[Jim Mills]

I have lot's of rotator cup pain while benching. Is there an excercise
or something I can take for it.... I took a week of from lifting about
a month ago, but it didn't help..... It looks like the muscles in the front of
my shoulders are more formed than the back. Could this be an imbalance
in muscle that may be pushing on my rotator cup?

[Matt ALRI]

Yep - Exactly. Start incorporating heavy bent over barbell rows.

For rehab, you can get a shoulder horn. They work excellent. Or if you don't have the money (I think they are about $45 or so) then just do light rotator work for high reps with dumbells.

Matt

[Phoenix rising]

Originally Posted by Jim Mills

I have lot's of rotator cup pain while benching. Is there an excercise
or something I can take for it.... I took a week of from lifting about
a month ago, but it didn't help..... It looks like the muscles in the front of
my shoulders are more formed than the back. Could this be an imbalance
in muscle that may be pushing on my rotator cup?

Another exercise I would incorporate is cable rows with a tricep row to the neck. Set the lo pulley about chest high and attach a tricep rope to the end of it. Row the rope to your neck in a controlled movement concentraing squeezing the shoulder blades back together with a short pause before repeating. You might want to have a partner place 2 fingers between your shoulder blades and try to squeeze his fingers.

Also ART thearpy might be of great benefit.

[Cuffs]

There's been a few threads about rotator cuff pain. Try the search and you should find a bunch of info, along with pics for certain exercises. What I did for mine was, I ditched flat BB bench for incline bb bench, and when I did dumbells, I did slow, controlled lifts with a long stretch at the bottom. I also incorporated a few stretches and cuff exercises before and in between lifts.

[Phoenix rising]

Another thing I was thinking about was form. If you will watch the majority of the people in the gym doing flat bench presses you will notice the bar travells in a arc back where it ends over their eyes. This arc places a great deal of stress on the anterior delt.

I bet if you were to watch Matt ALRI do a flat barbell bench press you would notice the bar touching lower on his chest and being pushed straight up. #1 One can push greater poundage in a shorter plain of motion.

#2 Powerlifters spend alot of time on tricep work as assitance exercises for their bench. When a persons front delts are stronger than their triceps the bar will will follow the arc and end over thier eyes. Powerlifters with their great tricep strength you will notice the bar travelling more in a straight linear plain.

Matt ALRI please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Jim Mills]

Originally Posted by Phoenix rising

Another thing I was thinking about was form. If you will watch the majority of the people in the gym doing flat bench presses you will notice the bar travells in a arc back where it ends over their eyes. This arc places a great deal of stress on the anterior delt.

I bet if you were to watch Matt ALRI do a flat barbell bench press you would notice the bar touching lower on his chest and being pushed straight up. #1 One can push greater poundage in a shorter plain of motion.

#2 Powerlifters spend alot of time on tricep work as assitance exercises for their bench. When a persons front delts are stronger than their triceps the bar will will follow the arc and end over thier eyes. Powerlifters with their great tricep strength you will notice the bar travelling more in a straight linear plain.

Matt ALRI please correct me if I'm wrong.

WOW, you are right about that!... Today was my chest day and I did notice that when I started just above my nipples and pushed up, I ended right above my eyes.... So I then kept perfect form for the rest of my 3 sets and my rotator cup felt much better... I still need to work on the back of my shoulders to even things out..... Should I work out the back of my shoulders twice a week? say once every 3-4 days?

[Phoenix rising]

Originally Posted by Jim Mills

WOW, you are right about that!... Today was my chest day and I did notice that when I started just above my nipples and pushed up, I ended right above my eyes.... So I then kept perfect form for the rest of my 3 sets and my rotator cup felt much better... I still need to work on the back of my shoulders to even things out..... Should I work out the back of my shoulders twice a week? say once every 3-4 days?

Hey Jim,
I have a few questions for you .....
1. How long have you been lifting ?
2. What is your goal ?
3. Can you walk my through your typical chest, back, and shoulders routine?
4. What kind of workout split you are currently doing ?

When I was a teenager I wanted to bench press buicks I was benching around 350lbs at age 15. That turned out to be very costly and painfull mistake. I ended up having to have major reconstructive shoulder surgery at age 17. This was about an 8 hr procedure. It is safe to say that i blew up my shoulder. Thank you Highschool football coaches for the great knowledge and supervision you have on proper form and workout routines. (end sacasim) I developed a major shoulder imbalance of the left anterior (front deltoid).

Due to the above disaster I learned a few things here and there ..... I've always had to learn things the hardway.

[Jim Mills]

Been lifting for about two years straight now with little time off...I'm very dedicated. When I was 25 I started lifting for about 5 years on and off. I know I have great genetics because I blew up fast this past two years. The first year I didn't do any Ph's and most of my friends thought I was on roids. This year I already did two cycles of Nandrotest and now I'm on a cycle of SD.... Now they know I'm on something (he, he)... This is my work out as of one month ago. Once you get to the site, you can click on day two and day three at the top right..... I work out Tue, Thu, Sat. Off Sun ... Ab's on Mon, Wed, and Fri.... I was doing a full body work out three days a week for 4 months before this one... Thats when I think it happened.
http://www.bodyforlife2.com/bodybuil...it1a_form.html

[Phoenix rising]

Originally Posted by Jim Mills

Been lifting for about two years straight now with little time off...I'm very dedicated. When I was 25 I started lifting for about 5 years on and off. I know I have great genetics because I blew up fast this past two years. The first year I didn't do any Ph's and most of my friends thought I was on roids. This year I already did two cycles of Nandrotest and now I'm on a cycle of SD.... Now they know I'm on something (he, he)... This is my work out as of one month ago. Once you get to the site, you can click on day two and day three at the top right..... I work out Tue, Thu, Sat. Off Sun ... Ab's on Mon, Wed, and Fri.... I was doing a full body work out three days a week for 4 months before this one... Thats when I think it happened.
http://www.bodyforlife2.com/bodybuil...it1a_form.html

Check this out:
I am not and God and master of the universe so let me just recommend a few suggestions:
Sub/ Incline Dumbell Press for your flat bench barbell bench press
Drop the incline barbell press
Keep the decline press ( I would suggest dips but if you are having a shoulder problem like you I would say no no to this one)
Sub / machine flyes for dumbell flyes concentrate on the squeeze and form keep constant tension on the muscle


Back:
On your pull up try bringing your grip width into slightly past shoulders width.
Lets Row Baby
Lets sub the rev grip lat pull down with a row. Bent over row or T Bar row
Dumbell Rows you can keep or sub some sort of hammer row or cable row
Add the lo pulley cable row to the neck with the tricep rope

I want you to focus on retracting the shoulder blades pause and get a good squeeze

Shoulders:
Stay away from over head presses for the moment just like you currently doing.
On your upright rows you might wanna try this exercise with dumbells
On your side laterals you might wanna do this exercise performed with cables from behind the back
barbell shrugs / sub these with seated dumbell shrugs
I prefer training traps with bacjk since it is a back muscle but thats my preference

Jim if you ever get the chance you might want seek out the paid advice of BoBo. I will be glad to share with you anything I can help you with. I'm a big believer in there are always more ways to skin a cat. Over the years I have learned how to adapt. I have a bad lower back injury keeping me out of the gym right now. I'm going nuts and the funny thing is I did not hurt my back in the gym rom training, I just woke up from sleeping with this condition. So when I get back in the gym 'm going have to once again keyword adapt.

[Jim Mills]

Originally Posted by Phoenix rising

Check this out:
I am not and God and master of the universe so let me just recommend a few suggestions:
Sub/ Incline Dumbell Press for your flat bench barbell bench press
Drop the incline barbell press
Keep the decline press ( I would suggest dips but if you are having a shoulder problem like you I would say no no to this one)
Sub / machine flyes for dumbell flyes concentrate on the squeeze and form keep constant tension on the muscle


Back:
On your pull up try bringing your grip width into slightly past shoulders width.
Lets Row Baby
Lets sub the rev grip lat pull down with a row. Bent over row or T Bar row
Dumbell Rows you can keep or sub some sort of hammer row or cable row
Add the lo pulley cable row to the neck with the tricep rope

I want you to focus on retracting the shoulder blades pause and get a good squeeze

Shoulders:
Stay away from over head presses for the moment just like you currently doing.
On your upright rows you might wanna try this exercise with dumbells
On your side laterals you might wanna do this exercise performed with cables from behind the back
barbell shrugs / sub these with seated dumbell shrugs
I prefer training traps with bacjk since it is a back muscle but thats my preference

Jim if you ever get the chance you might want seek out the paid advice of BoBo. I will be glad to share with you anything I can help you with. I'm a big believer in there are always more ways to skin a cat. Over the years I have learned how to adapt. I have a bad lower back injury keeping me out of the gym right now. I'm going nuts and the funny thing is I did not hurt my back in the gym rom training, I just woke up from sleeping with this condition. So when I get back in the gym 'm going have to once again keyword adapt.

Thanks man, I will make my adjustment during my next workout. I'll tell you one thing.... For the past two months my rotator cup would hurt badly the day after my bench press workout.... Today I have no pain at all and I worked hard on bench presses (the right way) yesterday. Thanks for the tip about the arc in my pressing....... Lot's of good people with great info on this site.