Tired of That Cranky Shoulder? Here’s How to Actually Progress Your Rehab with Purposeful Strength Work
Ben ConsidineShare
If you’ve been battling with a cranky shoulder—maybe it’s a fresh injury, or maybe it’s that annoying ache that just never seems to settle—it can be super frustrating. You’ve probably tried all the “go-to” exercises: banded external rotations, internal rotations, maybe even some wall slides. You do the drills - day in and day out but over time you're just not seeing real progress....
Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth: resistance bands are great—but they’re just one piece of the puzzle..
They can be ideal in the early stages of shoulder rehab. They help wake up those smaller stabilising muscles. They ease you into movement, making rehab feel safe and accessible. But where we use this as our end point for rehab, they unfortunately fall short - especially when it comes to building meaningful, lasting strength to recover and plan on in life!
If you’ve been relying solely on banded rotator cuff drills and still feel stuck, it might be time to shift your approach. It’s time to get specific.
Why Bands Are Great (But Limited)
Let’s be clear: I’m not here to bash resistance bands. I use them. I prescribe them. They’re fantastic for activation, warm-ups, and early-stage rehab when the shoulder is irritable or you’re just starting to reintroduce movement.
But bands come with limitations—especially in the progression and specificity department.
Here’s why:
They’re hard to quantify. You don’t know exactly how much resistance you’re using.
They’re inconsistent through the range of motion. Resistance varies based on how much stretch is in the band.
They’re tough to progress precisely. "Just use a thicker band" doesn’t give us enough control over load or feedback.
That means your rehab is based on guesswork. You might be improving, but it’s hard to tell. And when progress stalls, it’s even harder to figure out why.
What Can Make the Difference: Moving to Defined Loads
The game-changer can be introducing defined loading.
Think:
Small dumbbells
Light weight plates
Kettlebells (in a controlled range)
Even starting as light as 1kg can be a major step forward, not because the weight is heavy, but because now you have structure and control. You can track:
Exactly how much load you’re using
How many sets and reps you're completing
Your fatigue levels during and after the session
Progress from week to week
That level of precision is what allows real change to happen.
It’s Not About Going Heavy—It’s About Being Specific
One of the biggest myths in shoulder rehab is that strength training means jumping straight into heavy lifting. That’s not what this is.
This is about being deliberate. Specific. Measured.
You're training with intentional light resistance that helps:
Rebuild tissue tolerance
Improve neuromuscular control
Reinforce pain-free movement
Develop endurance and stability in the shoulder complex
And perhaps most importantly, it gives you a much needed roadmap for progress.
Example Progression Using Defined Loads
Let’s break it down into a real-world example.
Early Stage (Using Bands):
External rotations with a light resistance band
Scapular retraction drills
Isometrics against a wall or towel
Next Stage (Defined Loads):
Seated (long sitting) or side-lying external rotations with a 1–2kg dumbbell
Scaptions with a small plate (2.5kg or less)
Overhead presses in a controlled pain-free range
Prone I-Y-T raises with light weight plate to challenge stability
With these kinds of movements, you can now start moving beyond basic rehab, and implementing the important strength and conditioning training principals like sets, reps, tempo, fatigue, and rest - all scaled to your level of ability and pain tolerance.
This is where shoulder rehab starts to look and feel more like training again. And for athletes, surfers, gym-goers, or anyone who wants lasting function, that’s where you need to go.
The Mindset Shift: Treat Rehab Like Training
This might be the most important takeaway of all.
Rehab shouldn’t be random.
It shouldn’t be reactive.
And it definitely shouldn’t be vague.
When you shift from a mindset of “just doing some rehab exercises” to “training my shoulder with purpose and precision,” everything changes. You’re no longer guessing. You’re progressing.
You can test and adjust. You can build strength, not just regain movement. And you can finally move past the cycle of re-aggravation and stagnation that so many people get caught in.
Ben's takeaways:
If your shoulder is still cranky after weeks or months of band work, it doesn’t mean you’re broken or that it always has to be something you live with or through forever. It likely means you’ve outgrown the early stage of rehab, but your tissue capacity is not yet at the level to meet the daily demands whether this is sport or general activities of daily living —and your body is ready for something more specific and structured to build further to meet these demands and reduce persistent aggravation resulting from the lowered threshold due to injury.
Start light. Be consistent. Track your progress. And most of all, don’t be afraid to shift from general to purposeful loading.
That’s where real rehab turns into real strength.
Disclaimer:
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are dealing with a shoulder injury or persistent pain, please consult a qualified physiotherapist or healthcare provider who can assess your unique situation and guide your rehab appropriately.