Shoulder Ache After Bench Press Max Out

[GSH13 0]

After maxing out benching today my Im experiencing an unnatural ache in my shoulder, mostly when my shoulder is at rest and Im not moving my arm. The ache didnt start until a few hours after lifting.

Im not asking for a diagnosis or anything, and I dont feel the pain is enough to make a visit to the Dr., but Im not real sure what to do about it at the moment...

Avoid using it?

Active stretching?

Ice?

Heat?

Any suggestions?

[rachael7 1]

Rest, ice, nsaids.

[markstmartin89 0]

Shoulder strain, aka doing too much to quick prolley.

just remember rice; Rest, ice, constriction, elevation

So get lots of sleep and dont use youre shoulder/arm alot, ice on for 20 minutes, then off for 40 minutes, then repeat, constriction is using medical tape or an arm wrap, its harder with the shoulder you'll be fine without it. Elevation is when youre off the ice for 40 minutes, keep your arm elevated higher than heart level.

[Scotty 8]

As Rachael said: Rest and NSAIDs (stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen Sodium.

The bench press can put a tremendous strain on the shoulders, especially if it isn't being done correctly. Seems by watching the lift that it should be fairly straightforward, but it isn't. Look up some information or Youtube videos by Mark Rippetoe, who is an incredible authority on the bench press (as well as deadlifting and squatting).

Also, don't necessarily worry about maxes. Maxing yourself out is a good way to end up how you did. Just worry about progression and meeting your goals. I hurt my left acromioclavicular joint a couple years ago trying to bench more than I should have and it still gives me issues. Just trying to do too much weight in general has left both my shoulders messed up. You have to walk the fine line between lifting heavy and using too much weight.

[GSH13 0]

Training camp starts in twenty days so Im hoping this is a pretty quick process. Im planning on no lifting or hockey for a week and icing all week long.

Then hopefully the ache will be going away and I thought Id ease into some reallyy light rotator cuff and shoulder stuff. And starting to get back into stickhandling and off ice condition work.

Should I be planning on giving myself more time to recover?

Training camp starts in twenty days so Im hoping this is a pretty quick process. Im planning on no lifting or hockey for a week and icing all week long.

Then hopefully the ache will be going away and I thought Id ease into some reallyy light rotator cuff and shoulder stuff. And starting to get back into stickhandling and off ice condition work.

Should I be planning on giving myself more time to recover?

[greech 4]

Training camp starts in twenty days so Im hoping this is a pretty quick process. Im planning on no lifting or hockey for a week and icing all week long.

Then hopefully the ache will be going away and I thought Id ease into some reallyy light rotator cuff and shoulder stuff. And starting to get back into stickhandling and off ice condition work.

Should I be planning on giving myself more time to recover?

Training camp starts in twenty days so Im hoping this is a pretty quick process. Im planning on no lifting or hockey for a week and icing all week long.

Then hopefully the ache will be going away and I thought Id ease into some reallyy light rotator cuff and shoulder stuff. And starting to get back into stickhandling and off ice condition work.

Should I be planning on giving myself more time to recover?

I'm no doctor, and I'm not going to tell you what to do. But I would advise, if it changes from a soreness to a burning, go get it checked out. I tore my rotator cuff and ignored the burn thinking it was minor, boy was I wrong.

[SirJW 207]

When you sleep put a pillow under your shoulder through your arm pit and on your chest it will help elevate it.

[Trooper 8]

Couple things. One, as mentioned, skip the max and go to a 3-rep max instead. It's better for those who don't have a lot of experience. Two, make sure your elbows aren't flaring when you bench, that puts a lot of stress on the shoulders. Elbows should be about 45 degrees out, not 90. Bringing the bar lower on your chest helps here.

Do all of the above for recovery, but active recovery (light weight, high reps) can help with blood flow and recovery as well.

[GSH13 0]

Thanks for all the tips. Its already feeling a ton better so Im planning on moving into some 'active recovery' like mentioned before around the end of the week.

In retrospect maxing out was a horrible idea. Ive had my wrist broken twice in the past year so really havent been able to do a whole lot of upper body lifting until about two months ago. I started high rep for the first month or so and have been lifting in the 3-5 rep area for the past couple weeks.

I guess I got a little excited and tried to test the 'one rep max calculator'. I got it up....but not without consequences ha.

[Jason Harris 31]

I haven't tried maxing out in over twenty years. I was so eager to push up the weight that day that my back was literally about a foot off the bench, which ended up straining my back for at least a few days. That was probably the first time I had tried to max in about five years, but it was such a round number -- 200 pounds -- that I let my friend talk me into it. But, even though I weigh fifty pounds more and can bench more, so what? There are still guys my weight that could bench a few hundreds pounds more than me; their bodies are just designed better for benching (or squatting or whatever).

The point is it's too easy to strain something with bad form while trying to max out. Just work out with good form and intensity, and soon yesterday's max becomes today's rep workout.

[skyscrape 5]

Have you taken any antibiotics lately? Like Cipro or Avelox? If so these come with a black box label due to causing severe tendonitis and sometimes rupture. I have some friends on a strongman forum who have been crippled by these antibiotics.

[GSH13 0]

Nope, no antibiotics. Ignorance and being over anxious are the only causes of this warlock.

[skyscrape 5]

Not good, but good! Is it feeling better?

[GSH13 0]

Not good, but good! Is it feeling better?

Definitely feeling a lot better. Only concern is a click and 'loose' feeling when rotating my arm. Im going to do some rotator cuff exercises throughout the next week and hopefully it tightens up.