Thread: hurt my rotator cuff

My rotator cuff has been messed up for about a month. I'm at the tail end of a cycle myself. I'm not sure if it's coincidence, but I started taking glucosamine when the pain was almost unbearable and it seems to get a little better each day.

I've worked chest & shoulders light during this time and have had to be creative and find movements that aren't as painful.

Just try some motions without weight and see which ones you can perform pain free....do those light.

Work the shit out of your legs, back, and arms!

Try these...

Band Stretching
Take a 24-inch stretching rubber band and hold it in front of your chest with your arms extended. Pull out with both arms and stretch the band for 5 seconds before returning it to its original position. Repeat this stretch 10 times.

Shoulder Shrugs
Stand with your arms straight down at your sides, holding 3-lb. weights. Shrug your shoulders up and hold the position for a count of three. Release the shrug and return your arms to their original position. Repeat 10 times. Take a 30-second break and do another set.

Bench Press
Lay down on a bench or a hard floor with your stomach pointed to the ceiling. Grab a golf club and hold it as if it were a barbell that you were about to lift. Now press the golf club up and hold it for a count of two. Return and repeat this lift 10 times.

There are several exercises you can do to get you back in the gym again...

Start reading here...

Rotator Cuff Strengthening Exercises

Good luck to you...I hope this helps a little bit anyway...

Originally Posted by malcolm383

I was doing seated shoulder press with 185. I got 2 sets in with no problem. Went to do my third one and couldn't even unrack it. I had shooting pain in my shoulder. I went home put some ice on it took some alive and went to bed. I didn't sleep much woke up and the pain got worse through out the day so I finally went to the ER . They took xrays didn't see and thing but the doc did say it was swollen but it didn't look like a tear...he prescerined me pain med and put it in a sling. He told me to take a few weeks off and see how I feel.
I'm in the middle of a cycle right now so I really don't wanna do that. Is there anything I can do to get back in the gym faster?? Thanks in advance guys for any help.

No, do what the Dr tells you to, and in the future do all military press on the smith machine. There is huge advantage in doing so. It will keep your gleneral-humeral joint in place. Tendons of the remaining four scapular muscles form the rotator cuff. (Suprasspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres minor, Subscapularis) Nicknamed “SITS muscles” For the first letter of each, this muscles reinforce the joint capsule and hold the head of the humerus in the glenoid cavity it can easily be damaged by strenuous circumduction i.e. the unwanted forward and backward movement of pressing, which can be voided by using the smith machine.

A few, as in 3 weeks off? Dude, that's a really short time, I wouldn't try to make it any shorter. Muscle takes time to heal. The gear you're on might speed things up a bit, but you're still looking at 2 weeks of downtime followed by a couple weeks of strengthening whichever rotator cuff muscle you pulled.

Originally Posted by dgp

No, do what the Dr tells you to, and in the future do all military press on the smith machine. There is huge advantage in doing so.

I am not trying to start any argument here, by all means, but using the Smith Machine limits your range of motion and will only make matters worse...

Raw bench pressing is far more superior to the Smith Machine...The ONLY way I would EVER use a Smith Machine is if I couldn't find a spotter...PERIOD...You use absolutely NO stabilizer muscles when using it...The Smith Machine is the DEATH of good form...If all you want to do isolate your chest, then fine, use the Smith Machine...When I went to a public gym, I saw a lot of guys using it...Of course, they were all smaller than me...They also had on under armor, SOOOOOOOOOOO...Yanno...

The Smith Machine puts stress on the muscles in my opinion...

The Smith Machine was designed to give gym-goers the beneficial workout of free-weights but provide the safety of a machine...Exercises that bear heavy loads, such as front/back squats, bench press and seated shoulder presses, often require the assistance of a spotter...Smith Machines allow the lifter the freedom and confidence to be your own spotter...Yeah, and...If a heavy loaded weight becomes unbearable, the user can simply rotate his wrists to settle the bar into the rest...Yeah, and...Kinda takes the Umph out of building muscles...Takes your determination and your natural ability away...Its the "pussy" way out of lifting, also, in my opinion...If you are going to lift, they by gawd...LIFT...

While there's no argument concerning a Smith Machine's safety benefit, I will argue that since the weight load is safely housed in the frame, the added recruitment of certain stability muscle fibers cannot come into play, therefore making the user "weaker." I will also say that the angled frame makes proper exercise form difficult and understates the importance of form...Because of its design, the Smith Machine disallows powerlifting staples such as the clean-and-jerk and snatch...And popular gym exercises like bicep curls and standing military presses...

Sorry if this "gets" to some of you guys, but I don't think the Smith Machine has ANY place in a REAL gym...Even as a "spotter" in which I would use it for if I couldn't find someone...

JMHO...

Originally Posted by Mrs.V.

I am not trying to start any argument here, by all means, but using the Smith Machine limits your range of motion and will only make matters worse...

Raw bench pressing is far more superior to the Smith Machine...The ONLY way I would EVER use a Smith Machine is if I couldn't find a spotter...PERIOD...You use absolutely NO stabilizer muscles when using it...The Smith Machine is the DEATH of good form...If all you want to do isolate your chest, then fine, use the Smith Machine...When I went to a public gym, I saw a lot of guys using it...Of course, they were all smaller than me...They also had on under armor, SOOOOOOOOOOO...Yanno...

The Smith Machine puts stress on the muscles in my opinion...

The Smith Machine was designed to give gym-goers the beneficial workout of free-weights but provide the safety of a machine...Exercises that bear heavy loads, such as front/back squats, bench press and seated shoulder presses, often require the assistance of a spotter...Smith Machines allow the lifter the freedom and confidence to be your own spotter...Yeah, and...If a heavy loaded weight becomes unbearable, the user can simply rotate his wrists to settle the bar into the rest...Yeah, and...Kinda takes the Umph out of building muscles...Takes your determination and your natural ability away...Its the "pussy" way out of lifting, also, in my opinion...If you are going to lift, they by gawd...LIFT...

While there's no argument concerning a Smith Machine's safety benefit, I will argue that since the weight load is safely housed in the frame, the added recruitment of certain stability muscle fibers cannot come into play, therefore making the user "weaker." I will also say that the angled frame makes proper exercise form difficult and understates the importance of form...Because of its design, the Smith Machine disallows powerlifting staples such as the clean-and-jerk and snatch...And popular gym exercises like bicep curls and standing military presses...

Sorry if this "gets" to some of you guys, but I don't think the Smith Machine has ANY place in a REAL gym...Even as a "spotter" in which I would use it for if I couldn't find someone...

JMHO...

You’re entitled to your opinion, but your wrong the SITS muscles that make up the rotator cuff were never meant for the stress we put on them as a bodybuilder. If you plan on lifting in to your old age you need to lift smarter.

You should do the same thing you would do if you broke your leg, train harder and use more weight.

Thanks for the advice guys

you know there are other body parts. do abs, quads, hams, calfs, stepper.

and when the time is right rehab the shit outta it.

Originally Posted by malcolm383

I was doing seated shoulder press with 185. I got 2 sets in with no problem. Went to do my third one and couldn't even unrack it. I had shooting pain in my shoulder. I went home put some ice on it took some alive and went to bed. I didn't sleep much woke up and the pain got worse through out the day so I finally went to the ER . They took xrays didn't see and thing but the doc did say it was swollen but it didn't look like a tear...he prescerined me pain med and put it in a sling. He told me to take a few weeks off and see how I feel.
I'm in the middle of a cycle right now so I really don't wanna do that. Is there anything I can do to get back in the gym faster?? Thanks in advance guys for any help.

And I had dislocated that shoulder before. Not sure if that matters at all.

Go back to the Doc and ask for an MRI or have him order an Echo-Tech to do a diagnostic sonogram on your shoulder. Your doctor works for you...... if you want to know exactly what injuries you have, the additional tests would answer a lot of questions.

ER docs want to get you in and out fast.... hopefully you have a primary care physician who will look out for your best intrest.

Originally Posted by DarkHorse

Go back to the Doc and ask for an MRI or have him order an Echo-Tech to do a diagnostic sonogram on your shoulder. Your doctor works for you...... if you want to know exactly what injuries you have, the additional tests would answer a lot of questions.

I'm gonna give it a few days and see where I'm at, then that will be my next steep if its not getting better.

Its pretty much a no brainer in my eyes, continue to lift and increase the probability of causing somthing more severe in terms of injury simply cause you're on cycle or completely rest that shoulder for a while then work cautiously into rehab lifts and take care of your body....hmmmm. Use some common sense here.

Originally Posted by Mrs.V.

I am not trying to start any argument here, by all means, but using the Smith Machine limits your range of motion and will only make matters worse...

Raw bench pressing is far more superior to the Smith Machine...The ONLY way I would EVER use a Smith Machine is if I couldn't find a spotter...PERIOD...You use absolutely NO stabilizer muscles when using it...The Smith Machine is the DEATH of good form...If all you want to do isolate your chest, then fine, use the Smith Machine...When I went to a public gym, I saw a lot of guys using it...Of course, they were all smaller than me...They also had on under armor, SOOOOOOOOOOO...Yanno...

The Smith Machine puts stress on the muscles in my opinion...

The Smith Machine was designed to give gym-goers the beneficial workout of free-weights but provide the safety of a machine...Exercises that bear heavy loads, such as front/back squats, bench press and seated shoulder presses, often require the assistance of a spotter...Smith Machines allow the lifter the freedom and confidence to be your own spotter...Yeah, and...If a heavy loaded weight becomes unbearable, the user can simply rotate his wrists to settle the bar into the rest...Yeah, and...Kinda takes the Umph out of building muscles...Takes your determination and your natural ability away...Its the "pussy" way out of lifting, also, in my opinion...If you are going to lift, they by gawd...LIFT...

While there's no argument concerning a Smith Machine's safety benefit, I will argue that since the weight load is safely housed in the frame, the added recruitment of certain stability muscle fibers cannot come into play, therefore making the user "weaker." I will also say that the angled frame makes proper exercise form difficult and understates the importance of form...Because of its design, the Smith Machine disallows powerlifting staples such as the clean-and-jerk and snatch...And popular gym exercises like bicep curls and standing military presses...

Sorry if this "gets" to some of you guys, but I don't think the Smith Machine has ANY place in a REAL gym...Even as a "spotter" in which I would use it for if I couldn't find someone...

JMHO...

Smith machine isnt great like you sayed you have to go inline with the smith as witch free weights you go with your natural movement.

Bro go to a really good chiropractor and yet his advice and if his in sports medicine he can give you exercises for it.I hope you didn't tear anything.

Originally Posted by dgp

You’re entitled to your opinion, but your wrong the SITS muscles that make up the rotator cuff were never meant for the stress we put on them as a bodybuilder. If you plan on lifting in to your old age you need to lift smarter.

Like I said...I wasn't trying to start any arguments here...I am entitled to my opinion, as are you, however, that does NOT mean I am wrong...I agree 100% to do as his doctor tells him to do...Then when he comes back to start to lift again, rehab, etc...Work at a lighter pace and over time, he will build his strength back up...I even gave some exercises to help strengthen his rotator...

My qualm is with the Smith Machine being used so much...It is an unnatural range of motion movement that takes all of the supporting structures out of the lift that allow muscles to weaken...Allowing some parts to become weak is only asking for an injury...

Originally Posted by aminoman74

Smith machine isnt great like you sayed you have to go inline with the smith as witch free weights you go with your natural movement.

Please re read...I never stated the Smith Machine is great for ANYTHING other than strict isolation of the chest, something we do NOT train people to do in our gym...As a matter of fact, I state the opposite in stating the Smith Machine has really NO place in a gym other than being a great spotter when you can't find one...I simply gave "some" pros and cons about it along with my opinion...

Sure, strict isolation, "acting" as a spotter...Its GREAT...But still it has NO place...

Originally Posted by aminoman74

Bro go to a really good chiropractor and yet his advice and if his in sports medicine he can give you exercises for it.I hope you didn't tear anything.

Thanks bro me eather.

Originally Posted by DarkHorse

Go back to the Doc and ask for an MRI or have him order an Echo-Tech to do a diagnostic sonogram on your shoulder. Your doctor works for you...... if you want to know exactly what injuries you have, the additional tests would answer a lot of questions.

x2. X-rays are not as good for seeing muscle damage and cartelige as they are for seeing broken or cracked bones. For an example, my x-ray said no problem with your back, the MRI said 5 herniated discs 2 of which had slight a slight tear. Any injury that causes you to lose sleep due to the pain is worth giving a second look if you ask me.

Just try some motions without weight and see which ones you can perform pain free....do those light.