I’m sure that readers of this article are serious about hardware, with pleasure exposing your body to stress to become faster, stronger and more massive.
Each bump, bruise or sprain received requires a change training regimen or, even worse, temporary rest. But nothing can slow down progress as much as a shoulder injury.
The shoulder – and in particular the shoulder girdle – is a complex area. it more than one joint, as it is usually considered, is a series of joints, consisting of the humeral, thoracic-scapular, acromioclavicular and sternoclavicular joints.
Moreover, 17 muscles are attached to the scapula. All in all, it’s kind of “bump is important” with which various troubles.
Content
- Causes of shoulder pain
- Overtraining
- Improper training program
- Acromion of the third type
- Poor mobility of the thoracic spine
- Blade stability
- Rotator cuff weakness
- Limitation of mobility of the opposite leg
Causes of shoulder pain
Of course, there are no two identical shoulder joints, and no sources shoulder pain can be a huge amount. However, 95% athletes in 95% of cases the list of causes of pain in the shoulder joint can be reduced to one (or several) of the following points:
- Overtraining;
- Improperly designed training program;
- Acromion of the third type;
- Poor mobility of the thoracic spine;
- Blade stability;
- Weakness of the rotator cuff of the shoulder;
- Limit the mobility of the opposite leg.
Overtraining
First place in the ranking of situations that piss me off, takes one when my girlfriend after watching another romantic comedy wants to talk about our “feelings.”
The second leading cause of pain in the shoulder joint is when someone comes to the hall for the first time and begins to talk about how it hurts him shoulder, and after ten minutes asks when, in my opinion, he will be able to deal with a lot of weight.
Lifting weight through pain is not a good idea. According to Mike Boyle: “If something hurts you, don’t do it.”
I promise you: the world will not overtake the apocalypse if you abandon several exercises for a couple of weeks. At this time you can do other muscles while the shoulder joint hurts.
Improper training program
What do you think is training upper part the body of the average guy? Usually it’s around 347 bench press variations. Why do shoulders hurt when lying down? Because they have you are heavily overloaded, and possibly in muscle antagonists (those are muscle groups that act in opposite directions) there is no tone, which creates a bias and constant tension in the shoulder the joint.
I remember the program of one client who used to work with by another trainer: one of his upper body exercises included a total of 16 sets on the rotation of the shoulder inward and zero on outward rotation (and stretching too).
Moreover, although he was lifting twice his own weight, he couldn’t pull myself up. No wonder his shoulders are very hurt.
As a rule, it is enough to adhere to a ratio of 2: 1 or even 3: 1 (thrust: bench press) when working with the shoulder. That is, for each bench press carry out 2-3 thrusts (for example, thrust on a low block).
That is, in a sense, an unbalanced program helps balance the body.
Another possible option is why the shoulder hurts after the bench press. lying is the equivalent of one bench press to three pull-ups.
Take me as an example: my best bench press is 143 kg. My best pull-up is 136 kg (body weight plus extra weight). And, probably, it’s no coincidence that for all the time I train shoulders were very sore.
And although my correlation alone does not mean anything, I saw similar results with friends and customers who support similar ratio between repetitions of bench press and pull-ups.
And so, my shoulder hurts with the bench press, what should I do? Want healthy shoulders? Take up the pull-ups! And include more in the workout horizontal traction type of rowing.
Zero in the shoulder during the bench press can also be caused genetic features.
Acromion of the third type
This is undoubtedly the thing you can least influence. You born with one of three possible acromion variants – I, II or III.
Acromion types are evenly distributed throughout the population – about 33% for each – and the type dictates how much free space there is for the rotator cuff during exercises such as bench press standing rods.
Acromion Type I Guys – Congratulations! You have chosen the right ones parents and are free to do bench press, bench press, vertical thrust, throwing, etc.
P.S. I hate you.
Guys with type II and especially with type III are not so lucky. They have shoulder pain when bench press, standing and other similar exercises. A large number of improper exercises against a background of reduced subacromial space may cause damage rotator cuff of the shoulder.
Since the only way to fix this anatomical features – surgical removal of part of the bone (which, as a rule, done as a last resort), it’s best to avoid exercise, which reduce subacromial space.
Start by unloading the bench press. Direct grip bench press promotes pronation of the palms, which leads to internal rotation, as a result, the subacromial space is reduced. So thus, unloading all variations of such exercises is the first step.
You can also use neutral grip, which leads to greater external rotation and slightly “opens” the subacromial space so the rotator cuff can slide more freely.
In addition, push ups with load. Push-ups can significantly diversify your workouts, and they are more “shoulder friendly” compared to the bench press.
Similarly, the bench press can be an alternative, but for some are more suitable with a neutral grip option.
And finally, I would be suspicious of any inverse straight bar squats. Like a bench press, such a squat leads to a “risky” position of the shoulder (in this case maximum abduction and external rotation). Its easy to replace with front squats or squats with specific a bar for squats for pain in the shoulder joints, which shown in the picture above.
Poor mobility of the thoracic spine
Poor spinal mobility is the cause of most (if not all) cases of shoulder dysfunction. Yes, the causes of shoulder pain the joint can be caused by problems with the spine.
To prove this, let’s do an experiment. Stand up and rotate your upper back and then try to raise your arms (palms facing each other) up above the head, carrying them in front of facing towards the ceiling.
Most likely, you have not gone too far. And even if you are done, then compensated in one form or another, most likely for due to flexion of the shoulder and excessive extension of the lower back.
Now return to starting position, accept more optimal position of the spine and repeat the same sequence, raising hands up to the ceiling.
A lot easier, isn’t it?
In the first case, kyphosis of the spine led to a violation of kinematics shoulder, which increases the likelihood of impeachment, not to mention more inclined anteriorly (by the type of wings) shoulder blades.
When the spine is in a more “natural” position, the shoulder blades are more tilted posteriorly (and lowered), able to function optimally with minimal interference, and therefore with less probability of injury.
When there is not enough spinal mobility, as is the case with excessive kyphosis, exercises such as a bench press will perform problematic.
I have nothing against a bench press standing, but considering that the unfortunate fact that many of us have spinal mobility terrible, just not worth the risk.
What to do if your shoulder hurts?
Fortunately, there are simple exercises that can solve this. problem:
Blade stability
Optimum blade stability is a must shoulder health. Why does the shoulder joint hurt with problems with shoulder stability? If the shoulder lacks stability, it is impossible “transfer” of power, and productivity in the bench will be low.
In such cases, I load the lower part of the trapezius muscle, which, like the front dentate, is usually very weak.
I would also avoid direct loading on the top of the trapezoid, taking into account studies that show that dominance of the upper trapezium plays a significant role in the development of subacromial impressionism.
The last thing to do with a muscle that is already overtrained or hyperactive – this is even more of it strain. This happens when you sit in front of a computer. day, and then run to the gym, grab the barbell and press to load the trapeze.
In this case, this leads to dysfunction (the so-called upper cross syndrome) and shoulder pain.
However, there are cases in which working with the top of the trapezoid.
The upper part of the trapezoid plays a role in rotation of the scapula, and thus optimizes it function.
Think about it: we constantly talk about the need for shoulder blades to press and hide. This is usually not bad, as it makes more work the bottom of the trapezoid and helps offset dominance of the upper part of the trapezoid. But sometimes it can be in shoulder damage.
Perform the following exercises, given the tips:
- Draft on the bottom block: pull the vanes down at the same time.
- Pulling up: keep the shoulder blades pressed and lowered.
- Deadlift: the blades are “locked” and the top of the trapezoid tense.
Soon you will notice that the shoulder blade is turned down due to the elongated top of the trapezoid. At the same time, excess length makes it weaker and less effective than a rotator blade.
I do not need to prove that a less optimal upward rotation is this is a significant problem when you care about shoulder health and performance (especially athletes who do the bench press in a standing position).
But even ordinary athletes should remember this. take me for example. What did you notice in this photo (except cool T-shirts)?
See those sloping shoulders? They are not perfect, and the installation of the shoulder girdle is somewhat underestimated to ensure optimal function. Now, fortunately, my baseball career ended long ago and I don’t suffer from any lasting problems with shoulders. However, exercises for the top of the trapezoid will be very useful for such cases.
The main thing is to approach everything wisely and not rush at all costs barbell. Instead, perform a movement in which the shoulder blades are already turned up as it engages the upper part more trapezoid and can compensate for the downward pull of rotators (diamond-shaped and levator).
Here’s a great exercise I “stole” in Boston from physiotherapist Eric Schoenberg, entitled “Raising the shoulder with a raised hand standing on one knee “, the result of which fully corresponds to the load:
Other exercises to keep in mind: shrugs with dumbbells or kettlebells or even rowing with pressed shoulder blades.
Do not worry about the heavy load when doing any of these exercises. Focus on quality of execution and let the trapeze work.
Rotator cuff weakness
Many coaches at one time or another introduce the so-called “shoulder recovery mode.” Others call it “prevention.” or “an exercise that you’re always going to do, but how usually skip at the end of the workout. “Yes, I do that too.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no need refine your work on the rotator cuff. I do not know where the belief came that if the cuff does not “smoke” from tension, exercise is useless.
Surprisingly, outdoor rotation is perhaps the easiest exercises for the rotator – at the same time one of the most effective.
In this case, the infraspinatus and the small round muscle are activated. Besides in addition, in a situation of slight abduction with a towel or a foam roller in the hand more emphasis is placed on the rotator cuff shoulders and smaller – on deltoid.
Despite the simplicity of the exercise, the main thing is the correctness of it. fulfillment.
Two main points:
- Do not use too much weight.
- Do not train the rotator cuff until fatigue.
Regarding the first point: you do not need to use large weight to effectively stimulate it. So if you think that maximally straining the rotator cuff, improve it condition, I hasten to reassure: it is ineffective, stop it do!
Instead, use light weight (2-7 kg) and place on the first place is the correct execution of the exercise without any compensatory movements (in particular, in the lower back). Watch the video below.
Regarding the second point, the famous physiotherapist Mike Reynold noted that rotator cuff training before fatigue increases the displacement up of the shoulder head.
In other words, when the rotator cuff is tired, the head the humerus is shifted towards the acromial process, increasing the likelihood of impeachment.
So all these 20-50 reps with dumbbells “for health” on don’t really do your shoulder any good.
It’s important to remember that working with the rotator cuff requires more patience than muscle strength. Lose weight, do exercises correctly technically and focus on quality repetitions, not quantity.
In addition, it is important to consider the actual role of the rotator cuff. shoulder. Many believe that its main function is external / internal rotation and bringing the shoulder. But any knowledgeable person will say that everything is a little more complicated.
The main function of the rotator cuff is to hold the head the humerus in the center of the articular fossa. Best for this rhythmic stabilizing exercises are suitable. Watch the video below.
Such exercises can be used during breaks and during recreation. For example, after the deadlift kneel down and ask partner slightly push your hand for 10-15 seconds.
You can do it yourself, but unpredictable the pattern is more effective.
Here are other options (see video below):
Limitation of mobility of the opposite leg
A lot of fitness professionals trying to seem smarter claim that shoulder pain stems from mobility problems opposite legs. And I can write that if big the finger bends badly, this is also the cause of pain in the shoulder.
Please keep experiments with your health to a minimum, Let more qualified professionals do this. If a your shoulder hurts, it’s more likely that the cause of the pain is next to the joint.
Total
In the end, I exposed only the tip of the iceberg. I do not mentioned other important factors like the wrong technique exercise, insufficient range of motion in the shoulder, limited mobility of the cervical spine or even the wrong pattern breathing.
All this together should be the starting point for those who suffers from shoulder pain.
You cannot avoid all the damage, but you should reduce it to minimize risk: remember your shoulders, think through programs workouts and listen to your body. You have a whole ahead a life.
Posted by Tony Gentilcore Personal Trainer, Writer and leading.