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Thread: Rotator Cuff Pain

  1. #1
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    Default Rotator Cuff Pain

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    Coaches,

    Age: 33
    Height: 6'4"
    Weight: 250ish

    This may be too general a question to answer at the remove of teh interwebz, so feel free to say so, but I thought I'd ask nonetheless. I recently began bench pressing again about 2 months ago, having done nothing but press since I began lifting SS style in January 2012 because I lift at home, have a makeshift power rack, and have had concerns about bench pressing alone. I benched regularly in high school and college but have not done so more than maybe 6 times in the past 8-9 years. At that point, my best bench was 325 x 2, and it's probably not far from that now given my progress in the press over the last year (220 x 3, 230 x 1).

    Having joined a gym, I now press and bench once per week, utilizing a 5/3/1 format, and have noticed that during and after the last 3 bench workouts I have had a mild to moderate pain in my right rotator cuff. Nothing debilitating or that keeps me up at night, but quite noticeable for a day or two after the workout. I do not remember such pain when I used to bench more regularly 10 years ago, which was assuredly with sloppier form than I utilize now. I do know that at present I have tried to maintain good form, not flaring my elbows or touching the bar too high to my chest and keeping a solid but not extreme arch, yet the pain persists. I should also add that I've been doing 3 sets of weighted dips after benching, most recently 3x5 of +45 pounds.

    So tl;dr, I guess the main questions I have are:

    1) Is this soreness unusual following heavy(ish) bench workouts when you're no longer 20 years old?
    2) Is this soreness indicative of a worsening problem?
    3) Are the dips the issue?
    4) Is the fact that it's only my right arm that is sore more likely related to all the (often improperly warmed up and with occasionally poor form) baseball and football throwing I have done since I was very young?
    5) Should I just stay the course until and unless it becomes prohibitive?

    Any thoughts you guys or others on the forum have would be most welcome. Thanks.

  2. #2
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    Without seeing your bench press, we can't verify that you're not actually flaring your elbows or touching high on your chest. That would be helpful. But to attempt to answer your questions without that:

    1. In my experience, it is unusual for properly performed bench presses, unless we're talking about someone with a history of shoulder/rotator cuff issues and some structural damage in there.
    2. Maybe
    3. Maybe
    4. Maybe
    5. No. I suggest dropping the dips and get some film of your bench press for us. And if you're still doing any of that improperly warmed up throwing with bad form, stop.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Wolf View Post
    Without seeing your bench press, we can't verify that you're not actually flaring your elbows or touching high on your chest. That would be helpful. But to attempt to answer your questions without that:

    1. In my experience, it is unusual for properly performed bench presses, unless we're talking about someone with a history of shoulder/rotator cuff issues and some structural damage in there.
    2. Maybe
    3. Maybe
    4. Maybe
    5. No. I suggest dropping the dips and get some film of your bench press for us. And if you're still doing any of that improperly warmed up throwing with bad form, stop.
    Thanks much for the response, Michael. I will endeavor to get some video of my bench press next week. And I do very little throwing these days, properly warmed up or not. It just struck me that the soreness has been in my right arm only--I was a righthanded pitcher growing up and throughout high school and though I was never diagnosed with nor did I have reason to believe there was cuff damage, there were obviously times when it got quite sore, and I could imagine there being residual effects. A tendency toward tendonitis perhaps.

    Regarding the dips, I recognize that they can be stressful on the shoulders, but they seem like such important assistance exercise for both the press and the bench, and I fear that my strength in those two exercises will suffer without them. Any thoughts about beneficial substitutions? Or perhaps closer attention to my dipping form if and when I reinstate them?

    Thanks for the help, it's much appreciated.

  4. #4
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    They are a good assistance exercise, but not if they're the cause of your shoulder issue. Which is what we're trying to find out, along with seeing if your bench press form itself is an issue. At worst, a few weeks without them won't set you back much. There are plenty of other great assistance exercises: close grip bench, dumbbell bench press and dumbbell press, among others. But I would skip assistance for the moment, so we can try to isolate whether or not it's the bench press itself that is causing the issue. It's important that we find that out.

    For what it's worth, I stopped doing dips 4 or 5 years ago when I started to notice they bothered my shoulders. Doing no assistance work, just pressing and bench pressing, I benched 335x5, 365x2, an easy paused 375, and was planning to hit a 385-390 paused bench at my last meet, before an acute injury on my first attempt sent that plan to the dustbin. No bench monster, but reasonable numbers achieved without any assistance work, other than occasional messing around.

  5. #5
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    That's good feedback. I've no need to be a bench monster, but I'd also like to outbench my college self. I'll drop the dips for now and procure some video.

  6. #6
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    starting strength coach development program
    Disclaimer: I am not an SSC, but I have been managing rotator cuff issues for a few months. Here are the things I have found helpful in managing it. You don't need to do them all; try a few and see if they help.

    1. Codman/pendulum swings with 2.5, 5, 10 lbs plate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYQsTDnnCdQ
    2. Shoulder dislocates x50
    3. "Go shopping" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe3BRPo0EJc
    4. EQI pushup (hold for 1 to 2 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlDOb3thUoA
    5. Foam roll T-spine http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/07/e...d-wii-mob.html
    6. Massage http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=8CyF6Bl2J3A and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6SL4...e=channel_page
    7. Ice massage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfHkU6LTNMY

    Hope this helps.

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