Please recommend a “shoulder health” workout

[Dangerscouse]

Ok, best of luck with the appointment and hopefully it might have sorted itself out in two weeks. The shoulder is a complex part of the body and when you get it sorted it might be worth incorporating another shoulder exercise that I do, and I've never seen anyone else do, not sure why.

Lean against a wall, grab a light dumbbell and raise one arm out at 90 degrees, against the wall, bending at the elbow so it's an underhand grip on the dumbbell with it straight out from the wall and then lower and raise for reps.

I've possibly described it badly but it's like the waving cat you see in Chinese restaurants, and manages to hit the delts in a slightly different way to the usual pressing movements.

Probably not going to be good for you at the moment though, one for the future to maintain good delt health

[Ombrax]

Update:

Finally had a chance to see my orthopedic surgeon today, and after my giving him the background (rowing as main form of cardio exercise, but no pain while rowing, sharp right shoulder pain when throwing) and him having me do various ROM and pushing and pulling tests (two of which successfully induced non-trivial pain at the right spot) he diagnosed it as a shoulder (glenoid) labrum wear problem.

He prescribed five strengthening exercises to improve shoulder stabilization. He thinks that they’re simple enough that I don’t have to bother going to the PT to learn how to do them, so he gave me info sheets with images and descriptions of the "Exercise Program for Shoulder Instability" and said to do them before I row.

2 sets of 30-50 reps of each of these:

1) Bench press with barbell
2) Shoulder shrug with barbell
3) Upright row with barbell
4) Bent over row with barbell (optional)
5) Lat pull-down (front) with pulley

I’ve decided that I’m not going to do the bent over rows, because the last time I did those (over 30 years ago) I messed up my back.

I'll start easy tonight, probably only going to 20 reps.

Let's hope this helps.

[jackarabit]

Lot of reps! Start weight? Bare Olympic bar maybe?

[Ombrax]

I figured I'd start at an easily manageable weight then work my way up.

But yes, anything with that many reps is going to be pretty light, which I'm sure is intentional on their part.

[Dangerscouse]

Ombrax, I'd have thought dumbbell shrugs would have been better as you have a fuller range of motion ie contracting your shoulder blades.

[Dangerscouse]

Also meant to say that's good news that it sounds easily treatable. I expect to see new PBs in a few months

[Ombrax]

I'd have thought dumbbell shrugs would have been better as you have a fuller range of motion ie contracting your shoulder blades.

Once a week at home I'll be doing these with dumbbells because that's what I have (except for the lat pull-downs, since they require a machine). Three times a week at the gym I'll do the ones requiring free weights with the barbells.

Re: PB's - the good thing about picking up a sport after having been away for quite a while, is that barring injury it's always encouraging to see initial progress. Of course the gains soon become harder and harder, but that itself can be an indication of how far you've come.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Dangerscouse]

Very good point Ombrax re the slower the gains equalling more progress. I need to remember that as I'm usually too critical