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Hey Reader,

Here's what to expect in today's issue of The Bulletproof Newsletter:

• Bulletproof Training Program: Accumulation cycle 2: Week 7
• How to fix painful shoulders in 2 steps
• The linear periodization method for big strength gains

Let's dive in!

This Week's Training

Day 1 - 4/28/2025 A) High hang P. Snatch. Above knee P. Snatch. Below knee P. Snatch - 1.1.1 reps every 2:30 min x 3 sets B) 1 + 1/4 Front Squat - 3 x 4 @ Mod effort; rest 2-3 minutes - progress load C) Metcon - MAP 8 14 Min AMRAP @ sustained pacing 28 Wall Balls 20/14# to 10/9' 10 Burpees 400m Run View Training Week

Be sure to snap a pic of your training and tag @WillMurtagh_DPT on social!

Deep Dive

How To Fix Painful Shoulders In CrossFit Athletes

If you train CrossFit regularly, you are likely familiar with how common shoulder pain can be.

The shoulder joint is the most frequently injured joint among CrossFit athletes because of how often it is used during workouts.

When your shoulders feel achy, it is usually not the result of one bad workout.

Shoulder pain tends to build up over time due to repetitive strain, poor movement habits, and failing to give your body enough time to recover between sessions.

Your shoulders are involved in nearly every major movement you perform during training.

Whether you are doing strict presses, push presses, push jerks, or more advanced gymnastics movements like muscle-ups and handstand push-ups, your shoulders are under significant demand.

Olympic lifts like the clean and jerk and the snatch also place heavy stress on your shoulders.

Each time you lift, press, pull, or stabilize, you ask your shoulder joints and the surrounding muscles to work hard to maintain proper alignment and produce force.

Over time, without the right balance of mobility, strength, and control, your shoulders can start to break down under this load.

Many CrossFit athletes develop shoulder pain because they unknowingly allow small impairments to grow into bigger problems.

Stiffness, weakness, and hypermobility in your shoulder joint can all contribute to poor movement quality.

When these issues are combined with poor management of total training volume, it increases your risk for overuse injuries.

Small aches that you ignore early on can eventually turn into persistent pain that keeps you from training the way you want to.

Managing these factors before they become major problems is essential to keep your shoulders healthy and your performance consistent.

Step 1: Identify the Cause of Your Shoulder Pain

Before you can fix your achy shoulders, you need to understand what type of issue you are dealing with.

Most shoulder problems in CrossFit athletes fall into one of three categories: stiffness, weakness, or hypermobility.

Accurately identifying which category your shoulder fits into is critical.

If you choose the wrong intervention, you risk wasting time on exercises that will not address the real cause of your pain.

Stiff Shoulder

A stiff shoulder is one where your range of motion is limited.

Movements that should feel smooth and free instead feel tight, blocked, or restricted.

You may notice trouble reaching overhead, behind your back, or across your body.

Weak Shoulder

A weak shoulder is one where the muscles that stabilize the joint, especially the posterior chain, are underdeveloped.

Leaving your shoulder vulnerable to compensation, strain, or overuse.

Hypermobile Shoulder

A hypermobile shoulder is one where you have an excessive range of motion but lack the strength to control it.

Your joints may feel loose or unstable, or painful at their end ranges, especially during heavy lifts or dynamic movements.

Step 2: Corrective Strategy Based on Shoulder Type

How to Fix a Stiff Shoulder

A stiff shoulder limits your ability to move into the proper positions required for CrossFit.

Without full shoulder mobility, you may compensate through your lower back, elbows, or neck, increasing your risk of injury and holding back your performance.

To improve shoulder health and maintain proper mechanics, you need to consistently address restrictions with strategic mobility drills.

Regularly performing the mobilizations below will help you restore the motion you need to train without restriction.

​Banded Overhead Shoulder Distraction​

Opens up the joint space to allow better overhead movement, essential for pressing and gymnastics skills.

​PVC Banded Internal Rotation Mobilization​

Restores internal rotation needed for Olympic lifts and muscle-up positions.

​Kneeling Lateral Banded Shoulder Distraction​

Improves lateral shoulder mobility, supporting movements like the front rack position and efficient overhead mechanics.

How to Fix a Weak Shoulder

Weakness in your shoulder stabilizers, especially through the posterior chain, leaves the joint vulnerable to compensation and pain.

CrossFit places high demands on your shoulders during Olympic lifts, pressing, and gymnastics.

Building strength through targeted exercises ensures your shoulder can withstand the loads and volume that CrossFit demands.

These exercises target the areas most needed for CrossFit movements.

​Sidelying Dumbbell External Rotation​

Strengthens the rotator cuff to improve joint stability and control.

​Sidelying Powell Press​

Targets scapular muscles to reinforce proper shoulder blade mechanics during overhead movements.

​Sidelying Dumbbell Shoulder Flexion​

Builds anterior shoulder strength without stressing the joint, supporting better pressing endurance.

​Wall Slides ​

Retrains proper shoulder blade movement to create strong, pain-free overhead positions.

​Landmine Press​

Develops pressing strength while keeping the shoulder in a less demanding arc of motion compared to full overhead lifting.

How to Fix a Hypermobile Shoulder

Hypermobile shoulders have plenty of range but often lack the strength and motor control needed to stabilize properly.

In CrossFit, the constant loading and dynamic movements demand not just flexibility, but control.

Without stability, you risk overuse injuries, chronic shoulder pain, and in extreme scenarios, dislocations.

​Plank Taps​

Strengthens shoulder stability in a closed-chain position, improving control during weight-bearing movements like handstands and push-ups.

​Kettlebell Waiter Walk​

Builds isometric stability and endurance in the shoulder muscles, helping you control loads through full ranges of motion.

​Bamboo Barbell Movements​

Introduce dynamic instability to challenge your stabilizers to react quickly and stay engaged during unpredictable loading.

Final Thoughts on Fixing Shoulder Pain

Fixing achy shoulders starts by accurately identifying whether you are dealing with stiffness, weakness, or hypermobility.

Once you know the root cause, you can apply the right exercises to correct the problem.

I have worked with dozens of CrossFit athletes using this exact framework and have seen consistent success in helping them resolve shoulder pain and return to confident, unrestricted training.

With consistent, strategic effort, you can regain full shoulder function and keep pushing your performance.

If you are ready to stop struggling with shoulder pain, book a free consultation today and take the first step toward fixing your achy shoulders for good!

This Week's Blog Post

How To Use Linear Periodization For Huge Strength Gains In this article, you’ll learn how linear periodization works, why it’s effective for strength gains, common mistakes to avoid, and how it compares to other methods. Read Here

When you're ready, here's how I can help you

1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program

My flagship 1:1 program is designed to eliminate your joint pain while elevating your CrossFit performance in less than 12 weeks without overhauling your training or missing time in the gym for rehab.

Book your free consultation - (Click Here)

Book A Movement Screen

A 1:1 movement screen to identify the root cause of your aches and pains.

This movement screen is the exact same one performed in my 1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program.

Book a virtual movement screen, and if we decide to work together to fix what we find, your movement screen is 100% free!

If not, you’ll have the answers you need to reach your goals.

Book Your Movement Screen Today! (Click Here)

Purchase a Joint Protocol

Start one of my 6-week joint protocols.

These programs are designed to build joint mobility, stability, and resilience so you can feel confident in your ability to handle your training.

They are based on CrossFit's most commonly injured joints (shoulder, lower back, hip, knee, and ankle).

Purchase a Joint Protocol Today! (Click Here)

Talk to you soon, Reader!

Dr. Will Murtagh, PT, DPT, MS, CSCS, CISSN Physical Therapist | Remote Fitness Coach P.S. Click here for a free consultation on how to train pain-free and look and perform better in under 12 weeks. ​ ​​​​