I competitively Powerlifted at a relatively high level for over 20 years without having any serious injuries, but eventually it caught up to me. My right shoulder would grind when I benched and it got to a point where it became debilitating. I couldn’t even brush my teeth without being in pain. I explored my options and decided to have a Hemicap shoulder replacement, which is less invasive since it replaces the cap of the humerus without putting a metal rod down the shaft.
When I went for my annual follow up appointment, I had the Orthopedic Surgeon check out my left shoulder as well, since it had been causing me some discomfort. After reviewing my X-Ray he informed me that my left shoulder was just as bad as my right had been.
Rather than opt for another surgery I decided to start researching other options to help improve my joint mobility, improve the strength of the muscles surrounding the joints, and reduce the discomfort associated from loss of cartilage. As many people have, I checked out the “knees over toes” guy and researched other movements that could help improve all of my joints.
Although there are several movements your joints are capable of, the primary movements are flexion and extension. I designed the following routine to incorporate these movements for the major joints: the ankles, wrists, knees and shoulders. This routine can be done anywhere, with no equipment, and the resistance can be easily adjusted based off of how much you put your bodyweight into each motion. I recommend performing a circuit (one set of each exercise) for 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each:
- Ankle Flexion- Anterior Tibialis Raise
- Ankle Extension- Calf Raise
- Wrist Extension
- Wrist Flexion
- Kneeling Squats
- My version of YTIs, which is basically a T, I with External Rotation
And
Push Ups (elbow extension and internal shoulder rotation) can be modified to be easier by elevating the upper body or more difficult by elevating the lower body
There are more exercises that can be incorporated, but this is a good base.
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