Need help with weights for Bankart Tear...

bump.. i'm interested in the answer too..

I have been using the fitness machines instead of the free weights and it is working

See if you can go back to physical therapy for a few sessions. They can help you figure out the best way to tone and strengthen your arms with less risk of injury. They are trained for this and we are not. With your history you need a professional to help you get started.

A couple years ago I was involved in an accident, and the impact dislocated my shoulder and tore my labrum.

I've seen an Ortho and already completed PT...no surgery.

I've recently become a member of Planet Fitness, and they have free weights as well as machines.

I'd like to get these school bus driver arms (aka batwings) smaller - but I'm not sure which weights and such to start with, clearly I know most of you guys aren't physicians, much less Orthos...but can anyone give me suggestions on what to start out with? I don't want to work my shoulder. I was thinking free weights doing bicep curls - but also know I need to do triceps.

In PT I did bicep curls with small free weights, and it seemed to strengthen my core, and well, I put my shoulders back so I wouldn't pull. That seemed to do well - but what else should I do that won't re-injure or further injure my shoulder?

I call them the "lunch ladies". Skull crushers is my favorite exercise for the triceps.

Sorry, I have no advice, but those "school bus driver" arms are called "Oprah's" in my friend circles, haha.

Good luck!

You could always make a one time follow up with your physical therapist to go over this more specifically, but...

As a PT, this is what I'd advise my patients:

Biceps curls are fine as long as they're not painful
Triceps: rope pull downs or triceps kick backs (bent over a bench)
Rows: low rows are fine to any angle unless painful (stop before pain); high rows are fine, but don't hyper extend your arms past your body
Bench press: I have my patients do this on the FLOOR with dumbbells - NOT on a bench, and NOT with the machine.
Forward Flies: ok, but you need to set the overhead cams to limit your motion so your arm stays about 20 degrees forward of a line that goes through your body from shoulder to shoulder.
Reverse Flies: GREAT, but don't hyperextend past your body
Deltoid Flies / Lateral Raises: fine, but only raise to 80 degrees. DO NOT lift above 90 degrees.
Shoulder press: probably better to do incline vs straight military press
Lat pull downs: use a wide grip, and don't let the bar pull you up off the seat -- keep a slight bend in your elbows at the top of the motion so that you're not letting the weight yank your shoulder.
Pull ups: I'd suggest the assisted pull up machine, using the same strategy as the lat pull downs. Narrow grip in front are fine too.
Dips: don't do them.

AVOID -- any exercise that requires you to bring your arm out to the side and rotate the back behind you.
AVOID -- exercises that require you to hyperextend your shoulder at a 90 deg angle or above
AVOID -- exercises that cause you pain -- modify or find a different exercise.

Hope that helps. I am trying not to be too technical and if you could see me it'd be easier b/c I could demo. If there's anything there that's unclear, feel free to ask -- you can message me outside the thread if needed.

NOTE: I can only tell you what I'd recommend based on your general post. This isn't intended as medical advice, just some general suggestions. If you have increasing pain in your shoulder, you need to see your MD or PT.

Here is a website that you can pinpoint where exactly on your body you want to work out:

http://www.divine.ca/en/fitness-and-nutrition/exercise-finder/c_266/

More specifically here is the link for your arms:

http://www.divine.ca/en/fitness-and-nutrition/exercise-finder/c_266/?do=by_part&part_id=2&muscle_id=

Also, I had ruptured my L4/L5 disc in my back and was very limited on exercises a year ago. So my PT had me in the pool doing exercises. It almost seems as if you are not really doing anything, but I could really see a difference. Thats a very good option for anyone struggling with an injury.

Good Luck
Lacy