Quick story for you today and a warm-up you can steal.

Over the last 30 years, I’ve done a lot of things that’ve beaten my shoulders up—15 years of contact sports, 30+ years of lifting weights, and a good chunk of time in the last decade doing everything from grueling Kettlebell cert weekends to Spartan races to powerlifting comps.

One of the turning points was about five years ago, when I tore my pec and had to get surgery. That rehab process left me hesitant to do a lot of the things I used to love—heavy kettlebell pressing, snatches, barbell benching. And it became really clear: what had always worked before, wasn’t working anymore.

So I went back to the drawing board. I already had my Master’s in Human Movement with a post-rehab focus. I’d dabbled in yoga during my football days. But I really dove back into that world—corrective exercise, movement prep, mobility work—and never looked back.

I even completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training last year to deepen my understanding and sharpen my own practice.

And all of that came together in the program I call the 8-Minute Shoulder Fix.

It’s a 28-day plan, and it’s honestly just a really solid, structured shoulder-focused daily stretch, mobility, and strengthening program that helps you build healthier, more mobile, pain-free shoulders over time.

I actually did this exact protocol leading up to a weeklong yoga training earlier this year. I thought I’d be the stiffest guy in the room, especially in my shoulders and thoracic spine. But after doing this daily for a month beforehand… I held my own.

Same thing after pec rehab. Once I was cleared, I used these movements to rebuild my strength. Eventually, I got back to pressing and benching what I was doing before the tear—and even entered a powerlifting meet last year.

Here’s a 5–7 Minute Shoulder Warm-Up I’d recommend before kettlebell pressing, barbell benching, snatching, or overhead work:

1. Wall Slides – 1×10
   Opens up the thoracic spine and activates upward rotation.
2. Band Pull-Aparts – 2×15
   Fires up the posterior shoulder and mid-back.
3. Bottoms-Up KB Carry – 2×20 yards per arm
   Great for rotator cuff activation and shoulder stability.
4. Kettlebell Halos – 2×8 each direction
   Mobilizes the joint and preps for multi-plane motion.
5. Dead Hangs – 2×15-30 seconds (if shoulders allow)
   Opens up the shoulders, builds grip and stability.
6. Arm Bar or Open Book Stretch – 30 seconds/side
   Releases the anterior shoulder and improves thoracic rotation.

Optional: Add light Turkish Get-Ups (1-2 reps per side) if you want to integrate everything.

Try that before your next pressing workout. You’ll feel the difference. And if you want a full 28-day plan with follow-along videos and PDFs to guide you through it—check out the 8-Minute Shoulder Fix here:

-> 8-Minute Shoulder Fix

The special launch price is ending, but it’s still an absolute steal for what you get. And after today, this’ll be the last time I’ll be talking about it for a while.

So if you’ve got shoulder issues—or you want to avoid them—this is a great place to start.

Peace out, and have a great day!

— Forest Vance, MS
Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist
200-Hour RYT
Former Pro Football Player
KettlebellBasics.net