- Athletes' Potential Weekly Wrap
- Posts
- Training around shoulder pain, navigating the American healthcare system and stop bending your back?
Training around shoulder pain, navigating the American healthcare system and stop bending your back?
why pain is not a stop sign, but a detour sign
Dr. Matt Longfellow
August 03, 2024
Welcome to the Athletes' Potential Weekly Wrap. It's Dr. Matt here.
This ain't your grandma's newsletter — it's a short, weekly dose of free expert advice and tips to keep you fit, strong, and pain-free. Forever.
If some awesome human shared this with you, click here to get these tips straight to your inbox weekly. Your future, pain-free self will thank you.
Now, let's dive in to this week's good stuff...
My Left Shoulder’s Pain Rebellion
Just wrapped up a heavy strength cycle, and boy, do I have a tale to tell.
Picture this: your favorite kettlebell junkie (that's me) going all Hulk on a 40kg press. Sounds great, right?
Well, hold onto your protein shakers.
How My Shoulder Trolled Me
The good: I crushed my goal of a 40kg military press. Mission accomplished.
The bad: Now I have a sharp pain, like a tiny kettlebell gremlin stabbing my shoulder every time I press.
Bonus feature: Everything overhead became a game of "Will it hurt?" (…it usually did.)
The lesson: Turns out, too much volume + high intensity = one seriously pissed off shoulder.
Who knew? (Spoiler: me, but sometimes I have to learn my own lessons the hard way)
So, what's a kettlebell addict to do when their shoulder decides to go on strike?
The Master Plan: How We’re Gonna Fix This Mess
The game plan:
Give the shoulder a break and let it chill out.
Switch gears to something more shoulder friendly
Here's the new jam:
Focus on jerks & front squats
Heavy getups to 'rehab' the shoulder back to glory
Today's Workout: The "My Shoulder Hates Me" Special
Double Jerks + Front Squats
3 jerks + 3 front squats OTM x 3 min
3 min rest (or contemplate life choices, your call)
Repeat x 4 rounds (got pretty brutal, pretty quick)
Now, I know what you're thinking:
"Dude, why jerks? Isn't that still overhead work?"
Well, you’re right. But there’s a method to the madness.
The "Why Jerks Are My New BFF" Breakdown
The likely culprit of my pain?
A bicep tendon that's angrier than a cat in a bathtub.
Jerks = heavy overhead work (still my fav) without the "OH GOD WHY" pain I get from strict pressing.
Controlled eccentrics (lowering the weight) = more time under tension. It's like a massage for your tendons, but sweatier.
Bonus: My shoulder actually feels better as I go. It's not magic; it’s #science.
Fun fact: Pissed off tendons love time under tension more than I love post-workout tacos. And that's saying something.
So, this is my jam for the next few months. Then it's back to heavy military press when my shoulder's done throwing its little hissy fit.
The Takeaway
Pain is NOT a stop sign. It's more like a detour sign on your fitness journey.
You don't have to park your gains and give up, but maybe take the scenic route for a while. Adjust the plan, keep moving forward, and for the love of all that is holy, listen to your body.
If you're struggling with pain and need help adjusting your plan, remember – fitness isn't about beating yourself down.
It's about slow, steady progress. Not self-destruction.
So if you’re tired of your body acting like a drama queen every time you workout…
During this call, we'll:
Chat about your pain woes
Craft a battle plan to get you working out pain-free
Discuss how to make gains without pain ruining the party
It's like a first date with your future pain-free self, minus the awkward small talk.
Keep moving,
Dr. Matt
P.S. If you're battling your own aches & pains, don't suffer in silence. Book that call, adjust your plan, and keep moving forward.
What I’m Digging This Week…
This Week’s Popular Post
This post went pretty crazy to the tune of over 75,000 views. And it’s an important message that needs to be heard. Click below to read the full post.
Learn More From Us
We post all the time on Instagram & Twitter. We keep it fun, but provide educational info on how you can stay fit, strong, and pain-free–for good.
Questions? Happy to help! Shoot us an email at [email protected]
Ready To Get Back To Your Active Life–For Good?
Let's be real – there's never a "perfect" time. Life's crazy, work's insane, and your to-do list? Probably longer than my buddy's list of gym fails. But your body doesn't care about your packed schedule. It just wants to feel great again.
That's why we offer a FREE 15-minute discovery call. It's your chance to:
Chat about what's holding you back
See if NOW is the right time to make a change
Find out if we're the right team to help you crush your goals
No pressure, no gimmicks. Just a quick chat to see if we can help you avoid becoming my next cautionary tale.
Because getting back to your active life? That's always in style.