Rotator Cuff Issues

Ok so since doing my little creatine cycle I can lift more right? Excellent!

But here's the thing: Doing my regular Wednesday exercises (I go chest, then shoulder, then triceps):

Do all my chest exercises... only a little weird pain in my inner left elbow and left armpit on the fly machine (but not on the actual flies where I'm laying down and doing the dumbbells). Note: I use 17.5lbs dumbbells on lay-down flies, but I use 50lbs on the fly machine.

Front Raise w/ barbell, Overhead Press, Lateral Raise, Rear Lateral Raise, and Upright Rows all with dumbells. Normally I did 20lbs barbell/7.5lbs dumbell. Now I do 30lbs barbell, and 10-12.5lbs dumbells.

I feel a little "crunchy" in my left armpit/shoulder/top center of the back shoulder blade area. But no real pain or discomfort.

Then I go to move to the next set of exercises (triceps) and when I go to do the dumbbell kickbacks I get a little discomfort... then by the next exercise, overhead dumbell extensions I cannot do a full set of 20 raises at 10lbs. I could honestly raise more; my arms are way buff and I can handle it, but upon bringing the dumbbell down between my shoulders and then bringing it all the way up my armpit is killing me. I end up almost dropping the dumbbell.

Boyfriend told me to do those little weight exercises... the propped external rotator with small weights to stregthen my little muscles that I have skipped. So I do this today and honestly my shoulder is now hurting bad, and I have already been out of the gym 6+ hours.

I am in no way an expert, but from I have read creatine will increase your

strength, but I think it will not increase your joints resistance (IMHO) you first need to let your shoulder, elbow, knee, etc to get used to your new strength.

regards,

Guillermo.

That one can be kinda risky - the external rotation one I mean. My brother managed to give himself a muscle inflammation and joint strain with it because he loaded too much weight on it too soon.

 Actually, according to the PT who treated him afterwards he shouldn't have used weights on that at all until he'd dealt with the mobility restrictions in his shoulder joint.

 There are safer exercises for the shoulder - check out Push-Ups, Face Pulls, and Shrugs for one 8 Weeks to Monster Shoulders for another. I think the mobility exercises from 8 Weeks should probably be done unloaded or with minimal loading at least until you've got proper ROM and probably past that point as well.

Give it time to rest, and next time you do arm lifts, try to keep your shoulders firmly in place by pinching your shoulder blades together, which should help. Good luck, rotator cuff issues are nasty.

I agree - wait until you have rested up and it doesn't hurt anymore.  Sorry to hear you got hurt. 

injuries happen, but they're not a "given" when you strength train.  if you get hurt, you're probably doing something wrong.  from what i see at the gym and have heard from people, the most common reasons for injury are:

1) bad form  2) bad form  3) bad form  4) overtraining/overuse  5) not strength training (using weights that are too light, so you never get stronger)

when i feel something weird going on w/my body, i look straight to my program:  is there something missing?  am i overworking something? 

the first article melkor cited does an EXCELLENT job of explaining shoulder issues and how to avoid injury while working out (the idea is to balance things out; when it comes to your rotator cuff, bench press and rowing are on the same side of the fence and need a yang for their yin). 

the reason for a well balanced program is that it will provide you w/a foundation of strength from which to work.  strength training, if you're doing it for the long haul, is a process of gaining strength (in one form or another); unlike cardio, where you're working w/the strength you already have, in order to burn calories, sweat, reach the finish line, arrive at a particular destination.  this is why most people should stick to a program that incorporates lifts that use your muscles in harmony.  isolated lifts won't make you a fitter individual, bec they neglect too many muscles and then leave you injured.  sets of 25reps won't make you stronger, bec they just don't stimulate muscle growth hormones.  in order to lift a weight that many times, you've lowered it to a point where you're not pushing your muscles to be better.  a strong person is less likely to get hurt, just in general.  look at football players and all the muscle they sustain to reduce chances of injury on the field.

i would suggest resting until it feels better and then slowly working into a program that's better suited to support your goals:  something more well-rounded, basic and more intense (fewer reps).