Shoulder rehab for bench press

[Blaine-O]

I suffered a shoulder injury while bench pressing last summer, and took 2 months completely off of benching. For the last few months I have been consistently rehabbing and getting stronger and feeling better all the time. I can do most all lifts with no pain, but when I start to go a bit heavier with the bench press I get some discomfort and stiffness in the area of the injury. It's not the sharp pain that I had before. How much discomfort and stiffness is a normal part of rehab? I have no problem working through the pain, I just don't want to end up back at square one. I really want to get back at benching heavy again.

[Travis Bell]

You need to describe the injury and what area it's in before anyone can give useful information.

[Blaine-O]

It feels like the delt, right where it transitions into the trap. On the very front so it almost seems like the upper pec area too. If I run my finger outward along my clavicle, as soon as I hit muscle that is the spot. When I was having a lot of pain, it would hurt when I was benching and any time I would raise my arm above shoulder height.

[Murderous]

Are you referring to the ac joint?

[Stonecutter]

Hard to pinpoint the area based on what you're describing, but I tore my labrum earlier this year and sounds like that is a possibility. If you've been resting and rehabbing at/over 6 months as it seems, probably time to see a doctor if it hasn't gone away.

[Blaine-O]

Murderous - I'm not sure if it is the ac joint. I have watched some youtube videos on it and it sounds possible though. It is right in that area.

Stonecutter - I have been considering going to the doc for awhile. If I can't work through this by the end of Feb. I will prob. cave in and make an apt.. Hows the labrum? Did you tear it benching?

[Travis Bell]

hit it with a lacrosse ball and see what happens.

[theBarzeen]

LaX ball works wonders.... you could always add in some rehab exercises for the rotator and shoulder as well..... but my money is on "go see a doctor".... at least you will know what it is and know if you can work around it or what.

[Blaine-O]

Thanks guys. I will be trying what you recommend.

[vdizenzo]

What do you do to warmup prior to training?

[Blaine-O]

vdizenzo - For the last couple months I have been doing a bunch of band work that I found on youtube that George Halbert was using for rehab with a guy named Dr. Ryan. He calls it circumduction, and also internal and external rotation. Then I'll move on to some straight arm pull-overs and then some bicep curls with uppercut. All of these with monster minis for at least 30-40 reps for all movements.

It takes awhile, but I feel good after it all. It's once I start to go heavy that I start to feel tight, and I have some discomfort. I don't want to make it worse but I realize that I'm probably going to have to work through some degree of pain.