Shoulder pain - how to program push-ups

Pain & Rehab Forum [Moderated]
1

I’ve posted here previously about right biceps tendinitis that flared up about 4 weeks ago. I had to stop doing the program that I was doing and adapt to different lifts. Really appreciate the referral to the Stronger By Science article on biceps tendinitis that was super helpful. It looks like the tendinitis is going to take another 4-8 weeks to resolve. I can finally do some presses and pin bench without too much discomfort, and I can do kneeling landmine presses without much discomfort.

I’d like to make sure that I don’t lose too much bench strength and doing push ups doesn’t seem to irritate my shoulder, so I’d like to incorporate some of these into my program. Here is what I am currently doing:

Day 1 - Squat 6@6, 6@7, 6@8, 1-3 backoff sets at 95% of RPE 8
Press 6@6, 6@7, 6@8, 3 1-backoff sets at 95% RPE 8
SLDL 8@6, 8@7, 8@8 X 3 sets

Day 2- Pin bench 6@6, 6@7, 6@8, 1-3 backoff sets at 95% of RPE 8
2 ct pause Squat 6@6, 6@7, 6@8, 1-3 backoff sets at 95% RPE 8
Lever rows 8@6, 8@7, 8@8 X. 3 sets

Day 3 - DL 6@6, 6@7, 6@8, 1-3 backoff sets at 95% RPE 8
Pin Press 6@6, 6@7, 6@8, 1-3 backoff sets at 95% RPE 8
Kneeling landmine press 8@6, 8@7, 8@8 X 3 sets

Where would you add in pushups? Maybe in place of the backoff sets of bench on Day 2?

Sorry if this is too involved. If this is something I should do a consultation for, let me know.

Thanks.

Sunil

2

Hey Sunil,

To be clear - is this the programming approach you’re currently following, with the symptoms? Or is this what you were doing before the symptoms onset?

If the former, the pressing/benching movements would likely need additional modification depending on the degree of symptoms.

If the latter, and ASSUMING you can tolerate push-ups well without a significant flare in symptoms from the added stimulus, I might introduce them on day 1 when you aren’t already doing some other form of benching/pressing.

1 Like
3

Sorry - I should have clarified. The above is what I am able to tolerate now.

Thanks for the advice! Really appreciate it.

Sunil