Stronger Shoulders with Just One Exercise

Pop! The first time I dislocated my shoulder was in college when I bent over to pick up a light weight. Little did I know then, I have a connective tissue disorder which makes it easy for me to dislocate joints. Once I started climbing, I began to dislocate both shoulders regularly and was forced to learn how to put my shoulders back in place. One day, I stumbled upon one exercise that changed my life and I haven’t dislocated a shoulder in years.

The magic exercise is called IYTs and it’s really simple. All you have to do is form the letters I, Y, and T with your arms. It’s sort of like doing the YMCA dance! The beauty of this exercise is that it can be done in so many ways: with body weight, extra weight, bands, rings, and more!! IYTs strengthen your rotator cuffs, the tiny little muscles and tendons that keep your arm in the shoulder joint. Here are five different ways to do IYTs. For all of these, remember to use VERY light weights. I like to use one pound to 2.5 pound weights.

Bench IYTs

You should try this way first, without weight. It’s a great introduction to IYTs. After a shoulder injury, this is the exercise I always start with. Lie down on a bench or a bed with your arms dangling off. Raise your arms to near ear height and make the shape of an I. Next, lower your arms. Repeat to form a Y and a T. You can add weight to these, once you are feeling strong. Remember to keep it light!

To make these harder, you can use an exercise ball instead of a bench!

Reverse IYTs

While standing, bend approximately 45 degrees at the waist and lift your arms forming an I. Bring your arms back down to form an Y and repeat to form a T.

Standing IYTs in Rings

I love using Rings or TRX to do IYTs. You can really control the difficulty by adjusting the angle. Stand with your feet in front of you and pull yourself up, positioning your arms in the IY and T position.

Band IYTs

These are also great because you can adjust the intensity by using bands of varying thickness. The thicker the band, the harder it is!

Forward IYTs in Rings

These are my favorite because they work your shoulders and your abs!! It’s a pretty good full body work-out. The closer you lower the rings to the ground, the harder it gets!!

Let me know how these exercises work for you!!