Preventing rotator cuff injuries

A common injury when working out in the gym is rotator cuff injuries.

This occurs for various reasons, and resolving it is generally straightforward but will limit your exercise library for up to six months. Prevention is the better plan.

How does it happen?

When performing machine pressing exercises, the constricted movements prevent the shoulder joint from moving in its natural range of motion.

• Machine Chest Press
• Incline Machine Chest Press
• Decline Machine Chest Press
• Plate Machine Chest Press
• Plate Incline Machine Chest Press
• Plate Decline Machine Chest Press

When chasing one rep maxes on the following presses, the ligament is not strong enough to bear the weight load:

• Barbell Chest Press
• Incline Barbell Chest Press
• Decline Barbell Chest Press

There is a high tendency for new gym-goers to focus on building a massive chest while forgetting to build all the little supporting muscles.

Solutions

Standard solution

The standard solution is to perform rotational exercises, but these are time-consuming, use very low weight, are usually done after an injury, and don't build explosive strength.

The best strength-building solution: Barbell hang clean and press

How to Perform the Barbell Hang Clean and Press

Starting Position:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width grip, arms fully extended.
• Begin in a “hang” position-barbell just above the knees, torso leaned slightly forward, hips hinged.

Hang Clean:

• Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles (triple extension) to drive the bar upward.
• Shrug your shoulders and pull yourself under the bar, catching it in a front rack position (bar resting on your shoulders, elbows up).
• Stand fully upright after the catch.
• Alternatively, you can just reverse curl the bar without any of the help from the legs.

Press:

• From the front rack, press the bar overhead by extending your arms.
• You can perform a strict press, push press (with leg drive), or push jerk depending on your training goals.

Lower the Bar:

• Carefully bring the bar back to your shoulders, then return to the hang position for the next rep.

Alternate solution: Dumbbell hang clean and press

If you don't have the strength to press a 45lbs barbell over your head, you can start with dumbbells. Start with 5lbs dumbbells and work your way up.

Conclusion

While you can do a lot of stretching and rotational exercises, the best way to prevent rotator cuff injuries is to focus on building raw strength.