The Rusin Banded-Tri Set: Warm Up & Improve Posture at the Same Time

I can’t remember the last time I did an upper body lift without incorporating Dr. John Rusin's banded shoulder tri-set into my warm-up. It’s simple, quick, efficient, and – perhaps best of all – it directly battles back against the epidemic of poor posture. In other words, this banded tri-set kills two birds with one stone as both a pre-bench primer as well as a postural enhancer, which makes it a staple for healthier, happier, and stronger shoulders.

To do it, perform 10 reps of each exercise listed below with minimal rest for 2-3 rounds. Here's why I like each one: ⁣

Banded-over-and-backs reinforce smooth and synergistic movement throughout the shoulders as there’s an active stretch taking place as well as a stimulus to stabilize (the band), plus the added benefit of pumping blood flow into the region. This is a better alternative to “shoulder dislocates” in my book since the band 1) makes it more wrist- and shoulder-friendly, 2) allows you to naturally shift from internal-to-external rotation, and 3) adds an element of dynamic stability.⁣ ⁣

Banded face pulls and their virtually endless list of benefits could make for an article in and of itself. If I had to sum it up, though, the premise is that the face pull directly fights back against the caveman-esque postures that most people are subjected to in daily life. Make no mistake about it, though; the face pull can (and should) be thrown into your training for muscle-building purposes, either loaded up relatively heavy with an attachment or used in an ultra high-rep scheme as a finisher.⁣ ⁣

The band pull-apart is similar to the banded face pull, only without the external rotation component. The beauty of it is that it’s essentially “free” volume for the upper back, meaning you can scale up the reps even more as it’s relatively easier than the face pull. One hack: instead of taking a band to the chin on each rep, drape one end of it around your neck. Game changer.