Starting F1 + H1 omitting a few exercises

Hi everyone!

I have bought F1 + H1 and I'm excited to get started! I look forward to learning a ton and working through this along with all of you.

I have one question; I am planning to start Monday, but I have a little shoulder impingement that I'm "training away" by strengthening my shoulder stability. My physiotherapist has looked at the F1 + H1 PE1 exercises and he thinks I should steer clear several of them (sPL PE1, HBP PE1, RC PE1, HS P1) until the impingement is gone. Would I be okay to start Monday and just leave out those exercises for the first 4-week cycle? (perhaps just working the iM's).

What do you think?

If it were me, I would give the exercises a shot and pay close attention to what your body is saying.  You should not feel any pain.  A little muscular discomfort is a good thing, but not pinching, snapping, popping, wincing, or crying.  Dial them back if needed by reducing the range of motion or intensity -- sPL PE1 on knees, HBP PE1 almost vertical, RC PE1 sitting on ground, HS PE1>iM with wide grip.

These exercises all strengthen your shoulder stability throughout a full range of motion.  I would bet they're doing similar movements to your PT and are even more comprehensive.

I agree with text0413. Try it out and try accommodate the exercises to the needs of your shoulder. I speak from experience as I too currently have had a bad shoulder for a month and half (it had been a bit of a problem 6 months prior to though). A little discomfort should be just that, little. I prefer feeling nothing to be honest at least during non-static exercises. For strectching/static positions discomfort would be alright as your trying to enter new ROM.  

HBP PE2 were completely fine for me. 100%. My problem did come with the other three PE1s though: RC, sPL and HS. For these I did:

RC: Just had to watch out as dropping down too low would cause a bit of pain. Just made sure to keep high enough on the hinging. I can do these pretty much fine now. 95% i would say.

sPL: Major pain here!!!!! Watch out for this one. I had to go on an incline to reduce pressure and made sure to control it nice and steady. Almost back to normal though and made me realise that I had a weaker side than the other due to the bad shoulder. 

HS iM: Still a problem. Can't get full ROM without pain. I still do it though just up to what I'm capable of. Has improved dramatically.

HBP PE2 iM: No need to be putting that extra load on a bad shoulder so worked with the mobility I had with no weight. Just my arm alone. (Doesn't apply to you since your doing PE1 but just so u know)

Downgrade the difficulty of any exercises that cause pain or even moderate discomfort while performing it. Start using no weight for all your mobility and really go for it in terms of your pain free ROM (even if you feel fine doing it after a week let the shoulder fully adapt) and build up from there a month/mini-cycle at a time. Some discomfort is ok but I recommend this only with stretching really. While moving around doing the exercises it may be just some discomfort to start of with but as you fatigue form gets sloppy and you could end up hurting your shoulder. Stretching/static mobility is controlled so its safer.

Foundation and Handstand provide excellent rehab exercises so I would also recommend doing the mobility exercises for sure if you can't do the actual exercise. Also make sure to do your own rehab stuff. I do F1 (3 days) + HS (2 days) and three other exercises/stretches (for 3 days) and steadily my shoulder is getting better. Guessing that I will need another 2-3 months for me to be in the clear but its progressing nicely.

All the best in recuperating that shoulder of yours!  

If you have impingement, you will want to avoid exercises that put your shoulder into impingement.  However you will also want to strengthen and mobilize your scapulae, a big contributor to impingement is weak and "stuck" scapulae.  Of the exercises you mention, sPL should be fine, and in fact good.  HBP may bother you, but start at a high incline and if tolerated gradually work down to a lower incline - focus on screwing the shoulders into the socket.  RC should be ok, but focus on a little bit of external rotation (ie more of a neutral grip) to minimize any risk of impingement.  H1 im may be bothersome, but at the same time is so good for scap mobility i would give it a try, with minimal weight, to see if it bothers you.  If it does, skip it for now, if it doesn't, gradually up the weight to the recommended 5 lbs.  I used to have trouble with impingement and the H1 course more than anything else took care of that for me.  Happy training!

Thanks a ton guys! It seems I'll have to experiment a bit Of course my therapist would disagree, since he's seeing it from a "DON'T MOVE AT ALL, TOTAL REHAB"-pov - but the impingement isn't bad at all. But sometimes, doing everyday stuff such as brushing my teeth, sleeping on that shoulder or working at the local supermarket (behind the desk), I feel a slight irritation in the shoulder.

@MT Nordic

HBP at a hip-height incline doesn't bother me at all, so I figure I can at least go through that progression. And can you elaborate on screwing the shoulders into the socket? I'm having trouble picturing this; what should I "focus on/think about" to achieve this?

MT Nordic said:

If you have impingement, you will want to avoid exercises that put your shoulder into impingement.  However you will also want to strengthen and mobilize your scapulae, a big contributor to impingement is weak and "stuck" scapulae. 

Forgot to say this is exactly what happened to me. My scapula got hit hard while skiing and I'm pretty sure caused some structural damage. This was pain initially in the scapula not shoulder but then got better to be just discomfort over the course of time, where after my shoulder got the abuse and hard. I would say just try for yourself and see if sPL hurts you or not. A lot of stretching my scap was the first thing I done while I done mobility for my shoulder.

Your therapist looks at what theoratically could do harm to your shoulder. Depending on how serious your impingement is you might be able to safely do more but always be on the safe side. I would recommend that you yourself try the exercises, but with great caution.

I myself have impingement, but sPL PE1 does not actually bother me if I remember to stretch out chest and biceps tightness before working out.

Freshpro said:

Your therapist looks at what theoratically could do harm to your shoulder. Depending on how serious your impingement is you might be able to safely do more but always be on the safe side. I would recommend that you yourself try the exercises, but with great caution.

 

I myself have impingement, but sPL PE1 does not actually bother me if I remember to stretch out chest and biceps tightness before working out.

Exactly, he's saying I shouldn't touch them until I don't feel any irritation at all (even though it isn't that bad) Thanks for the input. I'll try out but at week 1 to slowly build.

manze said:

Exactly, he's saying I shouldn't touch them until I don't feel any irritation at all (even though it isn't that bad) Thanks for the input. I'll try out but at week 1 to slowly build.

Seriously, even just a scent of stiffness could maybe not harm your shoulder but still slow your progress. Been there done that, just saying.

Best of luck.

"Exactly, he's saying I shouldn't touch them until I don't feel any irritation at all (even though it isn't that bad)"

Find a new therapist. This isn't the solution to impingement.

mcneuen said:

"Exactly, he's saying I shouldn't touch them until I don't feel any irritation at all (even though it isn't that bad)"

Find a new therapist. This isn't the solution to impingement.

Of course it is. It is a safer and slower road, perhaps, but it works.

And with all the clients that have exercise ADHD it is sometimes better to paint things black and white and say do this and not that.

And I believe he has a set of rehab exercises and stretches to perform too...

I read the "them" to be anything relating to his shoulder. If it's these particular exercises, then nevermind.

mcneuen said:

I read the "them" to be anything relating to his shoulder. If it's these particular exercises, then nevermind.

Yes, sorry for the confusion - I'm doing specific exercises for the shoulder prescribed by him.

Freshpro said:

Seriously, even just a scent of stiffness could maybe not harm your shoulder but still slow your progress. Been there done that, just saying.

 

Best of luck.

It's never stiff, but more a feeling of tenderness. Thanks for the advice though :-) I just did one workout today, drilling through all the exercises (All PE1's incl. HS on week 1 or 5 + iMs). It didn't feel problematic at all throughout, but I'm starting to feel the tenderness now (1,5-2 hrs later). It's located at the front of my shoulder.