What Has Helped My Shoulder

In short, three years ago I underwent reconstructive shoulder surgery after tearing a ligament completely off of the bone at football camp @ UNLV. Following the surgery, I was not able to return to football, as my shoulder could not take the impact (following rehab + training).

Since then, and going off to dedicate myself fully to my academic pursuits, I have continued to train as hard as my body has allowed (and schedule of course).

BUT I never was able to return to any variation of heavy bench pressing. Because of this, my upper body progress had always been hindered by my inability to push heavy without pain.

UNTIL I began:
*30 grams of fish oil per day
*adding incline dumbbell shrugs (facing bench) to my training.

Previously I had used many appropriate exercises, training techniques, precautions, as well as recovery methods to little avail.

Only until I began to jack up my fish oil intake, and really focus on my upper back have I been able to now- bench press as heavy as my muscles will allow, rather than my shoulder.

I know that this information, as well as additional recommendations have been made by the more esteemed authors on this site- but since adding these to pieces of the puzzle, I have felt a great deal better.

And I hope that should you choose to consider what has helped me, you will too.

Any thoughts, input, additional tips?

Great tips, im glad you are able to press again. I have also found making my upper back stronger has helped shoulder pain, band pull aparts in particular.

Wow, I will have to try that out. What kind of movement tore the ligament off? Mine kind of went backward too far, came around behind my back and over my head.

[quote]forevernade wrote:
Wow, I will have to try that out. What kind of movement tore the ligament off? Mine kind of went backward too far, came around behind my back and over my head.[/quote]

I was at tailback, and when the QB pitched me the ball, he lobbed it up in the sky- as the defense came to meet me. So when I got the ball I put my right arm down in the turf to stay up, but instead I was tackled from the left, so my whole body twisted left, while my right arm stayed planted in the turf. Once I got it back in the socket it didnt hurt at all. Only until I had an MRI done did we see the damage.

[quote]MikeyKBiatch wrote:
Great tips, im glad you are able to press again. I have also found making my upper back stronger has helped shoulder pain, band pull aparts in particular.[/quote]

Yes, I have been using band pull-aparts as “fillers” on my pressing days as well.

I would also recommend lower trap work. Lay on the bench like you do for the incline shrugs and lift your arms out in a Y shape (Robertson & Cressey talk about this on the site). Also chins/pullups (if your shoulder can handle it) but be sure to really squeeze the shoulder blades down and back at the top to activate the lower traps.

Also keep your bench grip in.

[quote]Ryan71 wrote:
I would also recommend lower trap work. Lay on the bench like you do for the incline shrugs and lift your arms out in a Y shape (Robertson & Cressey talk about this on the site). Also chins/pullups (if your shoulder can handle it) but be sure to really squeeze the shoulder blades down and back at the top to activate the lower traps.

Also keep your bench grip in.[/quote]

Thank you for the advice. I think the main point of my posting is that boosting your fish oil intake to high levels definitely lowers inflammation, to the point that I now can do anything with my shoulder with no pain i.e. bench presses over 355, pull-ups with 135 additional- compared to just barely being able to bench 255 w/o pain.

Thanks for the post, my shoulders have been good so far, but it’s nice to see what worked for people to rehab their injuries. In this way I can figure out/tweak my prehab assistance work.

One question, do you do any direct rear-delt exercises?

[quote]medog11 wrote:
Ryan71 wrote:
I would also recommend lower trap work. Lay on the bench like you do for the incline shrugs and lift your arms out in a Y shape (Robertson & Cressey talk about this on the site). Also chins/pullups (if your shoulder can handle it) but be sure to really squeeze the shoulder blades down and back at the top to activate the lower traps.

Also keep your bench grip in.

Thank you for the advice. I think the main point of my posting is that boosting your fish oil intake to high levels definitely lowers inflammation, to the point that I now can do anything with my shoulder with no pain i.e. bench presses over 355, pull-ups with 135 additional- compared to just barely being able to bench 255 w/o pain.[/quote]

I don’t know that I would want to keep my fish oil consumption that high long term. I’m not even sure if Poliquin keeps it that high long term.

[quote]power_bulker wrote:
Thanks for the post, my shoulders have been good so far, but it’s nice to see what worked for people to rehab their injuries. In this way I can figure out/tweak my prehab assistance work.

One question, do you do any direct rear-delt exercises?[/quote]

Usually I do bent-over laterals and face-pulls, on occasion I will do reverse machine flys.

[quote]Ryan71 wrote:

I don’t know that I would want to keep my fish oil consumption that high long term. I’m not even sure if Poliquin keeps it that high long term.[/quote]

I can say I am not sure about this. To my understanding, all fish oil is, is the fat from fish, so if it is free of heavy metals, why would it be more harmful than eating fish often? I may be wrong, but wouldn’t supplementing with something that lowers inflammation long-term be clearly a good thing, or is there a contradiction somewhere?

A low carb diet is also low inflammation, but fish oil in high amounts can do things like thin the blood too much.

Too much of an anti-inflammatory affect can inhibit protein synthesis. This has been documented with ibuprofen and acetaminophen and is now being looked at with fish oil.

http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/282/3/E551?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=trappe&titleabstract=ibuprofen++protein&searchid=1022604356919_774&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=ajpendo

You might want to start to reduce the amount you take until you find the minimum you need to keep your shoulders healthy. I generally don’t take more than 3 grams/3,000 mg combined EPA and DHA/day which would be 10 standard concentration fish oil capsules (10 g)/day.

[quote]Ryan71 wrote:
A low carb diet is also low inflammation, but fish oil in high amounts can do things like thin the blood too much.

Too much of an anti-inflammatory affect can inhibit protein synthesis. This has been documented with ibuprofen and acetaminophen and is now being looked at with fish oil.

http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/282/3/E551?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=trappe&titleabstract=ibuprofen++protein&searchid=1022604356919_774&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=ajpendo

You might want to start to reduce the amount you take until you find the minimum you need to keep your shoulders healthy. I generally don’t take more than 3 grams/3,000 mg combined EPA and DHA/day which would be 10 standard concentration fish oil capsules (10 g)/day.[/quote]

Well that seems like quite an important consideration. Thank you for the input. It would be great if any of the authors here can comment on this, as the impression I think many would get from their articles is that when it comes to fish oil, the more the better in pursuit of optimal body composition and health.

[quote]Ryan71 wrote:
A low carb diet is also low inflammation, but fish oil in high amounts can do things like thin the blood too much.

Too much of an anti-inflammatory affect can inhibit protein synthesis. This has been documented with ibuprofen and acetaminophen and is now being looked at with fish oil.

http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/282/3/E551?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=trappe&titleabstract=ibuprofen++protein&searchid=1022604356919_774&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=ajpendo

You might want to start to reduce the amount you take until you find the minimum you need to keep your shoulders healthy. I generally don’t take more than 3 grams/3,000 mg combined EPA and DHA/day which would be 10 standard concentration fish oil capsules (10 g)/day.[/quote]

I am not in the sciences so I may be misinterpreting the studies, but this is what I got from what you posted:

“(fish oil) increases the sensitivity of muscle protein synthesis to insulin and amino acids”–GOOD

[quote]medog11 wrote:
I am not in the sciences so I may be misinterpreting the studies, but this is what I got from what you posted:

“(fish oil) increases the sensitivity of muscle protein synthesis to insulin and amino acids”–GOOD

[/quote]

Its a study that has not been done yet. They are looking for subjects. What you stated are what they are proposing, but have not proven. Increased insulin sensitivity is a plus, but the inflammation process is a necessary part of adaptation to strength training.

That is why the medicines in the other study do limit protein synthesis and fish oil may also, but not by the insulin sensitivity mechanism (which you are correct-is good).

I’m just saying be careful and you may want to research it further or consider gradually reducing until you find the minimum needed to help your shoulders.

Reducing inflammation is good, but do it too much and you actually impede the healing process.