Stick-up Exercise Success Story - Ends 10 Years of Pain with Simple Exercise

Here's a success story about the most deceptive exercise of all time...the Stick-up. Looks so easy, but for so many desk jockeys, its one of the hardest exercises to do...

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Dear Craig,

I am writing to extend my deepest gratitude for your YouTube video on Shoulder Mobility Exercises.

Click HERE To watch the video

I have suffered for 10 years with a painful right shoulder which I have always attributed to my extensive computer work.
However, all the changes I've made in the ergonomics of my desk and mouse arrangement have done little or nothing to relieve my pain. Even giving up the computer completely doesn't provide any real relief.

One chiropractor told me it was a rotator cuff injury, but none of the exercises or manipulations have ever done anything for me. The past year I've been thinking I should really get serious about treating it, and was considering (with much trepidation) starting the process of doctor visits and medical tests to find out what's really wrong.

Well....all that changed this week. I watched your video Sunday night, and tried the "stick up". I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised at my inability to place my wrists against the wall. I couldn't get either of my hands within 6 inches of the wall, and my right arm was much worse. Lifting my arms over my head was pretty much impossible.

As I slowly tried to move my arms up along the wall, I had a nagging fear that I would rip something in my shoulder, and cause myself further injury -- but at the same time, I could feel the muscles in my upper back saying "YES!" I just knew this was something I needed, so I have continued to work on it this week, doing all the exercises on the video as best I can.

Since I quickly discovered that my shoulders and upper back were as tight as a drum, I decided to use gravity to help me stretch out the muscles and ligaments. I lay on the floor (knees bent) for about 30 minutes a day (more when I can) in the "stick up" starting position, with my elbows at right angles, trying to relax and stretch out my upper back and shoulder muscles until my wrists could touch the floor.

I'm also working on the "stick up" maneuvers while lying on the floor, trying to keep my elbows and wrists touching the floor. This was completely impossible at first, but improved even before my first "floor session" ended. It's not easy -- in fact, it
hurts! But it's a good hurt. I know it's leading toward healing.

Unbelievably, I saw a 50% improvement the first day AND an obvious increase in my shoulder's range of motion!!! I got excited, and tried holding a little wrist weight in my hand (it weighs less than a pound, but it's enough to add a little pressure beyond just gravity, and I don't have to work any other muscles to hold it up or slow down the pressure on my shoulder). I noticed further improvement, so the next day I added another wrist weight, along with additional stretching and rotation and more of your exercises.

Today, I was able to use ankle weights (much heavier) and got my wrists and elbows ALL THE WAY flat to the ground!!!!

To make a long story short, as of the end of today's floor session -- after just THREE days of this -- I can now get the back of my wrist to touch the floor without any weight in my hand!!! I can almost do the "stick up" on the floor, and I've got about 50-75% better range of motion when I attempt it on the wall, compared to the first day I tried it.

Even better, I have had several situations where I would normally have to tell one of my kids "be careful, that's mommy's hurt arm" -- but I didn't have to say it. That "early warning" sign of pain and stiffness (that normally causes me to protect myself from further injury) was GONE.

I am stunned. I never considered that I could rehab out of this after so many years of pain, two chiropractors, glucosamine, ibuprofen, etc. I was anticipating surgery or a lifetime or pain (and possibly both!). But in THREE days I've had my first real improvement EVER, as well as a measurable goal to work toward (the "stick up"!).

I still have a long way to go for total rehab, but if this can happen in three days, I'm truly optimistic for the first time in 10 years.

I hardly know what to say -- Thank You isn't nearly enough, but I guess it will have to do.

Marci :)

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No problem! While we usually focus on fat loss here at Turbulence Training, we're happy to do whatever we can to make everyone move and live a little better.

Use bodyweight exercises to burn fat and move better,

CB
Fat Loss
High Intensity Interval Training