Building chest with bad shoulder

[movesteel]

Have reoccurring rotator l cuff/labrum issues don’t do bench anymore. Do seated jammer pushups and dips.

Any advice?

[xTeTe]

Have reoccurring rotator l cuff/labrum issues don’t do bench anymore. Do seated jammer pushups and dips.

Any advice?

How does the shoulder feel doing dumbbell presses and chest presses?

[movesteel]

How does the shoulder feel doing dumbbell presses and chest presses?

Puts too much pressure on it even at lower weight. Doing more rotator cuff exercises and will try again in a few months but not optimistic about it.

[xTeTe]

Puts too much pressure on it even at lower weight. Doing more rotator cuff exercises and will try again in a few months but not optimistic about it.

Gotcha. I mean, the only thing otherwise that I can think of are seated chest flys. That might be easier, if you have access to a machine.

[movesteel]

Gotcha. I mean, the only thing otherwise that I can think of are seated chest flys. That might be easier, if you have access to a machine.

Can pushups ever really give you size or definition long term

[xTeTe]

Can pushups ever really give you size or definition long term

Long term? I don't think so. If you're a beginner body weight stuff is okay, but after a while it'll be junk reps. They'll probably help you maintain a bit though if you can't do anything heavy.

You could try weighted dips and pushups... But not sure how your shoulder will react.

Have you seen a doctor yet? Hopefully you don't have a tear.

[PhDPepper1111]

BW stuff alone won't work, but I think I posted elsewhere a youtube on bodybuilding and inmates who use very creative ways to get jacked - might want to google it and check it out as they use a tone of isometrics and creative BW stuff.

[ManwittaPlan]

OP I have the exact same problem....if I lay down on the floor with my elbows bent at 90 degrees palms facing up, my left hand is about 5 inches of the floor vs right being flat on the ground.

For chest I do single arm cable crossovers but in a fashion where it mimics a dip that crosses over in front of the body: think of your fist starting in a dip position and punching down towards the opposite side hip. I do this and squeeze as best as I can at the bottom. Then I go to a dipping machine and try to concentrate on as perfect technique as possible focusing on the chest.

I haven’t had an mri just a trip to a PT that suggested a few stretches. She said it feels like I had a dislocation at some point (I’ve been doing bjj for years).

There is some hope, look up “hanging for shoulder health”. I haven’t followed the routine long enough but it may be a good option.

[Lifts4longevity]

First I'd suggest seeing your doctor and getting any needed imaging or PT to help figure out what the specific issue is and help remedy it. After that, I'd look into getting Mark Bell's Slingshot. My father is nearing 70 and has both rotator cuffs worn out, so to keep him lifting, I bought him a slingshot as a gift.

He has been using it for about 4 years now and no longer has shoulder pain while benching. He loves it and uses it religiously twice a week. Granted he is no longer benching the 300+lbs he pushed decades ago, and he deals with far more health and joint issues than just his shoulders, but light benching is better than no benching at all. They work for pushups, bar dips, and even warming up your lats if you pull your elbows back all the way and hold the stretch.

When I purchased my first Slingshot from Mark Bell, I found their sizing to be off quite a bit for me (I have long arms and torso). If your torso is large (girth) or extra long, there's a good chance you'll need one or even 2 sizes bigger than their sizing chart recommends. Mark Bell has several videos showing how to use and select the correct slingshot. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DD5OMcMLv4&t=146s

Most importantly, don't ignore PT stretches or warming up (as my father does!!! <SIGH>). It's not a form of yoga, it's not "quackery", and it WILL help greatly if you take the time to do it correctly. The physical therapist I had for the worn disc in my neck taught me a ton about pain management and stretching daily, plus I picked his brain about (unrelated) joint and hand issues I was having too. PT's can be awesome!

BTW, I use bands for doing cable crossovers at the end of my chest workouts (I train at home w/o a dedicated cable machine), and you can get a very good pump from even using bands. ManwittaPlan has the right idea suggesting that you go from the top down with your motion when doing your crossovers.