Start where you are
Shoulders do a little bit of everything: press, pull, reach, rotate, complain. If yours have been doing more of the last one, this progression is for you. It leans into activation and control first, then adds load once things feel smooth.
You don’t need big numbers or heroic ranges today. You need rhythm, patience, and the ability to stop one rep before your form melts.
The Beginner Shoulder Progression
Work through the phases in order. Keep the moves slow. Breathe. If something pinches at the front of the shoulder, shorten the range or choose the alternate.
Phase 1 — Activate and groove (5–8 minutes)
Pick 2–3:
- Wall slides
- Band external rotations (elbow by side)
- Scaption or Y-raises (thumbs up)
- Serratus reach or plus (reach to the ceiling without shrugging)
Cues: ribs down, neck long, shoulder blades glide without crunching up to your ears. Smooth tempo beats big range.
Phase 2 — Control and posture (8–12 minutes)
Pick 2:
- Band pull-aparts or cable face pulls
- Prone T or prone Y (light)
- Row pattern with a pause at the shoulder blade
Cues: pull to the shoulder blades, not with the upper traps. Think wide collar bones. Pause briefly where you feel the shoulder blade set.
Phase 3 — Gentle load (6–10 minutes)
Pick 1–2:
- Landmine press or half-kneeling single-arm press
- Dumbbell incline press (neutral grip works well)
- High-to-low press path if overhead feels sketchy
Cues: press in a path that feels natural. No shrugging. Stop a rep early if your form starts to wobble.
How to run it (2–3× per week)
- Round 1: Phase 1 → Phase 2 → Phase 3
- Rest as needed, then do Round 2 if you feel good
- Keep it conversational: you should be able to talk in short sentences
This isn’t a sweat-angel workout. It’s a “teach the shoulders to behave” workout. That’s the point.
Four-week outline
Week 1
- Phases 1 and 2 only, two rounds
- Move slowly, find smooth ranges, no heroics
Week 2
- Add Phase 3 at the end: two light sets of your chosen press
- Keep the same control in Phases 1–2
Week 3
- Add a few reps or a third round to Phase 2
- Keep Phase 3 light but steadier (same weight, cleaner reps)
Week 4
- Same volume, improve tempo control (three seconds down, one second up)
- If pain-free, try the second option in Phase 3
Common mistakes (and easy fixes)
- Shrugging as you press → think pockets heavy, neck tall.
- Front-shoulder pinch → rotate your elbow path slightly in or out; reduce range.
- Arching the low back → gentle exhale, ribs down, squeeze glutes a little.
- Racing through external rotations → slow the return. That’s the money.
Equipment alternatives
- No cable for face pulls → use bands.
- No landmine → half-kneeling single-arm dumbbell press.
- No bands → wall slides, serratus reach, prone T/Y.
You can do the entire first two phases with nothing but gravity and a towel.
If your shoulders are cranky
The cuff likes predictability, not surprises. Pick a small menu of movements and repeat them for a few weeks. When things feel better, expand the menu a little. If something bothers you today, it’s not a moral failing to skip it.
What’s next?
When this feels easy, you can start exploring overhead again. Keep the control, add a little range, then a little load, and keep the shrug-o-meter at zero.
If you want ideas, head over to the Shoulders hub, or browse band and dumbbell exercises. Pick one new thing, not five, and make it smooth.
— GH