9nines Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I have been having problem with my shoulders: pain, sore to touch at end of collar bone, etc. First my right and now my left. The right, has been sore, to varying degree for two months. Do you think dumbbells could cause problem? For last six months, I have been exclusively using dumbbells. I was thinking they might be putting a lot of pressure on my shoulders, since heavy weight isolated to each arm, versus both arms balancing the weight as with a barbell. For example, I hold the dumbbells, to do bench press, as I sit on the bench and lay back to lie on the bench. As a fall back slowly on the bench, I am holding the dumbbells with each hand. Even going slow, that might shock my shoulders after I hit the bench with my back. Also when I initially lift them into position to do bench press, I can feel pressure on my shoulders. Anyone work with dumbbells a lot? Is this likely a problem caused by them? Note: I do do rotator cuff exercises, so they should not be out of shape. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I hurt my right shoulder christmas 2003 doing dumbell bench. I took about 18months to heal to the point where it didn't ache for most of the time. I still feel it now and again. It doesn't mean that it's a bad exercise, I just think that there is less injury risk with the barbell Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I think its different for everyone...I have a terrible left shoulder but both shoulders have always been flexible and the dumbell presses felt much better than the straight bar...it let my shoulder do what it wanted in terms of going back and rotating...the straight bar didn't do that so it gave me problems. This is why I'd only do decline bench with a bar and I'd do flat bench with a bar maybe 3 days every two months(those three days would be in the same week to get reaclimated for bench maxing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I actually find dumbbells better than barbells, because they don't lock you into a particular path of motion, and allow you to follow the path that best suits your shoulders, like holding the weights with palms facing each other, or at a 45=degree angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9nines Posted June 20, 2006 Author Share Posted June 20, 2006 I actually find dumbbells better than barbells, because they don't lock you into a particular path of motion, and allow you to follow the path that best suits your shoulders, like holding the weights with palms facing each other, or at a 45=degree angle. I wonder if this (free path) might be the cause to my problem though. It might be putting too much pressure on stabilizer muscles to balance the weight properly and inflaming their tendons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudgam Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I injured my shoulder not too long ago and now only do dubbell bench press. The barbell seems to pull my shoulder into an aggrovating position, while the dumbbells does not hurt my shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-oz Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Did you use the same weight all the time? Maybe it's just too much weight instead of the form of the weight. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudgam Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Did you use the same weight all the time? Maybe it's just too much weight instead of the form of the weight. Just a thought. If that was to me, I hurt my shoulder at wrestling practice, not lifting. Form is not an issue.I had to wait about a month to start lifting again, for the inflammation and soreness to go down enough, so Ive lost a lot of strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-oz Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 If that was to me ...I wrote the comment in a rush, I totally forgot to address it. The comment was actually for 9nines, but that doesn't make your statment less interesting Sorry though! It is interesting, that you train with dumbbells after your injury now and that it helps you. I for myself haven't had any problems with dumbbells either. I also like the freedom of my arms during the workout. I also use barbells, but I find dumbbells very important since I think it is essential to also train the muscles that stabilize your movements, because that is what keeps you up right and "functioning" in daily life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Most of my weight training is with dumbbells and I haven't had any injuries. When I'm doing db benches, I sit on the bench, rest the dbs on my thighs, then lay down, pull the dbs into position and start repping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 If straight bars don't bother you I don't see anything wrong with them but there's nothing bad about dumbells at all and I personally think it makes you much stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Most of my weight training is with dumbbells and I haven't had any injuries. When I'm doing db benches, I sit on the bench, rest the dbs on my thighs, then lay down, pull the dbs into position and start repping Not to sound like an egotistical shit, but it's pretty hard to do that comfortably when the dumbells get heavier. Best to have someone to help you get them into place Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 I sit(sat them...its been a while) them upright on my thights(we had rubber dumbells) and rolled my body back with my knees bent...keeping the dumbells on my thighs then they dumbells were in perfect position...I was doing that with 125lbs dumbells...did the opposite put them down do I didn't hurt my shoulder dropping them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Fair enough I have used 110's but that is never comfortable for me - alot of shoulder straining. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 Most of my weight training is with dumbbells and I haven't had any injuries. When I'm doing db benches, I sit on the bench, rest the dbs on my thighs, then lay down, pull the dbs into position and start repping Not to sound like an egotistical shit, but it's pretty hard to do that comfortably when the dumbells get heavier. Best to have someone to help you get them into place Jonathan Nah, you just sound like you have weak thighs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 I use 80 lbs in each hand for bench lately and have no problems resting it on my thighs while laying back. If you do get soreness though, you can fold a towel over your legs and problem solved. My philosophy is that if you need someone to help you get the weights up, then you're doing too much weight. Lighten the load so you can have good form independently of a spotter and do more reps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 You can always use a fluffy pillow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9nines Posted June 22, 2006 Author Share Posted June 22, 2006 Fair enough I have used 110's but that is never comfortable for me - alot of shoulder straining. Jonathan I am not doing that much wait (around 70 pounds each dumbbell is my maximum, around 60 to 65 is my normal work-out now) but it seems like a lot of pressure on my shoulders too, as I position them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 You can always use a fluffy pillow Ha! Yeah, that works too. This guy uses 200 lb dbs and rests them on his legs, with no towels or pillows http://www.monkeybriefs.com/view.video.php?id=570&no=4349&kword=coleman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2006 Share Posted June 22, 2006 I think his legs are padded with steriods though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Sure man chalk it up to the gear... I think the guy is just a bad dude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Revisiting this question: I wonder if the dumbbells are causing you to use too great a range of motion, and go beyond having your elbows level with the bench (which offers more risk than benefit, IMO). You can check to see what your ideal ROM should be by doing these lying on the floor (use lighter weights if necessary, this is just a test of ROM, not an actual workout if you don't want it to be). The floor itself will keep you from going down too low, and will teach you the safer ROM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9nines Posted June 23, 2006 Author Share Posted June 23, 2006 Revisiting this question: I wonder if the dumbbells are causing you to use too great a range of motion, and go beyond having your elbows level with the bench (which offers more risk than benefit, IMO). You can check to see what your ideal ROM should be by doing these lying on the floor (use lighter weights if necessary, this is just a test of ROM, not an actual workout if you don't want it to be). The floor itself will keep you from going down too low, and will teach you the safer ROM. This might be - I do go past that. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Being bad only gets you so big...if you train to a point to get the largest a human can get clean its likely nowhere close to that size...then if you train harder than that you just shrink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Yeah obviously the steriods play a big role. It's not just that he's a bad dude. Although he is also pretty bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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