Pull-ups and Rotator Cuff

[engineer]

Rip,

In "Strong Enough" you wrote that high volume pullups helped you avoid rotator cuff surgery. Can you fill me in on how the pull-ups help, and if the hand position (pull-up versus chin-up) is of any importance here.

Thanks in advance.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Since that book was written, I have had surgery on both shoulders. I used chin-ups and presses as the only rehab exercises I performed. I did NOT ONE SINGLE REP of any PT-type isolation movement for the shoulder. I am about 9 months post-op on the second surgery and I pressed 200 lbs. Monday night. Chin-ups help because they strengthen the whole shoulder under tension, so that the cuff is not impinged during the exercise. In fact, I was doing chins about 4 weeks post-op from the first surgery, a cuff tear repair. The second shoulder was an osteophyte removal/modified Mumford repair with no soft-tissue involvement, so it was much easier.

[Dave M]

Hey Coach! Thanks for all your work here and in your excellent volumes.

Something isn't adding up for me in this discussion. What caused the cuff tears in the first place? You talk about chinups and pressing being your only rehab, but if pressing and chinups wearn't effective enough PRE-hab to prevent shoulder injury, shouldn't we be looking else ware for rehabilitating and protecting the shoulder for the future? Based on your writings I would assume you were doing pressing and chining regularly before the surgeries.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I spent a long time doing only bench presses, which is why I tell you guys not to do that. Bad for the shoulders.

[Ello]

I spent a long time doing only bench presses, which is why I tell you guys not to do that. Bad for the shoulders.

So, you learned from your own mistakes and actively advise us to learn from them?

You're a strange man, Mr. Rippetoe.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I must admit to that.