Hi all,

I am a novice lifter. Sometimes my elbows flair out when I bench. This is dumb and I have learned my lesson.

Last night, my left shoulder gave out on the 4th rep of my 3rd set and I thought I felt/heard something tearing. Since then, I have had pain ranging from 1-7 out of 10, depending on the activity e.g. lifting my arm to parallel or above, changing gears, putting on a jacket. The pain is around the side and rear of the shoulder joint.

I saw a doctor who checked my range of motion and to see if there was any loss of strength in the rotator cuff. He did this by having me push against his hands from 3 different angles. He says I have a full range of motion and no loss of strength in the joint, so its just a strain. He gave me some anti-inflammatories and told me to rest it.

Is it possible that it could be something more serious, even if I have a full range of motion and no apparent loss of strength? If so, should I get an MRI?

Or if it is just a strain, could I continue training right away, if I use the correct technique and a lower weight?

Thanks for your time.