Shoulder/Trap excerises for a problem shoulder.

jonski1968

Hi all. Many years ago i used to lift pretty heavy, but due to a shoulder injury around 10 years ago my lifts have reduced dramatically.

Can only bench around 160, shoulder press no more than 80/90 and trap excersises absolutely terrible. Even 1 arm raises front/bent over/side are pretty useless.

Any suggestion how i can build up my shoulders/traps without lifting heavy weights??

JNick77

Hi all. Many years ago i used to lift pretty heavy, but due to a shoulder injury around 10 years ago my lifts have reduced dramatically.

Can only bench around 160, shoulder press no more than 80/90 and trap excersises absolutely terrible. Even 1 arm raises front/bent over/side are pretty useless.

Any suggestion how i can build up my shoulders/traps without lifting heavy weights??

What specific movements hurt and how heavy is too heavy before it starts to hurt?

jonski1968

shoulder press seated to front/rear. Single dumbell lifts.

As for weight, it kinda varies every time, sometimes i`ll go all out to as many as i can before it goes, other times i`ll take it nice n easy with what i`d class as toning weights..But no gains either way. The light weight obviously isn`t doing enough and if i go heavier, the pain stops me from doing shoulders again for 2/.3 weeks at a time.

I`ve tried using a machine, but the good shoulder is over compensating for the bad shoulder.

JNick77

shoulder press seated to front/rear. Single dumbell lifts.

As for weight, it kinda varies every time, sometimes i`ll go all out to as many as i can before it goes, other times i`ll take it nice n easy with what i`d class as toning weights..But no gains either way. The light weight obviously isn`t doing enough and if i go heavier, the pain stops me from doing shoulders again for 2/.3 weeks at a time.

I`ve tried using a machine, but the good shoulder is over compensating for the bad shoulder.

Really sounds like you need to go to an Orthopedist or something.

Ripken818836701

Have you tried seated dumbell shrugs and also try reverse (where the bar is behind your back) shrugs using a smith machine or cable machine? Also heavy weight isnt important for shrugs, how slow your rep and how long you pause and squeeze with your traps for at the top of your rep is. I was using a ton of weight until I watched numerous huge guys on steriods ( I am from York PA. after all) at the gym using very light weight while working their traps regardless of exercise. Their enitre rep was very slow on the way up, a very long pause at the top and very slow as they lowered the weight to the bottom of their rep. Because of them I changed the way I worked my traps and they have went from not having any to being huge.

jonski1968

shoulder press seated to front/rear. Single dumbell lifts.

As for weight, it kinda varies every time, sometimes i`ll go all out to as many as i can before it goes, other times i`ll take it nice n easy with what i`d class as toning weights..But no gains either way. The light weight obviously isn`t doing enough and if i go heavier, the pain stops me from doing shoulders again for 2/.3 weeks at a time.

I`ve tried using a machine, but the good shoulder is over compensating for the bad shoulder.

Really sounds like you need to go to an Orthopedist or something.



Yepp, did that originally and had 3 injections which seemed ok for about 6 months..

jonski1968

Have you tried seated dumbell shrugs and also try reverse (where the bar is behind your back) shrugs using a smith machine or cable machine? Also heavy weight isnt important for shrugs, how slow your rep and how long you pause and squeeze with your traps for at the top of your rep is. I was using a ton of weight until I watched numerous huge guys on steriods ( I am from York PA. after all) at the gym using very light weight while working their traps regardless of exercise. Their enitre rep was very slow on the way up, a very long pause at the top and very slow as they lowered the weight to the bottom of their rep. Because of them I changed the way I worked my traps and they have went from not having any to being huge.

Will try the slow light approach...nothing to lose.

Thanks both.

Ripken818836701

Have you tried seated dumbell shrugs and also try reverse (where the bar is behind your back) shrugs using a smith machine or cable machine? Also heavy weight isnt important for shrugs, how slow your rep and how long you pause and squeeze with your traps for at the top of your rep is. I was using a ton of weight until I watched numerous huge guys on steriods ( I am from York PA. after all) at the gym using very light weight while working their traps regardless of exercise. Their enitre rep was very slow on the way up, a very long pause at the top and very slow as they lowered the weight to the bottom of their rep. Because of them I changed the way I worked my traps and they have went from not having any to being huge.

Will try the slow light approach...nothing to lose.

Thanks both.

Good!! Hope it works for you. The reason for the slowwww movement is so that you can concentrate on only using your traps to do all the work for the entire rep, and pause at the top for atleast 5 seconds during each rep. When your not using your shoulders to cheat and only using your traps to do all the work, not alot of weight is needed to bring your traps to failure.

jonski1968

I`ll give it a couple of weeks and let you know how it goes...

Thanks again