Shoulder Warm-Up: 3 Exercises for Strength Training

By Roel van den Bogaard, personal trainer and founder of Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven.

A shoulder warm-up prepares you for the movements and demands of your workout. This routine includes Shoulder Airplanes with Push-Ups, Rotational Toe Taps and Pike Push-Ups. As a starting point, use 5–8 controlled repetitions and 1–2 rounds, adjusted to your ability. Then build up your first strength exercise with lighter warm-up sets.

Planning to bench press, overhead press or use a landmine? Start with movements you can control and leave enough energy for your working sets.

At Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven, we combine attention to shoulder movement, trunk control and gradual loading. A warm-up helps you prepare, but is not a treatment for every shoulder problem.

A warm-up gives you an opportunity to practise movements before lifting heavier weights. You can notice how an exercise feels that day and adjust the load accordingly.

A systematic review of upper-body warm-ups found that certain approaches can support performance. The effect depends on the warm-up and the activity that follows. This does not prove that this particular routine prevents injuries. [1]

A practical shoulder warm-up helps you:

• Build up loading gradually.
• Practise coordinated arm, shoulder blade and trunk movement.
• Become familiar with the movements in your workout.
• Assess whether an exercise needs adjusting.

You do not need an intense muscle burn or a maximum stretch. The aim is to start your workout prepared.

Pain during a bench press or overhead press can have different causes. Pain alone does not show that your shoulder blade is moving incorrectly or that your warm-up was inadequate.

Likewise, sitting frequently, stress or a feeling of stiffness do not prove that your shoulder is damaged or unstable.

Consider the broader picture: which movement causes symptoms, how much are you training, how are you progressing, and how is the pain changing?

A longer warm-up is not always the answer. Reducing the load, choosing another exercise variation or having your symptoms assessed may be more appropriate.

The three original exercises combine supporting your body weight, rotating and pressing. They already require some strength and control, so choose a suitable variation.

Complete one round and assess whether a second adds anything useful. Allow approximately 8–10 minutes, depending on your pace and rest. Exercise-specific warm-up sets may require additional time.

These numbers are starting suggestions, rather than minimum requirements. Pike push-ups, in particular, can already be a demanding strength exercise.

This exercise combines shoulder rotation, supporting your weight through your arms and a push-up. It also requires trunk control.

How to approach the exercise

1. Watch the video for the exact starting position and sequence.
2. Choose a supported position you can hold comfortably.
3. Perform the demonstrated rotation slowly.
4. Combine it with the push-up as shown.
5. Return with control and repeat without rushing.

Allow your shoulder blades to move as you support yourself and press. You do not need to pull them firmly back and down throughout the exercise.

What to pay attention to

Choose a range of motion you can control. Avoid collapsing into the position or using momentum to get through a difficult transition.

Make it easier: practise the components separately. A push-up with your hands on a sturdy raised surface can be a lighter option. Check whether you can also control the rotation in that position.

Rotational Toe Taps combine reaching, trunk rotation and supporting your weight through one arm.

The exercise requires coordination between your shoulder, shoulder blade and trunk. It is not an essential exercise for everyone with stiff shoulders or pain during overhead movements.

How to approach the exercise

1. Follow the starting position in the demonstration video.
2. Shift your weight gradually onto the supporting arm.
3. Perform the demonstrated reach toward your foot.
4. Return with control before changing sides.
5. Keep breathing and maintain a steady pace.

What to pay attention to

Your supporting arm needs to hold the position without collapsing. Reaching your foot is not compulsory.

Make it easier: shorten the reach first. If the supporting position remains too demanding, practise a simpler trunk rotation without this combination for now.

Start with five controlled repetitions per side. Add more only if you can maintain your technique.

A pike push-up is a pressing exercise performed with your hips raised. This changes the pressing direction compared with a regular push-up and can make it relevant when preparing for overhead pressing.

The exercise requires strength from your shoulders and arms, among other muscles. It loads your shoulders and wrists and is not a light warm-up for everyone.

How to do it

1. Place your hands firmly on the floor and raise your hips.
2. Choose a distance between your hands and feet that you can control.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your upper body smoothly.
4. Keep your head clear of the floor.
5. Press back to the starting position.

What to pay attention to

Use a smaller range of motion if needed. Finish well before you reach the point where you cannot complete another repetition.

Make it easier: reduce the repetitions or depth. If it is still too demanding, leave it out and prepare for your press with lighter warm-up sets.

A warm-up does not need to become a test of how many pike push-ups you can perform.

This routine does not replace preparation for your first heavy exercise.

If you are bench pressing, also practise the bench press itself with a light load. If you are overhead pressing, build up that movement.

One possible approach is to:

1. Begin with an easy weight and practise the movement smoothly.
2. Increase the weight in manageable steps.
3. Reduce repetitions as the weight increases, if appropriate.
4. Rest enough to begin your first working set feeling ready.

The number of steps depends on your experience and planned working weight. An empty barbell is not light enough for everyone; dumbbells or another variation may be more suitable.

Read more about building your training gradually with progressive overload.

This routine may suit people who can comfortably control the supporting, rotating and pressing movements.

Beginners may need an adapted version. If you have shoulder pain, a recent injury or a feeling that your shoulder might dislocate, do not automatically assume this combination is appropriate.

Spending much of your day at a desk does not mean you need to perform all three exercises either. Choose movements and loading that match your current ability.

Making the warm-up too demanding

Lots of push-ups or difficult pike push-ups can leave you fatigued. Reduce the repetitions if you notice that your main workout suffers.

Trying to push through pain

An exercise does not become more suitable simply because you perform more repetitions. Adjust the movement or load if symptoms increase.

Doing only mobility exercises before heavy pressing

A rotation exercise does not fully prepare you for the load of a bench press. Include exercise-specific warm-up sets.

Forcing the same routine into every workout

Choose what fits that day’s training. You do not need to perform an exercise just because it appears on a fixed list.

How long should a shoulder warm-up take?

Approximately 8–10 minutes can be a practical starting point for this routine. Some people need less time, others more. Specific warm-up sets may add to that.

Do you need to do all three exercises?

No. Choose exercises you can control that fit your workout. One suitable exercise followed by specific warm-up sets may be more practical than an extensive routine.

Does this warm-up prevent shoulder injuries?

That has not been established for this specific combination. A warm-up is one part of training. Your loading, progression and recovery also deserve attention.

Can you use these exercises as morning mobility?

Yes, if the demands suit you. Remember that push-ups and pike push-ups require strength. Easier variations may be more appropriate for gentle movement after waking.

What if your shoulder keeps hurting during training?

Adjust the exercise or load. If symptoms keep returning or worsen, discuss them with your GP or physiotherapist.

Contact your GP if you are losing strength in your shoulder or arm. Sudden severe shoulder pain accompanied by breathlessness, sweating or nausea requires immediate medical attention. [2]

At Aurora Personal Training, we consider which preparation suits your exercises, ability and goals.

We combine strength training with attention to mobility, recovery, nutrition and lifestyle. In our quiet private studio in Eindhoven, we help you develop your technique and build up loading gradually.

Book a free intake at Aurora Personal Training to discuss how to structure your strength training around your needs.

1. McCrary and colleagues (2015): systematic review of upper-body warm-ups, performance and injury prevention.
2. Thuisarts: shoulder symptoms and when to seek medical advice — Dutch.

The warm-up research does not assess this specific combination of three exercises.