Yahoo Finance The One Exercise Men Over 40 Should Use to Prime Their Shoulders
Author, fitness model, and trainer Kirk Charles, NASM-CPT CES, knows that as you get older, life can get more complicated. But that shouldn’t prevent you from being on top of your game.
Years of intense tennis has wreaked havoc on my body. After thousands of swings with my right arm, my right shoulder was noticeably bigger, but it was also very often sore. One reason for the soreness is that I’m self-taught and my form was never honed by a professional—but like many recreational tennis players, I didn't do any physical training outside of playing tennis at that point of my life.
When I began my career as a personal trainer at 47 years of age, I noticed how tight and worn my right shoulder was. Simple activities like throwing a softball or tucking in my shirt behind my back were a little difficult to do.
My left shoulder was also noticeably underdeveloped. Cross training was a foreign concept to me, so there were years of neglect to the left side of my upper body. Although I don’t play nearly as much tennis as I did in my twenties and thirties, I’m still paying the price for all of those faulty swings of the past.
Thankfully, I took a kettlebell certification class almost 10 years ago and was introduced to the halo exercise. Learning about this made me realise how bad my shoulder situation was and exactly what I needed to do about it. The kettlebell halo a great exercise for shoulder strength, but I love it as much for shoulder mobility. As an added bonus, the movement can be a great core workout, too.
The halo can be done with just about anything, like dumbbells or a medicine ball, but I prefer using kettlebells because the handles make the implement easier to grip. To set up, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, firmly planted on the floor (you can also try a tall kneeling position). Hold the kettlebell by the handles in an upside-down position, directly in front of your face. Squeeze your glutes, tighten your core, and squeeze your shoulder blades together to completely lock your body in place.
To begin the movement, circle the kettlebell around your head in a clockwise direction until you get back to the starting position. Then pause and circle it around your head in a counterclockwise direction. The entire movement should be generated from your shoulders. As you’re circling it is important to keep your core as firm as possible because the weight of the kettlebell will throw your stability off. Also, lack of mobility and strength in your shoulders may cause you to tilt, curve or slump your spine to get the kettlebell around your head.
If you're just starting out, it's best to start the kettlebell halo with a very light weight. When I first tried it, I used a heavy kettlebell. My right shoulder was very stiff and it was uncomfortable. Then I used a light kettlebell, just 5 kilograms (about 11 pounds), and that worked fine. So I suggest going light to test your mobility, then add more weight as you become comfortable.
Try 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps both clockwise and counterclockwise to start, or, try working for 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off of reps in both directions for 3 to 4 minutes.
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