Rotator cuff pain & bench

[LiftingDukkha]

My shoulder/rotator cuff periodically gets sore as hell. When it does, it's always after benching. I really don't want to stop benching, and a lot times, the shoulder doesn't bother me. But it pounces on me at random times, it seems to me.

I do various rotator cuff exercises. I back off benching for a couple weeks or more when the pain strikes. These all help the pain go away, for awhile at least, but it never seems to go away permanently.

Is there any exercise I can do, or shouldn't do (besides bench) that can help? I really can't use a bench shirt or get surgery.

 

[musketeer]

How can you be sure that it's RC and not something else? Where does it hurt?

 

[bignate73]

where does it hurt?

 

[coolcolj]

it takes a lot more than cuff exercise to keep the shoulders healthy

stretch the crap out of your traps, neck, pecs and lats
strengthen your scapular muscles, lower/mid traps, and rear delts

read all parts of this series

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=472224

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=EF09020EBAA2B11A05F17E41498EF3AC.titan?id=535872

 

[LiftingDukkha]

Thanks for your replies.

The pain is right in the shoulder, basically centered at the acromial tip, but spread maybe 4-6" across. I am sure it's the rotator cuff from all I've ever heard about it.

I suspect the only realistic thing I can do is simply back off bench, at least for quite a long time.

But any suggestions you might have will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

 

[coolcolj]

somre relevant quotes from Lyle Mcdonald - most of the info and exercises are in the above links

At the least, you also need scapular depression (Traps III/IV) and downward rotation (serratus) to keep the scapula in the right place. Subscapularis can also be a problem as it has some scapular depression function in additionto internal rotation. That's along with loosening whatever may be tight including traps, levator scapulae, scalenes (all of which elevate the shoulder), pec minor/major, and a pile of other stuff.

more importantly than that, you have to retrain the nervous system to fix the scapula against hte pull of other muscle groups. The most balanced musculature around the shoulder won't do you a bit of good if the body is still firing them inappropriately. This takes practice and it has to be done correctly. When I reintroduced Sarah to benching, I put her on the machine and had her actively fix her shoulder/scapula down (we had just trained lats so she was very aware of her scapular depressors) to retrain her body to do bench pressing while keping the shoulder fixed. Same thing with the lateral raise videos I posted, that's as much about training her body to fix the scapula against hte upwards pull of the deltoid as anything else.

Lyle

Why in the world would you need 6 different exercises for scapular retraction? Pick one.

Then realize that you still have to retract your scapula during the hammer high row as you scoop back and under and that you only need the 1 exercise to work scapular retraction and depression. Stretch your traps/levator/neck area prior to every set since overtight Traps I will make the shoulder want to hike.

If you need something additional, do dip shrugs for time (muscular endurance).

I suspct you have way more scsapular retraction strength than you need already anyhow, why do you need more?

A pulldown will also work on scapular depression as long as you do it right.

If you look at Sarah's back routine she does hi row and hammer BTN pulldown.

I don't see how incline bench shrug works serratus very well, it's more pec minor which is not what you need to be working on since tight pec minor tends to rotate the scapula up. Either do flat bench shrug/push up with a plus or front raises. A combo of benhc shrug/push up plus (for the protraction part of serratus) and front raise (for the posterior scapular tilting function of serratus) would make sense. Stretch midback (scapular retractors) prior to scap protraction work and stretch Traps/pec minor prior to the front raises.

So that's 4 exercises total. Hi row, pulldown (or dip shrug), scap protraction, scap posterior tilting.

To that you can add rear delts.

I'd do, at least, one horizontal and one vertical external rotation movement. Plates will provide the most resistance at the start/middle but almost none in the contracted position; cables will provide resistance in the contracted position. You could also do that scapular plane horizontla extension with your knee supported. You could do the cable PNF exercise to get a combo of rear delts, external rotation and Traps III/IV as well.

Internal rotation for subscap is fine.

Lyle

 

[LiftingDukkha]

coolcolj, Those stretches & exercises definitely look worth looking into more. I will definitely check out those links thoroughly, soon. I have a feeling you're right that stretching that crap out more can only help me. Thanks!

 

[coolcolj]

well stretching of the neck/traps and scapular pushups and dips, combined with pec/sub-scap stretch ISO hold for a minute along with the usual cuff work did wonders for me

I was doing cuff and mid/lower trap work a lot before but with no results until I did all the other stuff. most people are just too tight in the upper traps, pecs and lats and have poor scapular control due to benching locking it in place

 

[ChefWide]

Great links! I suffer the same problems under damn near exactly the same conditions... thanks for the info.

 

[go2failure]

My shoulder/rotator cuff periodically gets sore as hell. When it does, it's always after benching. I really don't want to stop benching, and a lot times, the shoulder doesn't bother me. But it pounces on me at random times, it seems to me.

I do various rotator cuff exercises. I back off benching for a couple weeks or more when the pain strikes. These all help the pain go away, for awhile at least, but it never seems to go away permanently.

Is there any exercise I can do, or shouldn't do (besides bench) that can help? I really can't use a bench shirt or get surgery.

I started doing upright rows for mine--It turned out to be the best thing I ever did.

 

[coolcolj]

???

I know upright rows - especially narrow grip ones to cause impingement....

 

[anthrax]

???

I know upright rows - especially narrow grip ones to cause impingement....

It's what I've heard from a chiro too.....

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Upright rows should only be done, if at all, with a grip just inside the shoulder-width, and lifted to the middle-upper portion of your ribcage. This will allow one to stimulate the medial deltoids while sparing the rotator cuffs a great deal of stress.

Either way, the movement still isn't physiologically sound, and it really has no use other than perpetuating injury.

 

[musketeer]

My shoudlers have never been better since my accident with a couple of 75lbers where I overstretched an incline flye; my secret - just cut out all of the fiddly little exercises like shoulder raises (front and side), upright row, ALL cable stuff, flat benches (I do a low inlcine and dips instead) and just stuck to solid basics. Better still, my shoulders have GROWN rather than getting smaller. Oly lifts have taken them to the next level.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Flat bench, when done properly, shouldn't hurt the shoulders. Shoulders tucked, close grip. I'll admit, though, it's probably not ideal for chest development. Dips and incline bench presses better address the aesthetic portion.

 

[KC Kancho]

I had the same thing happen with my right shoulder. For a few months, I just switched to dumbell presses instead of the standard bench press. I would also keep a tube of BenGay handy if I ever did get some pain.

I also did two shoulder exercises that targeted the rotator cuff. It's kind of hard to describe.

And now my shoulder isn't sore anymore, I can do regular bench press again.