Bench Press Problem

[smitsky]

I am a Masters Powerlifter who competes in the WNPF & USAPL (so far).

I am trying to heal my shoulder. It's been bothering me when I bench for a couple of years. I am doing Rotator Cuff exercises, and I'm not sure if I have any kind of a tear. I'm not going to get an MRI, so I'll probably never know.

When I bench full ROM Raw, this is what happens: my training partner keeps letting me know that the bar is uneven when I get somewhere around mid-range in my decent. I think it's pain in my left shoulder that makes me turn the bar. When I press the bar up, it remains uneven. He's an experienced and knowlegable lifter. He think that I have to work on and correct this problem before I can make any serious gains.

I recently hit 245 X 1 in the Floor Press and 225 X 1 in the Incline Press, but missed a 255 X 1 Bench Press.

I would appreciate your input if you can think of anything.

Thanks.

[drew]

When is there pain? All the time? At a certain point in the press? Throughout the press? Is there pain when doing incline press? Overhead press? Anything else?

If it's that bad, why won't you get an MRI? Have you considered physical therapy?

[smitsky]

When is there pain? All the time? At a certain point in the press? Throughout the press? Is there pain when doing incline press? Overhead press? Anything else?

If it's that bad, why won't you get an MRI? Have you considered physical therapy?

I have pain in the left shoulder all during warmups. Sometimes I can get the pain to subside by warming up enough. I take Ibuprofen pre-workout, and that often helps. When it doesn't, I have to work my way through the pain for my whole ME and assistance session.

I have less pain with Incline and Overhead press, but the pain is still there.

While my insurance plan will pay for Physical Therapy, it will be hard to get them to pay for an MRI. I guess if I really pushed for it (the MRI) I could get one. So, I guess the answer is time and financial constraints.

I would love to be able to correct the problem without having to go to a doctor or a PT

[NASAKYCHAIRMAN]

Welcome to WBB Forum!!

I suggest:
1. Go see a sports medicine doctor(MRI)
2. Ice your shoulder
3. Rubbing anti-inflammatory ointment
4. Extra strength NSAID or get a prescribition
5. Variety of shoulder rehab exercises
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00067
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_shldsep_rex.htm
6. Joint supplement
7. Omega 3-fatty acids

How to Do Isometric Rotator Cuff Exercises

1. Stand sideways along a wall with your elbow at a 90-degree angle.

2. Place the outside of your forearm against the wall.

3. Press into the wall, contracting your muscles for 5 seconds, but don't move your shoulder. Repeat five times.

4. Turn around and place the inside of your forearm against the wall; repeat the isometric exercise.


GEORGE HALBERT ROTATOR/REAR DELT EXERCISE

Video

[ehubbard]

If you are going to see a PT, make sure they are very knoweldgeable in rehabbing lifters with shoulder issues. A lot of PTs arent worth a dam so see if you can get a referral from someone who has been "fixed" by someone. If you have already done lots of rotator strengthening exercises, than the problem could be related to mobility. You may want to get acquanited with the foam roller (especially in your upper back, lats and pecs) as well as roll your rotator musculature on a lacrosse ball. There are also a bunch of mobility drills you can implement as part of your warmup:

Reach Roll and Lift
Thoracic Extension Rotation
Quadraped Extension Rotation
Band Pullaparts
Broomstick Pec Stretch
Scap Pushups

These have helped me immensely. The foam rolling and the mobility drills take up about 5 minutes.

[drew]

I would stop taking the ibuprofen, it's probably not doing anything at this point anyway. A better option would be fish oil and glucosamine/chondroitin.

Get some blue heat and/or capsaicin and put it on before you warm up.

Do your rotator cuff work first on every training day (even lower body days). My warmup is something like this:
Band traction: http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=38542&tid=115 http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=38541&tid=115 http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=38567&tid=115
Rotations (the regular stuff you already do)
And then OH press with a bar for 25-50 reps. I come down just to where the pain starts, then press. By the time I get to 20 reps I can bring the bar all the way to my chest. This one has helped a lot.
Bench: barx10-15 for 1-5 sets

Then I'm ready to go.

You can also try YWTL complex for your warmup:
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=39012&tid=115
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=39015&tid=115
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=39014&tid=115
http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.a...=39016&tid=115

After lifting, I do
Seated rear lat raises
Seated dumbell cleans: http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/default.asp?qid=4109&tid=106
These are done with fairly light weights (less than 20 lbs)

Also, lots of ice after you lift.

[smitsky]

Welcome to WBB Forum!!

I suggest:
1. Go see a sports medicine doctor(MRI)
2. Ice your shoulder
3. Rubbing anti-inflammatory ointment
4. Extra strength NSAID or get a prescribition
5. Variety of shoulder rehab exercises
6. Joint supplement
7. Omega 3-fatty acids

How to Do Isometric Rotator Cuff Exercises

1. Stand sideways along a wall with your elbow at a 90-degree angle.

2. Place the outside of your forearm against the wall.

3. Press into the wall, contracting your muscles for 5 seconds, but don't move your shoulder. Repeat five times.

4. Turn around and place the inside of your forearm against the wall; repeat the isometric exercise.

Thanks J. T.

I appreciate the suggestions!

I have done 2, 3, 4, 6 & 7, and will look into, and work on 5 from your list of suggestions.

I'll do the Isometric Rotator Cuff Exercises, and try the one George Halbert is doing in the video.

[smitsky]

If you are going to see a PT, make sure they are very knoweldgeable in rehabbing lifters with shoulder issues. A lot of PTs arent worth a dam so see if you can get a referral from someone who has been "fixed" by someone. If you have already done lots of rotator strengthening exercises, than the problem could be related to mobility. You may want to get acquanited with the foam roller (especially in your upper back, lats and pecs) as well as roll your rotator musculature on a lacrosse ball. There are also a bunch of mobility drills you can implement as part of your warmup:

Reach Roll and Lift
Thoracic Extension Rotation
Quadraped Extension Rotation
Band Pullaparts
Broomstick Pec Stretch
Scap Pushups

These have helped me immensely. The foam rolling and the mobility drills take up about 5 minutes.

Thank you very much ehubbard.

Well, since if I did see a PT, it would have to one that was covered by my insurance plan. I think the probability of getting one that knew anything about helping lifters with shoulder issues might be low

I really have to get more familiar with the foam roller. I know it's a really helpful device, but I find it awkward to work with. I think my upper back, lats, and pecs would be helped a lot from using this thing properly in those areas.

I do band pullaparts, but I don't currently do them as a warmup exercise. I will start doing them.

I'm not familiar with the other mobility drills you mentioned. Let's see if I can find out more about them.

[Notorious]

You said ibuprofen preworkout often helps. Try taking 4-5 split throughout the day for a couple weeks and see what happens (assuming they are standard dosage).

[smitsky]

I would stop taking the ibuprofen, it's probably not doing anything at this point anyway. A better option would be fish oil and glucosamine/chondroitin.

Get some blue heat and/or capsaicin and put it on before you warm up.

Do your rotator cuff work first on every training day (even lower body days). My warmup is something like this:
Band traction:...
Rotations (the regular stuff you already do)
And then OH press with a bar for 25-50 reps. I come down just to where the pain starts, then press. By the time I get to 20 reps I can bring the bar all the way to my chest. This one has helped a lot.
Bench: barx10-15 for 1-5 sets

Then I'm ready to go.

You can also try YWTL complex for your warmup:
...

After lifting, I do
Seated rear lat raises
Seated dumbell cleans:...
These are done with fairly light weights (less than 20 lbs)

Also, lots of ice after you lift.

Thanks a lot drew.

That's some interesting information. I'll work on implementing it.

[smitsky]

You said ibuprofen preworkout often helps. Try taking 4-5 split throughout the day for a couple weeks and see what happens (assuming they are standard dosage).

Thank you Notorious.

That is a good idea. I may try that. Thanks.

5 X 200 mg (standard dosage) = 1000 mg.

It would be interesting to see how my body reacts to that.

When I get into trouble with a back spasm, as I get on occasion, I take 2000 mg / day as an anti-inflamitory.

[waynedang]

Have you seen a good chiro? Get one that knows ART it may help.

http://www.activerelease.com/

[smitsky]

Have you seen a good chiro? Get one that knows ART it may help.

...

Thanks waynedang.

No, I have not seen a good Chiropractor.

I went to one that my insurance covered last fall when I had a nasty case of Sciatica, and subsequent nerve damage.

After telling me that she thought I had bulged a disc, and wanted me to get an MRI, she went ahead and adjusted me. My friend who is a trainer and is pretty knowledgable, thought that this could have further damaged me, and recommended that I not go back. I took his advice.

Thanks for the link. I'd love to find a Chiropractor who both used this method and accepted my insurance. Let me see if I can find one.

I'd like to try the Egoscue Method as well.