Shoulder Ached today during workout

[WonderMonkey]

Yesterday's workout sucked. Today walking into the gym I was on fire, ready to get at it. After an extended warmup I went to do seated arnold presses. I did a few acclimation sets then went heavier then normal. And when my shoulders started to burn it pissed me off and I kept going to see what would fail first, my mind or my muscles. Today my muscles failed first and that is the first time I "won" since I have been back in the gym (after years of layoff). During this process I felt my shoulders ache deep deep down. Not pain, but an ache. I hope that this is a consequence of pushing hard.

The ache would go away after a minute or so and then would come back as I pushed on the next set. It sort of inspired me but I'm hoping it isn't something bad.

[Darkhorse]

If it was really bad you'd recognize that. Maybe you should try doing some dumbbell presses or military presses instead. Make sure you aren't going down too fast with the arnold's and bouncing back up. Arnold's are geared more towards lighter weight as a finishing move. Sounds like you are doing these as a primary exercise. Arnold's will never replace the barbell of dumbbell press.

[WonderMonkey]

Originally Posted by 0311

If it was really bad you'd recognize that. Maybe you should try doing some dumbbell presses or military presses instead. Make sure you aren't going down too fast with the arnold's and bouncing back up. Arnold's are geared more towards lighter weight as a finishing move. Sounds like you are doing these as a primary exercise. Arnold's will never replace the barbell of dumbbell press.

Yes I was using it as the primary exercise and going heavy (relative to me, anyways). My tempo was good on the exercise, no hurry or bouncing.

The arnold press also involves the standard dumbell press, so what is so bad about going heavy with the arnold press and not a dumbell press?

Isn't the arnold press where you have your palms facing you in front of your shoulders then you rotate out then press?

[WonderMonkey]

Originally Posted by 0311

If it was really bad you'd recognize that.

Right. I didn't feel like I had done any damage but I was just wondering if that is what it felt like to push "past the wall".

[Darkhorse]

No, that's not how arnold presses are done. What you are doing is a wasted effort. Putting the dumbbells in front of you, then rotating them to your shoulders, then pressing? Just do the press with more weight. This is how to properly do Arnold's:
1. Start with the dumbbells in front of your face, palms facing inward.
2. As you push the weight up, you are rotating your palms outboard., and the dumbbells should still be in front of your shoulders.
3. Once you reach the top of the movement, your elbows aren't locked and your thumbs should be angled downward.
4. As you bring them back down, you want to bring your elbows together. You do not want to bring the weights back above your shoulders then bring them in front of you.
-It should be a fluid motion. I know what you're doing. You're doing a type of butterfly at the end of the movement, bringing the weight from your shoulders to the front of your body. That's doing a three count movement. Correctly executed it should be a two count movement.
-I always see people doing them wrong so you're not alone.

[WonderMonkey]

Excellent. I think what I was doing was close, but no cigar.

I am now looking at page 242 in Arnold's Encyclopedia Of BB and looking at the pictures. I'd LOVE to see a video of this to see a complete proper rep.

So based on what you said way above, you would do a standard db or barbell press as your primary mass movement?

[Darkhorse]

Originally Posted by WonderMonkey

Excellent. I think what I was doing was close, but no cigar.

I am now looking at page 242 in Arnold's Encyclopedia Of BB and looking at the pictures. I'd LOVE to see a video of this to see a complete proper rep.

So based on what you said way above, you would do a standard db or barbell press as your primary mass movement?

Absolutely. The idea is heavy compound movements. Arnold's didn't make the cut. Executed the way I explained, there will be a limit to how much weight can be applied. For example, if I can do 90 lb Arnold's, but I can do 115's for presses...Which one will be more effective for packing on muscle? Since you were basically doing just a dumbbell press, I would stick to that and add some more weight next time. The best way to do the press is to suppinate your palms facing you at the bottom of the movement for a greater stretch. I posted on another thread that the more you stretch you muscles in between reps, the more muscle fibers are recruited. I remember a very big gym myth I used to believe is that for shoulder presses, always stop the decent when your elbows are parallel to the floor. Since I started going all the way down, my muscle mass and strength has dramatically increased and still no injuries. :cool:

[Darkhorse]

Originally Posted by 0311

No, that's not how arnold presses are done. What you are doing is a wasted effort. Putting the dumbbells in front of you, then rotating them to your shoulders, then pressing? Just do the press with more weight. This is how to properly do Arnold's:
1. Start with the dumbbells in front of your face, palms facing inward.
2. As you push the weight up, you are rotating your palms outboard., and the dumbbells should still be in front of your shoulders.
3. Once you reach the top of the movement, your elbows aren't locked and your thumbs should be angled downward.
4. As you bring them back down, you want to bring your elbows together. You do not want to bring the weights back above your shoulders then bring them in front of you.
-It should be a fluid motion. I know what you're doing. You're doing a type of butterfly at the end of the movement, bringing the weight from your shoulders to the front of your body. That's doing a three count movement. Correctly executed it should be a two count movement.
-I always see people doing them wrong so you're not alone.

Here's a demo of how it's done. The guy doing it still isn't perfect, but he has the fluidity and rom down. Remember, 2 count movement.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...noldPress.html

[TAURUS]

The ex's you rarely see him do, are the ex's you should do!

[Darkhorse]

WTF does ex's mean. I'm gonna start calling you Dr. Suess because it's hard to understand what you are trying to say...or not say.