Matt Lafleur, who lives in Louisiana, was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia in 1994 at age 9. He demonstrates a shoulder rainbow exercise, working through controlled upper-body movements to support shoulder strength, stability, and core engagement.
Disclaimer: The information in this video is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or other trained medical professional before beginning any new exercise program to ensure it is safe and appropriate for you.
Transcript
What’s up, guys? Coach Damon V. here with my guy Matt. Today we’re going to show you guys another rare move.
This one is called the shoulder rainbow. It’s going to target the medial delts, up into the rear delts, up into the traps. And then another great one is, as those hands get overhead, it’s also going to turn into another core stability exercise.
So it looks like this. We’re going to start with our palms facing out, just like Matt’s doing. He’s got some 2-pound weights right here. Start with no weights, 1-pound, 2-pound, 3-pound. We want to focus on control, stability, and safety right here.
So what I’m going to do is I want to spot my athlete because, again, as those hands come overhead, it’s going to get wobbly. We’re going to feel that core turn on. That’s going to spot my athlete. Palms facing out, he’s got to raise his arms up above his head, arms straight, and touch those weights together.
“Yeah, doing great, Matt. Touch, touch, touch those thumbs. Perfect. Back down. Nice.” Having my hands on Matt’s shoulders, I can feel all the muscles in here engaging. I’m sure you guys can see.
“Let’s go. Nice. Nice. And one more.”
What Matt wants to focus on is touching. You see how he’s touching, kind of like he wants to focus on touching further and further back. “Yeah, that’s a better one. That was further back, Matt. Nice work.”
And this time he’s going to come even further, all the way, almost to me back here. “Nice, Matt, nice. Oh, and rest. Yes, sir.”
Shoulder rainbow. Great exercise. “Good work, Matt.”
