I recently have been having problems with my left shoulder and it has been extremely slowing me down on chest days. It makes benching very difficult and flys hard too. It is not pain, but it feels as if my shoulder is just going to collapse leaving the weight to fall onto my neck. I never had an extremely strong chest and benching was always a little bit of a weak point for me, possibly because I am 6'3'' with even longer arms that than, but I was able to put 185 up 10 times. Now I don't go past 135 because of fear that my shoulder will give out and the weight will fall on me and consequently kill me lol. Doing 135 all the time is no challenge for my chest, but is extremely difficult on my shoulder, so I end up not getting anything done with my chest by the time my body is telling me not to go further. Does anyone have any ideas on alternative chest exercises that could be less stressful?
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06-11-2010, 08:02 PM #1
Bad Shoulder = Bad Chest Workouts
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06-11-2010, 08:08 PM #2
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06-11-2010, 08:09 PM #3
- Join Date: Mar 2010
- Location: Miami, Florida, United States
- Age: 35
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If it is a weakness your feeling, try working your shoulders (particularly front delts). If it is pain, get it checked out. Shoulders, and particularly front delts, do have an impact on benching/press exercises.
Do not pray for an easier life, instead pray to be a stronger man
I do not want to become stronger, faster, or better. I want to become the strongest, the fastest, and the best.
Someone once told me not to bite off more than I could chew. I said I would rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity.
B.S. Biology Class of 2011
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06-11-2010, 08:15 PM #4
Can you post a video, and or further describe the pain or sensation and where specifically its coming from?
My guess is that you're benching with your shoulder blades spread, which is requiring the connective tissue and muscle of the shoulder itself to bear more weight than necessary. This is often noted when people tend to think of the bench press as an exercise where they lift a weight as high as possible, instead of thinking of it as lifting it to the highest point necessary. Begin your bench press with shoulder blades fully pinched together and chest out. Roll your shoulder joint so that you are essentially in the bodybuilding "front relaxed pose". (Lats are virtually flexed in this position.)
Your body should maintain this position the full time you are benching. The only movement should be the arms. If your shoulder(s) comes off the bench, you're doing it wrong.
Optionally: Switching to DBs will allow your body to work it's own more natural ROM and arc of movement. I'd suggest avoiding pressing on a smith machine. Actually, just avoid the smith machineThe greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance- it is the illusion of knowledge.
Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God. ~R.C. Sproul
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06-11-2010, 08:17 PM #5
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06-11-2010, 08:20 PM #6
i mean im a pitcher so i unfortunately know all about various shoulder injuries and weaknesses, but this is just it feels like my shoulder is not being held in the socket tightly enough. i am lead to believe that it is something having to do with rear delt though, becuase my left triceps is also unable to do the amount of weight that it used to and the triceps and rear delt originate in the same general area on the scap. something has to be wrong, or loose, or stretched out over there.
One exercise that i do that does not affect my shoulder at all is bent over cable crossovers with my chest facing the ground. i wish i could figure out why that is, or more exercises in that position
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06-11-2010, 08:45 PM #7
- Join Date: Mar 2010
- Location: Miami, Florida, United States
- Age: 35
- Posts: 3,909
- Rep Power: 1938
Do not pray for an easier life, instead pray to be a stronger man
I do not want to become stronger, faster, or better. I want to become the strongest, the fastest, and the best.
Someone once told me not to bite off more than I could chew. I said I would rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity.
B.S. Biology Class of 2011
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06-11-2010, 08:47 PM #8
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06-11-2010, 09:27 PM #9
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06-11-2010, 09:30 PM #10
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06-11-2010, 09:32 PM #11
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