Rotator cuff...please help!

Brak86 · 02-20-2004, 05:40 PM

Hey u all....ive recently been feelin a little strain in my rotator cuff when i do exercises like incline DB bench and military press...etc...im worried cause i hear that rotator cuff injuries are bad....what i have is nothing serious. it doesn thurt right now...but while im exercising, there is this little annoyance...(small small pain in my right shoulder/rotator cuff) i want to prevent any further injuries. Im pissed off....i dont want to take another week off....i already took a week off two weeks ago and im going to in a couple more weeks for spring break vacation. Next week i will start to only do shoulders once a week, but im afraid my shoulder wont heal? any tips on helping it heal faster? Is there any way to prevent further injuries or do i have to take a break from shoulder lifts?

PS...im also gonna stop upright rows...i hear they put more strain on ure rotator cuffs. That might be why this pain started

Randy · 02-20-2004, 09:28 PM

The best idea may be to take a few days off to see if the pain subsides. If you don't want to do that then all I can say is try lifting lighter. You say you don't want to take time off, but if you don't pay attention to the signs it could turn into something serious. Only you can tell what your body is trying to tell you. You ask if there is a way to prevent injuries... Well there are many way.. Number one is make sure you warm up well before you workout. Lift light at first and use proper motion and form. If you lift bulk and very heavy, do it in cycles. Sometimes your body needs a break... Its like a machine, you can't just keep working the hell out of it over and over and over without a break, or it will break.

Like nitrous oxide on a car, you can only hold it the nitrous for so long.

Brak86 · 02-21-2004, 12:18 AM

thanks randy....i do warmup...i lift light....i think the problem was....i used to do Chest, then triceps, then shoulders on the same day....my chest...being the first muscle i worked....got stronger...my shoulders however, werent worked as hard since i already did chest, hence i think they didnt get much stronger...so what im thinkin happened is that my bench is high now...but my shoulders are too weak to handle my bench...is that wrong?

Randy · 02-21-2004, 12:50 AM

Well you are correct in stating that when working the chest, there are other muscles that come into play. Two that come to mind are the triceps and front delts muscles of your shoulder.
When body building you want to try to sculpt your body evenly by working on your weaknesses and maintaining and increasing your strengths.

I try not to overpower myself working to many main muscle groups the same day... You just have to setup a combination that you feel comfortable with, but not overwelming.

As far as stating that your shoulders are to weak to support your bench.... Well If your working shoulders before bench and tiring yourself out, this could be the case. But you stated that chest was your first worked. So I don't think your shoulders would be to weak in this case. Again, just make sure you strengthen your weaknesses.... Work them harder. If you think your shoulders are weak you need to work them so that they become stonger.
As for the bench, you have to work your way up gradually. Don't push more than your body can handle... Work a routine where you can do 10 reps easy, then add 10-20 lbs each set and drop the reps as you go. Keep adding weight... I myself do 5 sets, 5 reps each, adding weight each set... Works for me.

Brak86 · 02-21-2004, 05:41 PM

yea....im just deathly worried/pissed off about my rotator cuffs...i kno i shouldnt be...but im so scared....when i get back to lifting next week....i kno im gonna do lighter weights...i just dont want to hurt myself forever...or get taken out for a long time. im also pissed off that i have to delay my gains even longer

Randy · 02-21-2004, 07:13 PM

Absolutely, anytime an injury or setback occurs it can definately be dissapointing. I wish you the best of luck, and a rapid recovery.

DrChiro · 02-21-2004, 09:35 PM

best thing IMO is rotator cuff exercises, specifically internal and external rotation exercises....these help strengthen your humeral depressors while most delt work only strengthens your humeral elevators....the balance between the two sets of muscles is vital to keep stress off your supraspinatus tendon.

**P-funk** · 02-22-2004, 09:24 AM

Aside form the rotator cuff exercises like the Dcotor said, I would add especially focus on external rotation since these muscles are much smaller and weaker than the internal rotators.

Also, drop the upright rows, abduction, extension and external rotation is a lot of things to be happening in one exercise to the shoulder.

I would make all my presses more sagital to prevent impingment of the supraspinatus. When pressing with dumbells rotate your elbos forward a little bit, about 45 degree angly of of your face. This will allow the humerus to move the shoulder into sagital plane flexion and tkae it out of the frontal plane (abduction). It is much safer to press at this angle.

02-20-2004, 05:40 PM	#1
Brak86 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 230	Rotator cuff...please help! Hey u all....ive recently been feelin a little strain in my rotator cuff when i do exercises like incline DB bench and military press...etc...im worried cause i hear that rotator cuff injuries are bad....what i have is nothing serious. it doesn thurt right now...but while im exercising, there is this little annoyance...(small small pain in my right shoulder/rotator cuff) i want to prevent any further injuries. Im pissed off....i dont want to take another week off....i already took a week off two weeks ago and im going to in a couple more weeks for spring break vacation. Next week i will start to only do shoulders once a week, but im afraid my shoulder wont heal? any tips on helping it heal faster? Is there any way to prevent further injuries or do i have to take a break from shoulder lifts? PS...im also gonna stop upright rows...i hear they put more strain on ure rotator cuffs. That might be why this pain started Good, bad, im the guy with the gun-Army of Darkness Weight:147 pounds DB Incline Press: Repping 70 lbs in each hand. Standing curls: Repping 60 lbs (thats all i remember for now!)

02-20-2004, 09:28 PM	#2
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	The best idea may be to take a few days off to see if the pain subsides. If you don't want to do that then all I can say is try lifting lighter. You say you don't want to take time off, but if you don't pay attention to the signs it could turn into something serious. Only you can tell what your body is trying to tell you. You ask if there is a way to prevent injuries... Well there are many way.. Number one is make sure you warm up well before you workout. Lift light at first and use proper motion and form. If you lift bulk and very heavy, do it in cycles. Sometimes your body needs a break... Its like a machine, you can't just keep working the hell out of it over and over and over without a break, or it will break. Like nitrous oxide on a car, you can only hold it the nitrous for so long. - O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

02-21-2004, 12:18 AM	#3
Brak86 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 230	thanks randy....i do warmup...i lift light....i think the problem was....i used to do Chest, then triceps, then shoulders on the same day....my chest...being the first muscle i worked....got stronger...my shoulders however, werent worked as hard since i already did chest, hence i think they didnt get much stronger...so what im thinkin happened is that my bench is high now...but my shoulders are too weak to handle my bench...is that wrong? Good, bad, im the guy with the gun-Army of Darkness Weight:147 pounds DB Incline Press: Repping 70 lbs in each hand. Standing curls: Repping 60 lbs (thats all i remember for now!)

02-21-2004, 12:50 AM	#4
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Well you are correct in stating that when working the chest, there are other muscles that come into play. Two that come to mind are the triceps and front delts muscles of your shoulder. When body building you want to try to sculpt your body evenly by working on your weaknesses and maintaining and increasing your strengths. I try not to overpower myself working to many main muscle groups the same day... You just have to setup a combination that you feel comfortable with, but not overwelming. As far as stating that your shoulders are to weak to support your bench.... Well If your working shoulders before bench and tiring yourself out, this could be the case. But you stated that chest was your first worked. So I don't think your shoulders would be to weak in this case. Again, just make sure you strengthen your weaknesses.... Work them harder. If you think your shoulders are weak you need to work them so that they become stonger. As for the bench, you have to work your way up gradually. Don't push more than your body can handle... Work a routine where you can do 10 reps easy, then add 10-20 lbs each set and drop the reps as you go. Keep adding weight... I myself do 5 sets, 5 reps each, adding weight each set... Works for me. - O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

02-21-2004, 05:41 PM	#5
Brak86 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 230	yea....im just deathly worried/pissed off about my rotator cuffs...i kno i shouldnt be...but im so scared....when i get back to lifting next week....i kno im gonna do lighter weights...i just dont want to hurt myself forever...or get taken out for a long time. im also pissed off that i have to delay my gains even longer Good, bad, im the guy with the gun-Army of Darkness Weight:147 pounds DB Incline Press: Repping 70 lbs in each hand. Standing curls: Repping 60 lbs (thats all i remember for now!)

02-21-2004, 07:13 PM	#6
Randy Woof! Woof! Woof! Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: California Posts: 7,859 Photos: 4	Absolutely, anytime an injury or setback occurs it can definately be dissapointing. I wish you the best of luck, and a rapid recovery. - O F F I C I A L . L I N K . M A S T E R - Maintains a Reference to all Gopros P/RR/S Links Gopros latest routines: CLICK HERE Lift like a Chicken Look Like a Chicken

02-21-2004, 09:35 PM	#7
DrChiro addicted to the crack Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: houston, tx Posts: 798	best thing IMO is rotator cuff exercises, specifically internal and external rotation exercises....these help strengthen your humeral depressors while most delt work only strengthens your humeral elevators....the balance between the two sets of muscles is vital to keep stress off your supraspinatus tendon. My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I am right. When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.

02-22-2004, 09:24 AM	#8
P-funk Patrick Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: AZ Posts: 31,701	Aside form the rotator cuff exercises like the Dcotor said, I would add especially focus on external rotation since these muscles are much smaller and weaker than the internal rotators. Also, drop the upright rows, abduction, extension and external rotation is a lot of things to be happening in one exercise to the shoulder. I would make all my presses more sagital to prevent impingment of the supraspinatus. When pressing with dumbells rotate your elbos forward a little bit, about 45 degree angly of of your face. This will allow the humerus to move the shoulder into sagital plane flexion and tkae it out of the frontal plane (abduction). It is much safer to press at this angle. E-Book: Take Charge! Everything You Need To Know To Write Your Own Training Programs Online Consulting/Program Design Reality Based Fitness Podcast Check me out on Twitter! Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter! "In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, in the experts there are few." -Buddha's Little Instruction Book

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