Here is the ONE exercise you should be doing every single workout if you want to train better, build strength and muscle faster, and get your upper back and shoulders on point. Seriously, this single exercise is critical for you as a lifter, athlete, or coach – especially if you’ve been in the gym for years or beat up from years of playing sports.

Face pulls with external rotation are really the missing link for most programs. When you’re always working on building big shoulders, a big chest, and a big back – you can create imbalances, poor posture, and poor muscular sequencing – especially if your program is unbalanced and not comprehensive.

Building in “daily combos” into your program to address common areas (joint systems and their surrounding musculature) of dysfunction can totally revolutionize your training and lead to big results down the road.

One daily combo I love is face pulls with external rotation paired with static hangs (Dr. Kirsch protocol with Diesel modifications (Ageless Athlete). Creating movement in the shoulder blades and strengthening the serratus anterior, the posterior aspect of the shoulder, and the upper back – will improve the ‘positioning and mobility’ of the shoulder blades and the global function of the shoulder complex.

Strengthening the upper back becomes the first piece of the combo and shoulder mobility, traction, and lat length become the second. That is where the Dr. John Kirsch protocol comes in to address mobility and range of motion at the shoulder. An additional advanced tip would be to incorporate scapular depressions (and eccentric control of scapular elevation) with your static hangs. For the full complex, check out Ageless Athlete 3.0 and the DeFranco Insider – the best and most supportive online fitness community on the internet.

Diesel Daily Combo 1 | Shoulder Complex
1) Face Pulls with External Rotation, 2-3 sets x 20 reps
2) Static Hangs, 2-3 sets x 30 sec

If you’ve been struggling in the gym and your joints have been feeling beat up – you need AGELESS ATHLETE 3.0.