I'm still having alittle shoulder pain, is it wise to do the overhead press?

[DerickVonD]

I switched to doing the seated dumbbell press about 3 or 4 months ago, because of tendinitis in my right shoulder. When I did the overhead press I felt like a crack in my right shoulder everytime I pushed the weight over head. Last week I tried the overhead press and I felt fine while I was doing it, but I'll still have right shoulder pain on and off, but no longer during or after the exercise just at random. Should I do seated dumb bell presses a few more months or am I good to go on overhead presses?

[lonewolf0420]

Its hard to say because, well we're not you.

Any discomfort performing any other movements?

If you feeling like giving the movement a go, make sure you stretch and warm-up your shoulders real good. Perform the movement with lighter weight, focusing on full rom. See how you feel after a couple of sets that way. Then next session increase the weight a little more.

[DerickVonD]

Its hard to say because, well we're not you.

Any discomfort performing any other movements?

If you feeling like giving the movement a go, make sure you stretch and warm-up your shoulders real good. Perform the movement with lighter weight, focusing on full rom. See how you feel after a couple of sets that way. Then next session increase the weight a little more.

I have no discomfort what so ever doing anything else. I was having a similar problem with lateral raises but that too went away. Also, I was wondering how come in the gym I never see anyone do standing overhead presses?

[10bathroomsO]

If you still have more pain in your shoulder leave the db's or free weight overhead movements alone for a while, go stupid light weight on the overhead machine presses and on pulling movements that have effects on your shoulder, by stupid lightweight I mean like 50 lbs and maybe even 25 lbs high rep
I am not a doctor just speaking from personal experience
For a better example take the dc training movement methods and use them with light weight
For pushing movements bring it down slow and pop it up to your finish position quickly and in full control
It may seem too simple to fix things but everytime I think I'm about to get a injury or some soreness starts to form up I totally switch my training style up to something like this, oh and rub down some icy hot on them shoulders, and maybe take some beta alanine that has the tingle effect, it will help you feel that muscle group better and better isolation means less oppertunity for injury

[ryansm]

The occurrence of pain in what seems random times could be development of arthritis in the joint.

[ZiR RED]

Lets treat the cause, not the symptoms. There's a reason you are having shoulder pains. We need to figure out where it is, what it is and why it is occuring, and then work to correct it.

Performing machines over freeweights is not going to make a difference, in fact, I suggest to not use machines, especially for pressing movements. They alter the ROM, taking your joints into a differet alignment. Further, because you don't have to stabilize, your primary movers will get worked while many of your stabilization muscles will not. Do this long enough, and you will only exascberate the problem.

10bathrooms: Many people do not understand the benefits of doing a standing over head press. Those who do, often do not support the weight correctly. Far too often I see people pressing large weights, supporting the weight with their lower backs. The lower back is in excessive lordosis (arched), the pelvis is tilted anteriorly, and the shoulders and weight is behind the hips. This place all the weight onto the lower back. Try keeping your hips behind you and squeezing your glutes hard and keeping your abdominals tight while doing a standing over head press. No, you will not be able to lift as much, but you will be strengthening your core and improving form while doing so.

Br

[DerickVonD]

Lets treat the cause, not the symptoms. There's a reason you are having shoulder pains. We need to figure out where it is, what it is and why it is occuring, and then work to correct it.

Performing machines over freeweights is not going to make a difference, in fact, I suggest to not use machines, especially for pressing movements. They alter the ROM, taking your joints into a differet alignment. Further, because you don't have to stabilize, your primary movers will get worked while many of your stabilization muscles will not. Do this long enough, and you will only exascberate the problem.

10bathrooms: Many people do not understand the benefits of doing a standing over head press. Those who do, often do not support the weight correctly. Far too often I see people pressing large weights, supporting the weight with their lower backs. The lower back is in excessive lordosis (arched), the pelvis is tilted anteriorly, and the shoulders and weight is behind the hips. This place all the weight onto the lower back. Try keeping your hips behind you and squeezing your glutes hard and keeping your abdominals tight while doing a standing over head press. No, you will not be able to lift as much, but you will be strengthening your core and improving form while doing so.

Br

That could be why I never progressed passed 100 lbs with the overhead press. I eventually pulled my back and didn't workout for 5 months. I'll drop the weight by 20 lbs and focus on form and post a video up in 2 days when I do my shoulder work. Also what foot stance is easier? I usually have one leg in front of the other.

[10bathroomsO]

If you have free weights I suggest going light weight, did you get these injuries lifting weights? If so you've probably been going to heavy for your frame and you probably need more control = better form.
There's all kinds of scientific ways to explain it, but to keep it simple just find a weight that's comfertable and take about 10 lbs off of that and burn out, some people would consider this cutting exercises or whatever but building up your muscles endurance should build them back in strength and health.

[DerickVonD]

I hurt my shoulder from doing heavy upright rows.

[10bathroomsO]

True I hurt my shoulder about 3 years ago trying to bench press 300 lbs lol I got it half way up and failed about 2 days later I was in some pretty hardcore pain of course I wasn't so smart about lifting back then

[DerickVonD]

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e5...t=HPIM1254.mp4
this is me overhead pressing

[ZiR RED]

Elbows are flaired out, and you're supporting all the weight with your lumbar vertebrae. Niether is good, your elbows should be pointing forward at the bottom of the ROM, and your should try to keep a neutral back by keeping your hips behind you.

Br

[DerickVonD]

Elbows are flaired out, and you're supporting all the weight with your lumbar vertebrae. Niether is good, your elbows should be pointing forward at the bottom of the ROM, and your should try to keep a neutral back by keeping your hips behind you.

Br

I'm having trouble with pointing my elbows forward. I think I lack flexibility.

[DerickVonD]

I can't seem to bring my elbows forward, what can I do? Am I lacking flexibility? Is there any stretches I can do? I've been doing shoulder dislocations.My form looks terrible and thsi is driving me crazy. It's like I get thrown off balance when moving my elbows forward. I can not do any better than in the video I posted and I'm really frustrated. I've done presses before. I'm having trouble shifting forward at the top and bringing my elbows forward, I need help.

[David Dunn]

Pain your your body's message to stop doing what you are doing. Stop.
If you desire to preform the exercise with better form consider a seated smith rack press.

His guys elbows are a bit wide. I suggest you grip the bar with your thumbs at the point of or just slightly wider than your anterior deltoid. Press it up in front of you without flaring your elbows.

BTW - when done with proper form and concentration you are not required to use a lot of weight to grow muscle. Additionally, not everyone's skeletal mechanics are symmetrical or engineered to preform every movement. Some thing you just are not born to do without damage or pain.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...lderPress.html

[DerickVonD]

Pain your your body's message to stop doing what you are doing. Stop.
If you desire to preform the exercise with better form consider a seated smith rack press.

His guys elbows are a bit wide. I suggest you grip the bar with your thumbs at the point of or just slightly wider than your anterior deltoid. Press it up in front of you without flaring your elbows.

BTW - when done with proper form and concentration you are not required to use a lot of weight to grow muscle. Additionally, not everyone's skeletal mechanics are symmetrical or engineered to preform every movement. Some thing you just are not born to do without damage or pain. It seems if the bar is positioned at my chin I can bring my elbows forward much eaiser, but if the bar is lower than that it's hard to do.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...lderPress.html

I was able to do the press before, however I wound up adding too much weight and doign the form wrong and hurting myself, but I was able to do the exercise with good form, but not as of late. I feel I lost alot of flexibility.

[10bathroomsO]

Pain your your body's message to stop doing what you are doing. Stop.
If you desire to preform the exercise with better form consider a seated smith rack press.

His guys elbows are a bit wide. I suggest you grip the bar with your thumbs at the point of or just slightly wider than your anterior deltoid. Press it up in front of you without flaring your elbows.

BTW - when done with proper form and concentration you are not required to use a lot of weight to grow muscle. Additionally, not everyone's skeletal mechanics are symmetrical or engineered to preform every movement. Some thing you just are not born to do without damage or pain.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...lderPress.html

study these words because it took me forever to learn this useful peice of information the hard way

[DerickVonD]

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-improv...acic-mobility/
found that I wonder if it'll help

[triton185]

I am one week out of shoulder surgery. Last fall my shoulders started hurting for the first time in my life! I backed off for a while and then started just doing dbs overhead.....then had to quit doing anything overhead....then started hurting so bad at night that I had to take vicodin to sleep. I have been out of the gym since late July because it hurt to do everything! Had surgery last week and can probably be back in the gym in 2 months because I had no tendon damage.

I dropped about $3,000 for my portion of the surgery and after all is said and done will have missed 6 months in the gym and hurt like a MFer every night for months! So, looking back, taking a month off in the gym when the pain first started doesn't seem like a bad deal, maybe I still would have had to have surgery but I will never know whether taking care of it early on might have saved me....who knows. I can say this tho, no matter what, if you keep working out, it will only get worse. Take time off....100% off....even if it is 2 months, it might save you a lot of time, money and pain. Good luck

[DerickVonD]

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-improv...acic-mobility/
I noticed when I first read this article that when I lay on my back with my arms behind me, my hands touch and my wrists touch the ground but barely and my arms don't touch the ground at all, I can't even have my arms straight they're bent.