Shoulder Push-ups (Patreon)

• LMA Curriculum 

Shoulder push-ups improve shoulder strength, flexibility, and stability. This will not only prevent injury but also build shoulder stamina for fighting and elastic flexibility for punching. They're also a way to build toward traditional push-ups.

You can do this on your knuckles or your palms. You can even do it from a low-plank position from your forearms. Everything else you've learned about the plank remains true for this exercise: tight abs, glutes, and neutral neck.

Lower yourself to the ground, then push your upper back into the air only using your shoulders. Another way to think about it is to squeeze your shoulder blades together (down), then pry them apart (up). Everything stays frozen, and the only thing moving is your shoulders.

Often the main obstacle for push-ups isn't arm strength but rather the inability to maintain a plank from the top of your head to your heels as you move up and down, along with shoulder instability. Your shoulders are stable when locked out, but not while in motion. Consider the possible injuries then while throwing a punch. This is what shoulder push-ups will address.

Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. Breathing correctly while conditioning is vital in maintaining posture and core engagement and is practice for breathing during combat. Our breathing techniques will progressively get more specific as we move along. But for now, just in (down), out (up). But when breathing out, get into the habit of breathing out through your mouth.

– Sam