Shoulder problem
By the start of December I had some pain in my shoulder during the bench press movement. I neglected it a bit and tried to push myself to bench some substantial weight (again). Training with two young powerlifters motivated me to keep up with them.
Then, two weeks ago, I had to stop doing exercises for my upper body completely. The shoulder and especially the rotator cuff are hampering my bench press. If you're over 50, as I am, you'll be more prone to tendon problems.
You'll can find the (right) rotator cuff if you reach over you shoulder with your (left) hand and touch the back of your shoulder. It is composed of tendons and muscles
that hold the head of the humerus (ball) in the socket. In most cases, as in mine, the cause is an inflammation.
You can not reach full motion of your arm, it makes some cracking noises and it hurts when you bench press, and after a while every movement hurts. You know you have to stretch, you know you have to warm up, you eat balanced meals to provide your body with enough minerals and vitamins ( I even take some Glucosamine tablets) and despite all these efforts, you'll end up with a shoulder injury! So I had to make a plan to heal my shoulder for the new season 2012.
So I didn't train for a week my upper body at all, so the shoulder got maximum rest. I bought some Tantum ointment (extra hot) and applied it serveral times a day. Of cause it's not feeling better after this week because my shoulder did hardly move for a week. So now I do some stretching with a chest machine, 6 sets of 50 reps with 25 kilogram to activate the blood flow, after that the shoulder feels much better. But this week rest is crucial in the healing process.
I still use the Tantum and keep my shoulder warm, I stretch and do light high volume reps with the machine. I'll change my way of bench pressing in the future, try placing my elbows 45 degrees from my body, which will decrease the pressure placed on my shoulder capsule and its surrounding muscles.
After one week I'll strengthen the muscles in the back of the shoulder and around the shoulder blade with some light dumbell work. It should, theoretically, prevent injuries like these. But you'll have to face it, once in a while you get some injuries, it's almost impossible to avoid them because you push yourself to improve your lifts.
In the meantime my bench press is laid off for some time. I do some one-arm bench press movements with another Panatta machine to stimulate the pectoralis muscle on the left side and therefore building up some tonus on the right pectoralis muscle without stressing my right shoulder. No training for the back is done either to heal the shoulder.
By strechting, doing some high volume reps with the chest machine and ointment I hope my rotator cuff problem will be gone by the end of January 2012.
For throwing the WFD I need a full motion of range for my right arm. Doing Weight for Height I had to give up throwing with my right arm a long time ago. I have to practice more on the throwing movement to get some coordination to throw the weight over the bar.
Right now my shoulder is stable again. Also some good tips from top athletes about complete rotation for the shoulder joint helped to heal the shoulder problem. I'm bench pressing again and WFD is coming back. Most important with the bench press, I altered my grip. I do it now the powerlift way. I don't have the tremendous pressure in my shoulder doing it this way. And one big advantage: after laying off for some time, the body becomes some rest. Normally I train year round and my body has some miles on it.....After such a pause it is possible to gain strength again en be better and stronger as before. I let it heal for almost half a year so the problem is really solved. You' ve to be patience in situations as these, although I feel sometimes that time is running out. Take care of your body and you' ll be able to compete for a long, long time.
Then, two weeks ago, I had to stop doing exercises for my upper body completely. The shoulder and especially the rotator cuff are hampering my bench press. If you're over 50, as I am, you'll be more prone to tendon problems.
You'll can find the (right) rotator cuff if you reach over you shoulder with your (left) hand and touch the back of your shoulder. It is composed of tendons and muscles
that hold the head of the humerus (ball) in the socket. In most cases, as in mine, the cause is an inflammation.
You can not reach full motion of your arm, it makes some cracking noises and it hurts when you bench press, and after a while every movement hurts. You know you have to stretch, you know you have to warm up, you eat balanced meals to provide your body with enough minerals and vitamins ( I even take some Glucosamine tablets) and despite all these efforts, you'll end up with a shoulder injury! So I had to make a plan to heal my shoulder for the new season 2012.
So I didn't train for a week my upper body at all, so the shoulder got maximum rest. I bought some Tantum ointment (extra hot) and applied it serveral times a day. Of cause it's not feeling better after this week because my shoulder did hardly move for a week. So now I do some stretching with a chest machine, 6 sets of 50 reps with 25 kilogram to activate the blood flow, after that the shoulder feels much better. But this week rest is crucial in the healing process.
I still use the Tantum and keep my shoulder warm, I stretch and do light high volume reps with the machine. I'll change my way of bench pressing in the future, try placing my elbows 45 degrees from my body, which will decrease the pressure placed on my shoulder capsule and its surrounding muscles.
After one week I'll strengthen the muscles in the back of the shoulder and around the shoulder blade with some light dumbell work. It should, theoretically, prevent injuries like these. But you'll have to face it, once in a while you get some injuries, it's almost impossible to avoid them because you push yourself to improve your lifts.
In the meantime my bench press is laid off for some time. I do some one-arm bench press movements with another Panatta machine to stimulate the pectoralis muscle on the left side and therefore building up some tonus on the right pectoralis muscle without stressing my right shoulder. No training for the back is done either to heal the shoulder.
By strechting, doing some high volume reps with the chest machine and ointment I hope my rotator cuff problem will be gone by the end of January 2012.
For throwing the WFD I need a full motion of range for my right arm. Doing Weight for Height I had to give up throwing with my right arm a long time ago. I have to practice more on the throwing movement to get some coordination to throw the weight over the bar.
Right now my shoulder is stable again. Also some good tips from top athletes about complete rotation for the shoulder joint helped to heal the shoulder problem. I'm bench pressing again and WFD is coming back. Most important with the bench press, I altered my grip. I do it now the powerlift way. I don't have the tremendous pressure in my shoulder doing it this way. And one big advantage: after laying off for some time, the body becomes some rest. Normally I train year round and my body has some miles on it.....After such a pause it is possible to gain strength again en be better and stronger as before. I let it heal for almost half a year so the problem is really solved. You' ve to be patience in situations as these, although I feel sometimes that time is running out. Take care of your body and you' ll be able to compete for a long, long time.