Give Pain the Cold Shoulder

The following tips for overcoming shoulder injury can help you make a strong comeback

Shoulder injuries are one of the most common ailments. The reason being the shoulder's complex structure and musculature. As a ball-and-socket joint, the shoulder is highly versatile and has a wide range of motion. It's versatility makes it especially vulnerable.

If you find yourself experiencing shoulder pain during a workout, stop immediately. Do not attempt to train through the pain. Go home. Rest, apply ice for swelling [5 minutes on | 5 minutes off] and heat for pain.

Once feeling healthy enough to return to the gym, start by taking a step back and assessing possible causes for the pain. Chances are you're putting your shoulders under too much stress, making it only a matter of time before you're back on the couch alternating between heat and ice on your shoulder.

Here are some post-injury training tips to support building strong shoulders while avoiding future injury.

Warm Up Properly

A warm up doesn't have to be a lengthy process. Start with a few minutes of light cardio to get the heart rate up and blood flowing.

Followed by some rubber band work that mimics the pressing and pulling movements you'll be doing during your workout, such as overhead presses, front raises, and band pull-aparts.

Finish with some dynamic stretches to loosen tight muscles and induce mobility.

Stop Ignoring the Rotator Cuff

Too many shoulder routines focus almost entirely on the deltoid while leaving the rotator cuff out of the equation. The rotator cuff consists of four (4) muscles and their attached tendons that keep the shoulder joint in place and assist with a range or arm movements. When these muscles are not properly trained, the tendons can become overworked, leading to inflammation and acute pain.

Common rotator cuff exercises include internal and external rotations, weighted pendulum circles, and straight arm pull-downs.

Decrease the Weight and Focus on Form

Some body parts were made for pile-on-the-plates, no-holds-barred training.

Shoulders are definitely not on that list. In fact, there's a good chance that going too heavy is what aggravated your shoulder in the first place.

Check your ego at the door and shuffle down the weight rack as much as 10-15 pounds or even more. Doing a set of reasonable amount of weight for 12 clean reps may not make for the flashiest social media post, but it will keep your shoulders healthy.

*Credit to: Alex Zakrezewski; The Best Body Guide; vol 4,strongfitnessmag.com