Before practice, games or upper-extremity workouts it is important to properly warm-up the entire shoulder complex. Activating the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers increases blood flow, promotes circulation of joint fluid and raises core temperature in a quick routine that can be completed in about 5 minutes. Our CP sports specific protocols detail implementing this effective injury prevention and performance enhancing training strategy for maximal effectiveness.

The following 2005 study published in the Journal of Athletic training investigates the effectiveness of 12 commonly used tubing exercises in terms of overall muscle activation. The Cuff Performance program features all 7 of the top muscle activating exercises; creating a well balanced approach to strengthening the entire shoulder complex (*our nearest competitor only has 4 of the top 7).

On-the-Field Resistance-Tubing Exercises for Throwers: An Electromyographic Analysis.

Myers JB, Pasquale MR, Laudner KG, Sell TC, Bradley JP, Lephart SM.
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.

Athletes who throw commonly use rubber-tubing resistance exercises in the field setting to assist with warm-up before throwing. Yet no researchers have described which muscles are being activated or which exercises are most effective during rubber-tubing exercises used by throwers for warm-up.

Objective: To describe the effectiveness of 12 rubber-tubing resistance exercises commonly used by throwers in activating the shoulder muscles important for throwing.

Design: Descriptive research design.

Setting: An applied biomechanics research laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants: Fifteen physically active male subjects with no history of shoulder injury.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Subjects randomly performed 12 rubber-tubing resistance exercises while we assessed muscle activation of the subscapularis, supraspinatus, teres minor, and rhomboid major by indwelling electromyography. Activation of the sternal portion of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, lower trapezius, and infraspinatus muscles was assessed by surface electromyography.

Results: Performance of 7 exercises (external rotation at 90 degrees of abduction, throwing deceleration, humeral flexion, humeral extension, low scapular rows, throwing acceleration, and scapular punch) resulted in the highest level of muscle activation of all muscles tested.

Conclusions: These 7 exercises exhibited moderate activation (>20% maximal voluntary isometric contraction) in each muscle of the rotator cuff, the primary humeral movers, and the scapular stabilizer muscles. The results suggest that these exercises are most effective in activating the muscles important to the throwing motion and may be beneficial for throwers during their prethrowing warm-up routine.