To help you move more freely and feel less restricted in your upper body, we asked Brian Murray, a mobility and strength coach at Motive Training<\/a>, to share four shoulder moves worth adding to your arsenal.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Murray’s session takes around 15 to 20 minutes and requires a mat (find our picks of the best yoga mats<\/a> here), along with a few additional pieces of equipment Brian highlights for certain moves in the walkthroughs below.<\/p>\n 1. Shoulder CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations)<\/p>\n Shoulder CARs are commonly used by people who feel stiff in the upper body, including desk workers and lifters who want healthier shoulders. The movement focuses on exploring the shoulder range you can access while staying in control.<\/p>\n Murray explains that CARs help with \u201cexploring your usable shoulder range of motion with control.\u201d He also describes them as a quick self-check and a \u201clow-risk way to reduce day-to-day shoulder tension,\u201d while reinforcing better joint mechanics.<\/p>\n 2. Door frame or pole-assisted shoulder external rotation opener <\/p>\n This movement is often used by people who feel tight through the chest or front of the shoulder, particularly if getting the arm back comfortably for pressing or overhead work feels restricted. The external support allows the shoulder to move into external rotation without being forced.<\/p>\n According to Murray, the goal is to \u201copen the front side of the shoulder complex without cranking into an unstable position.\u201d He notes that this often helps reduce the \u201crounded forward\u201d tension pattern that commonly shows up across the upper body.<\/p>\n 3. Sleeper stretch for shoulder internal rotation (side-lying)<\/p>\n The sleeper stretch is typically used by people who feel tight on the back side of the shoulder or lack control in positions when internal rotation is important. Murray notes that this tends to show up in almost all pressing and pulling movements, as well as when reaching across the body.<\/p>\n He explains that the stretch helps improve internal rotation<\/a> by targeting \u201cdeeper tissues on the inside and back side of the shoulder.\u201d Murray also points out that internal rotation is one of the \u201cleast trained shoulder positions\u201d in many functional fitness programs, and when people regain it, he often sees \u201cfewer shrugging-style compensations during pressing, reaching and overhead tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n 4. External rotation to internal rotation transition (ER to IR)<\/p>\n This final movement is aimed at people who want a more practical way to connect shoulder rotation with control. It focuses on how the shoulder moves between positions, not just reaching end range.<\/p>\n Murray describes this as \u201cowning the transition between ER and IR,\u201d so the shoulder can move without defaulting to rib flare or shoulder shrugging. He explains that it is a simple way to turn range into usable control.<\/p>\n Mobility is rarely the most exciting part of a routine, but it is one of the most valuable. Supporting shoulder range and control can help the upper body move with less tension and more ease, which is something most people can benefit from.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> and add us as a preferred source<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. <\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/r3t8zZ5ve4GewFTeoCM3R6.jpg\")
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