moves to strengthen shoulder antagonists in bp and op?

canadianlbs

sorry if this is going to be vague/too wordy/full of irrelevant info, but i've lurked for a while and seen great advice, so i'm hoping for input.

i'm new(ish) in this forum and started out on learning lifting about 3 months ago . . . i was shown a selection of isolation moves by a trainer which i do think was useful to get me started at least, since im 49 (almost) and i'd never even been in a weight room before.

i did my introduction-to-weight-lifting classes, lifted 2-3 times a week throughout them on the isolationy stuff. and then i did a lot of reading, a lot of youtube, watched everyone else in the gyms, spent a day at a workshop on the 'big three' of squat, bench and deadlift . . . and i started doing stronglifts on my own around 2 weeks ago.

i'm having a blast. and i am being careful, really. i do think my form is at least acceptable, because i'm not hearing a peep from the right side. BUT my left shoulder is a lot weaker than my right, and i think i remember being told ages ago that the ligaments that hold the joint from rolling forward in the socket were stretched or weakened. upshot is that i'm having some trouble holding the right form on that side, and i end up with something that feels to me like damage just waiting to happen unless i smarten stuff up.

from what i've been reading and researching, and based on the type/locations of the pain i'm fairly well convinced that i've got some mechanical sloppinesses that are putting too much strain on the tendons in the shoulder joint and along the collarbone attachment line of my pecs. it's tendonitis in my mind based on the criterion that it doesn't hurt while i'm doing a movement; it hurts while the tissues are relaxing back to normal once the movement's complete.

i definitely see an improvement when i keep the weight light enough that i'm able to isolate the joint and hold it steady during the moves, and i'd like to approach it from that angle right now. but i need some help for whatever muscles those might happen to be (i.e. the stabilizers).

tl;dr: what would be good 'antagonist' strengthening exercises for someone doing bench and overhead press and very interested in keeping her shoulders safe?

Sam_I_Am77

tl;dr: what would be good 'antagonist' strengthening exercises for someone doing bench and overhead press and very interested in keeping her shoulders safe?

1. Maintain good shoulder mobility, checkout Joe DeFranco's "Simple 6" on YouTube

2. Options for exercises to help support weak shoulders
- Latissimus & Rhomboids: Chin-ups, Dumbbell or Barbell rowing
- Lateral Deltoid: Lateral DB Raises
- Posterior Deltoid: Face Pulls, Band Pull-Aparts

The lats are important because they become very involved in supporting the eccentric motion of the movement. Aside from that, if you feel you need something else for your deltoids then there are a couple options for you. Definitely maintain good mobility. Do the Simple 6 even on days you don't train or don't train the pressing movements.

canadianlbs

1. Maintain good shoulder mobility, checkout Joe DeFranco's "Simple 6" on YouTube

thanks. that looks like a really good source and i'm going to chug my way through the rest of his upper-body stuff over the next day or two. looks like exactly the kind of thing that i'm looking for. and your exercise suggestions look right on the money as well.

i'm working from the very confident assumption that a big part of what got me into this trouble is strength imbalances, since i've been biking for years with a good portion of my weight supported on my hands. even before i ever saw a barbell, i had lateral deltoids like rocks, but i'm making a far more conscious effort these days to ride like a deadlifter, with a neutral spine and a more-engaged core.

chinups hurt. not always and probably partly depending on how i do them, but still. dips *definitely* hurt. i'm not touching those for a good long time still. i appreciate all this input a lot and will see how it goes in tomorrow's workout.

dbmata

You know, this might be a little more simple than you're looking for... but a physical therapist can work wonders with tendonitis and finding/destroying imbalances.

Just a thought.

canadianlbs

You know, this might be a little more simple than you're looking for... but a physical therapist can work wonders with tendonitis and finding/destroying imbalances.

Just a thought.

it's a great thought. i have a really terrible track record at communicating with 'body' professionals though. i've tried to work with quite a succession of them, and with the best will in the world on both sides, we just don't seem to be able to get through to each other. what they tell me only makes sense for as far as it goes, and it never goes far enough to be useful to me. meanwhile, the questions that i still have just don't seem to make sense to them. it's a thread and an aria all in itself.

i'd go ahead and try to find someone anyway, probably, except that i'm a freelance and would be paying out of pocket for it. and frankly, the success rate is too low for me to want to keep blowing money that way. at least not so far this year.

Sam_I_Am77

About 3 years ago I was in a similar situation. I played a lot of baseball growing up, too much, and still have elbow and shoulder issues. But 3 years ago I thought I was going to need surgery as my shoulder was always in pain and it locked-up in certain spots. I ran across some mobility drills and started doing them religiously. I incorporated things like band pull-aparts and lat raises to help strengthen my deltoid. One thing I didn't list above was Spider Crawls by John Meadows, YouTube that too. But after a couple months my shoulder was fine and basically pain-free. I would start there and just be patient with it. You'll know soon enough if it's something that requires medical attention or not, just listen to your body.