Shoulder Injury? Hang Around a While

In the excellent book Shoulder Pain?: The Solution and Prevention, Dr. Kirsch outlines an extremely simple method for relieving, healing, and even restructuring the shoulder.

The fix?

Hang from a bar or rings.

• Start with a shoulder width grip on an overhead bar or rings, palms away, thumbs wrapping the bar.
• Slowly lower your weight until you are hanging, or to the extent that you can until it’s too painful or your grip is too weak.
• Allow gravity to work. Let your shoulders relax and extend up to your ears. Let your body sag between your arms. Don’t attempt to retract your shoulder blades and bunch your lats. The only thing in contraction should be your grip.
• Try to accumulate hang time of a total of 3 minutes a day. Once you can achieve 3 minutes at one hang, go for a second set morning and night.
• Do it daily.

It is miraculous in its simplicity and effectiveness.

My Experiences

I heard about this technique from Steve Maxwell (BJJ Blackbelt) when he was on Joe Rogan’s podcast. It was almost a throw away comment but it seemed way too simple to actually work, but I logged it away.

Fast forward to having some overzealous MMA kids throw a kimura (A twisting shoulder lock) on at full speed with full intent and my shoulder got banged up. I remembered this hanging technique and started doing it.

It quickly helped my shoulder feel better, and it doesn’t bother me at the moment (until the next MMA kid gets froggy). It really works and if you have shoulder issues, you MUST try this, especially before getting cut on.

I use a door-frame pull-up bar (which I also don’t walk under without doing a pullup). I also use my olympic rings when I’m in the basement gym.