Training Around a Shoulder Injury

Training Bodybuilding
1

Alright…
Due to a shoulder injury, I’ve had to restructure my training to avoid loading the shoulder joint while I rehabilitate it(chiropractic MF release, massage, stabilization work, etc…)

Background:
I’m 19 y/o and a NSCA-cpt. I’ve been training on and off for 5 years with some dietary and training set-backs. My strength levels are better than average but not extraordinary. Major lifts as follows:

Recent tested PR’s:

Bench Press 5rm - 225 lbs
Full squat(NNN)1rm - 405 lbs
Deadlift(conv)1rm - 475 lbs

With the exception of my legs, my physique is average and unimpressive. I’m 5’9"(176cm)in height and 187 lbs in bodyweight with 15-18 percent bodyfat.

I also have a noticably more dominant(strength and musculature) left leg.

----Here’s the plan—

I’ve decided to do a 4 day split: 2 lower body, 2 arms and abs with interval sprints.

Lower Body (2x per week, Wednesday, Saturday)

A1 Single Leg Squat 10-15 reps per leg
1 min rest
A2 Single Leg DL 10-15 reps per leg
1 min rest
repeat 3x

B Deep Walking Lunges (15 forward, 15 backward)
2 min rest, 3 sets

10 min steady state low intensity

Upper Body (2x per week, Monday, Friday)

A1 Bicep Curl(pronated/supinated/nuetral grip)12-15 reps to failure
A2 Triceps Extension(supinated/pronated/nuetral grip)12-15 reps to failure
repeat 3x without rest, this is a mechanical drop set with antagonist pairing… It should be done continuously.
optional grip/forearm work following arm work

B1 Cable crunch (12-15 reps)
B2 High to Low pulley woodchop(12-15 reps per side)
B3 Planck holds for time to failure
rest 2 min, repeat 3x

C. Interval sprints (5-7 min on bike/elliptical)

10 min steady state low intensity

My goals are to lean down 15-20 lbs(including water weight) in the next 6-8 weeks as I rehabilitate my shoulder and to balance my leg development.

So in essence this is a re-beginning for me.
I’ll include my dietary plan here or in Supplements and Nutrition in a later post.

Looking for some critique and advice.

Thanks in advance.

lim@infinity

2

I’m curious to the nature of the injury. I’ve had a few shoulder issues myself over the years, but have usually still been able to figure out some way to still do something for the chest and delts while allowing for healing to occur.

S

3

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I’m curious to the nature of the injury. I’ve had a few shoulder issues myself over the years, but have usually still been able to figure out some way to still do something for the chest and delts while allowing for healing to occur.

S[/quote]

Sure.

In my left shoulder, superior labrum tear, lateral tear of supraspinatus due to hooked acromion and impingment condition. Bicipital tendonitis(obviously).

My right shoulder has discomfort also, probably due to an impingement condition aggravated by the shape of the acromion. No acute injury confirmed.

So I won’t be able to load the shoulder for 4-6 weeks or more if surgery is needed.

Do you have any critique of my programming.
Any help would be appreciated.

lim@infinity

4

Wow, well, I will tell you that labrum tears are damn common, in fact my brother has been training with his partially torn for over a year now -lol. I myself had issues with my supraspinatus, which totally made flat benching very uncomfortable for me.

While I’m certainly not going to suggest anything that may pass for medical advice, I will say that shoulder pressing, and flat chest work are totally out of the question. On a few occasions, when my shoulder was just a mess, I was only able to do decline Barbell presses.Amazingly, it didn’t bother my shoulder, or the proximal part of the bicep tendon. You obviously aren’t going to be making ANY gains for a while, but if you can find one or two exercises that don’t aggravate the issue, we can at least try and do some damage control. I would suggest trying the Decline press, and if you have access to one, a shoulder lateral machine. If either of these causes any pain, STOP! As far as anything else you can do,… well, now sounds like a great time to build up your legs :smiley:

S

5

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Wow, well, I will tell you that labrum tears are damn common, in fact my brother has been training with his partially torn for over a year now -lol. I myself had issues with my supraspinatus, which totally made flat benching very uncomfortable for me.

While I’m certainly not going to suggest anything that may pass for medical advice, I will say that shoulder pressing, and flat chest work are totally out of the question. On a few occasions, when my shoulder was just a mess, I was only able to do decline Barbell presses.Amazingly, it didn’t bother my shoulder, or the proximal part of the bicep tendon. You obviously aren’t going to be making ANY gains for a while, but if you can find one or two exercises that don’t aggravate the issue, we can at least try and do some damage control. I would suggest trying the Decline press, and if you have access to one, a shoulder lateral machine. If either of these causes any pain, STOP! As far as anything else you can do,… well, now sounds like a great time to build up your legs :smiley:

S
[/quote]

Thanks much for your help.

I think i’ll be ok. I’m going to stick to corrective exercise for my shoulder for several weeks. I will still make gains/improve my physique though.

I can still create a training effect big enough to lean down over the next 6-8 weeks. I can also create a large enough training effect with intense leg, arm, and abdominal work to accomplish some sarcoplasmic hypertrophy in my arms and vascularity in my abs while I work on corrective exercises for my shoulder structures.

This was the main reason I posted actually… to get critique about the volume/intensity/organization of the training for those other parts.

Still looking for opinions about the program I laid out in the context of my goals.

Anyone else have any thought/opinions?

6

I remember a time when all my flat/incline pressing was done with db’s and elbows pointed forward. Had to do this for 3-4 months but it helped until I could gradually go back to using elbows out to sides or 45 degree angle.

OHP pressing was never an issue for me when all other sorts of pressing bothered my shoulders.

7

OP what corrective shoulder exercises are you incorporating in your program?

8

[quote]limitatinfinity wrote:
The Mighty Stu wrote:
Wow, well, I will tell you that labrum tears are damn common, in fact my brother has been training with his partially torn for over a year now -lol. I myself had issues with my supraspinatus, which totally made flat benching very uncomfortable for me.

While I’m certainly not going to suggest anything that may pass for medical advice, I will say that shoulder pressing, and flat chest work are totally out of the question. On a few occasions, when my shoulder was just a mess, I was only able to do decline Barbell presses.Amazingly, it didn’t bother my shoulder, or the proximal part of the bicep tendon. You obviously aren’t going to be making ANY gains for a while, but if you can find one or two exercises that don’t aggravate the issue, we can at least try and do some damage control. I would suggest trying the Decline press, and if you have access to one, a shoulder lateral machine. If either of these causes any pain, STOP! As far as anything else you can do,… well, now sounds like a great time to build up your legs :smiley:

S

Thanks much for your help.

I think i’ll be ok. I’m going to stick to corrective exercise for my shoulder for several weeks. I will still make gains/improve my physique though.

I can still create a training effect big enough to lean down over the next 6-8 weeks. I can also create a large enough training effect with intense leg, arm, and abdominal work to accomplish some sarcoplasmic hypertrophy in my arms and vascularity in my abs while I work on corrective exercises for my shoulder structures.

This was the main reason I posted actually… to get critique about the volume/intensity/organization of the training for those other parts.

Still looking for opinions about the program I laid out in the context of my goals.

Anyone else have any thought/opinions?[/quote]

I’m kind of in the same boat as you. Last year I had surgery for a torn labrum and rotator in my left shoulder. This year I tore my right labrum and rotator. Like you I’m trying to lean out for summer and my annual Vegas trip and trying to hold off surgery till after summer. Pain is a real bitch this time a lot worse than the other shoulder was.

What I do is go hard and heavy with every other body part and for my chest and shoulders which give me a lot of pain I concentrate on movements that don’t hurt, and stick to a higher rep range with more frequent workouts. I also incorporate pre exhast, mechanical drops etc., just to keep up the intensity, and I also keep the workouts short. Strangely during both injuries I couldn’t do any flat or decline movements even with just the bar, and only could do fly movements and inclines but bringing the bar down only 3/4 of the way and to a higher point like near my mouth or nose. Also overhead pressing didn’t really bother me, behind or in the front of the neck, but I can’t do a lateral raise with more that an 8 lb dumbell. Basically just do whatever doesn’t cause you pain. Good luck.

9

[quote]Gup wrote:
OP what corrective shoulder exercises are you incorporating in your program?

[/quote]

stretching protractors: pec minor, pec major
strengthening scap depresion/retraction: there are a whole bunch of exercises I do here, everything from wall slides to partner assisted ROM work.

So I’ll do scap retraction exercises at various angles and positions of elbow flexion(T, W, Y, etc…) with a partner assisting with the hand on the edge of the scap helping proprioception ROM and I hold and squeeze there for a couple seconds.

I actually modeled some of it off of Cressey’s techniques.