Power cleans and rotator cuff

[toonttm]

Interesting thread, I've had rotator cuff injuries in the past so I am hesitant to try cleans. So now I know it is safe I will give them a go, but is there a possibility that while learning the lift I could damage the rotator cuffs? Is there anything specifically that I should make sure I avoid when learning?
(I've been rotator cuff injury free for about 18 months and I would like to keep it that way)

[mcclamic]

Sorry in my elbows. Most days it's ok but yesterday when I was warming up, it flared up bad. It didn't hurt until racking the weight. I tried moving my hands around, had training partner make sure I wasn't lifting with my arms.

[Culican]

Thank you for the answer, excuse me because I'm drunk, I bought your book at age 44 or so as a insurance
policy for my future. I'm now 47 and enjoy power cleans but due to the fact that I train by myself I tend to'
overthink things and worry about stupid stuff. So I'm not sure if I shoud be doing them but when I look in
the mirror I'm happy to see myself and this is very important to me. But based on your comments there
seems to be a time line that expires with this dynamic excersie. Is this true.

I am 56 and I am trying to learn them for the first time. Is there an age where they should not be attempted?

[kaipo1]

Bench pressing wrong
Ring dips/muscle ups at a normal male bodyweight
Throwing
Upright rows
Swimming/volleyball/basketball played without training the press correctly

For a couple years I've had a cycle of tweak a rotator doing benches, back off & recover, get back to about the same weight, rinse and repeat (I realize this likely means I am doing them wrong). The most recent tweak was followed up by a fluke accident which messed my shoulder up pretty good. I tried rehabbing with light hi-rep benches; my shoulder did not approve. I subsequently decided the heck with benches. My personal experience has always been that ring dips seemed to make my shoulders happier than benches anyway, so (once my shoulder was back to semi-normal) I have been doing ring dips. Given your opinion of ring dips, apparently this may not be a good idea. I think I remember you saying in the past that some people's shoulder structure just will not allow heavy benches. I'm willing to give them another shot, but if I keep having this problem, what do you then recommend for strengthening my chesticles? If it matters to the answer I am 6'00" 205lbs 44 years old. Also, pullups and presses are mostly pain free, but the last time I did chinups my shoulder responded poorly.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Interesting thread, I've had rotator cuff injuries in the past so I am hesitant to try cleans. So now I know it is safe I will give them a go, but is there a possibility that while learning the lift I could damage the rotator cuffs? Is there anything specifically that I should make sure I avoid when learning?

If you learn them correctly, using the method in the book, no active concentric external rotation is involved. Don't ROW the bar up and you'll be fine.

Sorry in my elbows. Most days it's ok but yesterday when I was warming up, it flared up bad. It didn't hurt until racking the weight. I tried moving my hands around, had training partner make sure I wasn't lifting with my arms.

The hook grip will prevent this.

I am 56 and I am trying to learn them for the first time. Is there an age where they should not be attempted?

57.

My personal experience has always been that ring dips seemed to make my shoulders happier than benches anyway, so (once my shoulder was back to semi-normal) I have been doing ring dips. Given your opinion of ring dips, apparently this may not be a good idea. I think I remember you saying in the past that some people's shoulder structure just will not allow heavy benches. I'm willing to give them another shot, but if I keep having this problem, what do you then recommend for strengthening my chesticles? If it matters to the answer I am 6'00" 205lbs 44 years old. Also, pullups and presses are mostly pain free, but the last time I did chinups my shoulder responded poorly.

I recommend dips, but do them with a standard parallel-bar setup. All it takes is one fuck-up with a ring and the hand travels laterally to the point when the leverage against your shoulder cannot be controlled. Done correctly, dips are dips in terms of the effects on the chest, and stationary bars are a million times safer.

If chinups bother your shoulder while pullups do not, you probably have a bicep-tendon issue.