Weightlifting is one of the best ways to improve your physical and mental health. If you have pain while weightlifting, it will reduce your physical success and lead to frustration. Pain with weightlifting can turn chronic and cause you to forgo exercise which would hinder your healthy lifestyle. We are here today to help fix your pain so you can continue weightlifting and living the life you want to.
What Is Causing The Pain?
The shoulder is a complex ball and socket joint that moves in 6 different directions: flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation.
When lifting weights the main three movements utilized in the shoulder are flexion, abduction, and external rotation (as seen in bench press, shoulder press, and lateral raises). When we continuously repeat the same movements of our shoulder, our muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons become either overworked or overstretched. The overused muscles become tight and cause pain while the overstretched muscles cause weakness and instability of the shoulder. In order to keep the shoulder joint healthy, all ranges of motion should be utilized on a daily basis. Utilizing all motions helps restore function of the joint and inhibits the muscles from becoming improperly used.
Stability Vs. Mobility
Your joints are classified on a spectrum of stability and mobility. The more mobility their is in a joint, the less stability. The more stability, the less mobility. Think of a person that does yoga as someone that has outstanding mobility and think of a 300 lb NFL football player as a model of stability. A mobile joint can move freely in all 6 directions, but is prone to injury due to lack of strength. A stable joint is strong and sturdy but is prone to the loss of motion in specific directions. The goal is to have a perfect blend of mobility and stability so that our shoulders move well while being strong in every range of motion.
If you would categorize your shoulder as having more stability than more mobility, the first job for you to do would be find out which of the 6 motions of the shoulder you lack the most and load your shoulder repetitively in that motion. If you categorize your shoulder as being more mobile than stable, work to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder. The shoulder joint is natural mobile, so for most people there is a lack of stability/strength in the back of the shoulder. Strengthen the back of your shoulder, where your rotator cuff muscles are, to prevent injury so you can continue weightlifting and living an active and healthy lifestyle. If you need help, talk to one of the chiropractors at The Hart Wellness Center about how you can better stabilize or mobilize your shoulder.
If you would categorize your shoulder as having more stability than more mobility, the first job for you to do would be find out which of the 6 motions of the shoulder you lack the most and load your shoulder repetitively in that motion. If you categorize your shoulder as being more mobile than stable, work to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder. The shoulder joint is natural mobile, so for most people there is a lack of stability/strength in the back of the shoulder. Strengthen the back of your shoulder, where your rotator cuff muscles are, to prevent injury so you can continue weightlifting and living an active and healthy lifestyle. If you need help, talk to one of the chiropractors at The Hart Wellness Center about how you can better stabilize or mobilize your shoulder.
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