Relaxed hang
Hang from a bar with straight arms and let the shoulders go up.
3 × 10–30 s
Drills
Common, conservative shoulder drills, in roughly the order a program uses them. Each has plain steps, a starting dose, and the structures it works.
First time? Try your first set: a walk through logging one drill set, with the wall slide as the example.
Coaching someone, or training with a partner? Send a few of these as one link.
Working towards a first pull-up? See the bar drills in order in the pull-up progression.
Timing a hang without the camera? Use the hold-and-rest timer.
No pull-up bar? See the drills you can do with a wall, the floor or a band.
Active hang
From a relaxed hang, draw the shoulders down away from the ears and hold, arms still straight.
3 × 10–20 s
Scapular pull-up
Repeat the active hang as reps: shoulders down, pause, back up to a relaxed hang.
3 × 5–10
Band pull-apart
Hold a light band at shoulder height with straight arms and pull it apart to your chest.
3 × 12–15
Wall slide
Forearms on a wall, slide them up as far as is comfortable while keeping the shoulders down.
3 × 8–10
Band external rotation
Elbow tucked at your side, turn the forearm out against a light band.
3 × 12–15
Prone Y raise
Lying face down, thumbs up, lift straight arms in a Y shape.
3 × 8–12
Scapular push-up
In a push-up position with straight arms, let the chest sink between the shoulder blades, then push the floor away.
3 × 10–12
Top hold
Jump or step to the top of a pull-up and hold there, elbows bent.
3 × 5–15 s
Lowering from the top
Start at the top of a pull-up and lower yourself as slowly as you can to straight arms.
3 × 3–5
Band-assisted pull-up
A strict pull-up with a band looped under a knee or foot to take some weight.
3 × 3–6
Strict pull-up
From a still, straight-arm hang, pull until the chin is over the bar, with no swing.
3 × 1–3