Shoulder tightness training Iron Cross

Hey everyone,

After six months of training the cross it's finally happened; I've become injured.

After a minor muscle pull (traps), I spent a few weeks resting. As the pull recovered, i started to notice some discomfort/tightness commonly encountered when I shrug my shoulder and drop it again. The discomfort is definitely not painful but seems like a message from my body that my current training programme is inadequate.

The tightness is at it's worst if I link my fingers behind my back, straighten my arms and lift them upwards. I feel it towards the front of my deltoids. What's worse, it affects both shoulders!!

While training the cross, i have not been training the antagonist groups.. stupid I know:(

Have I created an imbalance? I already had far greater strength in the vertical pulling plane than the vertical pushing plane. (1 rep max for weighted pull up is bodyweight (80Kgs) + 60Kg as opposed to the fact that I can't do a handstand push up and struggle enough with the headstand push ups). The Cross pull-outs further train the vertical pulling plane I believe?

Do I need to do some work balancing out the vertical pushing plane? I don't do weights but for rehabilitation and balance i would be willing. Are Military presses, Arnold presses and side dumbell raises the answer?

Thanks,

Richard,
London, uk

Sounds like you are answering your own questions. Shoulder injuries are often slow, insidious beasts that eventually become painfull overnight.

Watch anyone doing the cross and you see the imbalance required in fact to do the exercise for it is not a "Normal Movement". You are going to need a balance between internal and external shoulder rotations as well as direct and indirect scapular depressors such as lats, serratus and lower/middle trapezius. Rhomboids are also impt when the arms are out at 90 degrees.

Get a friend to hang partially supported in the position and take a good look from all sides to see what muscles are in play. A fatigue in any of them will give you various impingements. Interestingly if you can do the cross but not a vertical press into a handstand then maybe you have some nerve issues already and you shouldn't be training the cross at this time. (to much to soon)

Perhaps a little too much too soon after a lay off.

What often is overlooked is the activation of musculature in functional movement patterns, or training specific movements.

The cross is for a large part a difficult exercise due to the concentric, isometric, and eccentric motions involved. In a minor situation like this, I would rehabilitate looking at the patterns of movement involved in the movement desired to be created.

Regards