MN/PE1>iM -- Stiff Leg Windmill, shoulder issues

MN/PE1>iM -- Stiff Leg Windmill

While I can easily internally rotate through the full range of motion required--it ain't pretty...popping, clicking, and almost a squishing sound occur in my shoulders (mostly the right one) when I go through the movement regardless of weight. If I do this on any kind of regular basis, I start having shoulder problems and significant pain. I've had similar issues with HBP/PE2>iM (Xiapeng Forward). I can actually Xiapeng Backwards ok as long as my right scap is gliding properly.

I tried giving my shoulders a significant rest (around 4 months with almost no shoulder work) to see if things would improve. The shoulders have calmed down but I still can't do windmills or xiapengs without running into the same issues pretty quickly.

Common sense implies not doing these mobility drills as it is only going to aggravate things - I'm just wondering how to progress from here and/or what to do in place of them? I can do the strength exercises just fine -- but there is just no hope for the mobility exercises they are paired with.

Do them with very light weights and as slow as needed to keep the joint moving smoothly.

For windmills, I get the impression that the range of motion you can get from the shoulder improves as you are able to go deeper into the stretch. Also somebody could correct me, but I think the range of motion into the hamstring stretch is the really important part here, not as much the twisting in the arm. If you check out the new assessment videos for mastery posted in the intro to the course material, the ROM on the shoulder movement is much less than that displayed by the athlete on the demo videos in the course. The athlete in the demo does a full 360º; the girl in the mastery assessment is no way near that. 

For the xiaopengs go light and go really sloooooow to control the movement throughout the range of motion. 

When I first started doing these I would have the same problem.  What ended up fixing it was to lower very slowly just ot the point that there would be a click or pop.  i would stop there and hold the position, then continue lowering very slowly and allow my shoulder to move into the correct postion to allow the rotation to contiue without any popping.  Within 2 weeks I could do the complete motion without stopping and no clicks or clunks in the shoulder.

NameLikeNoOther said:

When I first started doing these I would have the same problem.  What ended up fixing it was to lower very slowly just ot the point that there would be a click or pop.  i would stop there and hold the position, then continue lowering very slowly and allow my shoulder to move into the correct postion to allow the rotation to contiue without any popping.  Within 2 weeks I could do the complete motion without stopping and no clicks or clunks in the shoulder.

Interesting suggestions. I will try it and see how it works. Thanks.

I had shoulder pain in windmills as well. What help me was to visualize lengthening my collarbone. I suppose that visualization helped turn the stabilizing muscles.

I find that internal rotation of the arm holding the weight overhead prevents excessive clicking, especially in the beginning.  After doing that for several weeks with a 16kg bell, I'm able to do them without internally rotating without all the sound effects.

You might also double check on film that the support arm is properly parallel to the torso.  I have a tendency to allow an angle of less than 90 degrees between the arm and lower torso.  Keeping the arm upright has helped with the noise too.