work those rotator cuffs!!!

[LATS]

i just got back from the doc. i have not been able to touch a weight, except for legs, in two weeks. my left shoulder was killing me. i was doing flys (which i never do except on this day) and i heard a crunching sound when i finished my last rep. my shoulder joint tightened a bit but, no real pain. i went ahead and hit my delts that day with overhead smith machine press and machine press. i finished with side laterals. that night i noticed pain was starting to set in but, took some aleve and went to bed. the next morning...OH BROTHA. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? as the day went on it fekt better and i decided that i could probably hit back and rear delts.i usually wait a day but, had schedule conflicts. the back work did not hurt much and the rear delt work was fine. i went home and iced i and thought all was fine. well, that was two weeks ago and i literally had a hard time moving the thing at all for about two weeks. i finally went to my ortho this morning. i went through a series of tests to see if the rotator was actually affected. when it came time to see if the rotator was out of balance in terms of strength. it was very out of whack...if a person can bench 300lbs he should be able to do the lying rotator extension with 35 pounds for 8 reps. well, if a guy can bench over 400..well you do the math. needless to say i could not do the required weight. i then had my mri which i will get the results later this week. the doc feels that i have a slight tear and feels that rehab is the best option. so i am off for another two weeks and need to strengthen my rotators. he stated that it is a common imbalance that many weight lifters mistake for tendonitis. dont make that mistake!!! once a rotator is blown, it is a slow recovery.

 

[saint808]

I had a grade 2 tear and my doc told me that grade 4 is the really bad one that requires surgery... i always work them with light weights now doing some physical therapy movements they taught me. It occasionally still hurts too which sucks because i always get scared when it does.

 

[w8's]

good luck healing bro.

 

[LATS]

thanks and have a good holiday guys!!

 

[NubianBeauty]

What are some good rotator cuff exercises?

 

[boing]

I don't know if this is the best one, but I do a standing lateral at about 45 degrees to the front, and use one of those pink or purple dumbells.

It seemed to strengthen up my rotators.

Boing "the English_Bulldog"

 

[Mr_Magoo]

shoulder horn is a godsend, i know a few good others if u guys care, just ask

 

[LATS]

i agree with magoo, the shoulder horn is a valuable tool. they are advertised in all the muscle mags. i have one at home and when at the gym i do a variety of rotator movements....now. i learned the hard way.

 

[xcelbeyond]

shoulder horn is a godsend, i know a few good others if u guys care, just ask

Can you provide more info?

xcel

 

[Crowler]

Can you provide more info?

xcel

http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=shoulder+horn

 

[Mr_Magoo]

to get the shoulder horn id just do a search, i think i ordered mine from an ad in planet muscle. but the other exercises, go to t-mag.com where charles poliquin used to write for them, theres an article called achieving structural balance in which he lists some good exercises, also t-mags article strong and healthy shoulders gives some good exercises ive tried

 

[dragonfire101]

the best book out for rotator with picture of exercises is called "the 7 minute rotator cuff solution". its around $12. i do the routine in the book and it suggest get a shoulder horn which i have too and incooperate into my rotator cuff program.

i had a partial tear accupuncture helped increase healing(3 sessions) and had my chiropractor do some ART type stuff with it.

took about a good month and then i was lifting moderatley again and after 2 heavy with the above program.

before i tied the above i had a partial tear, had cortisone shot ,physical therapy for 3 months off and on and the doc suggested arthroscopic. what a waste of 3 months. go the alternative route.

 

[maddog]

Good luck with the rotator cuff man, I had surgery in November of 2001 and still feel it today. I have to say its much better but probably only 95%. The recovery is a long frusterating road....

Hope you make out ok!!!

 

[raybravo]

well u dont really really need that machine , use a dumbell, if u want to work ur left rotary cuff , put ur left leg up on the bench , left eldow on ur knee and u can do that exercise , thats what i do . i started doing this after reading that charles poliquins article , acheiving structural balance .

 

[xcelbeyond]

These are good ones that I actually did during therapy: **broken link removed**

xcel

 

[raybravo]

thanx xcel , that second exercise in that link u provoided seemed to me to be the most benefitial one ...

 

[Mako]

Rotator Cuff Excercises

I had the same problems mentioned, the pain damn near debilitated me totally. I went to my Sports Medicine guy and he showed me some excercies and also gave me a length of rubber tubing, i use it before any pressing movements and also on shoulder day. It has made a great deal of difference, I also kept a buddy of mine from having to have surgery by showing him some of the excercises. Look up some info on Jobes Excercises it is what i used and they are for baseball pitchers. Hard to believe how much more weight you can press when you have strengthened your rotator cuffs.


Mako

 

[Jungle Girl]

Rotator cuff muscles are a group of muscles where the tendons blend at their attachments to strengthen joint and prevent disclocation.

A lot of the problems people have comes from the fact that 2 very strong muscles (pecs, lats) rotate the humerus medially(inwards or internally) but there are only small muscles to rotate it laterally(outwards or externally) and help hold the arm in the joint (infraspinatus, teres minor, supraspinatus, and subscapularis). So it's very easy to create a massive imbalance in muscle strength around the area, which of course leads to the likelyhood of injury.

The exercises shown in xcel's link are good but you can go further and do a wider variety of angles, both standing upright and leaning forward, and concentrate on the outward movement .
Also using an elastic band is good if you tie it to an upright and do the same movements.

 

[NY Muscle]

This is one of the most common mistakes/misinformation, too many people do basic "rotator cuff" exercises, meanwhile they are only working the small muscles and negelected the larger/more important muscles (sorry the names escape me)..

shoulder horn type movements is one that is real common but you should also lay down on your side and work one side at a time..rasing the DB from your weist level to hip level... its not the weight but more the slow control reps that is more important. also do some front laterals with your thumb facing up as if you are giving someone a thumbs up... that is some good delt/rotator cuff rehab.. bands are ok too... tie a band behind you and on a low level like calf height...then walk a few feet forward than take one band per side per time and do the same thing with thumb facing up...

one exercise you wont see anyone doing since it looks so stupid...and this may be more for rear delt than rotator.. but this is an integral part if you want to have a strong bench... .. it kinda looks like a concentration curl but you stand one foot flat on floor.. on foot on bench with knee bent...put your right elbow and place it inbetween your keen and hip bone (right in middle of thigh) and with your hand in a pronated position start at bottom and QUICKLY bring weight up and then SLOWLY (4 seconds) let the weight go down slow... then again QUICKLY bring the weight up...and down slow

my ART specialist taught me this... he works with milos sarcev and is also very close with Charles Poliquin whom I think taught him how to do this.



actually now that i saw Xcel's link...thos are all good rotator cuff exercises.

also try using the Ergonometer and warm up with that for 5 min or so before each workout.

 

[sentrex]

Just Had Surgery

You guys are on the right track. I did rotator cuff exercises on and off (mostly off) and never really took 'em seriously. Well I am typing this one handed after haveing open shoulder surgery last Wed. Do yourself the favor and take the 10 minutes to take care of those shoulders. I can't lift at all for 4 months, can't lift heavy for at leat 6 months

It is more depressing then coming off of a gram a week and losing your stripper bi-sexual girlfriend