Scott James Bailey has become a popular coach on social media thanks to his “Daily Mobility Techniques for Stiff People.” Recently, Bailey, who is followed by elite bodybuilders such as Brandon Curry and Martin Fitzwater, shared his answer to a popular pumping iron problem: How do I fix my nagging shoulder issues? According to Bailey, who shared his solution with his almost 350,000 Instagram followers, the solution lies with shoulder adductions.
What are Shoulder Adductions?
This move, generally executed on the cable machine, requires the individual to stand up straight, with the cable machine facing to the side of the body. Set the pulley so that the handle is in the highest position that you can reach, then pull the cable down towards the hip. Slowly return the handle to its highest position and repeat.
Shoulder adductions are considered beneficial because they strengthen the rotator cuff, helping to prevent dislocations. Adductions also help build the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, and teres major muscles.
Benefits of the Shoulder Adductions For Shoulder Pain
In his accompanying video, the coach says that “9 out of 10 people” neglect shoulder adduction. “Like many others, I did countless shoulder exercises,” he explains. “Shoulder pressing, dumbbell raises, cleans — which mainly work on shoulder flexion and abduction (pulling away from the body). While there’s nothing inherently wrong with these exercises, once your shoulders start to act up, these movements can become an absolute nightmare as you constantly dodge pinching and pain.”
Nagging shoulder issues are a common blight preventing brilliant workouts because so many upper body movements require stable shoulders that are mobile and free of pain. “I tried numerous stretches and banded exercises that improved my range of motion, but whenever I added weight, my shoulder would act up again,” explains Bailey. “After much trial and error, discovering shoulder ‘adduction’ (pulling the arms to my side) was the breakthrough — everything changed, and my shoulders instantly improved.”
Coach Bailey says that executing regular shoulder adductions didn’t just improve his range of motion for this exercise, but he noticed it was making him better at other exercises as well. “The improved mechanics helped with other pulling movements too,” he shares.
Pullups and rows, which were nearly impossible due to pain, became easier simply because my shoulder blade was moving better.” Of course, Bailey doesn’t promise the same results for everyone, but makes a compelling case for giving it a go. “All you need is a cable machine,” he says. “Set the cables high and away from you, then focus on squeezing your arm to your side. After just a few reps, you’ll notice how weak these underlying muscles are, and within a couple of sets, you should see significant improvements in your shoulder mobility and function.”
