2q's - pull-ups & rotator cuff & bentover row

TKD SC

Hi Guys,

Two quick queries, both sort of inter-related.

For the muscle that affects your shoulder blade the most (in relation to attaching to it and hence making it stronger and in a better position re posture) - I'm guessing this is the "wing" muscle / upper back muscle (don't know the correct name); if so, is this best targeted by pull-ups and bent over rows? Not explaining this great, but the physio said for me to make that muscle stronger regarding my rotator cuff and he mentioned lateral pull downs, which are fine ex's on the gym machine but I'd prefer to be doing pull-ups or bent over rows with a barbell than the lateral pull down machine.

Secondly, do pull-ups adversely affect the rotator cuff muscles? I've some sort of tendonitis in my right rotator cuff (for nearly 2 yrs now) but have started in last 2/3 weeks doing Eric Creasy rotator cuff exercises to try to make it stronger (physio and osteopath main recommendations also have been to streghten the rotator cuff as best means of repairing it) - but I just don't know if I should be steering clear of pull-ups or not - would they put too much pressure on it? Or then again, maybe they'd help stregthen it?

I had been doing them with no pain involved a few months back but then stopped so not sure if I should start again or not.

Many thanks,

Simon

aye

TKD SC wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Two quick queries, both sort of inter-related.

For the muscle that affects your shoulder blade the most (in relation to attaching to it and hence making it stronger and in a better position re posture) - I'm guessing this is the "wing" muscle / upper back muscle (don't know the correct name); if so, is this best targeted by pull-ups and bent over rows? Not explaining this great, but the physio said for me to make that muscle stronger regarding my rotator cuff and he mentioned lateral pull downs, which are fine ex's on the gym machine but I'd prefer to be doing pull-ups or bent over rows with a barbell than the lateral pull down machine.

the wing muscle you are talking about is the Latissimus dorsi, commonly know as lats. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latissimus_dorsi_muscle
barbell bent over row, with an underhand grip will target it, and so will wide grip pull ups.
i would suspect the reason the physio talked about the lat pulldown is because it would be the common machine people use to work their lats.
if you can do the pull ups, do so, and when you tire on them you could do a couple of light weighted sets with the lat pulldown machine.

TKD SC wrote: »

Secondly, do pull-ups adversely affect the rotator cuff muscles? I've some sort of tendonitis in my right rotator cuff (for nearly 2 yrs now) but have started in last 2/3 weeks doing Eric Creasy rotator cuff exercises to try to make it stronger (physio and osteopath main recommendations also have been to streghten the rotator cuff as best means of repairing it) - but I just don't know if I should be steering clear of pull-ups or not - would they put too much pressure on it? Or then again, maybe they'd help stregthen it?

I had been doing them with no pain involved a few months back but then stopped so not sure if I should start again or not.

Many thanks,

Simon

i would suspect that the rotator cuff does some stabilisation work in a pull up. if you arent feeling pain then i suspect its ok to do pull ups.
why not ring and ask the physio?
if he is telling you to do lat pulldowns, i dont really see what he'd have against doing pull-ups.

amazingemmet

It depends on whats wrong with your shoulder really. Chins ups and rows actually internally rotate your humerus so might need to be avoided if thats whats wrong.

TKD SC

aye wrote: »

i would suspect the reason the physio talked about the lat pulldown is because it would be the common machine people use to work their lats.
if you can do the pull ups, do so, and when you tire on them you could do a couple of light weighted sets with the lat pulldown machine.



i would suspect that the rotator cuff does some stabilisation work in a pull up. if you arent feeling pain then i suspect its ok to do pull ups.
why not ring and ask the physio?
if he is telling you to do lat pulldowns, i dont really see what he'd have against doing pull-ups.

Hi Aye,

Thanks for the info. Yeh, I agree the lat pulldown was prob just given as standard ex to do and i'd prefer pull ups. Will buzz the physio to see what he thinks, but I'm going to gym tonight so might try few and see how feels.

It depends on whats wrong with your shoulder really. Chins ups and rows actually internally rotate your humerus so might need to be avoided if thats whats wrong. .

Apparently I have tendonitis in the rotator cuff, perhaps some scar tissue also, seems to lead to a bit of impingement against the bone with the upper arm muscle - generally not sore, except at a funny angle (eg certain angle with steering wheel in car) and mostly affects me during the night, wakes me up few nights a week - not too painful but weird uncomfortable feeling. I really hate the funny clicking sense though and hoping that the eric creasy rotator cuff ex's (mentioned few threads back also) will help...

Thanks guys.

amazingemmet

If you have tendonitis might be worth getting some ultra sonic on it and some intense massage to break up the adhesions in the muscle. Speak to your phsyio about it. Is it your AC joint thats impinging?

TKD SC

amazingemmet wrote: »

If you have tendonitis might be worth getting some ultra sonic on it and some intense massage to break up the adhesions in the muscle. Speak to your phsyio about it. Is it your AC joint thats impinging?

Impingement is between the acromion and humeral head - that's how the osteopath exlained it to me. No one mentioned ultra sonic - I'll query this. Just really annoying - 2 yrs later and its not goinng away! Aghh!

Thanks.

amazingemmet

I actually had the same problem recently. What the weakness was in my case believe it or not was my external rotators were stronger then my internal ones and my pecs were quite loose causing my humerus to sublax out of the joint.

I fixed it by laying off the upper body work for awhile and working to balance out the difference in strength.