Shoulder CARs

Setup

1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, core braced.
2. Make a fist with the working arm, thumb wrapped over fingers.
3. Create full-body tension — squeeze the opposite fist, brace the core, clench the glutes.

The Movement

1. Raise — lift the arm straight out in front, keeping the elbow locked and fist tight.
2. Overhead — continue the arc overhead, reaching as high as possible.
3. Behind — rotate the arm behind you, turning the thumb to face away from the body.
4. Down — lower the arm down behind you into full extension.
5. Return — reverse the path back to the starting position.
6. Complete all reps in one direction, then reverse.

Coaching Cues

What to feel:

• Maximum muscular tension throughout the entire body
• The shoulder joint moving through flexion, abduction, external rotation, extension, and internal rotation
• End-range effort at every point of the circle — fight for every degree

Common mistakes:

• Arching the lower back as the arm goes overhead — keep the ribs down
• Bending the elbow to cheat through tight spots
• Moving too fast — each rep should take 8–10 seconds minimum
• Not creating enough whole-body irradiation