Shoulder injury..what should i do?

[elonallaci]

Hi Cathe,
i want desperately to follow one of your rotations and so i have bought sts,lis and lately x train...but every time i begin a rotation after i do a upper body workout my shoulder joint (scapulo -humeral) is in pain..well i thought perhaps i was lifting more than i should..but that happend even when i lift 60% 1 RPM ...what should i do ...? should i gave up my upper body training?? what are some of your upper body workout to begin with..well that are easy on shoulder joints..what else do you recommend?? im 33 and i have no other health problems..

thank you in advance..

 

[firemedic]

Not Cathe, but I did and have shoulder issues. I had an rotator cuff repair last year and had to do nothing for 2 months post-op. But once I finished my physical therapy and my doc. gave me okay to start slowly on my own, I started with Travel Fit. Because it's all band work and you can control how much tension to use, it was perfect. After 3 weeks of that, went back to doc. and he couldn't believe what I had accomplished. He then gave okay to start weights and I started with LIS total body tri-sets. Because these are very joint friendly, I had no pain in my shoulder while working out. Started with very light weight and worked my way up. Again, 3 wks later, doc. said I can do whatever I wanted because I had full range of motion, which he had never seen 3 to 4 months post-op, as long as I listen to my body and just go slow. I've been doing XTRAIN and have had such great strenght gains in my shoulders, it's been great. Also, Yoga was a great help because it really helps to build strenght with your body weight while stretching you at the same time. Do you have an injury or you don't know what's wrong yet? I also have a spur in my right shoulder right now that needs to be fix but haven't done it yet. I'll do the same thing when this is repaired and hopefully there is no rotator cuff tear so recovery will be minimal and short. Best of luck to you.

 

[Soxy]

This Happened to Me

Several years ago I developed pain in my left shoulder after trying to do push-ups. Everytime I lifted my left arm laterally or above my head I had sharp pain in the top of my shoulder, and eventually it affected my ability to work my biceps. Since I was in my forties, I went to physical therapy. I am right handed, so my issue was partly muscular imbalance on my non-dominant side, but by chance one day a physical therapists looked at me and thought I might have impingement syndrome. She said my shoulders were rounded forward and my chest muscles were tight. I began stretching my chest and working on strengthening my back muscles. Once my upper back (postural muscles) were strong, my shoulder pain was much improved. Now my shoulders are one of my favorite body part to work on! Also when working my upper body I always have remind myself to relax my shoulders & keep my them away from my ears while maintaining good posture.

 

[Stacy]

I'm currently healing from a shoulder injury as well. I tried to cut back on workouts at first and do more "shoulder friendly" workouts but it still hurt. I didnt want to hurt it further and need surgery down the road so I went to Ortho who referred me to PT. I was tighter in my shoulder joints than I ever imagined. The PT gave me a home program with strength work and stretches that I do 3 times a week. After two weeks I'm almost now pain free. I havent gotten the okay yet to do things like overhead presses but I'm feeling much more positive now! The shoulder joint is a tricky joint so if it hurts you're better off getting it checked out so you dont do more damage.

 

[Beth-B-Fit]

I agree with Stacy...get your shoulder checked by a doctor. I went through a time where my right shoulder hurt. I got a shot of cortisone and did rehab exercises at home am finally able to work my shoulders. I still "baby" them a bit but I'm not in pain. I'm finding the workouts like Crossfire, To the Max, Afterburn, and X10 are good for me. I use 5 to 8 pounds and feel like it keeps my shoulders limber and aiding them in getting stronger.

Beth

 

[firemedic]

I also think Cathe's bonus rear delt in XTRAIN Legs is also a great one for shoulders. When I got this series I immediately started doing the exercises because during my PT, they said that it is one of the weakest and hardest areas so get back to full strength post-op. I have a pin in my left shoulder and I find that when I do more band work, my shoulder always feels better.