Strike Harder Without Shoulder Pain: 4 Smart Changes Fighters Need to Make

Strike Harder Without Shoulder Pain: 4 Smart Changes Fighters Need to Make

If you're throwing heat in training but feeling it in your shoulders, you're not alone. Shoulder pain is one of the most common issues fighters face—and it doesn't just hurt your performance, it shortens your career.

The good news? You don’t need to stop striking hard—you just need to train smarter. Start implementing these four strategies and your shoulders will thank you:

1. Do More Pulling

Most fighters are front-loaded. Tons of punches and pressing exercises build the front of the body but leave the back underdeveloped. That imbalance adds up fast.

By increasing your pulling volume—think rows, face pulls, pull-ups—you strengthen the muscles that stabilize your shoulders and spine. This builds resilience, balances out the pressing from striking, and helps prevent long-term wear and tear.

Bottom line: If you’re throwing a ton of punches, you need to be pulling even more.

2. Use Landmine Press Variations

Traditional overhead pressing can stress the shoulders, especially if you’ve already got mileage on them from striking. Enter the landmine press.

Landmine presses allow your shoulder to move more naturally through the pressing motion. This reduces joint stress while still targeting the muscles responsible for striking power—like your delts, triceps, and upper chest.

Bonus: They're easy to load and modify for different angles or injuries.

3. Add Direct Scapular and Rotator Cuff Work

Your posterior rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers take a beating during training. Ignoring them is a fast track to shoulder pain and dysfunction.

A little extra targeted work—banded external rotations, prone trap raises, wall slides—goes a long way in keeping your shoulders strong and stable. This small investment in your accessory work can mean the difference between staying in the gym or being sidelined.

4. Dial Back the Extra Pressing Volume

Here’s the truth: most fighters are already pressing enough during training. Adding a bunch of extra bench, overhead, or push-up volume outside of that just piles on stress your shoulders don’t need.

By reducing unnecessary pressing in your strength program, you’ll keep your shoulders fresh, avoid overuse injuries, and actually improve your power output in the long run.

Final Thoughts:

Healthy shoulders mean harder strikes and longer careers.

It’s not about doing less—it’s about training with intention. Start pulling more, pressing smarter, and giving your shoulders the stability work they deserve. Your power—and your body—will go further because of it.

Want help building a shoulder-friendly strength program that boosts your striking power?

Reach out or drop a comment—let’s get you Combat Ready.