Anybody else have trouble from latteral raises?

ethan · 3 Nov 2012 at 19:08

Front more than side. I have decided to stay off them for a while due to the swelling they give me in the front area of my shoulders. Heck, it's that bad I have had to limit rotator cuff work as well. Pain along with swelling last two to three days before shoulders being normal again.

mrthingyx · 3 Nov 2012 at 21:16

Just to shoulder presses. Much more awesome exercise.

I cannot help with your original issue, however.

icecold · 3 Nov 2012 at 21:23

Could be a shoulder positioning issue. Do you try and keep your shoulder back during these exercises?

Tight pec, pec minor, subscapularis.

Weak shoulder external rotators.

Do you get pain in your bicep?

ethan · 3 Nov 2012 at 22:24

icecold said:
Could be a shoulder positioning issue. Do you try and keep your shoulder back during these exercises?

Tight pec, pec minor, subscapularis.

Weak shoulder external rotators.

Do you get pain in your bicep?

Possibly weak shoulder external rotators I think. Sometimes I get a burning sore sensation leading from the lower side of my delt across to the bicep as well. Any way, I left them out and as it stands at the moment I don't seem to have any issues which is a relief since it means I can still train unhindered.

I replaced the side laterals with arms "to the side pullups". front lateral raises are not an exercise I really need to do. Thanks for the replies.

Sukh · 4 Nov 2012 at 07:17

icecold said:
Could be a shoulder positioning issue. Do you try and keep your shoulder back during these exercises?

Tight pec, pec minor, subscapularis.

Weak shoulder external rotators.

Do you get pain in your bicep?

I think I have this issue, sorry to hijack!

I get a pain in my shoulder when I try to rotate outwards, and when playing golf I get a pain in the top of my bicep when I try to compensate for my bad shoulder.

What exercises strengthen up the rotator cuff?

icecold · 4 Nov 2012 at 12:51

ethan said:
Possibly weak shoulder external rotators I think. Sometimes I get a burning sore sensation leading from the lower side of my delt across to the bicep as well. Any way, I left them out and as it stands at the moment I don't seem to have any issues which is a relief since it means I can still train unhindered.

I replaced the side laterals with arms "to the side pullups". front lateral raises are not an exercise I really need to do. Thanks for the replies.

Why have you dismissed the tightness issues? They are FAR more damaging, and realistically, more likely.

If you're tight where I described, no amount of strengthening exercises will help. What we're talking about here is tightness that prevents your shoulder from being being in a stable, safe and strong position. To do corrective strengthening exercises from that position is fairly useless.

Go to a physio and while he's investigating your problem get him to have a look at your pec minor.

Sukh said:
I think I have this issue, sorry to hijack!

I get a pain in my shoulder when I try to rotate outwards, and when playing golf I get a pain in the top of my bicep when I try to compensate for my bad shoulder.

What exercises strengthen up the rotator cuff?

A) That is not necessarily the same problem.

B) Strengthening the rotator cuff is only useful for specific shoulder problems, not all.

Go and see a physio.

ethan · 4 Nov 2012 at 20:36

Why have you dismissed the tightness issues? They are FAR more damaging, and realistically, more likely.

If you're tight where I described, no amount of strengthening exercises will help. What we're talking about here is tightness that prevents your shoulder from being being in a stable, safe and strong position. To do corrective strengthening exercises from that position is fairly useless.

Go to a physio and while he's investigating your problem get him to have a look at your pec minor.

As of this moment shoulders are fine thanks. Gone four days with two heavy workouts on them and chest without issue since stopping front lateral raises.

Edit: I will bear in mind your suggestion regarding the suggestion of tightness for future reference though.

icecold · 4 Nov 2012 at 20:53

I'm glad it's feeling better, but remember that prevention is the best cure.

I wouldn't take any risks with it.

regulus · 4 Nov 2012 at 21:03

Pretty much my main staple exercise for shoulders as my triceps bomb out very fast during heavy shoulder presses. I love laterals, I could do them everyday if I have to and it's paying off big time already.

If only I could somehow take a bit of load off my triceps during presses I could benefit there too, but no luck.

ethan · 4 Nov 2012 at 21:18

Other way with me. I'm on a diet of close-grip bench press and heavy military press so triceps are pretty good.

regulus · 4 Nov 2012 at 21:59

Triceps I class as my best bodypart by FAR. Fully developed horseshoe going on but it still lies down and die early in shoulder presses, or even bench presses (which I don't bother with often any more). Even made a post here a few months ago and asked for advice.

Anyway, laterals and front raises along with light but explosive shoulder presses works well enough. But I still stare at those 45kg dumbbells longingly and wish I could chuck them up again.

Freefaller · 6 Nov 2012 at 16:43

Other than going to the physio, all I can recommend is that there's little need to do front raises as that part of the shoulder is hit in many many exercises. Side raises are more useful IMO.

Do you do an RC/AC mobility work?

ethan · 6 Nov 2012 at 20:42

Freefaller said:
Other than going to the physio, all I can recommend is that there's little need to do front raises as that part of the shoulder is hit in many many exercises. Side raises are more useful IMO.

Do you do an RC/AC mobility work?

I was but it was causing me too much discomfort. I once ended up with "bench press blowout" which prevented me from pressing for 16 months; so I got it in to my head that rotator cuff work would have minimised my injury. Problem is rotator cuff work aggrevates my usuage of the upper chest press machine and hammer chest press. Since I've stoped the front lateral raises I'm glad to say I no longer have that problem. I think I put it to overuse.

icecold · 6 Nov 2012 at 21:02

You probably need to get your shoulder looked at properly, self prescribing rotator cuff exercises is rarely a good solution.

Have you looked at mobility work for your shoulder?

ethan · 6 Nov 2012 at 21:24

icecold said:
You probably need to get your shoulder looked at properly, self prescribing rotator cuff exercises is rarely a good solution.

Have you looked at mobility work for your shoulder?

Out of interest I'll have a look at "Shoulder savers" on T Nation. Whilst I am more or less recovered from the blowout I suspect there is still a couple of degrees of tightness/sensitivity in that area. When it blew it damaged the delt, lat and tricep along with area that joined the pec with the lower delt.