rotator cuff?

xarfox

New Member
my shoulder got sore about half way through my benching yesterday

i noticed it was when i am "lifting off" because i have to reach behind my head and push up using more shoulder muscle

once i get the bar over my chest, my shoulder is fine

does anyone else get this? should i exercise my rotator cuff?

i had to use a spotter to lift off for the last set
 
It is my firm belief that everyone should work their external rotators all the time. Almost everyone who doesn't work them regularily will develop an imbalance that will eventually cause problems.

If you have had problems in the past then you absolutely have to work the external rotators on a regular basis or you are asking for trouble. My left shoulder has been a problem for me for many years. I can tell a huge difference when If I forget to do my rotator exercises.

My 2 cents
 
Could you share some of the exercises you're referring to?

I used to do rotator cuff exercises but that was years ago.

I also believe the rotator cuff, for some at least, should get some attention at least occasionally. I'm finding out I'm one of those "some".
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(xarfox @ Oct. 10 2006,12:53)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">my shoulder got sore about half way through my benching yesterday

i noticed it was when i am &quot;lifting off&quot; because i have to reach behind my head and push up using more shoulder muscle

once i get the bar over my chest, my shoulder is fine

does anyone else get this? should i exercise my rotator cuff?

i had to use a spotter to lift off for the last set</div>
I recommend this article too---

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459454

As the author suggested, I completely gave any kind of benching for 8 weeks while I worked on my rotator cuffs. My incline bench went up by 9% during that time.
 
this is great info thanks guys

is there a similar muscle that impedes squatting strength?

the one article said that there are more parts of the body that are likely to stymie certain exercises, and that there are exercises for them
 
Good articles, I will start exercising my rotation cuffs, my shoulder (right one mainly) has always had a little twinging in pressing movements.
 
my right cuff aches a little too. mostly during wide grip chins rather than bench though. not enough to keep me doing the exercise, but it does ache a bit afterward and i could definately understand that isolating the cuff would equally benefit any upper compound strength capacity--please elaborate exercises or provide more info this is probably a great idea
 
Thanks a bunch for the link bulldog that is a good read so far.
 
I hurt my shoulder recently somehow. It hurts most during the military press. The day after training it hurts to lift my arm above horizontal when extened sideways away from my body.

Would this be related to the rotator cuff?

I will start training the cuff after it stops hurting.
 
i would say the worst exercise for rotator cuff problems IMO is flat-bench..i also think its the most overated chest exercise
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Unfortunately I would say that it most likely is a RC injury or that the external rotators are too weak and are causing impingement. Be sure you let it rest for a week or two. Then I would do a week or two of EXTERNAL rotator exercises before you get back into your normal routine. That’s probably not what you want to hear but that would be my recommendation based on my past experience.
 
Damn it. So the Single-Arm External Rotations should be the go? Oh, well I can call it SD. (even though I am half way through the 5's)
 
Well, that is what I would do.  But if you don't want to be quite so conservative (and risk further injury) you could just stop doing the over head presses and see if the pain goes away and start doing the external rotator exercises at the end of each workout (assuming you are working out 3 times per week).  I would also be sure you ice your shoulder for about 20 min. when you get done with your workout.

I would also wait for some more responses.  Maybe someone else will have a better suggestion.
 
I'm going to stop for at least a few days and the get back to it with lighter bench and no press (since it hurts most when I do the MP). See how it goes. Then add the RC exercises.

The single-Arm External Rotations train the muscle in the opposite direction to when you arm wrestle right. Is there an exercise that trains the RC in the other direction? Would this be called &quot;internal&quot; instead of &quot;external&quot;. Did that even make sense
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Do flyes do this?

Edit. This is a good read an explains a lot.
 
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(DennisRB @ Oct. 11 2006,07:38)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I hurt my shoulder recently somehow.    It hurts most during the military press.    The day after training it hurts to lift my arm above horizontal when extened sideways away from my body.

Would this be related to the rotator cuff?  

I will start training the cuff after it stops hurting.</div>
When you do the military press, are you bringing the barbell all the way down to your clavicle before you press it back up ?
 
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(DennisRB @ Oct. 12 2006,02:50)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Is there an exercise that trains the RC in the other direction?   Would this be called &quot;internal&quot; instead of &quot;external&quot;.</div>
Pretty much any pressing movement works the internal rotators.  So typically most people don't need to do specific exercises for their internal rotators....they are usually much stronger than the external rotators simply because of the work they get from all the pressing movements.  Which is why specifically working the external rotators is so important for most people.

I have a great book that discusses nothing but the RC's function, potential problems and how to properly strengthen it.  But I can't remember the name right off hand.  I'll have to dig it out and see what it was called.

By the way, I would recommend switching to DB military press if you are planning on continuing to do military presses in the future. And whatever you do, do not do military press with a bar or pulldowns/pullups behind the neck. For most people those two movements will end up causing problems at some point.
 
So everyone seems to be of the opinion that a big culprit for shoulder problems generally is weak external rotators, especially if you bench and press more than you row and pull.

The t-nation article seems to be a good one.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">By the way, I would recommend switching to DB military press if you are planning on continuing to do military presses in the future. And whatever you do, do not do military press with a bar or pulldowns/pullups behind the neck. For most people those two movements will end up causing problems at some point. </div>

I alternate between BBMP and DBMP. Should I drop the alternation and stick with DBMP only? Why is DBMP better than BBMP?
 
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