Dealing with potential rotator cuff issue

Hello, I’ve been battling a nagging rotator cuff (my assumption) issue for 6+ months. The next day after a pressing movement I will have a dull ache in my left shoulder blade area that some times refers up into my trap or down into my elbow but not always. The issue as a whole waxes and wanes so I haven’t put too much effort into resolution other than implementing more rotator cuff/stability type exercises, but its finally gotten to the point that its bothering me enough to implement a plan to try and “fix” it. Here’s the outline of what my plan is. Any advice is appreciated.

  1. Find the offending movement
  2. Don’t bench press this week and see if symptoms subside
  3. If not bench, stop overhead press and see if symptoms subside
  • Reintroduce offending movement at a decreased load1. Increase load while keeping an eye on symptoms returning

  • Work on external rotators1. When doing a side lying external rotation my left side is much weaker and fatigues quickly compared to my right side

For reference I’m currently doing the Powerbuilding 1 template.

Hey renholder57 - sorry to hear about your shoulder experience. Admittedly, it is difficult for us to weigh in on your outlined approach without a consultation with you. With that said, based on the info you’ve provided, what you’ve outlined seems reasonable. I also recommend following the guidelines in the article: Pain in training: what do?