Shoulder pain when lifting weights - what could it be?

[ali4390]

I was doing press ups last weekend and a couple of hours after I started to feel pain in my right shoulder.

Thought nothing of it and went to the gym last Monday to do back and biceps and it really started to hurt again. Played football on Tuesday night and by the end of the match I was in agony, couldn't even use my right arm to dive home with it hurt so badly.

Decided this was a good time for a rest and so didn't go to the gym or play football for the rest of the week and it seemed fine by the weekend, I wasn't having any pain with it and it wasn't hurting so I decided to try the gym on Monday. Did back and biceps and it didn't hurt at all - good times.

Avoided football last night and tonight just to be on the safe side, but thought some gentle chest and triceps would be fine but I'm in agony again having only done some relatively light dumbbell press and a couple of tri exercises. It's like an ache in my shoulder but the pain can go down my arm and hand. Does anyone have any idea what it may be?

I'm assuming I've done something to the rotator cuff and the best way to heal it will be to rest it completely which would be so frustrating as I've been making such good progress with my workouts!

[maxrider1]

Get it checked out by a physio. I had this starting last May, got fixed by physio, went back to gym, injured, another physio, got fixed, back to gym, injured again, another physio, this one sent me for a scan.

Rotator cuff in a total mess, torn supraspinatus, torn bicep, calcification of shoulder joint, impingement due to bone spur.
Had to have surgery early January, not expected to get full strength back for 6 - 9 months minimum. Years of hard training reversed in no time.

[carreauchompeur]

My shoulders seem to be seizing up a bit, too. Mostly fine but every couple of weeks one (generally right) will tend to be stiff/painful in one plane of movement. Trying to keep as mobile as possible in the vain hope it'll be ok, seems to go away as quickly as it descends.

[Digger]

Rotator Cuffs are not the quickest of healers, so you might have to be patient once it starts to get better. Did mine fairly innocuously doing dumbbell incline presses when not fully warmed up. That was years ago. Still not fully recovered really. Physio should be able to advise.

[cliffe_mafia]

I've had trouble with my right shoulder for a few years. I felt it pop one morning after boxing training when I reached to get cereal out of a cupboard and it's not been right since. I found these links helpful -

(Google Eric Cressey shoulder)

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=eric+cressey+sho...


You need to get the rotator cuff strengthened and then really warmed up before press exercises.
I also have trouble if I fall at football as it usually jars it and will ache for a few days.

You need to make sure your form is perfect on bench presses. If your grip is too wide it will stress the shoulder more and chest less.

[ali4390]

Thanks for all the answers.

I'll get myself booked into a physio and take it easy for a while, when I start training again I'll make sure it is always warmed up first.

It's annoying that I injured it by doing a few press-ups but it is stopping me doing anything else.