the ceiling.

2. Keeping shoulder and hip in line drive with ipsilateral leg until bottom shoulders shoulder are stacked and the fist is directly inline over shoulders.

3. Return to Starting position.

Today’s WODdocket:

1. Complete 3×10 turkish rolls / arm.