Bloody Injured Again

[Smitch]

Don't know what i've done but have managed to pick up another shoulder injury, this seems to happen pretty much every 12 months.

It started to niggle the other morning and was a bit uncomfortable after my shoulder and tri's workout on wednesday but today i went to the gym and just to test it put 40kg's worth of plates on the smith as a warm up and banged out 10 reps and thougt it wasn't right so left it rather risk further injury.

Anyone else feel that once they're really starting to get somewhere, and i have lately, they sometimes just seem to go backwards?

 

[Con]

Perhaps changing your training form is the way to go....

I assume you lift like the average person with a fairly quick up and down motion.
Try taking AT LEAST 3 seconds to lower the weight and then after a brief pause slowly push the weight back up while contracting the muscles fully this should take about 2 seconds. Repeat using this form for 8-10 reps and even though you will have used less weight you will make muscular gains and stay injury free. The only thing holding you back is your ego as you will have to go lighter.

 

[1russ100]

i know exactly how you feel.

i once read an article by Tom Prince who after injury and retiring with other complications wishes he had trained 1 week out of every month with lighter high repetitions to give the joints ligaments etc a good rest. its just hard to do when your on a roll

 

[Smitch]

Yep, you just want to keep adding the weight on the bar.

Think i'm gonna give it a weeks rest then head back down the gym next weekend and see how it goes.

I have been training heavy recently with lower reps, and getting results, but maybe going down the lighter weight route is the way forward to avoid injury in the future. This is the second time i've hurt this shoulder now....

 

[futox1c]

'just to test it put 40kg's worth of plates on the smith as a warm up and banged out 10 reps'
how is that a warm up? No stretching? With a niggle i would of done alot of stretching and some very controlled high rep sets to really warm up my shoulders and joints.

 

[Greyphantom]

just to add maybe a few prehab exercises to help the joints get stronger...

 

[Dig]

Perhaps changing your training form is the way to go....

I assume you lift like the average person with a fairly quick up and down motion.
Try taking AT LEAST 3 seconds to lower the weight and then after a brief pause slowly push the weight back up while contracting the muscles fully this should take about 2 seconds. Repeat using this form for 8-10 reps and even though you will have used less weight you will make muscular gains and stay injury free. The only thing holding you back is your ego as you will have to go lighter.

I can understand the slower neg phase but why is it beneficial to slow the conc phase down, is the reasoning just down to the increased TUT??

 

[paddyisawoman]

according to my physio a lot of the shoulder problems seen in gym goers is due to an imbalance in the three heads of the shoulders. Most guys, myself included have front delts developed way more than their rear and side delts leading to imbalances in shoulder posture. I've been having shoulder issues for a while now and have found bicep tendonitis to be the cause. Get a physio to have a look mate its the best decision ive made in a long time

 

[Prodiver]

...Most guys, myself included have front delts developed way more than their rear and side delts...

This is because most guys do 2-arm lateral raises which aren't lateral raises at all - they're halfway between fornt and lateral raises - and heave and throw much too heavy weights.

They might look hench, but they're not very effective and cause injury.

Strict, slow true single arm laterals are the way to go, holding onto a firm upright at shoulder height with the other outstretched hand.

 

[Alex]

according to my physio a lot of the shoulder problems seen in gym goers is due to an imbalance in the three heads of the shoulders. Most guys, myself included have front delts developed way more than their rear and side delts leading to imbalances in shoulder posture. I've been having shoulder issues for a while now and have found bicep tendonitis to be the cause. Get a physio to have a look mate its the best decision ive made in a long time

Completely agree.

I suffered from shoulder niggles for a long time, general pains and aches, and laying in certain positions hurt it. Did some reading up and basically found out information on shoulder imbalances.

You could physically see on my shoulders where the front was a lot more developed, too much work on my front delt on not enough on rear and side.
Anyway from switching up my training and more emphasis on side and rear my shoulders are no end better for it. Only front delt work i do is from chest pressing exercises, and shoulder pressing (which i do behind neck now to work the front less)

Rotator cuff exercises can also be good to do to help stabilise the shoulder joint better.

 

[Con]

@Dig: In his case purely to make sure he doesn't continue hurting his shoulder.

 

[TommyT]

i had a crap shoulder most of last year.....got a bad infection after pinning the left delt.....and had major shooting pains every time i lifted, so i did single db presses with a really low weight on the left side.....took a while but slowly gained the strength back.....still not 100% but much better

 

[Smitch]

'just to test it put 40kg's worth of plates on the smith as a warm up and banged out 10 reps'
how is that a warm up? No stretching? With a niggle i would of done alot of stretching and some very controlled high rep sets to really warm up my shoulders and joints.

I always do stretches before my weights. And 40 kgs on the bar is a warm up set on bench, i work up to 135kg.

If the bar plus 40kg hurts then i'm not risking any more!