Need help modifying stronglifts for two weeks while evaluating a shoulder injury

[Jessicatmt]

I just started doing Stronglifts a couple weeks ago, but I visited a PT yesterday for some pain and popping in my right shoulder. She recommended I stay away from anything that uses my arms and shoulders for two weeks before we determine if I need to go back to my doctor and get an MRI. Specifically she said I should stay away from bench presses and shoulder presses. She said squats should be okay (after I looked disappointed at having to suspend my progress), and that anything like bicep curls and tricep kickbacks were okay (though I don't usually do those).

My question is: What are some exercises you all would do with those limitations? The main problem is anything that requires that my elbow be above my head or behind my body. I don't want to lose any progress, but I also don't want to be out for even longer!

Thanks in advance.

[Flatsnap]

I just started doing Stronglifts a couple weeks ago, but I visited a PT yesterday for some pain and popping in my right shoulder. She recommended I stay away from anything that uses my arms and shoulders for two weeks before we determine if I need to go back to my doctor and get an MRI. Specifically she said I should stay away from bench presses and shoulder presses. She said squats should be okay (after I looked disappointed at having to suspend my progress), and that anything like bicep curls and tricep kickbacks were okay (though I don't usually do those).

My question is: What are some exercises you all would do with those limitations? The main problem is anything that requires that my elbow be above my head or behind my body. I don't want to lose any progress, but I also don't want to be out for even longer!

Thanks in advance.

Not to be a smartass, but hows bout stronglifts minus the exercises that your doctor says not to do?

[rtalencar]

How long have you been doing StrongLifts?

[Waldo]

As someone who has a similar issue (minus the doctor), I worked through it for at least two months trying to work around it and manage it. I tried to pinpoint movements that aggravated it and those that didn't, pretty unsuccessfully.

Eventually I decided to bite the bullet and let my progress go, and move on to different movements that don't aggravate it. Since then, and doing a lot of rehab, I've made a lot of progress and I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Things I've cut out:

- Static handstand work, with the exception of a single wall handstand during my warmup

- Pullups, however I still do chins, they don't bother it nearly as much, amazing what a difference a slight shift in hand position makes.

- One arm pushups, it sucks that I spent so long working up to these, once I got them I soon had to drop them, something about the one arm version though really bothered my shoulders

- Handstand pushups, again, I spent so long working up to these, and once I got them I had to stop due to my shoulders. These bothered my shoulder far more than anything else, except...

- Broomstick shoulder dislocates, these things were terrible for my shoulders. They are supposed be a therapeudic shoulder exercise, but the effect was opposite with me. However if I am real careful to do it lightly with a resistance band, I don't get the same effect and they do help my shoulders. My arms have to be able to move to avoid the popping that really irritates things.

- Shoulder windmills/circles. Just like broomstick dislocates, these things are horrible on my shoulders. They pop with each circle, each pop helps to inflame things more, more inflammation leads to more popping, which leads to more inflammation, and more popping, and so on. I haven't done these things in a long time, they always caused problems with me and are totally unnecessary to do.

Instead I'm working primarily on static strength exercises through the shoulders (front lever, back lever, planche), with the two exceptions being good 'ol basic pushups and chinups (neither of which are "heavy" for me, I can do at least a dozen chinups (probably a good bit more), I haven't tested my max pushups in a while, but it is at least 3 dozen). When working heavy static exercises are much less stressful on my shoulders due to the lack of motion.

Static wall handstands really don't bother my shoulders at all. But it is pointless for me to work them more since any relative (incl freestanding) bothers my shoulders quite a bit. I can hold them a while, with nowhere to progress to maininging what I have is pretty easy to do.

You should probably avoid all pushups for now if you got a no benching order, however pushups (the two armed variety) aren't as stressful on your shoulders as a bench press. Just the nature of the loading and the greater freedom of movement of the shoulder joint. In fact doing pushups+ (which include extra scapular movement at the top) are therapeudic for the shoulders and considered a PT exercise for shoulder problems.

[Jessicatmt]

Not to be a smartass, but hows bout stronglifts minus the exercises that your doctor says not to do?

Haha, yeah I plan on doing that, but will I would like to have something else in there, if I do stronglifts minus bench presses and shoulder presses I'll be in the gym for like 20 minutes.

[rtalencar]

I usually use injuries and such as a time to take my break from lifting for a little bit. I just focus on low impact cardio like swimming or the elliptical. I find having those breaks helps a lot (for me at least), so if you've been doing SL for a couple months already you may want to consider it.

[andygates]

Proper pain or twinges? Twinges commonly mean not enough warm-up. Double it.

[161803398874989]

- Pullups, however I still do chins, they don't bother it nearly as much, amazing what a difference a slight shift in hand position makes.

Pullups have your elbows travel further behind the body, which puts the shoulder a bit more into hyperextension. You could try doing L-sit chins to make them harder. Centre of mass is a bit more forward, so your torso will be more backward, which leads to less hyperextension at the shoulder.

To get back on topic, the doc said no shoulders, so that means you're going to do stuff that doesn't involve your shoulders. Legs, mostly. Squats, deadlifts are good, but the latter may hurt your shoulder. See how it goes. For your arms, isolation stuff is going to be the key, so curls and tricep kickbacks are your best bet. Forearm training is good too. It's only two weeks, nothing in the grand scheme of things.