Stiff Leg Windmill - aggravating shoulder

Hi, thank you for the great program. 

The Stiffed Leg Windmill exercise always aggravates my right shoulder.  It pops, cracks and clunks a lot for each of the 5 reps at 2.5kg weight.  Within an hour I can already feel a radiating discomfort. It feels like the shoulder bursa has become aggravated and that can last for days following. And the muscle/ligament on back of the shoulder is also fatigued and tight for days following the exercise.  I've been reading the forums and implemented the tips on keeping the shoulder high however it still clunks and produces the radiating discomfort afterwards. I've always had problems with this shoulder being very weak. I've had an  MRI in the past but nothing showed up at the time. And a past physical therapist has always confirmed there is nothing wrong with it other than weakness and lack of flexibility.

I've included a video below containing an External Rotator Cuff Stretch (at 1:21) which is the only way for me to release the back of the shoulder when it becomes super tight.

The flexibility and strength in both my shoulders is pretty poor.  Though in the windmill my left shoulder feels fine and breezes through the movement.

I've noticed in the forums advice has often been that if there is no pain to continue. However this bursa-like discomfort doesn't feel like a wise discomfort to continue to produce.

So should I avoid the windmill exercise for now until my right shoulder has improved a bit and not producing that radiating discomfort? Or adapt the exercise in some way?

Or are there other GB programs or exercises I should be focusing on to help correct the right shoulder? Other threads suggested doing the Stretch Thoracic Bridge. Would that be advised in my scenario?

Also would it be advised to continue onto Foundations One with my right shoulder playing up in this way?

Thank you!

3 hours ago, Nicholas Rubinich said:

Hi, thank you for the great program. 

The Stiffed Leg Windmill exercise always aggravates my right shoulder.  It pops, cracks and clunks a lot for each of the 5 reps at 2.5kg weight.  Within an hour I can already feel a radiating discomfort. It feels like the shoulder bursa has become aggravated and that can last for days following. And the muscle/ligament on back of the shoulder is also fatigued and tight for days following the exercise.  I've been reading the forums and implemented the tips on keeping the shoulder high however it still clunks and produces the radiating discomfort afterwards. I've always had problems with this shoulder being very weak. I've had an  MRI in the past but nothing showed up at the time. And a past physical therapist has always confirmed there is nothing wrong with it other than weakness and lack of flexibility.

I've included a video below containing an External Rotator Cuff Stretch (at 1:21) which is the only way for me to release the back of the shoulder when it becomes super tight.

The flexibility and strength in both my shoulders is pretty poor.  Though in the windmill my left shoulder feels fine and breezes through the movement.

I've noticed in the forums advice has often been that if there is no pain to continue. However this bursa-like discomfort doesn't feel like a wise discomfort to continue to produce.

So should I avoid the windmill exercise for now until my right shoulder has improved a bit and not producing that radiating discomfort? Or adapt the exercise in some way?

Or are there other GB programs or exercises I should be focusing on to help correct the right shoulder? Other threads suggested doing the Stretch Thoracic Bridge. Would that be advised in my scenario?

Also would it be advised to continue onto Foundations One with my right shoulder playing up in this way?

Thank you!

 

 

Hi Nicholas, well the first thing I'm gonna ask you is having a video of your windmill. technical issues can aggravate the shoulder condition.

Here you go..

On the way down crunching on the front of shoulder. As the upward return movement initiates there is a big clunk in the back of the shoulder.

I also noticed that my pec on that right side feels super tight and is pulling my shoulder forward, causing ribs to flair in order to keep shoulder back and arm upright.

Try this for me: as you move down try to hold the arm in a more neutral position rather than internally rotate the upper arm.

Another video with minimal rotation. This way I feel no aggravation and only the slightest crack.  Especially due to the arm starting/finishing less upright. 

In the previous video, the upright arm at start/finish greatly contributes to the aggravation, in addition to the internal rotation. 

6 hours ago, Nicholas Rubinich said:

Another video with minimal rotation. This way I feel no aggravation and only the slightest crack.  Especially due to the arm starting/finishing less upright. 

In the previous video, the upright arm at start/finish greatly contributes to the aggravation, in addition to the internal rotation. 

 

Ok...perfect...stay with that, no reason to aggravate the work.

Thank you for the tip. 

Are there other GB programs or exercises I should be focusing on to help correct the right shoulder? Other threads suggested doing the Stretch Thoracic Bridge. Would that be advised in my scenario?

I'm also in the last week of Fundamentals, would it be advised to continue onto Foundations One with my right shoulder playing up in this way?

22 hours ago, Nicholas Rubinich said:

Thank you for the tip. 

Are there other GB programs or exercises I should be focusing on to help correct the right shoulder? Other threads suggested doing the Stretch Thoracic Bridge. Would that be advised in my scenario?

I'm also in the last week of Fundamentals, would it be advised to continue onto Foundations One with my right shoulder playing up in this way?

sincerely, i do not know. there are many factors probably affecting your shoulder situation and do not have enough information.

Do you mind if i ask you why are you training with foundations one also if you have not already completed fundamentals?

We have this introductory course exactly to intercept some mobility deficits. once you have understood what they are WE can address you in the course which is more adapted for the situation. honestly, i do not know if the windmill made the situation worse but it is a possible option.

Thank you for responding.

I haven't started training Foundation One yet as I am completing Fundamentals this week.

I understand from your response that Foundations One course can address the deficits with some suggested adaptions.

I will send a list of the deficits over the coming days.  Should I post them here?

Yes, the problem is that the situation now is:

-already practiced foundations one work --> pain aggravated.

what SHOULD BE DONE:

- understood shoulder limitations with fundamentals so: move to the easier course for restoring shoulder and scapulae mobility like restore series.

Now...i hope...again i hope that the situation is not too worse due to a premature windmill work.

Thank you for explaining.

I'm new to GB and I seemed to have mixed up the program names.

I am doing the Intro Program and Fundamentals was included in this program from Week 1 to Week 4.

I continued into Week 5 to Week 8 of the Intro Program which contains the Windmill exercise as part of Elements 1 Lower Body / Core. This is where the shoulder aggravation occurred.

I see what you mean now, I should have stopped at Week 4 of the Intro Program and worked with Restore and Bands for shoulder and scapulae first before proceeding with Week 5 to Week 8 of Intro Program.

I'll now stop the Intro Program and move to the Restore work for a few weeks to stabilise the shoulder.  Then repeat the Intro Program to test if the shoulder has improved before starting the Foundations One.

Thank you for your patience and time to explain all of this!

22 hours ago, Nicholas Rubinich said:

Thank you for explaining.

I'm new to GB and I seemed to have mixed up the program names.

I am doing the Intro Program and Fundamentals was included in this program from Week 1 to Week 4.

I continued into Week 5 to Week 8 of the Intro Program which contains the Windmill exercise as part of Elements 1 Lower Body / Core. This is where the shoulder aggravation occurred.

I see what you mean now, I should have stopped at Week 4 of the Intro Program and worked with Restore and Bands for shoulder and scapulae first before proceeding with Week 5 to Week 8 of Intro Program.

I'll now stop the Intro Program and move to the Restore work for a few weeks to stabilise the shoulder.  Then repeat the Intro Program to test if the shoulder has improved before starting the Foundations One.

Thank you for your patience and time to explain all of this!

Shoulder pain are bad and i'm surprised that nobody helped you before but for sure i understand also that. not all the PT have the same competencies.