Need some advice on a month old acute shoulder injury

**Merritt Kolman** · 06-05-2018, 07:45 AM

A month ago I hurt myself at the bottom of the bench. It made a noise when it happened. It hurt but I could still move my arms overhead. Since this is the first problem, I just have been doing easy work, focusing on presses. I tried to diagnose myself by following online videos and these suggested I hurt the AC joint. A guy at my gym who is learning PT thinks it is impingement or maybe a minor AC injury after using a "shear test." It doesn't hurt a lot or anything but is worst with a dip or a chin where I relax at the bottom completely, next if I move my arm across my chest.

A month later and after taking a complete week off from training, ROM seemed okay so I worked up to 160 (85% of my pre-injury weight) and it hurt like hell. I think my form is not the problem, but maybe I am wrong. It made noises. Pressing hurt too.

It has been a month since this first happened and I haven't gotten imaging done yet. I won't be able to do that for another month. Should I get a diagnosis?

How should I train? Press only? Should I do other things? I don't like the way my chest looks and am especially worried about the lower part of my pecs. I like the idea of decline dumbbell presses.

**Mark Rippetoe** · 06-05-2018, 10:35 AM

Did it not occur to you that maybe it would not be a good idea to go up to a heavy single the first day back from an injury after a month's layoff during which you did no rehab? And you were thinking decline dumbbell presses? This is ridiculous. Take about 6 months to read this board, and don't touch a weight until then.

**Merritt Kolman** · 06-05-2018, 11:44 AM

Thank you so much for your response. I am confuse though!!!! Overhead press doesn't strengthen the shoulder I guess, and your repeated comments about it being the best thing for shoulder rehab --what? Were you not being serious? I did some cable work too, which I guess I could have included in the post, but I was trying to be brief. And I didn't do a heavy single -- sorry I didn't specify, that was very very silly of me. it was a set of five at 85% of the weight I was doing before. Oh wait...I get it now. Yes, that is heavy relative to what I had been doing and since I took an extended layoff.