Shoulder pain from squats/bench?

[rednaxula]

Alright I was doing fine with my training until about 3-4 weeks ago when I started getting shoulder pain when I was squatting and benching. The pain was mild, but then got to the point where I took off 10 days to let it heal. I went back for one workout but then had some wrist pain, so I took another week off.
This is my second workout since I rested, and although the wrist pain is virtually gone, when I went to squat today the shoulder pain got really bad when I reached my heavy sets and I kept feeling this burning/throbbing pain throughout the rest of the workout. It calmed down a bit as I reduced my weights on all my other exercises, but I can still feel it now.

I thought the pain was a combination of flaring my elbows out too much on the bench, and having the bar too low on my back on the squat, as well as pointing my elbows too high. I tried fixing all of these things, but the pains back as worse as ever today. Is it possible I tried to lift too heavy again after taking time off?

How can I recover from the pain? Last time I iced it and stretched several times a day, and used some anti inflammatory cream but it didn't seem to work so I'm lost.

[Garage Rat]

Change your squat to front squats cross arm style or safety squat bar squats if you have one available to use.
These are a lot more shoulder friendly.
Many powerlifters have shoulder issues from heavy squats.
Between that and bench pressing your shoulders take a pounding.
Maybe board presses or floor presses instead of regular BP.
Change things up for awhile and see if that helps.
This type of pain is your body trying to tell you this aint right.
Be smart have an open mind and listen to your body.

[cuckfonformity]

If bar placement isn't too low (squat) and elbows are tucked (bench), the next thing I would check is scapular retraction and upper back tightness.

Also, wrist pain generally means you'd be doing something seriously wrong in either of these. Make sure the wrist is straight and not bent completely backwards in the bench press, and do a thumbless grip when back squatting and do not support the weight with your hands whatsoever. Your hands hold the bar down in place, not hold it up.

[rednaxula]

If bar placement isn't too low (squat) and elbows are tucked (bench), the next thing I would check is scapular retraction and upper back tightness.

Also, wrist pain generally means you'd be doing something seriously wrong in either of these. Make sure the wrist is straight and not bent completely backwards in the bench press, and do a thumbless grip when back squatting and do not support the weight with your hands whatsoever. Your hands hold the bar down in place, not hold it up.

Ah ****, I've been focusing so much on bench form as well as squat that earlier I gripped the **** out of the bar so I think that may have been a big factor in jacking it up.

Can scapular retraction affect shoulders on the bench? I was forgetting to do it most of the time before the injury, so I have a feeling that contributed as well.

I'm thinking of taking a week off to try and heal it, then starting back with much, much lower weights to try and sort out my form and move on from there. Would it help to add some more exercises to the shoulders to try and strengthen the left one?

[cuckfonformity]

Ah ****, I've been focusing so much on bench form as well as squat that earlier I gripped the **** out of the bar so I think that may have been a big factor in jacking it up.

Can scapular retraction affect shoulders on the bench? I was forgetting to do it most of the time before the injury, so I have a feeling that contributed as well.

I'm thinking of taking a week off to try and heal it, then starting back with much, much lower weights to try and sort out my form and move on from there. Would it help to add some more exercises to the shoulders to try and strengthen the left one?

Yes, letting your shoulders come out of their sockets on a bench is detrimental to shoulder health.

You could do face pulls and overhead pressing if you're not already to strengthen the whole shoulder, but otherwise, I'd probably just continue as you have planned and take time off from things that aggravate it and work your way up when it subsides. If it still hurts after a week or so, I'd consult a physician.

[Rasputin4]

I agree with other posters about fixing your bench form (definitely do not flare elbows and keep your scapulae retracted) and switch to front squats and other stuff (such as deads, lunges, hacks) to hit those legs.

I'd add to incorporate some external rotations to make sure your external rotators are strong enough to support your shoulders through the internally rotated position of the bench press and make sure you're doing enough mid/upper back work that your lats/traps/rhomboids/teres major as proportionally strong to your pecs and anterior delts.