I have a recurring issue where my pet gets really tight and knotted right by the shoulder joint.
My left side seems to be the worst offender so could possibly be down in part to posture, habits at the work desk.
Has anyone else had this issue or know of any fixes / exercises / stretches that help to avoid this issue?
Was thinking that perhaps a full range of motion pec fly may help to stretch the muscle through its full range of motion rather than the limited range of motion on a powerlifting style bench, thus keeping the muscle smooth and “clean”.
Try SMR release with a lacrosse ball. Basically just roll and mash the shit out of it til it feels better. Shoulder dislocations before training loosen me up too.
I do SMR stuff like what max said, but I use a theracane. I find it easier to use than a lacrosse ball, for pecs I just lay on the floor and use the opposite hand to apply pressure. Chris Duffin also has some metal devices that do the same kind of thing.
Ideally, you would want to do soft tissue work at least a few hours after training the same muscles and about a day before training those muscles again. The first couple times I worked on my pec minor I had a lot of trigger points and sore spots, now it seems that I need less work and just do it a couple times a week but never right before training.
I read something about the bowtie the other day, you wear it for short periods of time throughout the day. If it sounds like something that would benefit you it would probably be worth a try. The Theracane is definitely a good investment, there are also other brands that make similar items. I find that lacrosse balls work well for my hips mostly, for anything else I prefer the theracane.
Have tried the soft tissue work myself with the limited tools I have at the moment but can’t seem to get a proper release on my left side.
Struggle to get in deep enough so may get a couple of sessions then invest in a Theracane so I can keep on top of it myself.
Would still like to hear some people’s experiences / reviews on the bowtie still and whether or not it has long term benefits.
Bowtie is pretty awesome, too soon for me to give you long term experience with it, but I believe the mere act of training with the formal bow tie will greatly reduce injuries and using the casual bowtie in day to day activity will pay off tremendously.
Get someone else to help you with soft tissue work, sometimes someone else can just get in deeper
