In my opinion, TGU’s are easier than overhead presses for the shoulder. I have easily managed 32 kg TGU’s and hope to go even heavier over time. If you can press a weight about 3 times per arm, you could probably manage a few TGU’s.

Good form is paramount to avoiding injury, but if you focus on keeping the shoulder locked down into the joint and take your time going through the movements, you should benefit from the drill.

Hindu pushups can be another useful movement for shoulder pain, but make sure to stop them if they increase pain.

Best of luck.

It’s ironic (and perfect timing) that you should have commented on this now as I’ve just started having problems with my upper back and shoulders locking up (and generally being too weak for everything else) in the last few days – too many hours spent at the desk job I fear. I shall try this routine when I get home tonight.

Presumably you use very little weight for this since it goes on for 5 uninterrupted minutes? It would be interesting to know what weight you use and how that compares to your usual overhead press numbers.

I do this the day before any stressful upper body endeavor, whether it’s sparring, overhead pressing, or even just doing pullups. As a result, I recover from shoulder pain within 24 hours from onset with just those five minutes and a full night’s sleep.

I wouldn’t recommend these as a workout on their own unless they are done with heavy weights and close attention to safety. They are not very effective at building lockout strength or pulling strength, rather they function much better as prehab or rehab for a more comprehensive routine.

Best of luck.