The 2019 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Martins Licis has been nursing a right shoulder and arm injury since the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic, where he finished eighth overall. Licis is adapting his training, focusing on slow, controlled reps with lighter weights to rebuild strength.
The Latvian-American strongman leverages paused reps in the shortened position during his accessory workouts to enhance recovery. On Aug. 9, 2024, Licis shared his push/pull accessory training to re-establish a solid foundation and minimize future injury risk.
Martins Licis’ Push/Pull Accessory Lifts
- Push-Ups (Warm-Up) — 3 x 20
- T-Bar Row — 3 x 10
- Dumbbell Incline Bench Press — 3 x 6-15
- Lat Pulldown — 3 x 10-15
- Chest-Supported Dumbbell High Row — 3 x 12-15
- Dumbbell Skull Crushers — 3 x 10-12
- Dumbbell Triceps Kickback — 3 x Failure
- Single-Arm Cable Triceps Pushdown — 3 x Failure
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Push-Ups (Warm-Up)
Licis opens with bodyweight push-ups to prime the chest, triceps, and shoulders. He admits chest training hasn’t been a focus since he prioritizes muscles that directly boost performance in strongman events.
I put horizontal pressing to the bottom of the priority list.
The 33-year-old Licis employs a slightly wider than shoulder-width hand placement and maintains retracted and depressed shoulder blades throughout the exercise to avoid anterior deltoid strain.
Licis relies on push-ups and incline dumbbell presses to maintain chest strength. He performs higher volume to improve tendon strength without excessive strain.
T-Bar Row
Licis alternates between horizontal pushing and pulling exercises to ensure balanced antagonist muscle development. He uses a V-handlebar on the barbell and pauses in his fully shortened position, preferring this to barbell or dumbbell rows to avoid shoulder discomfort.
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press & Lat Pull-Down
Licis set the bench at 70 degrees and limited ROM to minimize shoulder and biceps strain. He lowered the dumbbells to head level at the bottom of each rep, pausing at peak contraction.
Licis opted for a V-handlebar for the lat pulldowns since it helps keep the elbows tight to the torso during concentrics. He employed full ROM lowering the handle to his upper chest at the bottom and fully extending the elbows at the top.
I swear by vertical pulling. It helps open shoulder ROM and builds overhead pressing stability.
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Chest-Supported Dumbbell High Row
Licis performed this exercise on an incline bench set at 45 degrees. Chest-supported dumbbell high rows tend to burden his recovering shoulder, so he used relatively light weights and a restricted ROM. Licis incorporated a brief pause when the upper arms reached parallel.
Licis initiated each rep by retracting the scapula and flaring his elbows during concentrics to bias the upper back. He constantly monitors form.
If you ever rush, check in with yourself and make up for it with some longer pauses.
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Dumbbell Skull Crushers & Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
Licis performed the skull crushers on an incline bench, maintaining wide elbows throughout to minimize shoulder strain. He kept his torso and upper arm parallel to the floor during dumbbell kickbacks. He placed his non-working arm on an incline bench for support and limit momentum.
“I really like this exercise because it gets the rear delt to fire up and takes the pressure off my shoulders,” Licis explained.
Single-Arm Cable Tricep Pressdown
Unilateral exercises are invaluable for identifying and fixing muscle and strength imbalances. As Licis struggled with his left arm, he utilized drop sets with controlled eccentrics.
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Featured image: @martinslicis on Instagram
