Tdeck81
Banned
Upright rows are my new go to shoulder excercise. I get a good pump and only minor inflammation
MESO-Rx
Anabolic Steroids
Eliminating shoulder presses?
- Thread starter Tdeck81
- Start date
Oh really that's good to know, I was honestly a little skeptical. Is it mostly front delt or side as well? Sounds like your shoulder can handle it so that is encouraging. Mine is pissed today after a bunch of flat and incline volume this morning.
Tdeck81
Banned
Mainly mid and rear delts for me but also hits the traps pretty well too. Shrugs never seemed to activate my whole trap like the rows. To be honest I've always been partial to cable upright rows. Once I got my form locked in it became one of the most satisfying exercises to perform. The front, at least for now, gets hit sufficiently with front raises and chest day to stay in balance.
Closest I do to upright rows is using a rope on the cable machine. It works quite well
I'm 61 and no spring chicken anymore as already had an Achilles tendon tear last year not to mention the right shoulder now getting kind of crackly crunchy after the beating I gave my shoulders over the years!
Tdeck81
Banned
Never done them with a rope attachment. Going to give it a shot on my next workout.
First I stopped worrying about how strong I was and more on actually working the chest muscles.
To start I pre-fatigue the muscle. I use an Anvil pec fly machine. At first bringing the elbows together straightening arms and then hugging a tree for more reps. I use perfect form using a slow negative, stretching and holding at the bottom, and squeezing hard at the top.
Second exercise is an incline machine press. Lately Hammer Strength. We are all stronger at the end of range. To get a harder contraction I attach mini bands to the handles and the plate holder. This adds around 100lb up top. Again perfect form.
Third exercise varies depending on what I need to work on or I’ll take it out all together if not on growth phase or feeling good.
Remember this is about bodybuilding not powerlifting.
The reason i am not a fan of upright rows is when the humorous rotates forward it puts the glenohumeral joint in a position that is less ideal. And in the end it just mimics the lateral raise but with both hands at the same time. But in a worse position for the shoulders. Especially the closer the hands are together. Causing more wear, which old worn out shoulders don't need. I used to use a chain with handles on each end so i could keep my shoulders in a better position, with my elbows going up and away from the centerline of the body. But would still end up with my shoulders hunched farther forward causing more impingement in the front of the shoulders.
bob357sig
Member
Most of my shoulder issues went away when I reversed the order of my delt exercises. Instead of starting with my main exercise, standing overhead presses, I now do all the isolation exercises first ( side lateral raises, reverse flys, exc ) then I finish with the standing ohp. Little humbling at first not being able to press as much weight but after a few weeks of doing it like this I started noticing new growth in my delts, and a lot less pain. Only other exercise I gave up on was flat barbell bench, they are probably the actual culprit of my shoulder issues to begin with. I still like the bar, i just switched to decline instead of flat, somehow they don’t bother my shoulders . I do the standing ohp on the smith machine, at 5’8 inch im short enough to be able to get to full extension without hitting the top.
Tdeck81
Banned
The mind set is definitely part of my problem. I was never overly concerned with aesthetics because I never had the intention of competing. If I had to choose a category in my youth, I would have said power lifter.
Today I am solely interested in overall health and aesthetics. But honestly I don’t think I’ve fully accepted this 100%
Tdeck81
Banned
Being honest…I’ve always considered most of those excercises as supporting or secondary excercises. I have to adjust my thinking and push them into the forefront of my workout like you have. Regardless of how the Dr appointment goes, it’s probably time I reevaluate how I workout.
When you switch the manner of training you will be “weaker”, especially in the big lifts. In time new muscle will come and overall you will be stronger.
Tdeck81
Banned
Update: just saw a Rothman orthopedic doctor today. He said I should do a full replacement and my age should not deter me. He said after healing from surgery there would be no restrictions/limits for physical activity.
I opted for a more conservative approach though. He suggested a debridement and reanchoring the bicep in another location to reduce strain on the joint. If there isn’t sufficient pain relief I could always surgically address the ac joint too and/or full replacement.
I explained I had reasonable expectations for this procedure and am hoping to get another 5 years, give or take, before full replacement. I think it’s worth the gamble. Thanks for all the help guys
I opted for a more conservative approach though. He suggested a debridement and reanchoring the bicep in another location to reduce strain on the joint. If there isn’t sufficient pain relief I could always surgically address the ac joint too and/or full replacement.
I explained I had reasonable expectations for this procedure and am hoping to get another 5 years, give or take, before full replacement. I think it’s worth the gamble. Thanks for all the help guys
That's great thanks for the update man. What does the rehab time look like from the procedure you chose?
Tdeck81
Banned
The doctor was “guesstimating” 3 months, I assume it’s because of how advanced the arthritis is. My recovery from labrum tears was about the same duration. He said recovery time for the full replacement would be the quickest and easiest, which kind of surprised me.
If I had this issue I'd steer clear of the DB's for pressing and experiment with some machines to see if I could find some positions that allow a good stimulus with no pain, or chance of futher injury. Hope it heals well for you.
Tdeck81
Banned
The problem is I work out in my home basement gym and I utilize dumbbells for all my presses. I actually got rid of my straight bar and bench setup because the dumbells allowed for different “lift angles” that were easier on my joints. Not to mention limited space. After My procedure, if it’s still an issue, i could join a cheap local gym. I appreciate the tip though.
That's just what I would do because your shoulders are unique in how many plane of motion they move through. Although in a press you are creating tention you are obviously not going through all of them. A machine could stabilize the weight and allow the focus to go where it's not causing pain or exasperating injury. DB's force your body to activate more of the muscle and if you don't execute a perfect movement pattern, they can shift force to areas that are of issue.
I've tweaked a shoulder doing heavy DB presses with healthy shoulders. I'd avoid the complications of free weights when dealing with, or recovering from significant injury. Machines are amazing for hypertrophy without complications if you need them.
Ateam2023
Member
some of these machines are so smooth and execute the proper planes and angles , i also like the stability i get from some of these plate loaded hammer strength machines, and i have serious shoulder injuries currently, so they have been my saving grace,,
