Shoulder Impingement

[ILoveLifting]

After a 6 month onslaught of Ohpressing and Bpressing I'm beginning to feel what I believe is a slight shoulder impingement. Gladly at this point it's very very minor, but still, it's a red flag and I intend on doing what's necessary to remain healthy and continue smashing heavier and heavier weight for as long as possible.
Shoulder Solutions - Shoulder Impingement

I'm very curious to hear from members who MUST directly train the RC to avoid discomfort and injury.

I have 3 main questions but would love to hear all insightful info:
a) how often should I train and how much volume?
b) how heavy of a weight should I use?
c) dbs or bands?

Thanks MaB

[LtL]

General stretching on off days and a good shoulder mobility warm up before pressing works way better for me than direct training. I seem to strain my shoulders more when I do too much RC work.

For warm ups I use deep heat, do some band traction and do a light shoulder circuit with 4kgs dumbells. Ywtl or just lateral, rear and OHP.

LtL

[jwood]

Ltl has given some great suggestions, I have had some minor shoulder impingement in the past. For me, cutting my volume on shoulder movements helped. I also notice that if I am doing heavy lateral/front raises, my shoulders get very irritated.

Warm ups are key, I have also been doing high rep shoulder circuits at the end of my pressing workouts too. I would say to cut your volume a little until it feels better.

[ILoveLifting]

Originally Posted by LtL

General stretching on off days and a good shoulder mobility warm up before pressing works way better for me than direct training. I seem to strain my shoulders more when I do too much RC work.

For warm ups I use deep heat, do some band traction and do a light shoulder circuit with 4kgs dumbells. Ywtl or just lateral, rear and OHP.

LtL

Thanks LtL.
The part in bold print interests me.

[LtL]

I think it's very hard to isolate the RC with good form. If you're going to train them, things like a shoulder horn would help a lot. That way you can do rotations with light weights and specifically target the right part.

LtL

[Rich Knapp]

rc warmup.wmv - YouTube

rc warmup.wmv - YouTube

Muscles ( 4 )

[Shadowschmadow]

I've had severe rotator problems in the past from my glory days heavy bench work, and if there's anything that I've learned from it all is the importance of back work and proper form. IMO bench and restricting volume to an appropriate amount of work, is the best solution to keeping a R/C injury at bay.

Dave Tate's videos about proper bench form are a magnificent place to start. If you're not a competitive powerlifter, then you don't really need to work on a serious ass arch, like the one Tate advocates and uses. Regardless of whether you are or are not a competitive lifter; you should still have your back tight and your scapulas retracted. To do that requires the back to be arched. Utilizing the arched position will really help you keep your scapulas in place, and pinned to the bench when you lift the weight off the rack. Keeping the scapulas from rotating is absolutely crucial to shoulder health.

However, regardless of whether or not the scapulas are retracted; none of this will mean a thing if you don't keep your elbows tucked close to your side. The moment you allow your elbows to come out to the side will be the exact moment you allow your scapulas to rotate out of the "safe position". A press should feel like you're pushing the bar away from you, not up. I realize that this may not make sense without understanding where your elbows need to be. Your torso and elbows should make about a 30-45 degree angle, with your armpit being the vertex. When you press this angle should not change. If it widens, you're elbows are flaring out and your scapula will be more likely to rotate. You'll probably note that this will be more prone to happening on sub-maximal weights - or where you're struggling. So if you're angle never changes, you should feel like your pressing out and then up, not just up.

The return of the bar is just as important as the initial press. One phrase I like to use when coaching people is that you shouldn't be lowering the bar down, but pulling the bar back into position. As if you were mentally pulling yourself "up" to a bar. So angle shouldn't change, nor should the path of motion.

Learning this form is likely going to set you back in the amount you can lift. As a matter of fact, if you don't bench like this, I know it will set your numbers back. However, once you adapt to the new form and learn how to do it properly, it will increase your press quite a bit, and effectively protect your shoulders from future injury. And like any other pressing movement; heavy tricep work will pay off tremendously in terms of weight that can be lifted.

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by ILoveLifting

After a 6 month onslaught of Ohpressing and Bpressing I'm beginning to feel what I believe is a slight shoulder impingement. Gladly at this point it's very very minor, but still, it's a red flag and I intend on doing what's necessary to remain healthy and continue smashing heavier and heavier weight for as long as possible.
Shoulder Solutions - Shoulder Impingement

I'm very curious to hear from members who MUST directly train the RC to avoid discomfort and injury.

I have 3 main questions but would love to hear all insightful info:
a) how often should I train and how much volume?
b) how heavy of a weight should I use?
c) dbs or bands?

Thanks MaB

I don't fall into the category above (yet) but have some info that might be useful...


I read that bands are not one of the ideal modalities to use for RC shoulder issues, it has something to do with the way in which a band has varying forces throughout it's stretch pattern/curve; in other words, as the band stretches, the elasticity and force at any given point alters, which means that the shoulder at one angle may not be getting the exact same applied force via the band work as it may be at another point in the exercise.

It is considered, therefore, that cables provide a better option since they have the exact same force throughout the entire range of the exercise, and you don't end up shortchanging yourself whilst doing the rehab.


There is also the fact that doing triceps, shoulders, and chest during the same workout can really tax the shoulders; there was a lifter (well-known) who experienced shoulder issues due to this and once he swapped the chest and shoulders to a day apart and placed the triceps later in the day of one of the workouts, his shoulders recovered.

Just things that may be of help.

[BigJosh]

When I've had Rotator Problems in the past I did the 3 exercises demonstrated on this site, once or twice a week, in the 110-12 rep range. It made a huge difference. I still do 1 or 2 of the exercises a week.
Rotator Cuff Strengthening Exercises

[Pull14]

Volume and intensity (weight) of RC work should be relatively low. It should be easy work and you don't actually want to fatigue the area to the point where you feel it. IE: no stuggle, no strain. For most RC specific work (l-laterals, external rotation, etc) far well with 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps 2-3 times a week, 2-3 lifts a session, plus some type of shoulder stretching.

Other work such as face pulls, band pull aparts, should be a staple in your assistance work as these will improve/promote shoulder health.

Also take note of the balance between presses and pulls for upper body work (bench, overhead vs rows/chins/etc). Keep the total work balanced or slightly in favor of pulls.

Anti inflammatories such as ibuprofen help quite a bit too.