Quarterbacks and other athletes who often throw the ball need strong shoulders. Strong shoulders are less likely to be injured. Shoulder exercises also improve a quarterback's performance by increasing the distance and accuracy of his throws. Shoulder workouts include not only exercises for the deltoids -- the main muscle group of the shoulders -- but also the rotator cuffs.
Side-Lying Abduction
The side-lying abduction strengthens your rotator cuffs and deltoids. Use a dumbbell that is 8 percent of your body weight as a starting point and adjust from there as needed. To perform the side-lying abduction, lie on your right side with your left arm straight against your side and holding a dumbbell. Then, raise the dumbbell toward the ceiling until the arm is at a 45-degree angle to the body. Repeat on the other side. Women should use only 5 percent of their body weight to perform this exercise.
Jobe Exercise 1
Dr. Frank Jobe developed a set of shoulder exercises using dumbbells to rehabilitate injuries in athletes such as quarterbacks and pitchers who use their arms to throw frequently. Even though the exercises originally helped rehabilitation, coaches also use them for strength training their athletes. The first Jobe exercise is a variation of lateral raises. Begin with your arms straight against your sides, a dumbbell in each hand and your palms facing your legs. Then, lift the weights laterally to shoulder height and rotate your arms so your thumbs point upward. Reverse the motion. You should use 5-pound weights or lighter to best emphasize the rotator cuffs. Use heavier weights to emphasize the deltoids.
Jobe Exercise 2
The second Jobe exercise brings the arms straightforward instead of out to the sides. The arms rotate as with the first exercise, but in the opposite direction. To begin, hold your arms straight against your quads with the same weight dumbbell in each hand. Raise your arms straightforward up to shoulder level and twist the arms so the thumbs point to the floor. The body remains still with your weight evenly on your heels and toes.
Jobe Exercise 3
A third Job exercise brings the arms up to shoulder level midway between where the arms were for the other two exercises. There is no rotation in this exercise. To begin, hold your arms at your sides like for the first exercise, but then raise your arms upward at a 45-degree angle. The thumbs are on top as if you were holding hammers. The same guidelines apply for weight.
Circle Drill
The circle drill improves a quarterback's coordination and ability to throw while moving. You need a football and a partner to perform this exercise. Stand 15 yards from your training partner and start running in a circle around him. Throw the ball to him and catch it when he throws it back, all without stopping.
Member Comments