Lifting question.

siany01

Hi. Can I ask your advice again please?

I have had a shoulder issue which I have found out is a pulled rotator cuff. So, I can exercise around it but back squats are out till its healed (can't get the bar on my back, hurts like hell).

I appear to have two options instead which are front squats (this will be a trial and error one as it shouldn't effect my shoulder but it might) the other choice is goblet squats, which of these two would be the most similar to the back squat? As in the mechanics of it and muscle usage.

I am doing NROL4W and am in stage one, I have just moved on to the 3 sets 10 reps range (there should be 2 work outs at this range of reps/sets) should I just carry on at the 3/10 rep stage until I can get the back squats back in (as in do this for 2-3 weeks, however long it takes to 100% heal) and then once I can do them again move forward?

The only other exercise I had problems with is the Lat Pull Down. It didn't hurt persay but I felt it tweak my shoulder so didn't want to risk hurting so stopped straight away and push ups but I am going to replace them with wall push ups which are recommended for my shoulder anyway.

Thanks.

amy1612

Front squats will DEFINITELY affect your shoulder. You need good shoulder flexibility and mobility to be able to do them properly, elbows up nice and high.

Personally, I would take a week to rest it. I did the same thing last year, had a week off and it was fine. When you do start again, do plenty of strengthening exercises on your shoulders to try and prevent it happening again.

GetSoda

Yeah, front squats are harder on the shoulder than back squats for a lot of people.

were you doing high or low bar before?
Zircher squats might be an option, but I always worry about those causing elbow tendinitis.

Try unweighted elevated rear foot split squats for now. No shoulder involvement needed.

siany01

Sorry I should of said forward motion doesn't cause me any discomfort. Only moving my arm from front to back and only after it goes beyond the line of my shoulder. But I will take your advice and leave the front squats.

I have rested it for a week and it is hugely better than it was. I started lifting again on Saturday and deadlifts, shoulder press, weighted lunges and crunches were all fine, only thing I had issue with was lat pull down.

I was doing low bar on the back squats and I think my positioning of the bar is part of what exacerbated the injury (have read LOTS and watched LOTS of vids since), it was a bit sore before doing them and it really hurt after and then in the afternoon it was really quite painful. I took a week out from lifting altogether, went and saw my useless GP who was useless but confirmed what i already thought I had done.

The pain I have now is minimal, little things like pulling back the curtains or driving with my hand sat on the gear stick (UK) cause it to be sore but everyday use its now fine.

I can't take another week of cardio, getting up at 5:15 to lift, I can do. Getting up then to do 45 mins boring cardio is a struggle and my bed will win lol.

JulesAlloggio

Instead of using a BB for squats, I would say switch to DB's and drop weight. At least you would still be targeting the same muscle group.

You should also google rotator cuff exercises. Thats one of the worst injuries in my opinion.

With time, your body needs rest. I wouldn't do any type of exercises that causes more discomfort rather than good.

Best of luck.

stt43

If either hurt then don't do them, if neither hurt then do them both. Search youtube for Elliott Hulse, he has a lot of videos on squatting and alternatives to squatting.

amy1612

Instead of using a BB for squats, I would say switch to DB's and drop weight. At least you would still be targeting the same muscle group.

You should also google rotator cuff exercises. Thats one of the worst injuries in my opinion.

With time, your body needs rest. I wouldn't do any type of exercises that causes more discomfort rather than good.

Best of luck.

This is good advice You're also getting posterior chain with deadlifts, so you're still working it

Some light isolation work and band stretches are good for strengthening the rotator cuff. A lot of the time it can also be improved by strengthening front and back equally (can often be caused by an imbalance ).

AverageUkDude

uhmmm, one leg squats?

Chadomaniac

HACK squats on the machine are a good substitute OP

Shoulder currently injured .

amy1612

HACK squats on the machine are a good substitute OP

Shoulder currently injured .

No. Machine squats force the body into an awkward position and should not be used.

Chadomaniac

HACK squats on the machine are a good substitute OP

Shoulder currently injured .

No. Machine squats force the body into an awkward position and should not be used.

You stating that they should not be used in GENERAL?

amy1612

HACK squats on the machine are a good substitute OP

Shoulder currently injured .

No. Machine squats force the body into an awkward position and should not be used.

You stating that they should not be used in GENERAL?

Yes. Are you stating that someone squat using a smith machine?

Chadomaniac

HACK squats on the machine are a good substitute OP

Shoulder currently injured .

No. Machine squats force the body into an awkward position and should not be used.

You stating that they should not be used in GENERAL?

Yes. Are you stating that someone squat using a smith machine?

Hack squat machine
http://www.google.co.za/imgres?imgurl=http://www.toughtrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Key-Fitness-KF-LPHS.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.toughtrain.com/keys-fitness/key-fitness-leg-machines/key-fitness-kf-lphs-leg-presshack-squat-machine&h=241&w=295&sz=16&tbnid=HM2ahAbpj-8OTM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=110&zoom=1&usg=__Y5iagqjYsJjWhC9fip2S0JOi2Ng=&docid=i_K5lFjmLG5H7M&sa=X&ei=kMnjUdb8CI6Q7AaDqoC4DQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQ9QEwAg&dur=0

amy1612

HACK squats on the machine are a good substitute OP

Shoulder currently injured .

No. Machine squats force the body into an awkward position and should not be used.

You stating that they should not be used in GENERAL?

Yes. Are you stating that someone squat using a smith machine?

Hack squat machine
http://www.google.co.za/imgres?imgurl=http://www.toughtrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Key-Fitness-KF-LPHS.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.toughtrain.com/keys-fitness/key-fitness-leg-machines/key-fitness-kf-lphs-leg-presshack-squat-machine&h=241&w=295&sz=16&tbnid=HM2ahAbpj-8OTM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=110&zoom=1&usg=__Y5iagqjYsJjWhC9fip2S0JOi2Ng=&docid=i_K5lFjmLG5H7M&sa=X&ei=kMnjUdb8CI6Q7AaDqoC4DQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQ9QEwAg&dur=0

Aaah like a standing leg press. I guess they could be useful, but generally wont build stability in the same way that non-machine squats will. Maybe during injury to keep up leg training, but there are probably better things (like dumbbell squats) that you could do.

Chadomaniac

I had a shoulder problem , still do . its about the only thing close to a squat that doesn't hurt my shoulder

amy1612

I had a shoulder problem , still do . its about the only thing close to a squat that doesn't hurt my shoulder

That sucks, I love squats, though I'd miss deadlifts more. I think I would literally cry if I couldnt deadlift.

Swissmiss

I really do not have the answers to your questions. But, I will say to ask your doctor what you should be doing.
Not to recogmend anything (as I am not a doctor) but I have seen exercising help with a rotator cuff. My husband had a major tear in his. He continued using weights. The surgeon was quite surprised to see that the surrounding muscles were strong enough to be used instead of the injured one.

Mrsallypants

Leg press.

HelloDan

Does your gym have a safety squat bar?

Sounds like this would be perfect to allow you to continue squatting, until your shoulder is healed.