Rotator Cuff Issues

joejccva71

If there is one bodypart that everyone told me to watch out for and to not injure it, it was the one I somewhat injured....the shoulder rotator cuff. It's been about a month now where I will have slight pain doing barbell military presses. I'm not even doing that much weight and I can do the reps fine, but not without the rotator cuff discomfort.

I have lowered the weight some on military press and the pain isnt as bad, but today I was doing legs, core, lower back and I was doing some stretching on a mat in the gym, and felt some shoulder pain when I extended my arms straight out while in a kneeling position.

Imagine doing the ab roller wheel, and extending all the way out and you have a left shoulder pain fully extended. Thats my pain. I could feel a deep pain inside the shoulder.

This is absolutely horrible timing because I just started my 5 month bulk, and don't want to stop training shoulders.

I could train light and not have pain, but I'm afraid I won't get shoulder gains as good as if I went heavy. I could stop doing barbell military presses and just do the smith machine which is more controlled movement. I can do the DB shoulder presses but if I try to use a weight that I can do 6-8 reps, it hurts. I have to lower the weight, but then I can do like 12-15 reps.

It's frustrating to say the least. I already took over a week off from training over the holiday.

I do the rotator cuff warmups using 5lb dumbells, but the pain is still there when I proceed to lift heavy. It's quite obvious there is a problem, and even though it's not severly pulled/injured, it could get there if I'm not careful.

What are your opinions on what I should do? I want to strengthen the cuff and still train shoulders in my bulk without taking more time off.

koosdel

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/exercise-fitness/injury-rehab/rotator-cuff-exercises.html

joejccva71

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/exercise-fitness/injury-rehab/rotator-cuff-exercises.html

Thanks for the link Koos. What do you think I should about continuing to train though? The rotator cuff affects my bench as well.

lockef

I've had rotator cuff problems as well, but it's only when I do flat bench presses. When it first happened, it felt like something ripped at the socket. Not a cool feeling. After it happened, I didn't give it a chance to let it heal completely and it would be off and on for a few months. It finally got to the point where I just quit working my chest for a few months.

I don't have much advice, other than to maybe avoid that exercise and do similar ones instead. I've found that I can do incline, and decline with the BB and even flat DB's without injuring myself.

Whatever you do, don't push through an injury. It'll only get worse. Good luck bro!

ilovedeadlifts

Def see a specialist bro.

In my experience, the smith machine caused more shoulder discomfort than free weights. This is why I hate the smith.

I was gonna suggest warmups, but it seems like you're already doing something to warm them up, so other than seeing a doc, I dunno what to say.

joejccva71

I'll see a specialist but in the meantime should I just stay away from shoulder presses completely, and just work on rotator cuff strengthening exercises? I don't want to lose progress in my shoulders from not doing shoulder presses though.

lockef

I'd lay off the SP until you can see someone. I know it's hard to stop, but you'd lose more progress if your injury gets worse. I made that mistake.

Edit: When I say "lay off", I mean to stop completely.

CakeFit21

So, I have a tiny tear in my rotator cuff. I started seeing my chiro and PT for it, (they specialize in athletes) and they used ART, (active release therapy) to break up the scar tissue and other exercises to strengthen the muscles around it. They were insistent that I continue to train through therapy, (within reason). It REALLY helped. I do have to stay on top of it, making sure I work the small muscles in the shoulder not just the larger ones. I have completely avoided surgery this way.

eta: I just wanted to add that I agree you should STOP until you see someone. When I was training through, my docs were very specific about what I should and shouldn't do.

liftingbro

I'll see a specialist but in the meantime should I just stay away from shoulder presses completely, and just work on rotator cuff strengthening exercises? I don't want to lose progress in my shoulders from not doing shoulder presses though.

Joe, you should really take time off from using that area of the body until you get it checked out. You could be causing more damage by working it, depending on what the issue is. Sometimes rotator cuff issues are really other things as there is a lot of ligaments and things in that area. This is why it's best to see a specialist so that they can pin point the cause. It may turn out you just need to rest it and you'll be fine.

joejccva71

Ok so when you guys say "see a specialist", what kind of doctor am I going to google search lol. Just physical therapist?

Do I need to go see my normal doctor first and then get a recommendation you think?

liftingbro

Ok so when you guys say "see a specialist", what kind of doctor am I going to google search lol. Just physical therapist?

Do I need to go see my normal doctor first and then get a recommendation you think?

It depends on your insurance. Some require you to see your primary doctor first and get a referal.

You would want to see an orthopaedic specialist or a sports medicine specialist.

koosdel

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/exercise-fitness/injury-rehab/rotator-cuff-exercises.html

Thanks for the link Koos. What do you think I should about continuing to train though? The rotator cuff affects my bench as well.

Personally, I would lower the weight until doc said otherwise.

Years ago, when I first started doing therapy type excersises, I was shocked at how weak and limited in mobility my shoulders were.

liftingbro

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/exercise-fitness/injury-rehab/rotator-cuff-exercises.html

Thanks for the link Koos. What do you think I should about continuing to train though? The rotator cuff affects my bench as well.

Personally, I would lower the weight until doc said otherwise.

Years ago, when I first started doing therapy type excersises, I was shocked at how weak and limited in mobility my shoulders were.

Yes, my wife is a physical therapist and she's always working on me to get more mobility, practically in every joint. My mobility was terrible before meeting my wife, but I didn't even realize it. She says that limit mobility can be a cause of injuries in people that go from inactive to active and that mobility exercises and stretching are important, particularly for people just getting into fitness.

MisterDubs303

Thanks for the link Koos. What do you think I should about continuing to train though? The rotator cuff affects my bench as well.

I hurt my rotator cuff in Feb. and stopped strength training altogether (I had only started in Jan.). Later, as I read about it, I saw a lot of the stuff mentioned above, like continuing to work it, etc. but definitely get the OK and the specifics first. I also read that a lot of rotator cuff injuries actually happen while bench pressing and other pec exercises. Apparently people build the primary muscles too fast for the rotator cuff [muscles] to keep up with, and then they can't keep up. I think I hurt mine doing machine flies, where my mobility did not match the range of motion of the machine.

Now, I just started lifting at the beginning of November again, and I can still feel weakness doing the military press and some weakness on the bench as related specifically to my shoulder. For this reason, I do not lift heavy yet when working my chest and shoulders. I still do rotator cuff exercises to sort of promote strength in that area, but I expect there to be a long road ahead of me in terms of really pushing it on those movements.

musclebuilder

Thanks for the link Koos. What do you think I should about continuing to train though? The rotator cuff affects my bench as well.

I hurt my rotator cuff in Feb. and stopped strength training altogether (I had only started in Jan.). Later, as I read about it, I saw a lot of the stuff mentioned above, like continuing to work it, etc. but definitely get the OK and the specifics first. I also read that a lot of rotator cuff injuries actually happen while bench pressing and other pec exercises. Apparently people build the primary muscles too fast for the rotator cuff [muscles] to keep up with, and then they can't keep up. I think I hurt mine doing machine flies, where my mobility did not match the range of motion of the machine.

Now, I just started lifting at the beginning of November again, and I can still feel weakness doing the military press and some weakness on the bench as related specifically to my shoulder. For this reason, I do not lift heavy yet when working my chest and shoulders. I still do rotator cuff exercises to sort of promote strength in that area, but I expect there to be a long road ahead of me in terms of really pushing it on those movements.

I think what is the real culprit when it comes to shoulder injury and bench press is bad technique more so then the acual exercise..The fact is many exercises are complex and if done incorrectly you increase the risk of injury significantly. The press is one of them and unfortunately most of us find that lesson out the hard way. You see people pressing with a wide grip, flat on the bench, elbows flared out ect which increase the stress on the glenohumeral joint. It is a recipe for shoulder injury. Just by narrowing your grip alone you minimize peak shoulder torque and reduce rotator cuff and bicep tendon requirements for stabilization of the humeral head. (fees 1998) You see them keep their elbows tucked and press the bar straight up..Not press up and back torwards their face..They retract their shoulder blades and position their feet properly and once positioned they are very firm and don't move. And on top of reducing stress on your shoulders it will result in astronger bench press. If you are going to get back to heavier bench work I suggest not only watching video of PL with big benches but read their articles and educate yourself so you can get stronger while making sure you do it safely and correctly.

musclebuilder

If there is one bodypart that everyone told me to watch out for and to not injure it, it was the one I somewhat injured....the shoulder rotator cuff. It's been about a month now where I will have slight pain doing barbell military presses. I'm not even doing that much weight and I can do the reps fine, but not without the rotator cuff discomfort.

I have lowered the weight some on military press and the pain isnt as bad, but today I was doing legs, core, lower back and I was doing some stretching on a mat in the gym, and felt some shoulder pain when I extended my arms straight out while in a kneeling position.

Imagine doing the ab roller wheel, and extending all the way out and you have a left shoulder pain fully extended. Thats my pain. I could feel a deep pain inside the shoulder.

This is absolutely horrible timing because I just started my 5 month bulk, and don't want to stop training shoulders.

I could train light and not have pain, but I'm afraid I won't get shoulder gains as good as if I went heavy. I could stop doing barbell military presses and just do the smith machine which is more controlled movement. I can do the DB shoulder presses but if I try to use a weight that I can do 6-8 reps, it hurts. I have to lower the weight, but then I can do like 12-15 reps.

It's frustrating to say the least. I already took over a week off from training over the holiday.

I do the rotator cuff warmups using 5lb dumbells, but the pain is still there when I proceed to lift heavy. It's quite obvious there is a problem, and even though it's not severly pulled/injured, it could get there if I'm not careful.

What are your opinions on what I should do? I want to strengthen the cuff and still train shoulders in my bulk without taking more time off.

About 4 years ago I suffered with bad shoulder discomfort..Particularly during chest exercises..It was a pain "deep inside my shoulder" It is good you are getting it checked out, the shoulder is a very complex joint with many muscles crossing the joint and its not easy pin pointing the issue. I agree that for a shoulder issue like this it is best to see a specialist. Unless your primary physician has experience dealing with these issues. My former primary physician was an orthopedic surgeon with about 40 years experience and had worked all over the world. Even so there were times he would have to give me a referal to a specialist who deals with athletes. It could be a shoulder impingement issue which can be the result of an anatomical predisposition be it a type I, II, III acromion. I agree with the others, don't try to work through it. I tried to work through my shoulder discomfort and it got me know where. When isn't it horrible timing for an injury? Injuries suck, there is no two ways about it. But unfortunately they come with the territory. Injuries are a set back no matter how you slice it..But they can also be a blessing in disguise..You can suffer an injury like this and it can result in being down and depressed while you slowly work your way back having learned nothing and gained nothing. Or it can be an opportunity for you to learn all you can about potential causes and preventitive measures relating to your injury..In which you come out the other side a more intelligent and knowledgeable weight lifter which will serve you well moving forward.

Working around an injury and working through an injury are two different things. What I realized when I had my shoulder issues and other issues along the way that things had to change. I had to change my training program entirely in order to keep making progress while also allowing for recovery. Look at the great Anthony Ditillo who is among my fav strength athletes ever..He suffered a serious injury bench pressing ..His nerves at the pec-delt tie in became inflamed..He had very limited range of motion in pressing movements. Yet that is when he developed his shoulder size and power training program. He found he could only perform partial standing presses in a very limited ROM from his chin to about his eye level while staying pain free...He did them in a power rack off the safety spotters..He did a ton of partial pressing work at this time and got stronger and stronger in that partial press. Eventually he was able to press slightly above eye level..And after some time he was able to start experimenting with various grips and was doing some behind the neck pressing in the rack and some pressing at an incline..Eventually he could do some standing pressing if he was very careful and could remain "pain free" which is very important. He used this training for over a year while recovering along with other lifts of course that were not an issue. After a year plus he finally was ready to try bench pressing for the first time since the injury and did so with a close grip and hit 350lbx5 which he credits to all the shoulder work he did..He found a way to get stronger while recovering from his most serious injury up to that point.

joejccva71

Thanks for the info guys. I made an appt witha physiotherapist for Monday.

Btw, musclebuilder...mind throwing up a few youtube vids of proper bench technique? Like for grip width on the bar as well as how far you're supposed to lower the bar, etc? Appreciate it bro.

chrisdavey

I do these every workout now.
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/rehabilitation/rehabprehab-work-for-our-shoulders/

I injured my shoulder also about 3 months ago now. My issue is different though as I seem to be able to do SOHP nearly the same as I could before but I can't bench well at all or do bw dips. The pain is at the bottom of the bench so full ROM & is sort of near the front delt to ac/joint area.

I went to a physio for 2 months and got it back to where it is now with that & her final advice was just take it slowly & don't do anything that hurts.

I have no issues with any pulling motions at all though. Pullups, rows etc are 100% all good.

Was your injury from lifting Joe?

_Bro

This is a goofy video but the broom stick stretch helped restore my range of motion.. I think that I had a shoulder impingement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoaC-EJkbbA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

joejccva71

I do these every workout now.
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/rehabilitation/rehabprehab-work-for-our-shoulders/

I injured my shoulder also about 3 months ago now. My issue is different though as I seem to be able to do SOHP nearly the same as I could before but I can't bench well at all or do bw dips. The pain is at the bottom of the bench so full ROM & is sort of near the front delt to ac/joint area.

I went to a physio for 2 months and got it back to where it is now with that & her final advice was just take it slowly & don't do anything that hurts.

I have no issues with any pulling motions at all though. Pullups, rows etc are 100% all good.

Was your injury from lifting Joe?

Yea. The pain started on the seated military press. I wasn't even doing that much weight but the problem is the way the bar is on the rack, it sits a little behind me so getting weight just off the rack is rough. I also do overhead presses in front of me, never behind, but the issue was getting that bar with weight off that rack. It's so hard to find a spotter sometimes.

Anyways so yea thats how the injury started. And another thing is I have no issues doing flat bench. It's the seated military press and incline bench that hurts. I'm also believing that I didn't thoroughly warm up my rotators before my training starts.

Ugh.

musclebuilder

Thanks for the info guys. I made an appt witha physiotherapist for Monday.

Btw, musclebuilder...mind throwing up a few youtube vids of proper bench technique? Like for grip width on the bar as well as how far you're supposed to lower the bar, etc? Appreciate it bro.

joejccva, this is a great series on bench press technique..
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/features/so-you-think-you-can-bench-get-the-whole-series-here/

joejccva71

Ok thanks bro. Will check it out.