Training with shoulder impingement - what can I do...

Training with shoulder impingement - what can I do...

Author
Discussion

bing

Original Poster:

1,905 posts

239 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
Guys I have be diagnosed with shoulder impingement and slightly rounded shoulders so can not do any chest or shoulder excises because they hurt like hell, currently I am not doing the following:-

Bench press DB or BB
Incline Bench press DB or BB
Decline Bench press DB or BB
Chest flys
Or chest press

Military press
DB or BB shoulder press
Lateral raises

So as you can imagine I am loosing a lot size and strength in these areas.

I am however ok to train back, tries etc apart from close grip BP and skull crushers.

What can I do to continue to train shoulders and chest rather not do anything, any pointers?

I am doing Thera band excises to strengthen the rotator cuff etc everyday as advised by my phyiso, and also improving my posture.

any help appreciated.

ShadownINja

76,406 posts

283 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
If you try to train despite the injury you will extend the rehabilitation time. I speak from experience. Your best best is to just accept you will lose out and only do the exercises prescribed by your physio.

bing

Original Poster:

1,905 posts

239 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
SN are you saying NO training at all until it heals or just no chest/should work that causes it to aggravate?

I also notice some aggravation if I do heavy BB curls.

ShadownINja

76,406 posts

283 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
bing said:
SN are you saying NO training at all until it heals or just no chest/should work that causes it to aggravate?

I also notice some aggravation if I do heavy BB curls.
I'm saying don't do anything that uses the affected area. I'm not qualified to give professional opinion but in my experience, I've regretted training through an injury as something that should have taken 3-6 months to completely heal took 18 months. Even if it slightly hurts, there's a risk you could set it right back to day 1 of the injury or worse.

Loopyleesa

2,894 posts

168 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
I had this as well as a frozen shoulder and ended up having 2 ops on it.

Its still not 100% now and I dont lift weights.

Have you asked your physio about carrying on lifting?
Mine was so sore I couldn't even work with it!
It got worse over 3/4 weeks but lucky I got private health insurance so it was sorted out quickly.

goldblum

10,272 posts

168 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
ShadowNinja 's spot on..

However you might try skull crushers still,but lower the bar to your chin instead.

Decline Bench Press also should not be much a problem.

All depends on how desperate to are to train,nevertheless at some stage you'll still be

looking at anti inflammatories and at least 4 weeks out.(conservative estimate)

Also see YouTube for shoulder alignment exercises/rotator cuff/tendinitis.














GMJ

63 posts

178 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
bing said:
Guys I have be diagnosed with shoulder impingement and slightly rounded shoulders so can not do any chest or shoulder excises because they hurt like hell, currently I am not doing the following:-

Bench press DB or BB
Incline Bench press DB or BB
Decline Bench press DB or BB
Chest flys
Or chest press

Military press
DB or BB shoulder press
Lateral raises

So as you can imagine I am loosing a lot size and strength in these areas.

I am however ok to train back, tries etc apart from close grip BP and skull crushers.

What can I do to continue to train shoulders and chest rather not do anything, any pointers?

I am doing Thera band excises to strengthen the rotator cuff etc everyday as advised by my phyiso, and also improving my posture.

any help appreciated.
I'm hoping your phyiso recommended stretching your pecs before performing you resistance band exercises?

Also, from what you've said, I'm guessing the physio didn't explain why you shouldn't train your chest apart from the fact it hurts?

Did the physio recommend any back exercises for you to do? If so, which ones?

The heavy Bi-cep curls are causing you problems probably because you're not using strict form. In other words you're allowing your elbow to come too far forward as you contract the bar up. Moving the elbow forward brings the front deltoid into the exercise.

Lower the weight you're using and use strict form and hopefully you be ok.


bing

Original Poster:

1,905 posts

239 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
Yes been informed to do lots of pec stretches in general, not been advised to them before resistance band though.

Also been advised to train back more,do lots of row type excises which I am doing, these don't cause any issues. I can also do chin-ups these don't cause a problem either.

GMJ

63 posts

178 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
bing said:
Yes been informed to do lots of pec stretches in general, not been advised to them before resistance band though.

Also been advised to train back more,do lots of row type excises which I am doing, these don't cause any issues. I can also do chin-ups these don't cause a problem either.
The reason you have a poor posture is you have tight/shortened pec muscles and elongated mid traps and rhomboids.

That's why the physio has recommend you do no pec work as resistance training shortens the muscles. Which is the last thing you want to do right now to your pecs but exactly what you want to do for your mid traps and rhomboids because these will pull your shoulders back to where they should be. So row based exercises are great because these target the right area. Remember to squeeze your shoulder blades together at peak contraction.

Why should you stretch you pec before all resistance band and back work? Without getting too technical by stretching the pecs first you desensitise them allowing for a greater contraction in the back muscles specificlly, mid traps and rhomboids which is what you want. I'd recommend lighter weight than you're use to and keep you form every strict.

Also, don't stretch your mid traps and rhomboids after exercise you'll be undoing all your good work.

What exercises are you doing with the resistance band?

Edited by GMJ on Friday 6th August 17:50

Bill

52,836 posts

256 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
goldblum said:
However you might try skull crushers still,but lower the bar to your chin instead.

Decline Bench Press also should not be much a problem.
What are these?

Basically anything involving lifting through 90 degree risks aggravating it, and other training risks an imbalance because you're not working everthing around your shoulders equally (For instance pull ups work your pecs as well as your lat dorsi, both of which attach at the front of your shoulder and pull your shoulder forwards and down).

Basically do your physio and lay off the weights. Sorry.

goldblum

10,272 posts

168 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
"What are these?"


Google it.FFS.

996 sps

6,165 posts

217 months

Friday 6th August 2010
quotequote all
Bills nailed it for you, to add Bicep curls may hinder you due to insertion of long head bicep tendon (can be referred to as the 5th rotator cuff muscle)this is another muscle attachment which can effect the impingement.