Rehab your Shoulders with Virtual Resistance podcast

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I have worked out with weights, and then with calisthenics for many, many years. Starting in my teens, and continuing now, as I prepare to turn 73 in April. My results have been phenomenal, and as I continue to work out daily, I have turned more and more away from weights and equipment, and more and more rely on calisthenics and virtual resistance.

I have acquired some injuries over time, and the most nagging is the shoulder. Everyone who does heavy pressing movements, particularly the bench press, has problems with the rotator cuff of their shoulders. Me included, even though I stopped bench pressing long ago, in favor of gymnastic ring pushups and dips. These movements are far superior to bench presses, and are highly recommended to all! Far more natural in movement; the joints are also brought through a full range of motion.

However, shoulder injuries will haunt you if your exercise in the standard manner when young, or from sports or other injuries. What then? Should you use bands and/or dumbbells to do lighter, therapeutic types of rotator cuff exercises? Well, you can… but I have found a better method. Far safer, and no equipment is needed.

Virtual resistance is applying force through the limb itself. For the shoulders, just stand relaxed, legs shoulder width apart. Move your arms backwards, from down by your hips, applying force simply by flexing as you move. You can make it as hard, or easy, as you like, simply by applying internal force.

Move forward in an arc, as if you are doing a fly, followed by a row. Do one rep, slowly with internal resistance, forward and then back. Move your arms up a bit, and repeat. Then, move up some more (higher) and repeat. Then, repeat downwards, for five sets, up and then down. Do maybe five cycles, upwards to the sides of your body.

Do this daily, or at least a few times per week. Trust me; this will cure your rotator cuff shoulder problems completely! Gently, yet inevitably, without risk of further injury.

You will probably realize that this form of exercise can be done throughout your body, not only on your shoulders. Try doing a curl, without weights, but only with internally generated resistance. You can make it as hard, or as easy, as you’d like!

Try it with flies, and military presses- generate a lot of resistance. It is just as effective as weights or pulley machines! You can also replicate squats, and deadlifts- generate the resistance within your own body. You can also do bent rows, shrugs, and even pressing outwards, imitating the bench press- but without risk of injury, since the ‘weight’, or resistance, can be nullified in an instant by you, yourself, internally!

And there you have it! Not just a shoulder rehab although that is a perfect place to start, and to show yourself just how well it works. Virtual Resistance!

Now, I don’t stop there: I also do gymnastic ring exercises, dips, presses, and pull-ups, among others. But the fact remains that Virtual Resistance, by itself, can replicate any other exercises, and can do so with perfect safety, and is the ideal way to recover from injuries.

Learn it, and incorporate it into your fitness strategy!

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