Post: #1

Been solidly hitting the gym for over a year and a half now.

Make a point to train all muscle groups equally.

Gradually, started to notice lateral raises were becoming painful, but only on my left shoulder.

Ignored it, and just avoided the exercise, or did it with very light weights.

Then the bench press (only on a barbell) started to produce a sharp pain in my left shoulder when the weight was high.

So I stuck to dumbell bench press and ignored it.

I recently asked a friend for advice, and he advised the following exercise:

   

Since doing a few sets of those with moderate weight every day for a week...

My shoulder is now fucked.

Bench press is excruciating, not just on the barbell but dumbbell now.

Shoulder / military press caused no problem before, but is now too painful to perform.

This means that I can no longer train shoulders or chest at all until it is sorted out.

To give you an idea, when I move it, there is a lot of clicking and pain.

Right shoulder is fine.

I really don't want any more bad advice which might end up making it worse.

Any one who knows what may have caused this / best course of action?

I'm going to be losing a lot of hard earned gains if I can't keep up my training.

Thanks in advance.

Post: #2

If this hasn't been getting better in over 2 weeks and it's actually painful, then stop all training that involves the shoulders asap. It could be an Impingement syndrome or something related. This can become chronic if you stress your shoulders further. As always, this is the interwebs so also go see a physician IRL - not just for a professional diagnosis but because you will probably need some NSAIDs and or cortisone.

As to what caused this I need to know about your form on your pressing movements. Do you bench press powerlifting style? If not we have our first candidate. If you do, how much do your elbows flare when doing OHPs or dumbbell presses?

Get well soon.

Post: #3

Hey Frostbite. Welcome to the shoulder injury club. Sadly, there is no magic healing process. If you are in the UK I suggest you visit a doctor and get an MRI. You most likely have a rotator cuff injury.

I've injured my shoulder seriously twice. The first time at about 30 years old it took 5-6 months to completely heal. I injured the same shoulder again 3years later and now at 8 months its still fucked up and I will require surgery to fix it. Be kind to your shoulders. Once fucked, hard to get back in good shape.

I would look into a doctor's visit and MRI. See whats wrong. Resting for a while its the end of the world. Gains can always be made later. Its a contest only with yourself. Take a breather. Get that shoulder better.

Post: #4

I have a bad right shoulder/rotator cuff from 15 years of football. At the end of my football days I couldn't even use my computer mouse at work, let alone lift weights.

I took 6 months off from the gym to heal. Started slowly after that and was able to workout again, but not with barbell benching.

15 years later now I still have significant scar tissue there and only do dumbbell presses. I started a thread sometime ago about exercises I found on the Net that helped me work out my chest with less strain on my shoulder.

/thread-25723.html

Also, these days I work out twice a week and do both chest and back on the same day. My muscle therapist said because my chest muscles are so large I need to develop my back more to support them. I suppose you could do them alternating days, but I do them the same day and it has been working well for me. My body type is 5'8" and naturally stocky.

Post: #5

My problems with bench pressing started when I began to neglect certain techniques. Namely bring my lats and chest into the movement more and holding my breath during the negative.

I now keep to the routine techniques and haven't had a problem since. I would also avoid sleeping on your shoulder unless you have a foam mattress.

Post: #6

Put ice on it.

Post: #7

(03-14-2015 10:28 AM)Onto Wrote:  My muscle therapist said because my chest muscles are so large

Fucking bragger.. just messing around

Sorry about the shoulder issues, I have some as well. Definitely, going to take a look at your thread about chest exercises without shoulder strain. I used to love to bench but was causing some problems.

I have been slowly easing back into lifting (been boxing a lot lately) and noticed I can do inclines without too much strain but feel it when benching, weird.

Post: #8

Welcome to the club. I have suffered multiple dislocations of the left shoulder when playing sports younger, and have always had to watch how I deal with it. I just re-injured it again 2 weeks ago by overtraining. Now it's healing time.

Frostbite Wrote:I'm going to be losing a lot of hard earned gains if I can't keep up my training.

Your best bet is to stop any resistance training using the shoulder and hit a physiotherapist and get a program going to get it healed properly.

If you risk going to the gym with your shoulder injured, you are playing a gamble, and there's a good chance you might really fuck it up, potentially needing surgery which means no gym for up to 6 months or more.

Post: #9

(03-14-2015 03:49 PM)samsamsam Wrote:  

(03-14-2015 10:28 AM)Onto Wrote:  My muscle therapist said because my chest muscles are so large

Fucking bragger.. just messing around

*sigh* It's a curse really.

Post: #10

You need to see a orthopedic doctor. Not a PA bjt an actual doctor/surgeon. I had major shoulder surgery this past june. I have a rotator cuff tear, burser damage the doc had to clean out and small internal lacerations inside my shoulder from 10 years of neglect. Took 6 months off from all training. Now back at the gym and feel 20x better. I still feel small amounts of pressure, especially with tricep pull ups with added weight and military presses, but pain is eliminated. Go see an ortho!

Post: #11

Thank you all for your advice, some very helpful suggestions here.

I'm in the UK, and will be using the NHS (publicly funded healthcare), so referrals to specialists might take some time.

I'll post an update when I get seen to, first point of call will be local GP.

Post: #12

(03-15-2015 10:42 AM)Frostbite Wrote:  Thank you all for your advice, some very helpful suggestions here.

I'm in the UK, and will be using the NHS (publicly funded healthcare), so referrals to specialists might take some time.

I'll post an update when I get seen to, first point of call will be local GP.

Good luck with that. Your GP will probably send you away with the same exercises they'd give a geriatric.

MikeCF's recommendations from this D&P post helped me a lot with shoulder pain:
http://www.dangerandplay.com/2013/02/18/...endonitis/

I'm still not sure if trigger points are really scar tissue you can break up, but grinding them out through massage makes for a huge improvement.

"I'd hate myself if I had that kind of attitude, if I were that weak." - Arnold

Post: #13

(03-15-2015 10:42 AM)Frostbite Wrote:  Thank you all for your advice, some very helpful suggestions here.

I'm in the UK, and will be using the NHS (publicly funded healthcare), so referrals to specialists might take some time.

I'll post an update when I get seen to, first point of call will be local GP.

You're making a very wise choice.

One thing that made me angry was that I couldn't work out much, but I started doing exercise circuits:

body weight squats X 20
lunges or dumbbell lunges X 8 each leg
crunches
step ups
dumbbell work with oblique muscles, leaning over to one side with a dumbbell in that hand, squeezing up
bridge


Tried to work from the bottom of the rib cage down, set after set. I got a good pump and felt great, but wasn't hurting my shoulders at all. Something to think about while you wait to see a specialist.

Post: #14

I know this isnt a complete solution but ever sinced i stopped stretching, my shoulders have been great as well as the rest of my body. No injuries since. I know this goes against everything we are taught growing up but it really works at least for me.

You should stop training completely on areas that involve your shoulder. Just do squats and abs and let your should rest.

Also i wore orthotics all my life and was plagued with injuries. Over a 3month period i have managed to move off orthotics and with no support shoes with no foot pain.

Just remember always be careful what advice doctors give you and do your own research.

Post: #15

I threw my shoulder out (only very briefly, it kind of slipped out and went right back in) doing an overhead press a couple years ago and it was a hassle. I had to stop lifting for about six weeks. After I took that time off, I will say don't worry about losing the "hard gains" you mentioned. Strength returns after a break much faster than it initially develops. At the time I was setting PRs every week with my weekly increases on the Starting STrength program and I too was worried about losing what I had gained, but after some good restful time off when I came back I was nearly as strong as when I stopped. It only took two or three weeks to get back to the level I was at before. Just keep your diet dialed in during the off time.

That being said, I've started a new program lately that has helped with lingering shoulder pain from that injury and made me rethink barbell training. A combination of kettlebells and yoga. For kettlebells I've been using Pavel's Simple & Sinister program which consists of swings and Turkish get-ups. The swings have been great for the posterior chain and the Turkish get-ups have been great for my injured shoulder. The weight is light, starting with only a 53 lbs bell for the swings and a 35 lbs bell for the get-ups. But the relative light weight for the get-ups is not too hard on the shoulder joint while it strengthens the stabilization muscles of the shoulder. It's great. I'm not sure how old you are but as I get deeper into my 30s I am putting increasing value on joint health and stability vs barbell strength. Not to exclude barbell training completely, but as least for me at this point 1 to 2 squat/deadlift days per week is plenty to keep me strong without taxing my joints. Kettlebells a couple other days per week, then a couple more days per week... wait for it... yoga. It took some trial and error to find the right class, but now that I did I love it. It's difficult, and it feels great for flexibility which I think is a very underrated thing among gym guys. It's great cross training for surfing. And there are really hot girls in the class. It's been interesting meeting girls in the yoga environment compared to going out at night. No bangs yet but some good prospects, and they are girls I actually enjoy talking to, which is rare for me after being numbed by so much exposure to horrible American metropolitan chicks in their twenties. These healthy tight bodied yoga chicks are cool. I'm learning that girls who are at a yoga class at 9am on a Sunday instead of at hungover slut brunch seem to have significantly different personality attributes, and they seem to enjoy my masculine vibe since I am the only normal dude, and sometimes the only dude at all, in the class. It also feels great for my shoulder.

Post: #16

Presses are notorious for causing shoulder injuries.

If you can find some other exercise else to do, spare your shoulders and do them.

Post: #17

I was at the doc today, he diagnosed tendinitis in my left shoulder. I was thinking nerve problems, because if I sleep on my left side, my shoulders will go numb, but he says it's just the inflammation. It's on the back side, but for some reason doing things like barbell rows don't bother it. Overhead press is out of the question though. Bench press bothers me - I don't feel like I can go full weight.

Basically his prescription is give it rest and take a prescription anti-inflammatory.

I've been doing a kettlebell program lately and that doesn't seem to tear me up too much. I'm wondering if I should just ditch upper body for a while and let it heal. ball don't lie, your program sounds pretty good too.

Post: #18

So I got a massage today. I was insanely tight under my left scapula. Big surprise, you go to a skeletal guy, he sees tendonitis, you go to a massage therapist, she sees muscular problems.

I tried 2/3 of the bike ride to work the other day and it's do-able in 45 minutes I think. I'm going to start doing this, and regular massage. The doctor basically gave me an anti-inflammatory and said to rest it. It's doing better, but honesty after the massage, it feels tons better. I'll mix some yoga in too.

I hate injuries.

Post: #19

i have a left shoulder injury too, torn labrum and tendinosis from the MRI

my PT recommended a variety of stretches and shoulder strengtheners

my PT also said my chest muscles too large compared to my back/shoulders

Post: #20

I'm going to guess you have bicep tendonitis. This is all probably where the bicep meets the shoulder? You get a sharp pain in the front of your shoulder? If you were to throw a ball with that arm as you reach back you'll probably get a sharp pain as well. Most likely in the beginning it would go away as you warmed up.

Some guys will say to do x,y, or z weighted exercise. While it may work a bit they don't understand why it works. Take the turkish get up exercise mentioned below. It's a great movement and takes a great amount of flexibility in the shoulder. If you're highly inflexible in the beginning of course doing this exercise will create some flexibility in the shoulder and actually make it feel better.

The root cause is probably you have spent so much time hunched over, doing bench presses, etc... that certain muscles have stretched while causing others to shorten.

I'd recommend internal/external shoulder rotation stretches. Use a lacrosse ball on your chest to free up movement there as well.

Check out Kelly Starrett and his mobility wod. He goes into great detail about how our bodies are messed up from all the sitting we do and what stretches need to happen to fix it.

(03-14-2015 09:48 AM)Frostbite Wrote:  Been solidly hitting the gym for over a year and a half now.

Make a point to train all muscle groups equally.

Gradually, started to notice lateral raises were becoming painful, but only on my left shoulder.

Ignored it, and just avoided the exercise, or did it with very light weights.

Then the bench press (only on a barbell) started to produce a sharp pain in my left shoulder when the weight was high.

So I stuck to dumbell bench press and ignored it.

I recently asked a friend for advice, and he advised the following exercise:



Since doing a few sets of those with moderate weight every day for a week...

My shoulder is now fucked.

Bench press is excruciating, not just on the barbell but dumbbell now.

Shoulder / military press caused no problem before, but is now too painful to perform.

This means that I can no longer train shoulders or chest at all until it is sorted out.

To give you an idea, when I move it, there is a lot of clicking and pain.

Right shoulder is fine.

I really don't want any more bad advice which might end up making it worse.

Any one who knows what may have caused this / best course of action?

I'm going to be losing a lot of hard earned gains if I can't keep up my training.

Thanks in advance.

Post: #21

Just curious in the excercise you posted up top, what do you define as moderate weight? I had shoulder problems too, and did that excercise and a couple others that were similar, but I only used 2.5 pound dumbells. Its really supposed to be more of a stretch than anything.

Post: #22

I got a rotator cuff injury or similar from doing heavy OHPs a year or so back. I started doing all the rotator cuff exercises, strengthened my back shoulders and basically stopped doing any kind of overhead lifting. The only thing that made it somewhat better was resting.

But what actually helped was doing scapula pushups. Been doing about 3 sets a day for a few months and I'm pain free in OHP now. So basically keep your elbows fixed in a normal pushup position and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Then back to starting position. Rinse, repeat. Could be something for all you guys with shoulder problems to look into.

Post: #23

I had a rotator cuff injury last year from lifting too heavy on shoulder machines. Put me out for 1 month.
So now I just use barbells for shoulders as it allows my body to do some of the work and also gives more natural movement in the AC joint. Will also work other stabilising muscles which are not worked properly on machines which direct all the pressure on your joints.

Rehab exercises that fixed me: (4 x 15 reps each everyday for 1 month)
- Wall angels - This is really hard, just make sure the base of your back is against the wall the whole time)
- Resistance band overhead mobility rotations (Arms out straight in front and slowly swing right back behind your head down to your butt, and back again.
- Resistance Band External Rotation - http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/assets/2...0x300).jpg