AC Joint Separation, Alternate Routine?

separated my shoulder (AC-Joint) in '09, a month ago i tweaked it boxing… Kept lifting on, the pain subsided as it got warmed up/stretched out, i.e. after the first set or two it was a dull pain rather than sharp… NOW, 3 weeks later, any kind of vert/horiz pushing (incline bench, shoulder press, flat bench, flyes) causes some serious pain…

The only one that’s even tolerable is flat bench, and my arm wobbles as if it is waiting for a jolt of pain. Pain seems to be focus/centralized about the upper medial delt, so i assume it is the AC injury coming back to haunt me.

today was back day, and it became fairly uncomfortable during pull-ups as well…

Anyone have experience/history with shoulder injuries, and have a routine i could follow (upper body)? I suppose i’ll focus on back/arms/legs however if i were to simply remove the pushing exercises, i don’t believe there will be enough volume…

i usually do a modified WSBB4SB:
chest/back,
legs,
off,
back/chest,legs,
arms/shoulders

thanks

I’m going to tell you what I suspect you already know. If three weeks have gone by and the situation has deteriorated, continuing to train is a bad idea. What do you think a Dr. would advise? Certainly not simply changing your focus to back, arms, and legs. Your #1 priority should be to rehab/stabilize your shoulder. The quality of the remainder of your fitness life depends on it.

[quote]eightohfive wrote:
separated my shoulder (AC-Joint) in '09, a month ago i tweaked it boxing… Kept lifting on, the pain subsided as it got warmed up/stretched out, i.e. after the first set or two it was a dull pain rather than sharp… NOW, 3 weeks later, any kind of vert/horiz pushing (incline bench, shoulder press, flat bench, flyes) causes some serious pain… The only one that’s even tolerable is flat bench, and my arm wobbles as if it is waiting for a jolt of pain. Pain seems to be focus/centralized about the upper medial delt, so i assume it is the AC injury coming back to haunt me.

today was back day, and it became fairly uncomfortable during pull-ups as well…

Anyone have experience/history with shoulder injuries, and have a routine i could follow (upper body)? I suppose i’ll focus on back/arms/legs however if i were to simply remove the pushing exercises, i don’t believe there will be enough volume…

i usually do a modified WSBB4SB:
chest/back,
legs,
off,
back/chest,legs,
arms/shoulders

thanks[/quote]
well for a start Im sure you realise how 3 days of shoulders a week is probably going to be too much for you to recover from at this time. Are their any pressing movements you can get away with? and by that I mean without pain, instability or sense of weakness? Pushups maybe? I know when my AC acts up I can incline press but cant do anything flat or decline. Yours sounds worse than mine if it was a true seperation so I dont know that even painfree exercises are wise at this stage. Boxing is certainly out. Theres probably a large degree of inflammation involved at this stage so your best bet is to totally lay off training any pressing for awhile. Whats the pain like in your day to day activities?

I seperated my AC in a JJ accident 2 years ago I rested it for awhile then went back to JJ & weights. It was never the same and I made it worse to the point every day was painful. After 8 months I started coritizone shots they didnt solve it. I had surgery and had a chunk of my AC cut off, repaired a torn rotator cuff, shaved down some shoulder blade bone, debri removed. Afterward healing took 90 days of rehab before I could do shit like lift 10lbs or whipe my ass. At about 6 months I could start lifting with low weights. At about 9 months I could start heavy.
What I’ve found is this…Any excersis where the shoulder is isolated and stressed without the help of other muscles will wear it out and cause pain… Stuff like lateral raises, side raises, chest flys, incline chest…Is a bad move…

These are good Bench press, OHP, pull ups, shrugs, rows…Dip[wait till your strong for dips if they hurt wait) I started 5/3/1 a year ago and my shoulders are bigger and stronger than before and all I do for them is OHP, chins, shrugs, dips & I have no pain :slight_smile: My advie is see a sports DR if you still have pain after a solid 30 days of rest & ice…That means DONT DO SHIT FOR 30DAYS EXCEPT LOWER BODY

bluecollar, i understand, and i’d like/want to rehab it but i still don’t think there is anyway that i can go a month without training. Hence why i asked if anyone had a similar injury and figured out how to work out around it.

pulling exercises don’t bother me really, DB rows, neutral grip pulling, t-bar, etc. and decline presses are okay
pushups actually do cause a decent amount of discomfort, unless i shift it to a closer grip.
the weird thing is lateral raises aren’t all that bad, not even close to the pain associated with overhead movements

It really sucks because i was just hitting a stride and making some good gains, so it’s almost more painful to think about putting that on pause!

I work in a warehouse and move around 40-60lbs boxes all day, DOES NOT FEEL GOOD. can’t even sleep in some positions, and sometimes i’ll wake up due to a shot of pain.

[quote]eightohfive wrote:
bluecollar, i understand, and i’d like/want to rehab it but i still don’t think there is anyway that i can go a month without training. [/quote]

If this is true, You are a fucking moron.

Its your shoulder, stop fucking around. Let it heal, rehab it, dont be a dumbass. I know you are young but listen to bluecollars advice. I broke my hand in december, the best thing i did for myself was take it easy for a month+ off the gym, now im already back and better than i was pre break, and i dont have to worry about hand problems for the rest of my life.

Intermittent Fasting… Problem solved.

I separated my shoulder a few years ago, and it was an injury that debilitated my training for a very long time. There was a good 18 month period where I could make no progress whatsoever because of it (it was bad enough to prevent me from doing things like squats and deadlifts).

I’m completely healed now, though. You need to understand this: the injury will not heal unless you first STOP RE-INJURING IT. It is absolutely imperative that you let it rest and heal without putting it under stress for at least a few weeks. When you do start back lifting with it again, you must always keep in mind that pain=STOP. It will heal and you can be back at 100%, but only if you LET IT HEAL. Otherwise this thing will be a thorn in your ass forever.

If you can train legs, do so. My advice would be to just focus on thighs/calves/abs/lower back for a while. Let your shoulder heal up from the initial tear, and stretch it every day as long as it doesn’t cause pain. When you do start lifting with it again, lift slowly and under control, and focus on strengthening all the muscles of your deltoids, upper back, traps, and biceps.

For me personally separating my shoulder was actually a blessing in disguise because it forced me to change my entire training style into something far more productive. Good luck fixing yours

[quote]eightohfive wrote:
bluecollar, i understand, and i’d like/want to rehab it but i still don’t think there is anyway that i can go a month without training. Hence why i asked if anyone had a similar injury and figured out how to work out around it.

pulling exercises don’t bother me really, DB rows, neutral grip pulling, t-bar, etc. and decline presses are okay
pushups actually do cause a decent amount of discomfort, unless i shift it to a closer grip.
the weird thing is lateral raises aren’t all that bad, not even close to the pain associated with overhead movements

It really sucks because i was just hitting a stride and making some good gains, so it’s almost more painful to think about putting that on pause!

I work in a warehouse and move around 40-60lbs boxes all day, DOES NOT FEEL GOOD. can’t even sleep in some positions, and sometimes i’ll wake up due to a shot of pain.[/quote]

If you are going to be one of the people who make it, you MUST be able to go ‘as long as it takes’ to properly heal your injuries. You can train lower body movements and conditioning with work that doesn’t involve your shoulder.

I’m have no doubt that there are certain exercises that don’t hurt…at this point in time.

I sympathise, but there is no convenient time for an injury. Yes, you must temporarily suspend your training goals. Get your mind into ‘damage control’ mode. Use the time to educate yourself about rehab and injury prevention. Put the same enthuisiam into your rehab you have had in your training. It is knowledge you will need…it is doubtful this will be your only injury.

Sounds like your job will complicate your rehab and increases the importance of otherwise resting your shoulder. Many of us have had to learn how to sleep on our backs.

Athletes in competitive season with event deadlines have cause to work around injuries, you do not.

[quote]MAF14 wrote:
Intermittent Fasting… Problem solved.[/quote]

Right?! universal problem solver.

4 real rest your shoulder and dont be a retard… My shoulder surgery was 32,000 after insurance kicked in I still had to pay $5000… Unless your muscles are making you $$$$ as a athelete dont be stupid rest that shit and do other stuff

Regrettably, i will begin my “rehab” next week. I do wish to continue training, even if it’s limited to lower body, and conditioning.
Currently i have 2 lower body days, one focusing on “dynamic” type leg exercises (lunges, bulg split squat, GHR, box jumps, etc.) and the other a heavy leg day (squats, DL, leg ext, ham curls). Do any of you know of a lower body specific routine?

I’m thinking of a 3 day split with dynamic monday, heavy wednesday, and friday being some combination of dynamic and heavy. and sprints 2-3 other days of the week. I’m accustomed to high volume stuff, as i currently train 6 days a week.

AND QUESTION: Completely ditch upper body stuff, or can i perform the exercises that do not bother my shoulder?