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Shoulder pain... need to change routine?

Houston-Heather Posts: 6 Joined: 2003/07/25	2003/07/27, 12:51 AM Hi Gang! This is my first post...last year I weighed 220. I was very determined to lose my fat and began stepping on a cinderblock! Eventually I got some decent equipment (cardio and very basic weight bench with leg curl/extension), have dropped 55 pounds thanks to low-carb diet and major exercise. I do a lot of cross-training on my cardio (run/walk, bike, step, fake health rider) to prevent injuries. I do about 2 hours weights and 4 hours cardio a week on average. When I do my lateral raises, I get a click - I have noticed that my shoulder is getting sore (joint, not muscle) post-workout. I am racking my brain trying to remember if lateral raises are bad? I do most of the exercises with 8-10 pound dumbells, 2 sets of 10-15 reps each. I go to failure on the second set. I am very very careful about proper form (had a big problem with Chondromalacia in my left knee when I was fat). Anyway, these are the shoulder exercises in my routine: Arm Circles to warm up Lateral raises Sitting overhead press "Arnold" press Rear deltoid dumbell fly (only 5 pounds on this) Bent over rows (20 pound dumbell!) When I get to the chest part of my workout I do chest flys and chest presses, which I know also involve some shoulder. I do them flat and inclined. I use dumbells for the flys and incline press, and the barbell for the flat presses. As it stands now, I would drop the chest & shoulders part of my routine before I'd risk injuring myself. I am THE sole caregiver for a very disabled husband and I can't afford to be sidelined. Any tips? I am already taking antioxidants, glucosamine/MSM, and ginger root (anti-inflammatory). I cannot afford to wreck my shoulder as I have to do lifting/pushing DH in his wheelchair. -------------- I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
plfitness Posts: 198 Joined: 2003/05/25	2003/07/27, 02:14 AM Usually with a shoulder problem there can be various muscular inbalances that can cause discomfort when training & previous injuries usually leave behind some kind of inbalance. What hapens is that a particular muscle is stronger than the one opposing it & the joint at the soulder is pulled towards the stronger muscle & out of its natural or optimal position. Personally I have never had an injury in my shoulders but I have spent some time correcting cronic shoulder impingements in my shoulders that was caused by years of inproper training & poor posture that had caused a severe amount of pain & dramatically hindered my training. I found that only certain exercises aggrivated the condition so I isolated the painfull movements I focused on the opposite of those movements & that seemed to help quite a bit. To give some examples I found that performing front raises & dips were quite painfull so I focused on pullovers & a variation of one arm rows to where the body was only tilted about 30 degrees foward instead of the usual 90 degree angle. -------------- \"Knowledge & persistence is all one needs to succeed" ---Patrick L.
Houston-Heather Posts: 6 Joined: 2003/07/25	2003/07/27, 04:48 PM Thank you! I will really sit down with my books and figure out a more balanced routine, what you've said makes a LOT of sense...for one thing right now I can see I need to really work on my rear deltoid fly. I will add some pullovers, maybe get a pullup/chinning bar for home. Next month I plan to join a basic local gym (No BS, no hassles, no extra fees, really -just- $25 a month which I pay for internet access), and get access to more than just my dumbells. From what I read the lateral pulldown machines are a lot better than dumbell lateral raises. I can also maybe get the personal trainer to check my form and routine...I would hate to wreck a joint right now with Ron injured. BTW, he is a great workout buddy. I push him in the wheelchair when I run and he eggs me on. LOL Thanks again! (((Hug))) -------------- I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13