Rehab Is Not Only For Heroin Addicts: The Shoulder Edition

When you go heavy enough, long enough something’s gonna give way. Sooner or later.

That’s the risk every athlete assumes when practising their craft, and this holds especially true for a strength athlete (including those who wouldn’t be considered an athlete but tend to train like one – like myself).

I was unfortunate enough to add my name to the long list of shoulder ail victims caused by the evil culprit also known as the bench press. Luckily though, I had been expecting something like this after having witnessed too many guys complain about how the bench fucked up their joints, so I vowed not to try and fight through the pain if I ever fell pray to a nagging shoulder injury.

Contrary to every single meathead bro I’ve ever known who continued benching despite shoulder aches, I took the other path, ditched the bench and started rehab like a trembling heroin addict. Robert Downey Jr. would have been so proud of me.

Although this video below will inevitably cause some unexpected bursts of laughter, the rehab exercises are great. Just ignore the spandex, overall queery atmosphere (1:58 is my favorite) and any possible homoerotic images incited by your filthy mind. This shit works. I promise.

Before I started doing these exercises around last Christmas, the pain was so excruciating at times that images of an imminent shoulder surgery were flashing through my mind.

Right now, the pain is completely gone. Overhead pressing doesn’t aggravate the situation at all anymore, so push presses and behind the neck push presses will serve as main upper body exercises from now on since I don’t wanna risk anything with the military press just yet.

If I never flat bench pressed again in my entire life, I wouldn’t care the least bit. One good scare was plenty enough.

Here’s another excellent video for a shoulder warm-up on upper body day.