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Sports training

Water polo warm-up: shoulders, rotator cuff, trunk rotation and hips on the poolside

No water polo warm-up has been tested on injuries, so this one follows our warm-up guide and our swimming warm-up, adds hip work for the eggbeater, and borrows two Shoulder Control exercises from handball, where the programme cut shoulder injuries. Do it on the poolside, then warm up in the water with easy swimming, eggbeater build-ups and passing before you shoot. Put your cap, with its ear protectors, on before you get in. You need a light band, a cable or band anchored at chest height, a light dumbbell or a water bottle, and a wall, bench or rail.

12 minBeginner11 movesA band · An anchor point · A wall · A cable machine · A dumbbellShoulders · Back · Glutes · Hip flexors · Adductors · Hip abductors
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Shoulders loose

  1. Arm circles10 each way, small to large
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoBig, easy circlesHarder: Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)
  2. Thoracic rotation6 each side
    Beginner · 3D demoTurn from the ribsEasier: Side-lying open bookHarder: World's greatest stretch

Rotator cuff

  1. Band pull-apart15
    Intermediate · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoLight band; squeeze your shoulder blades togetherEasier: Prone Y-T-W raisesHarder: Tuck back lever
  2. Standing band external rotation12 each arm
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoElbow at your sideEasier: Stick-assisted external rotation (lying)Harder: Side-lying external rotation
  3. Band internal rotation12 each arm
    Beginner · Shoulders · 3D demoElbow at your sideHarder: Side-lying external rotation

Shoulder blades

  1. Scapular push-up (push-up plus)10 against a wall or bench
    Beginner · Shoulders, Chest, Abs · 3D demoPush tall at the top; don't kneel on a wet floorEasier: Dumbbell shoulder-blade punchHarder: Push-up

Hips for the eggbeater

  1. Standing hip CARs3 slow circles each leg
    Beginner · Glutes, Hip flexors, Hip abductors · 3D demoHold a railEasier: Hip circles on all foursHarder: 90/90 hip lift-off
  2. Side-to-side leg swings8 each leg
    Beginner · Adductors, Hip abductors · 3D demoSide-to-side swingsHarder: Lizard pose (Utthan Pristhasana)
  3. Lateral band walk10 steps each way
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Glutes, Quads · 3D demoKnees out against the bandEasier: Hip abduction machineHarder: Lateral band walk, band at the feet

Trunk and throwing, borrowed from Shoulder Control

  1. Cable press and rotation2 × 15 to 30 s each side
    Intermediate · Abs, Shoulders, Chest · 3D demoArms long; turn against the cable or band and come back slowlyEasier: Half-kneeling Pallof pressHarder: Cable wood chop
  2. Scaption raise2 × 15 to 30 s, light
    Beginner · Shoulders, Chest · 3D demoThumbs up, to shoulder heightEasier: Band lateral raiseHarder: Smith machine upright row

Tips

  • In the water: easy swimming, building the pace; eggbeater build-ups; passing at short and then longer range; then shots at about half, three-quarter and full effort. Goalkeepers make easy saves before full shots.
  • Don't cut it short: on our swimming page, a shorter warm-up went with more breaststroke knee pain.
  • World Aquatics' rules: caps at all times on the field of play, with malleable ear protectors, fastened under the chin.
  • With a perforated eardrum or an ear infection, don't swim until it has healed (NHS).
  • Shoulder pain that's worse after throwing: hold back from full shots and see our shoulder pain guide.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

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Questions people ask

How long does the water polo warm-up: shoulders, rotator cuff, trunk rotation and hips on the poolside take?

About 12 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A band, An anchor point, A wall, A cable machine, A dumbbell. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 8 of its 11 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.