Too much for rotator cuffs?

I've been trying to improve my freestanding handstand alot of late, so I have been setting a timer for 5 minutes, and spending this time kicking up into a handstand, which I can hold with good form for about 3 seconds before coming down and repeating. I do this maybe 3 times a week. I am concentrating on maintaining straight arms and a tight body through the whole motion, keeping my arms up by my ears even when coming back out of the stand. I am happy with my form, having been a former gymnast 15 years ago, and now getting pointers from an adult gymnastics class.

Anyway, after 2 weeks of this regimen, my rotator cuffs are feeling very sensitive. Not in a torn way, but in a very much worked way that is taking a long time to recover. If I raise my arms up out sideways, I feel pinching pain in my rotator cuffs between arm horizontal and about 45 degrees raised.

Am I doing too much? should I work through it? or take some time off? I'm sure it doesn't help that I am weighing over 90kg these days, yet another thing I'm slowly working to remedy :oops:

I'm no expert on gymnastics, but I do know a bit about joint issues. I'd apply heat (or cold; I just don't like cold on my joints - makes me stiff and achy) and rest it for like a week. If anything, test it out with some overhead pressing before kicking into a handstand.

Are you balancing all this pressing volume with some pulling?

That is the classic impingement symptom next stop tearville.

Cease what you are doing and use Google and the search function here until you can lift your arms again without pinching in that range.

Slizzarman's shoulder stretches and Ido's two band routines are a great place to start.

Thanks Mr Brady,

Advice taken, my shoulders are not something I want to risk!

I can speak about this first hand becasue i have/had it. I have asked Mr. Brady and Slizz what do do and i believe i even have the regiment i am doing posted in the joint fllexibility section. If you combine SLizz's shoulder rehab, with Ido's shoulder prehab, and do what Coach says (applying a hot pack several times a day, then once a day, then couple times a week, then only as needed) My shoulder has gotten better by leaps and bounds. I am still doing my routine becasue i don't want it to come back. But ttry all that, it helped me

Thanks for all of the advice guys,

After taking a few days off things have settled down a bit, but it still doesn't feel normal. When I focus on proper scapular engagement ala ido portal's shoulder mobility, I can rotate my shoulders through a full ROM with no issues, but only when I concentrate on that. I have pretty poor posture and tight shoulders, so I suspect that I fell victim to overtraining.

Long story short, I think that the advice contained herein has saved me from injury, I've trained too hard for my poor widdle muscles to cope with, but fortunately haven't done any damage.

I'm going to stick with doing some remedial stabilisation and strengthening work with elastic bands for now.

IJL said:

@IJL

can you point me the specific posts of the routines? Too much threads to read

Felipe I jsut sent you a PM.

I'm now pressing decently after about 6 months of shoulder(s) problem. A little tip for everyone: Benchpress is a terrible exercise for the AC joint :? I mean, I could be able to push 80 kilos or so but I have to stop at half that since I'm slowing correcting my form and strengthening that little miraculous joint.