bullet proof shoulders

S

scientific muscle

New Member
I recently got back into benching after taking time off due to impingement problems in my right shoulder.
Steve Jones had this problem and did a bunch of rotator cuff work and his shoulders are much better now from what I hear. (I hope you hit 600 lb.s bench in your upcoming PL meet steve!
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) Anyway he heard of my problem with benching and recommended to do a rotator cuff program.

Quadancer sent me some cool info. that steve used and I am very happy. Basically this is what was going on in my shoulder:
the external rotator muscles are very small and don't get much exercise normally, they are the infraspinitus and teres minor. They extend from the humerus (upper arm bone) to the scapula (shoulder blade), you can feel them just underneath the rear deltoids extending from the arm to the shoulder blade. Of course they mainly function to rotate the arm backward, like when you pull a cord on a lawnmower to get it started, and end up with your hand up behind your shoulder, or the position you get into just before throwing a baseball, they are contracted.
Well, even more importantly the external rotators (along with other muscles)serve to stabilize the arm in the shoulder socket. Basically holding the arm bone in the proper place during activity. When the external rotators are weak and/or tight from disuse, one of the things that happens is impingement during the flat bench press. The rotators aren't able to stabilize the shoulder in these situtations and the arm bone slides around in ways it shouldn't causing a 'pinching' pain the shoulders.
I have been working my rotators only mildly in the past, but using the new info. from steve and quadancer I am now doing multiple exercises and sets for the external rotators and also stretching them.
Already I feel a big difference! My rotators are actually a little sore from the exercise and are slowly getting stronger and more flexible. I am already benching without pain and in general my shoulders aren't bothering me as much (except for the mild DOMS in my shoulders from working muscles that normally don't get used!)

I am now well on my way to BULLET PROOF SHOULDERS!
 
Glad to hear it is working for you. That is awesome. Hopefully your bench starts to skyrocket now.

I did that rotation exercise in the article steve posted and was able to easily use more than 10% of my bench. What else will strengthen the shoulders against injury? The only thing that has ever caused me shoulder problems was overhead pressing, but I've been clean and pressing for a while without any problems, so maybe they went away? Could be due to weak shoulders at the time or poor form, I guess.
Any ideas about that one?
 
Probably was Tot, if it went away. From the book, rotator problems get worse as you keep going, until you rehab them. Sounds like you have good shoulders, but it says that you benefit from rotator exersizes as prevention too. A torn rotator cuff and you're out of the game, right?

Hey Sci, did that 5 or 10 lb. weight surprise you? It sure did me, but the strength is coming along now, five workouts in. I'm on level 3.
 
Everyone will benefit from doing external rotator exercises. Whether it is for rehab, correcting an imbalance or preventing an imbalance from occurring, everyone will benefit.
 
I never meant to suggest that everyone will radically increase their bench press if they work on their cuffs.  If your rc's are healthy then doing the exercises probably won't add anything,  but if they need to be rehabilitated you might be able to add many lbs to your bench.  Like Bulldog said, everyone will benefit from doing rc work.  Once you understand how much larger and more powerful your internal rotators are than your external rotators, you will realize how important it is to work the externals to achieve good balance.  I think shoulder horns are an outstanding device to have in your gym.  They allow you to do standing L flyes, which is the most advanced RC exercise, with perfect form.
 
I worked only internal rotation movements, added some interval cardio 3x a week (I use a wheelchair roller trainer for cardio so it just compounded the problem ). Shortly after adding the cardio, my right shoulder started acting up...impingement started.

Recently read up on the subject Shoulder Savers I,II, and III on T-Nation and I agree with everyone....we need to work external rotation.

I stopped lifting and I am only doing rehab work... it's been 3 weeks and I feel a difference already.


Michael B.
 
I actually AM expecting my bench to skyrocket for two reasons:
1) My bench sucks, so there is huge room for improvement!
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2) I have never been able to push the loads benching due to impingement.

Now that I am straightening that all out, all I must do is spend plenty of time in the temple, lying on the altar, performing the required rituals and the bench gods will smile at me!
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Steve, I may yet build a shoulder horn as per your suggestion, but so far I can't even do that exersize, the pain is so bad.
Sci - I've been benching and doing the rotator exersizes; had to stop benching and switch to flyes for chest; I could feel the impingements worse each workout, so that isn't going to work.
I just thought maybe I could get away with it. Nope.
 
Is this some secret information you can only get via the black market, or is there a way for anyone to access it?
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ouch, quad! Your shoulders sound hurt. You might have an injury if you can't even do the shoulder-horn type movement. I have been benching already with zero pain, my shoulders are not that bad, I have been stretching and working my rotators for months now, just never as intensely as this week.

If you go to exrx.net-back muscles and scroll down to the box about "Infraspinitus and Teres Minor" you will see a list of exercises to strengthen these muscles and another list of exercises to stretch them. They also have other rotator cuff/shoulder muscles to read about of course.
 
I meant that exrx.net advice for Etothepii, not you quad, I know you have the book and that is the best info., but building your own rehab routine form exrx.net is just as good.
 
After that I do rear delt dumbell rows followed by 3 different external rotator exercises and then stretc

What external rotator exercises?

I'm having shoulder problems see....... Good news is I just benched 145kg on the Hammer Strength Machine, bad news is I dont think Ill bench for a while.....
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<div>
(scientific muscle @ Feb. 23 2007,10:31)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">If you go to exrx.net-back muscles and scroll down to the box about &quot;Infraspinitus and Teres Minor&quot; you will see a list of exercises to strengthen these muscles and another list of exercises to stretch them.  They also have other rotator cuff/shoulder muscles to read about of course.</div>
see my previous post:
 
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