Achey shoulders. Not sure how to work around this.

[manis5]

So both of my shoulders have been feeling a general achy-ness lately. My left shoulder is tweaked pretty bad to the point where I can't bench 135 without pain and I also have developed tendonitis in my left elbow as well.

I'm pretty sure it is a result of my elbows shooting up out of the bottom of the squat which jammed the bar into the muscle tissue of my shoulder. I also had some problems with the bar slipping down my back as the set went on which put my shoulders in a compromised position and left my elbows to support more weight than they should.

My right shoulder isn't tweaked as bad but feels just achey in general. For example it will fatigue easily doing basic tasks like holding up the phone to my ear. I am able to press without pain and my strength is still there but I'm not sure if I should just leave my shoulders alone for a while and just mainly stick to some safety bar squats and deadlifts. I was in the middle of a really good run of SS coming up on a 300x5 squat so I'm pretty pissed to hit this roadblock.

What do you guys think? Any tips about how I can work around this are really appreciated.

[John Hanley]

Until you unfuck whatever you're doing, stick with safety bar squats.

[manis5]

Until you unfuck whatever you're doing, stick with safety bar squats.

Yeah I've identified the area of fucked-ness, unfortunately a little too late now that my shoulder hurts lol. What about presses though?Should I still do them since they don't hurt or should I just let my shoulders heal and not mess with any pressing stuff for a little while?

[John Hanley]

Yeah I've identified the area of fucked-ness, unfortunately a little too late now that my shoulder hurts lol. What about presses though?Should I still do them since they don't hurt or should I just let my shoulders heal and not mess with any pressing stuff for a little while?

I'd keep pressing and I'd do lots of chins or curls (really focusing on the eccentric).

Do you have a really long torso?

[manis5]

I'd keep pressing and I'd do lots of chins or curls (really focusing on the eccentric).

Do you have a really long torso?

Not particularly. Why do you ask?

[John Hanley]

Not particularly. Why do you ask?

It's been my experience that folks with long torso/short femurs are more prone to upper back, shoulder and/or elbow issues. A very long (and thus vertical torso) = less than awesome "shelf" with which to support the bar throughout much of the ROM.

[bugbomb]

Hm. That sounds familiar. Never put that together.

[luke.conrad]

Thanks for the lesson John. Never thought about that.

When I went to a SS seminar Matt called over Rip to look at me abnormally short femurs and long torso. This helps explain my cranky shoulders and elbows.

[Rezart Erindi]

You should check the shoulder. You probably have developed some kind of impingment. I'm having some problems myself now, and these can get pretty ugly. So don't underestimate them and get them checked.