Shoulder pain is one of the most common things we see.
It shows up in a lot of different ways:
- Trouble pressing overhead
- Pain when benching
- General tightness or irritation
And the frustrating part is that it affects more than just workouts.
It can bother you:
- Reaching overhead
- Carrying things
- Even sleeping sometimes
The good news is, most of the time, you don’t need to stop training.
You just need to train a little smarter.
Here are six ways we help people work around — and often improve — shoulder pain at Mountain Speed Strength & Fitness.
1. Specific Warm-Ups (Prehab, Not Just “Getting Warm”)
After a general warm-up, we go into something more specific.
This is where we focus on:
- The muscles
- The joints
- And the movements
that are going to be used in that day’s session.
Instead of just jumping into lifting, we take a few minutes to:
- Activate the right muscles
- Get the shoulder moving well
- Prep the body for what’s coming
It doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be intentional.
2. Stability, Posture, and Mobility
A lot of shoulder issues don’t actually start at the shoulder.
They come from:
- Poor positioning
- Weak upper back
- Limited mobility
We spend a lot of time reinforcing:
- Good posture
- Scapular control
- Smooth, controlled movement
So that the shoulder isn’t taking on more stress than it should.
If the scapula is doing its job, the shoulder tends to be a lot happier.
3. Loading (At the Right Time)
We’re not afraid of loading the shoulder.
In fact, we think it’s important.
But there’s a process.
Before we ever push heavier weights, we spend weeks to months on:
- Technique
- Control
- Building muscle (hypertrophy work)
Once those pieces are in place, then it makes sense to gradually increase load.
Done the right way, strength training can actually help make the shoulder more resilient.
4. Adjusting Range of Motion
Not every movement needs to go through a full range right away.
If something is irritating the shoulder, we can:
- Limit the range
- Control the depth
- Stay within a pain-free zone
A simple example:
- Using a floor press instead of a full bench press
This reduces stress on the shoulder while still allowing you to train.
5. Changing Angles
Sometimes it’s not the movement — it’s the angle.
A strict barbell overhead press or flat barbell bench press can be tough on a lot of people’s shoulders.
So we adjust.
That might mean:
- Switching to dumbbells
- Using a landmine press
- Adjusting the incline
Small changes in angle can take a lot of pressure off the shoulder and elbow joint, while still getting the training effect we want.
6. Managing the Push-to-Pull Ratio
This is one of the biggest ones.
Most people already do too much pushing in daily life.
So in training, we make sure we’re doing more pulling than pushing.
Why?
Because pulling movements:
- Strengthen the upper back
- Improve posture
- Help keep the shoulder centered and stable
If we had to pick one thing to emphasize, it would be this:
Rows are king for shoulder health.
Pull-ups are great too, but for most people, building strong, consistent rows goes a long way.
Final Thoughts
Shoulder pain doesn’t mean you have to stop training.
It just means you need to:
- Adjust
- Be intentional
- And build things back the right way
With the right approach, most people can:
- Keep training
- Get stronger
- And actually feel better over time
Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed this article please send it to someone else who might enjoy it, follow us on social media or send me an email to continue the conversation!
Ian Smith
Owner, Lead Trainer Mountain Speed Strength & Fitness
Evergreen, CO.