The mystery of Lateral Raises solved

So I was on Facebook the other night (like 90% of the population) and it dawned on me that I am actually friends with Mike Reinold since I was following his blog on www.mikereinold.com For those who don't know who he is, he is the PT for the Boston Red Sox. Pretty amazing guy on the shoulder. I asked him about deltoid lateral raises and why every single male patient of mine keeps doing it and lands on my treatment table with impingement issues. Mike simply said:

1. The deltoid are merely accessory muscles, they will function when other muscles are working. They are not to be used by themselves --- and he was right! The deltoid will cause more impingement because it will drive the humerus superiorly, therefore jamming the head of the humerus further up to the CA arch, thus causing decreased subacromial space.

2. A good and probably the only substitute would be FULL CAN exercises

3. The rotator cuff should be strong enough first so do not neglect the action of these "best-kept secret" muscles. Work on External rotation in the 30/30/30 position and do push ups with a plus to integrate the Serratus Anterior muscle, a great scapular stabilizer.

All in all, I still see a lot of guys in the gym working on lateral raises and I am spreading the word....They will probably get you more "good looking" shoulders but it will cause you more issues when you turn 50.

Live Longer Live Better. MJ