Written by Tyler DiGiovanni | BSBM
Fact checked by Sam Coleman, Co-founder
FACT CHECKED
Having adequate mobility in your shoulders is crucial for health and performance. More importantly, it can save you from pain! Most people in the fitness world are aware of this. However, when people think about shoulder mobility, they usually think about overhead mobility. This is obviously very important, but one area many people skip over or don't even think about is shoulder extension!
Shoulder extension is involved in many movement patterns, such as swimming or rowing, and you must maintain mobility and strength in this movement. This article will give you the best shoulder extension exercises to build strength.
What Is Shoulder Extension?
Figuring out shoulder extension and flexion can be confusing. Even experts can get a bit confused, as there's no obvious flexing or extending of the joint. To understand better, we'll briefly explain what's going on with the shoulder.
The Shoulder Joint
The term "shoulder" describes the entire structure of your upper arm. This includes the shoulder muscles, deltoids, and the shoulder joint. To understand shoulder flexion and extension, we need to review what those terms mean anatomically as well as the structure of the joint.
The shoulder joint, also known as the glenohumeral joint, connects the arm to the torso and allows the arm to operate. This is done through the interaction of the scapula and humerus (upper arm bone), which connect to make the joint. (Technically, there are two joints involved with the shoulder, and some even say four, but that's another story).
This joint is known as a ball-and-socket joint, in which a ball-like structure on one bone sits inside a cupped structure of another. This allows the arm to rotate and move in any direction, making it difficult to distinguish flexion from extension.
In the shoulder joint, the "ball" part of the joint is on the head of the humerus, which fits into the cup-like structure of the scapula. On top of the scapula is a structure known as an acromion that hooks over the glenohumeral joint. The acromion connects to the clavicle and makes up the acromioclavicular joint, one of the other shoulder joints.
Shoulder Extension Explained
Here's the best way to think about shoulder extension. When discussing a hinge joint like the elbow, flexion occurs when the joint is closed and the angle decreases. In comparison, extension occurs when the joint opens and the angle increases.
As the shoulder is a ball-and-joint, this doesn't occur. However, remember how the acromion hangs over the shoulder joint? When your arms hang down, there is a large (relative) space between the humerus and the acromion. However, when you raise your arm in front of you, the space closes, and the joint gets tighter.
Therefore, when the arm rises, this is flexion; the space is "closing," and the shoulder joint is getting tighter. In comparison, when the arm goes from top to bottom, the shoulder joint extends, and the space opens up.
Muscles Involved In Shoulder Extension
This may surprise you, but it makes sense once you think about it: the primary muscle involved in shoulder extension is your lats! When we say "shoulder extension," remember that "shoulder" refers to the joint. Further, remember that the shoulder muscles are referred to as the deltoids.
With that said, your deltoids are still involved, at least one of them, your posterior delts. Your posterior delts are involved in every exercise that pulls your arm back.
Another muscle that controls shoulder extension you may find surprising is the triceps, specifically your long head. Your triceps have three muscle heads, but only your long head crosses the shoulder joint. While it's relatively weak, it assists with pulling the arm back and helps to stabilize the arm.
Other muscles involved are your 4 rotator cuff muscles. These are a collection of muscles and tendons that form a thick covering at the top of the humerus. Together, they help:
- To secure the humerus inside the socket
- Stabilize the shoulder
- Elevating the arm
- Rotating the arm
The muscles are:
- Supraspinatus
- Infraspinatus
- Teres minor
- Subscapularis
Why Improving Shoulder Extension Is Crucial
Having adequate shoulder extension is crucial for overall health and performance.
One area of great concern for athletes and lifters is performance in pushing movements, especially horizontal pushing movements such as bench presses and push-ups. Perhaps the most obvious example is the dip, as most people have likely realized tightness while performing this exercise, whether they knew it or not.
When you don't have the proper range of motion in shoulder extension, as your arms move back, your scapula will fall forward to compensate.
Imagine you're standing tall, and you have a friend behind you. He takes your arms and starts to pull them behind you slowly in shoulder extension. If they keep lifting, your scapula will fall forward to compensate.
7 Best Shoulder Extension Exercises For Mobility & Strength
We will review several exercises to improve shoulder extension, including mobility and strength exercises.
1. Shoulder Dislocates
The shoulder dislocate is perhaps the best exercise for improving total shoulder mobility, including shoulder extension. It's a discerning name, but it's (almost) universally regarded as one of the best mobility exercises for maintaining healthy and strong shoulders.
It's performed by holding a straight dowel; a PVC pipe or broom works fine at first.
- Grab the dowel with a double overhand grip wider than shoulder-width apart. Let the dowel hang freely with your arms extended, then raise it over your head in a sweeping motion - your arms must stay extended.
- Once you reach the top of your head, continue going all the way behind your back until the towel touches your hip, arms extended. You'll then repeat the process and bring the dowel back over your head until it comes down to your pelvis.
Your goal should be to use a slightly narrower grip over time but with minimal changes. When you bring the dowel over your head, your shoulders should be snug but not tight or painful.
Another way to progress is to use a heavier bar over time. Once your shoulder mobility and strength have improved, you can move on to a training bar (5kg, 10kg). From there, move up to a women's bar (15kg) and even a men's bar (20kg).
This makes an awesome warm-up and can be done daily.
Figure 8 Variation
You can also perform a variation we call "around the world." Using the same concept, you will move the dowel around your body. As you perform this, be sure to keep your torso straight and tall and minimize any movement.
We will often perform shoulder dislocates and then immediately go into figure 8s.
Banded
Another variation simply involves a resistance band. You use the same movement, but you use a band. This allows you to add extra stimuli by pulling the band apart while going through the movement.
2. Shoulder Extension With Dowel
The broomstick stretch is relatively simple to perform and perfect for someone who trains alone. To perform this, you'll need a long dowel—PV pipe works great—or a broomstick.
Let's pretend you'll stretch the left arm first.
- Standing straight, you'll put the dowel behind your back in line with your left hand; just be sure the dowel is over your shoulder/trap.
- Take your right hand and grab the top of the dowel while holding the bottom with your left hand. Be sure you keep the dowel straight.
- Using your right hand, you'll now pull the dowel over your shoulder as a lever to pull your left arm back (shoulder extension). Be sure you stay standing straight up, and your scapula pulls back; don't let it fall forward!
- Continue pulling slowly as far as you can go until either form breaks or the shoulder capsule becomes tight. You can then switch arms and repeat.
This is a really easy shoulder extension exercise and can be done back-to-back with shoulder dislocates.
3. Shoulder Extension PAIL's & RAIL's
PAIL stands for Progressive Angular Isometric Loading, and RAIL stands for Regressive Angular Isometric Loading. They are generally used together and are extremely common mobility exercises in rehab, performance, and range of motion.
Using both of these basically involves putting your joint (you can use it with any joint) into a held position and then using flexion and contraction isometrically; that sounds confusing, but you will push and pull against an immovable structure.
To perform shoulder extension PAILs and RAILs, you'll need to set up a barbell on a rack. You will be trying to lift it behind your back to make an isometric contraction, so use a heavy barbell to make sure you can't. Stronger guys may need to load the barbell if this is an issue.
- Set up the barbell so it's about head level.
- Place your hands behind your back and grab the barbell. At this point, your arms should be straight behind you in shoulder extension. If necessary, lower your body by bending your knees to bring you to maximal comfortable extension. Before you begin, be sure you keep your shoulder back and ribcage down.
- You'll first begin by pulling your arms down in shoulder flexion. You can start with lower intensity until you become comfortable and then work up to 100%. After 10-15 seconds, you'll think about lifting the barbell up in shoulder extension.
4. Shoulder Extension PRH's & PRL's
Shoulder extensions PRH (Passive Range Hold) and PRL (Passive Range Lift Off) are another shoulder extension exercise similar to the PAILs and RAILs.
For PAIL, the general setup is the same:
- You will need to place a barbell on a rack.
- You will grab the barbell while looking away, but use only one arm at a time.
- You'll then passively bring your arm to the end range.
- Keeping good form, you'll then lean forward slightly and let go of the barbell while holding your arm in the position for a few seconds.
For RAIL, you allow your arm to sink 6 inches or so. You can use the side of the rack to help hold. You'll then lean forward, let go of the rack and then bring your arm up to the end of range.
5. Straight Arm Lat Pulldown
Due to the 5 syllables required to pronounce "straight arm lat pulldown," we sometimes refer to these as "swimmers." With those two names, you can probably visualize what this exercise is!
No exercise is more specific than the straight arm pulldown when looking for shoulder extension, as that's the entire movement.
- This exercise is performed with a cable and straight bar attachment.
- Set the cable above head level.
- Stand back, hold the bar with a double overhand grip, and bend over to get your torso at around a 45-degree angle.
- Let the cable stretch out your arms until they're fully extended.
- Tighten your core and pull your shoulder blades back.
- Keeping your arms extended, pull the cable down until it touches your thigh. Picture you making a big swooping motion and trying to pull the cable as low as possible.
These are great, easy to do, and will help build an awesome back. A pretty strong piece of anecdotal evidence is looking at Michal Phelps or other elite swimmers! These athletes are known for having massive, strong backs, and when you look at the demands of their sport, you see swimming, specifically freestyle swimming. And what does freestyle swimming involve? A lot of shoulder extension!
6. Cable Chest Supported Row (Strength)
Another awesome shoulder extension exercise is the cable chest-supported row. Technically, most rows could be classified as shoulder extensions if they're done properly, but they really aren't. They're not like this chest-supported row.
As mentioned, most types of rows use shoulder extension to some extent. However, a lot happens when performing rows with free weight, and many muscles are used. As such, isolating the movement with proper form can be more challenging. However, when your chest is supported, it mitigates most forms of body movement while making concentrating on the proper muscles easier.
You can perform this exercise with various grips and alterations to the biomechanics, depending on your goal. Therefore, you want to focus on shoulder extension. Shoulder extension with the row utilizes the same movement pattern, except the elbow is bent at 90 degrees to hold the weight. If you were to isolate the movement of the upper arm, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
All you need to do is concentrate on keeping your elbows tucked to the body. You can also think about that same swooping motion.
7. Dumbbell Row To Hip
The dumbbell row to hip is another awesome strength exercise that utilizes shoulder extension. It's just like your basic unilateral dumbbell row, but you will emphasize shoulder extension.
As you can see, it's called a dumbbell "row to hip" as you try to drive your elbow down to your hip. When you perform the row portion, instead of driving your elbow up, you'll drive it back, similar to straight arm pulldowns. By doing this, you are exaggerating shoulder extension and can feel the difference.
This is a great slight variation to your dumbbell row that you can easily use in any back routine. It's a weighted movement, so you'll strengthen all the muscles involved, including your lats and rotator cuff. By exaggerating the movement, you'll increase the range of motion and mobility under a load.
Never Forget Your Shoulder Mobility Exercises
Ideally, these shoulder extension exercises are part of a complete shoulder mobility regime. When performing these, remember that your mobility exercises don't need to be intense or prolonged. Instead, you need to be consistent. Improving mobility is a slow process that comes from chronic practice. Therefore, doing a little bit multiple times throughout the week is the secret to improving mobility.
Tyler DiGiovanni
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