Am I working out too much?!?!

[Highroller]

I am a 35 year old and I started working out (again) back in October of 2006. I am 6'0" and weigh approximately 185 lbs. and consider myself to be in "good" shape. I work out 5 days a week (minimum) and usually lift one body part per day. Here is workout routine: Monday-Chest, Tuesday-Back, Wednesday-Biceps, Thursday-Triceps, Friday-Shoulders. I usually workout abs everyday and mix in a leg routine during the week, but sparingly. I also mix in cardio when I have time. So I am spending a lot of time during the week at the gym, usually 1.5-2 hrs. a workout. About a month ago I started having problems with left shoulder and have basically quit doing any shoulder workouts. left shoulder "clicks" when I do any shoulder workouts so I have stopped those completely. question is, am I working out too much? Is there such a thing? I have seen some gains in the last 6 months (they would be better if I could keep myself eating right!). I have been told that I am working out too much and should rest more during the week. With work schedule the way it is, I can't think of any other way to get all of workouts in. Also, the gym is "Sanctuary." I am at peace when I am lifting so when people tell me that I am spending too much time at the gym I usually don't pay attention. Any advice would be appreciated (and I will listen!) because I don't want to injure myself.

[Boss Man]

You will have to keep Shoulder weights low for now. Don't stop completely, or you'll cause more muscle Atrophy, so go with weight levels you can tolerate. and don't exceed those levels for the time being.

Also you probably could go less. The maximum amount of time you need to be going, is about 5 times a week, 6 at the very outside.

[Highroller]

I will take your advice, thanks. I will try and keep it to 5 days a week with the weights and let shoulder heal for the time being. Even light weights with the shoulder hurts but I will try and find some type of exercise that I can do to keep the pain to a minimum.

[Boss Man]

If you can't do any kind of Shoulder exercises, without some kind of pain then stop.

[swanso5]

without pain i don't think there's any need to stop shoulder stuff but maybe limit the volume a little

try these tests and note where pain starts and finishes

1 – ext rot with arm by side

2 – ext rot at 90 degrees

3 – lateral arm raises

4 – place hand behind back as in being arrested and lift arm back and away from you with elbow stationary

also search Shoulder Savers by Eric Cressey

get back to me

[Highroller]

Any time I rotate arms 90 degrees, there is a loud "clicking" coming from left shoulder area. There is also significant pain in that area. Lateral raises are not to uncomfortable but there still is a bit of pain. Front/Rear presses are out completely! This was favorite exercise to perform but now I can't even attempt it without left shoulder giving out completely. I don't mind some pain, it lets me know that I am still alive. But when it hinders form, I stop. I am able to lift chest, biceps, triceps, and back without any pain coming from the shoulder area. I am going to try a few thiings today in the gym to see where the shoulder is at. I know what I can and cannot do with the shoulder so I am going to stick to those few exercises and use lighter weights.
Could this possibly be the rotator cuff that is causing all of these problems? I have been told that could be the culprit to problems. Thanks for all of the input. I will let you know how it is feeling after I get to the gym this evening.

[swanso5]

the shoulder is the most complex part of the body so any internet diagnosis is what we're after...go and get checked out...i would go to a chiropractor over phyios and osteo's

anyway here's some stuff to read:

SHOULDERS

• Is you have rounded shoulders than you will have elevated and anteriorly tilted scapulas…do Neanderthal program…work on getting blades down and back with shoulders rolled back as well…you might have to eliminate all pressing and vert pulling in favor of horizontal pulling and ext rot while stretching pecs, lats and sub scapularis
• If pain in shoulder do the following test and note where pain starts and finishes…1 – ext rot with arm by side…2 – ext rot at 90 degrees…3 – lateral arm raises…4 – place hand behind back as in being arrested and lift arm back and away from you with elbow stationary
• Do broomstick circles for shoulder flexibility which might hurt a little at 1st but won’t later
• If you can get past 15 – 20 degrees during ext rot but no more without pain then weak medial delt
• EC shoulder rehab for getting back to full ROM…BW Push Up…Wt Push Up…Low X Ova…Middle X Ova…Neutral DB Floor…Neutral DB Decline…Pronated DB Decline…BB Floor…BB Decline…Flat DB…Incline DB…BB Flat…BB Incline…DB OH…bb Push Press…Back OH…rational for progressions is that scapula/humeral stabilisers are best worked with closed chain exercises and impingement symptoms are most likely aggravated with flexion and/or abd of humorous beyond 90 degrees…traction (pulling humeral head away from glenoid fossa i.e. X Ova) is less traumatic than approximation (pushing head into fossa i.e. presses) and int rot mechanically decreases the subacrominal space increasing risk of injury…start with long ecc’s x 6 – 8 reps and pay attention to not just how it feels during but the 12hrs post …keep up retractor/depressor and ext rot strength work with more vol than int rot
• To get shoulders healthy stop all pressing and focus on proper activation/strength work for retractors (Rows, Prone Shrugs), depressors (Wall Slides), serratus (Pish Up +, Blackburns Train Upward Rot) and ext rot
• For shoulder retractors do Wall Slides, Band Retractions, Band Pull Aparts and Push Up+

also read "Push Ups, Face Pulls and Shrugs" by mike robertson and bill hartman...gets a little intricate but is a very good article

[Highroller]

I did first shoulder exercise yesterday without any pain. I was able to do front dumbbell raises (with relatively light weight) with proper form without any sharp pain. That was the only exercise that I did (yesterday was back day) and have not had a chance to look at the web site by Eric Cressey.
I plan on doing a little bit more each day but I am going to stay away from the lateral raises and front presses. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated!

[swanso5]

there ios something wrong that's only going to get worse...just becaue it doesn't hurt doesn't mean it's still not there...all you'll do is compensate somewhere else in the body and probably injure that area too and so on

[Liquidmetal]

Dude, Swanso is right on it. Go and have that thing looked at! If whatever was popping and hurting I'd have it checked out pronto! There's a difference between suckin it up and hurting it worse.

[Highroller]

I haven't noticed the pain this week at all, mostly because I haven't over worked shoulders. This week I have really focused on stretching before I pick up the weights and I feel this is another reason shoulder has not felt strained. The intensity of workouts has actually increased since I have limited shoulder workouts. For instance, Mondays is chest day. I typically will work out for 1 hour and 45 minutes, working only chest (with a set of abs worked in). This week I mixed it up working chest but speeding up workout. I do 7 different exercises, 3 sets each, 10-15 reps (depending on the weight) with about 30-60 between each different exercise. I get a great burn and a cardio workout to boot! I am not sore at all and actually feel better than I have in quite some time. I think that I am going to continue this for 2 or 3 more weeks and then switch it up once more. Any suggestions with this type of workout? I like the circuit type training and the time it save me in the gym. Thanks to everyone for you feedback.

[swanso5]

almost 2hrs for 1 muscle...ridiculous...i train about 4hrs a week total and ou do half in 1 day??

[Highroller]

Hey swanso5, it works for me! muscles are not sore, I get a great workout in, and I am seeing results. This is not 2 hrs straight with one muscle group. I mix in abs (about 9 sets total) during each workout. So I maybe work this one muscle group for a total of 1 hour or more. This is something that I have always done and will not change because I feel that there is not need to change. I will take all the advice that you or anyone gives me, I do thank you. But I don't think that what I am doing is crazy or it is ridiculous by any means.

[swanso5]

not very efficient in book...the intesnity you'd be using at minute 55 compared to minute 10 would be no where near each other...a very common training rule is that as soon as you drio below 80% of the current sessions max wt, stop and go home no matter how much you've done otherwsie your just beating a dead horse

[Highroller]

Well, the intensity of workout doesn't drop at all during workout. I increase the weight with each set throughout the whole entire workout. I would say that at minute 50-55 the intensity is the same if not greater than when I started. What works for me may not work for you. It doesn't mean that what I am doing is wrong necessarily, just different than what you are doing. I do value your opinion and the opinion of everyone else, but this old horse is not dead! It is just starting to gallop!