Together with the training experts Patrick Matros and Dicki Korb and the climbing doctor Volker Schöffl, we will show you three preventive exercises to prevent symptoms of overload in the shoulder joint. The second exercise aims to improve mobility in the shoulder girdle: The Floor Angel
A contribution by Patrick Matros, Dicki Korb and Volker Schöffl
This exercise will help you increase your shoulder girdle mobility. It's about opening your arm-torso angle. This often decreases during intensive climbing training due to a shortening of the active and passive structures in your shoulder girdle. You then compensate primarily in the area of ​​your spine. Over time, this restricted mobility can overload parts of your shoulder joint.
Floor Angel: This is how the exercise works
Lie on your back and place your arms at your sides in a bent position. In the area where your lumbar spine has its slight natural curve, place a piece of tubing or a broomstick (2-3 cm in diameter). Try to keep your whole arm, especially your wrists, touching the floor, and your lower back trying to keep contact with the hose or broomstick at all times. 
Now slide your arms up and down your sides, all the while keeping your wrists in contact with the floor and your lumbar spine with the hose or broomstick. Try to push your arms up and down as much as you can. If your chest bulges upwards to compensate, you can also try to pull your ribs together with your abdominal muscles ("rib crunch").
reps
Perform several times in a row with concentration.
Note on the exercise series
This collection of exercises cannot and does not want to replace a personal trainer who, thanks to his specialist knowledge and professional screening, can specifically recognize and treat individual patterns.
However, it claims to counteract the most common and frequent injuries and symptoms of overuse that climbing sports have with well-founded analyzes and proven exercises in hundreds of cases, thus providing interested readers with a balanced and professional selection of exercises.
Train smart!
the authors
Patrick Matros
Patrick is a lecturer in sports and educational science at the State Institute in Bayreuth. He has a master's degree in sports and educational sciences and is a certified sports therapist and athletic trainer. Patrick has 20 years of climbing experience with around 200 ascents for routes between 8a and 8c.
Dicki (Ludwig) basket
Dicki is a sport climbing and functional trainer, therapist and educator. He has been a rock climber for 35 years and has 20 years of climbing training experience with many of the sport's top athletes, and co-wrote the world-renowned training book Gimme Kraft with Patrick Matros. He is also responsible for the Adidas 5.10 athletes together with Volker and Patrick.
Volker Schöffl
Volker is section head of sports orthopedics at the Bamberg Clinic, team doctor of the German climbing team and probably the best-known German "climbing doctor" at all. He is of course an ambitious climber and boulderer himself and is responsible for over 100 first ascents up to 8b/fb8a+.
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Credits: Cover picture Frank Kretschmann and Kaletsch Media