FIT system-arms and shoulders
Every year truckers get sidelined by shoulder injuries. One of the fastest ways to bankruptcy for an owner operator is an injury that prevents us from working. When it comes to our trucks, prevention is cheaper that repairs. The same holds true for us. Much of it is carefully climbing in and out of our trucks. When I was younger I remember grabbing the side handle and swinging out of my cab over. That looks cool until your landing spot is ice or a little spilled diesel. Use your 3 points of contact techniques while entering or exiting your truck or trailer. But, also do some strength training to help your arms and shoulders.
If you are tall like Henry or have a mid roof like me, you can’t do the main shoulder press like it shows in your instruction book. With your bands attached to the floor mounts, stretch the band up to your shou
lders. That will be your start position. Then push the bands upward to the point just before you lock your elbows. If your cab is not tall enough, do it on your knees.
You work your biceps and your triceps with the bands attached to you floor mounts too. You bicep curls are done between the seats. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. I try to keep about 60% of my body weight on the balls of my feet. Pull the band up to your waist. This is about the point where you will feel resistance. Then curl them up to your chest. The tricep routine is a little more difficult. The book tells you to lean over and pull the bands up. I have been trying to do it this way, but with my back I find it uncomfortable. I have been doing tricep curls like the bicep curls, but reversing my hand grip.
The warm up routine works the rotator cuff where many trucking injuries occur. With the bands still attached to the floor mounts, pull you bands up to your waist. You should be feeling some resistance here. Rotate your shoulders like the instruction book says. Bob Perry knows a lot more about resistance training than I ever will. Another shoulder exercise is done with your bands attached to the floor and you standing between the seats. Grab the bands like a hammer and pull them up to your waist. Then lift your arms up. This isolates the outside of your shoulders. DON”T use you trunk to help you.
These exercises are designed to isolate individual muscles or muscle groups. They are not about you trying to max out each time. It is important to maintain your form as explained in the booklet. Cheating, like arching your back to do curls defeats the purpose. If you can’t do it with 2 bands do 1. Each of the exercises should be challenging, but comfortable. The idea is to prevent injury and GRADUALLY build strength.