Anterior deltoid pain while doing bench press

I know this thread is for pts to help each other with training clients but I need some help, Ok so this has been on for a while but I've been able to work past it till now. I get some tension in my left shoulder, it's a deep place under my ant delt sometimes I feel it moving around in the line between my mid and ant delt, I can sometimes reach it with my finger if I press on it, it starts wen I tense myself before lifting the bar, and as the reps go it goes from tension to pain. I'm a new personal trainer at my gym and one of the vet trainers (level 2 stretch to win cert) said I have some scar tissue there. Problem Is that I don't know how to break it down, or if it even is scar tissue. I explained to her that years ago I used to be over weight but still pumped out pushups with bad form, she said that it might be a cause for that pain. now that I do everything with good form it gets in the way, I also feel it when I do lateral raises, its a similar sensation like when the tendon In the top of you hand moves around, like a sliding sensation when my arm reaches my ear level. Has anyone encountered this problem? Anyone have any solutions to this? Anything would be greatly appreciated

[QUOTE=andres1233321;822951571]I know this thread is for pts to help each other with training clients but I need some help, Ok so this has been on for a while but I've been able to work past it till now. I get some tension in my left shoulder, it's a deep place under my ant delt sometimes I feel it moving around in the line between my mid and ant delt, I can sometimes reach it with my finger if I press on it, it starts wen I tense myself before lifting the bar, and as the reps go it goes from tension to pain. I'm a new personal trainer at my gym and one of the vet trainers (level 2 stretch to win cert) said I have some scar tissue there. Problem Is that I don't know how to break it down, or if it even is scar tissue. I explained to her that years ago I used to be over weight but still pumped out pushups with bad form, she said that it might be a cause for that pain. now that I do everything with good form it gets in the way, I also feel it when I do lateral raises, its a similar sensation like when the tendon In the top of you hand moves around, like a sliding sensation when my arm reaches my ear level. Has anyone encountered this problem? Anyone have any solutions to this? Anything would be greatly appreciated[/QUOTE]


Im not a personaly trainer (yet) but I am an LMT (licensed massage therapist) I work on injuries and the like alllllll day. It very well could be residual scar tissue, or possibly microtears that have thrown your SITS muscle group off (your shoulder girdle etc..)... Being that your shoulder is basically a free-floating joint that maintains its position based on the tension of muscles and tendons holding it in place, if one thing is out of wack then it is easy for it to get thrown off of equilibrium. That being said, the only way you will be able to know for sure is through diagnostic imaging techniques. I highly recommend getting it checked out and either mri'd or xray'd. Then you will know what you are working with (and if you pm me with your results I can help prescribe treatment to fix or improve it).. Until then its hard to say what to do, there are a lot of muscles in that area that it could be.

I wouldnt want to give you advice that could potentially hurt you, but for now until you DO get it checked out... Dont do anything that hurts or feels uncomfortable. Pain is a great way your body communicates with you to STOP doing some certain action.

Ice is your friend right now, def. get it checked and see what happens... keep in touch

Could be overuse injury, stay away from upper body weight lifting until it stops and see a physician just to be safe.

Sounds like a typical rotator cuff injury to me. Its pretty commonplace especially with bench pressing, number one thing I would have you do its back off the bench press for a few weeks and try an alternative exercise that doesnt cause the pain. I would also do regualr icing on the area at least twenty minutes everyday to get any swelling out. I highly doubt its scar tissue because you never really had an injury, possibly an impingement but sounds like rotator. There are a million rotator rehad exercise you can find on youtube, I would suggest looking them up and implimenting them.

it sounds like it might be a rotator cuff problem. lay off bench presses for now and rest / ice for a few days. then try some external / internal rotations if the pain isnt too bad. If you search "rotator cuff exercises" you'll find several others that might help. Still, to be sure, its good to get checked out by a doctor because I could be wrong.

take a 7-day break from any chest or shoulder workouts; watch Dorian Yates' videos on this site, particularly his chest video - he shows how to warm up the rotator cuff prior to lifting chest. As you'll hear him state, even DY himself didn't know it was important, and wishes he had known in advance of his prime lifting days.

Insure that while performing a chest workout, you pull you shoulder back against the board behind you and "tuck" shoulders behind your pecs.

I would recommend restarting your chest training with 70-80% of what you currently lift, focusing on *dumbbell* training versus chest training on barbells. With the dumbbells in hand, one is able to "arc" their dumbells/arms out wider as the lift progresses, and channel more energy through the pecs themselves while the deltoids are slightly but sign. less active.

(1) during about a week of rest (use this time to focus on abs, cardio and lower body), stretch all of your deltoids, anterior, lateral and posterior by holding a very light dumbell (5-15 lbs) or cable apparatus set at about 30 x units, in hand, and slowly progress through the front, side and rear dumbbell-raise motions, counting about 5-7 full seconds per eccentric and concentric motion. (2) focus entirely on *decline* dumb bell and barbell bench for the next 2-3 workouts; decline angles impact the deltoids far less than the other angles of chest exercises.

and don't forget a deep-tissue massage - explain your injury to the therapist - they'll take care of you. Even if you can only afford 20 mins or so, this is important. It should hurt, and it probably will!

[QUOTE=scottsdalesun13;823413001]take a 7-day break from any chest or shoulder workouts; watch Dorian Yates' videos on this site, particularly his chest video - he shows how to warm up the rotator cuff prior to lifting chest. As you'll hear him state, even DY himself didn't know it was important, and wishes he had known in advance of his prime lifting days.

Insure that while performing a chest workout, you pull you shoulder back against the board behind you and "tuck" shoulders behind your pecs.

I would recommend restarting your chest training with 70-80% of what you currently lift, focusing on *dumbbell* training versus chest training on barbells. With the dumbbells in hand, one is able to "arc" their dumbells/arms out wider as the lift progresses, and channel more energy through the pecs themselves while the deltoids are slightly but sign. less active.

(1) during about a week of rest (use this time to focus on abs, cardio and lower body), stretch all of your deltoids, anterior, lateral and posterior by holding a very light dumbell (5-15 lbs) or cable apparatus set at about 30 x units, in hand, and slowly progress through the front, side and rear dumbbell-raise motions, counting about 5-7 full seconds per eccentric and concentric motion. (2) focus entirely on *decline* dumb bell and barbell bench for the next 2-3 workouts; decline angles impact the deltoids far less than the other angles of chest exercises.[/QUOTE]

Thing is I've tried a lot of things, I've had 2 weeks rest, dumbells, incline dumbells. And the thing is I feel it more on my shoulder when I do it with dumbells, I also do all sorts of rotator cuff rehab exercises (int &next rot) and still. If ipthe problem were weak rotators I would have fixed them by now, declines, all that! I unno. I haven't tried stretching, maybe it's that.

The bench is an exercise that commonly causes shoulder pain if done incorrectly. You should be retracting your shoulder blades throughout the whole movement to allow the shoulder joint a greater ROM. When the pain has gone, get taught proper technique, or try DB presses to allow a greater ROM. Also, make sure you are actively using your lats to pull the bar into your chest, rather than just using gravity.

As for the pain, I can't say much as I am not qualified - but in my own experience things that have helped me reduce pain are:

Turkish Get Ups (HKC qualified, so I know how to do these correctly)
Scarecrows
Face pulls to improve rhomboids
Shoulder dislocations
Wall retractions

[QUOTE=scottsdalesun13;823416681]and don't forget a deep-tissue massage - explain your injury to the therapist - they'll take care of you. Even if you can only afford 20 mins or so, this is important. It should hurt, and it probably will![/QUOTE]

I wouldnt advocate DT massage just yet (I am an LMT)... For now I second you on the ice and light rehab exercises. Once the pain subsides then massage will be good but not until then. Id give it at least a week or two before massage. I know I have the capacity to hurt people even more if its something more serious. I still think an imaging diagnostic would be a safe bet juuuust to be sure. Never want it to be something that just sits in the background til you REALLY throw it out of whack. I treat people every day who have had these types of things happen and go untreated/diagnosed and have it come back to kick them in the ass later on :)

[QUOTE=andres1233321;822951571]I know this thread is for pts to help each other with training clients but I need some help, Ok so this has been on for a while but I've been able to work past it till now. I get some tension in my left shoulder, it's a deep place under my ant delt sometimes I feel it moving around in the line between my mid and ant delt, I can sometimes reach it with my finger if I press on it, it starts wen I tense myself before lifting the bar, and as the reps go it goes from tension to pain. I'm a new personal trainer at my gym and one of the vet trainers (level 2 stretch to win cert) said I have some scar tissue there. Problem Is that I don't know how to break it down, or if it even is scar tissue. I explained to her that years ago I used to be over weight but still pumped out pushups with bad form, she said that it might be a cause for that pain. now that I do everything with good form it gets in the way, I also feel it when I do lateral raises, its a similar sensation like when the tendon In the top of you hand moves around, like a sliding sensation when my arm reaches my ear level. Has anyone encountered this problem? Anyone have any solutions to this? Anything would be greatly appreciated[/QUOTE]

Did you ever figure out what was wrong and how to fix it? I have a similar problem and haven't had any luck figuring out what to do yet!

[QUOTE=skittlzboi;1145525323]Did you ever figure out what was wrong and how to fix it? I have a similar problem and haven't had any luck figuring out what to do yet![/QUOTE]

I too would like to know if the OP ever resolved the issue. I've been dealing with this exact type of pain (and failed attempts to solve the problem) for over a decade. It's hindered me from getting back to where I'd like to be with weight training as everytime I pick the weights back up, the shoulder pain resurfaces. Any follow-up would be appreciated!

In almost all cases, you'll need to rest the area. Give it a chance to heal.

That could very well be impingement or a bunch of things but the most common thing is impingement in the shoulder. If that is the case cuban presses and external rotation will go a long way.

It's a common injury for heavy lifters.