The most common complaint for aging athletes is aching shoulders, especially when performing bench press, push-ups, burpees, dips and many other horizontal pushing exercises. In the video below, I break down one of the most common reasons why you might experience right shoulder pain when horizontal pressing, and a simple breathing exercise to fix it.
We are naturally asymmetrical, but sometimes the asymmetries go overboard and they cause us pain and dysfunction. The reason why the right shoulder is limited in internal rotation and extension (bottom of the push-up) is because our right rib cage tends to tip back due to overactivity of the right abs (Postural Restoration Institute). To compensate, the right shoulder blade must tip forward, thus shortening the pec muscles and elongating the lower trap muscles. These compensations make it harder for us to find stability when the bar is on our chest in the bench press or in the bottom of the push-up. We then rely on the anterior capsule, biceps tendons, and other structures of the shoulder joint that are made to take that much load in that way. This may lead to biceps tendonitis, labral tears, and other rotator cuff issues.
To fix this problem, we have to treat the root cause first, and then work out from there. The root cause of the issue is the right rib cage being tipped back. To get us out of this position we are going to use our left lower abs and our right arm reaching to drive the trunk back to the left (see video). 2 sets of 5 breaths on the right side only twice per day is a good place to start. Testing the bottom of the push-up and then resting will ensure you are doing the exercise properly.
Thank you to Zac Cupples,PT and Bill Hartman,PT for the inspiration for this blog/video. They are geniuses when it comes to movement, and they are worth a look.
If you need any other help fixing your shoulder issues, I’m here to help. Click the link below to book a free assessment and let’s have you moving pain free today!