NMOY

I had a shoulder injury a few years back during a karate tournament, but thoroughly re-couped from it. The only thing is, when I am doing any sort of dumbbell press, be in bench, incline or military, I always have trouble with starting the lift.
I would say that my form for gettin the dumbbells from my knees to the starting position (using leg strength) is pretty good, but I really seem to have trouble getting the enicial push going in my shoulders from the negative positions.
Once the weight is UP, I have no problem reping at all, its just the start.
I workout with a buddy of equal strength, but he experiences no trouble blasting the dumbbells right up from the starting position during these lifts, and we use the same basic technique.
--Are there some extra shoulder cuff exercises or somethin I should be doing to help-out? From the discription, what do you think is wrong?
I appreciate your comments,
Zack

(PS-I'm not looking for any sarcastic replies.. thanks!)

CowPimp

Maybe your shoulder stability is poor, even if it's strength is good? Maybe you rely too heavily in the stretch-shortening cycle?

Consider implementing some shoulder stability exercises and external rotation exercises as a warmup a few days each week. Things like doing pushups/various static holds on a stability ball/medicine ball, offset pushups where one hand is one a medicine ball and the other on flat ground, crucifix good mornings, etc. are good for stability. Shoulder dislocations, scap pushups or pushup pluses, and wall scapular retractions are good for activating muscles involved in maintaining good posture and stabilizing shoulder activity.

You could also consider doing things like pausing for a few seconds at the bottom of each press to inhibit the effectiveness of the stretch shortening cycle. Performing suspended bench pressing is another good option.

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P-funk

honeslty, it doesn't sounds like your shoulder stability is the problem. It sounds like you just lack that initail power out of the bottom to get the weight moving.

It is hard to start a rep at that position where the movement begns without an eccentric contract preceeding to help with elastic energy.

Some can do it better then others. If you are saying that is the only problem you have and other then that, once you get the weight moving you are fine I wouldn't even worry about it. Just get a spot on that first rep and don't count it.

If you want to improve that bottom position strength, take some lighter DBs and do paused reps....lower the weight, count for a 3 or 5 count pause and then blow the weight back up. That will teach your body to overcome the static interia more effeciently.


(no sarcasm....see. )

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NMOY

Thanks for the advice guys, I appreciate it, and I think it may be a combination of what you both mentioned - as I never recall having this problem before the injury, but I was also never lifting as heavy before it.
I'm going to try and incorporate some of that stability stuff, along with doing the eniciating movements slow with much less weight, and see if i see a difference over a month period and see whats what.
--
(I appreciate the non-tainted reply )

Bulwark

DB or cable internal and external rotations for the rotator cuff. Stretch too. You may have some scar tissue still that needs to be worked out. Keep it up, you'll get there!

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