Shoulder issue

[steel1970]

This thread is really more for opinions than advice. I've been reading alot lately on different ways to fill out my chest. Have thrown in some new exercises, changed things up a bit training wise, and so far have been happy with my training. I've seen alot and also have read alot about not going beyond 90 degrees while benching, as it puts more stress on the shoulder. I've always scoffed at this, until now.

I was doing decline barbell on Sunday, as I put this movement in my rotation, as I've never really done it consistently. I figure I'm gonna do things I really haven't done before to force my chest to grow.....well, had some decent weight on the bar, going all the way down touching the chest, and a few hours later I could hardly lift my arm without pain. I have a pain in my front delt, it feels like right at the point where the muscle separates and joins at the bone at the top....it's been painful, but getting slightly better.

Now, I laid down on my bench yesterday and performed the movement with no weights, went down past 90 degrees to mimic touching the bar to my chest, and had alot of pain. Then I went to parallel, or 90 degrees, however you wanna label it, and had no pain at all. I've always emphasized the stretch at the bottom. My arms are very long as well, so you can imagine my stretch may be more intense than others. I'm thinking that I may be doing myself more harm than good by training this way.....

I've decided to do what so many other people do that I've ridiculed over the years, and I'm gonna shorten my ROM.....I certainly don't need an injury at my age, and I don't think that changing this is gonna limit me growth wise.....


Anyone else stop short of a deep stretch and if so, for what reasons?

[RageBlanket]

I did, then I started hammering the band work that EliteFTS recommends for shoulder health and that freed me up to go back to full ROM. I have to prepare longer and in a different fashion, but am still back to full ROM in chest exercises.

[steel1970]

I did, then I started hammering the band work that EliteFTS recommends for shoulder health and that freed me up to go back to full ROM. I have to prepare longer and in a different fashion, but am still back to full ROM in chest exercises.

You have a link to that article?

[RageBlanket]

Yessir!

http://articles.elitefts.com/trainin...eds-formatted/

[smookey]

In a Phil Hernon thread on PM he stated he stops short of bringing down to the chest to save the shoulders and keep constant tension on the chest. I have had long term shoulder problems but since doing this they feel considerably better.

[mentalflex]

Steel, can you still stretch? Like the extreme stretch for chest? If so, you can still get essentially the same stretch by doing this after training chest.

I think some valid options might be to include some things like pulsing statics or partials at the end of a set to go beyond concentric failure you would normall have with full reps and increase the TUT.

You may also be able to do some compond supersets Incline bench/decline flys, machine press/incline flys, DB Press/Pec Deck....etc.

I would think that as long as you find a method to safely stimulate and fatigue the muscle to the maximum extent practical, then you would not lose anything in terms of development. There are plenty of big BBers who use partial ROM, so it is just a matter of finding what works and implementing it properly.

[steel1970]

In a Phil Hernon thread on PM he stated he stops short of bringing down to the chest to save the shoulders and keep constant tension on the chest. I have had long term shoulder problems but since doing this they feel considerably better.

Read that as well.....thank you!

Yessir!

http://articles.elitefts.com/trainin...eds-formatted/

Thanks brotha!

Steel, can you still stretch? Like the extreme stretch for chest? If so, you can still get essentially the same stretch by doing this after training chest.

I think some valid options might be to include some things like pulsing statics or partials at the end of a set to go beyond concentric failure you would normall have with full reps and increase the TUT.

You may also be able to do some compond supersets Incline bench/decline flys, machine press/incline flys, DB Press/Pec Deck....etc.

I would think that as long as you find a method to safely stimulate and fatigue the muscle to the maximum extent practical, then you would not lose anything in terms of development. There are plenty of big BBers who use partial ROM, so it is just a matter of finding what works and implementing it properly.

Lol, well right now I'm not sure if I could do an extreme stretch. I'm in too much pain, but maybe next week I can. The training that I'm doing right now institutes a variety of weights, rep ranges, and intensity techniques. It absolutely will help with supersets and drops and such. I think I can focus on keeping the shoulder injury free and then line you said, do an extreme stretch.

And yeah, tons of guys use partial movements, you're right. I'm loving my training right now, I think I just got a bit over zealous.....I'm gonna shorten my ROM and stretch and see if that's better.....thanks!

[TheJosh]

I'm with Smooky. Over the past ten years, I've had seven shoulder operations. Needless to say my ROM is limited and shoulder pain when pressing is an old hat. Decline bench has always seemed to put less stress on my shoulders, but I don't bring the bar all the way to my chest at heavier weight. One of my Ortho's suggested that this press may be less stressful on the shoulders because you tend to keep your elbows closer to your ribs...? He didn't seem like a weight lifter, but hey; he's doc.

Dante's shoulder problem thread helped alot, too. I incorporate that, as well as several physical therepyish rotator cuff warm ups before any uppper body work.

[steel1970]

Yessir!

http://articles.elitefts.com/trainin...eds-formatted/

Just watched that and believe it or not, I did the movements with no bands and it seemed like they helped...lol. What kind of band do you get for that, do you know?

[RageBlanket]

I use the resistance tubing (the type that will accept handles on the end), and wrap them around my hands to change length/tension or double em up if necessary.

[jrf0104]

There is always this from DC

http://www.intensemuscle.com/showthread.php?t=6997

[SkinnyMike42]

I say do low volume, moderate weight with pressing and make your high volume isolation movements like flies and laterals.

[xr race]

[YOUTUBE]aL3pBWLqHN0[/YOUTUBE]

I found these very effective for myself when I had shoulder problems. Just sayin.


As far as my opinion on this goes I feel as if their's a sweet spot which may be at the chest, or above the chest a couple inches or even below the chest. If your not powerlifting and do have a general idea of what your trying to accomplish I don't see why you would want to be an anal form nazi about bench depth as long as your not doing 1/8 reps or some silly shit. Personally on incline BB I go about 2-3 inches above my chest and hit a "sweet spot".

[Big R]

Christ, I've tried to type out a reply about 3 times, about 5 small-medium, quality, paragraphs'-worth of a reply, and the board is giving me an error.

So, I'll give you a video instead to watch and reflect on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnwA...ature=youtu.be

[steel1970]

Christ, I've tried to type out a reply about 3 times, about 5 small-medium, quality, paragraphs'-worth of a reply, and the board is giving me an error.

So, I'll give you a video instead to watch and reflect on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnwA...ature=youtu.be

Lol....I'm really not sure what that has to do with me having a shoulder issue. He's talking about proper setup and form for a powerlifting bench, and I said I tweaked something in my shoulder doing declines....

Thanks for the link though, he's certainly always entertaining.....