How fast does "getting out of shape" happen?

[Ber Rabbit]

Actually my shoulders are my weak joint. A lot of overhead lifting at work resulted in the muscle that goes over the top of my shoulder getting very strong; so strong, in fact, that the physical therapist said it was trying to tear my rotator cuff apart. Took 4 months of physical therapy to get the muscles in the rotator cuff strengthened and the pain out of it. That experience left me with a fear of doing anything with my arms. I have a small cartilidge (sp?) tear in one knee but it really only acts up when I trot up the stairs the wrong way. I also only have 87% of my bone density and have been lax about taking my calcium supplements, am trying to pick that up too before I get into major trouble.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[stu_in_fl]

I have a CD I made to work out with but all I can ever think about is "The first song isn't even done and I'm dying here!"

...get some shorter songs !

I have a small cartilidge (sp?) tear in one knee but it really only acts up when I trot up the stairs the wrong way.

I also had one of these from a rugby injury - I found it only bothered my while running (not on the stair things or cross training machines) - but with one of those neopropylenen knee things that you get from any sports store for a few $s, it was fine (and actually helped the injury heal).

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

Calcium is an important mineral. I don't do dairy, so daily Calcium +D tabs are a must for me as well.

 

[Hank49]

Actually my shoulders are my weak joint. A lot of overhead lifting at work resulted in the muscle that goes over the top of my shoulder getting very strong; so strong, in fact, that the physical therapist said it was trying to tear my rotator cuff apart. Took 4 months of physical therapy to get the muscles in the rotator cuff strengthened and the pain out of it. Ber :lilbunny:

That's really interesting. I've heard that you can overwork one group that will over power it's opposing group causing damage or pain. I'm careful to work all groups equally to avoid that. I would guess that strengthening the down pulling muscled of the shoulder would help.
When I was in my 20s I always had lower back pain. I had a strong back from farming and surfing but I didn't isolate my abdominals. I guess because the spinal muscles are like a chicken neck (sorry but it's the best I can come up with) with muscles all around it, they all need strengthening. After starting to isolate the abs at age 40, I have no more chronic pain. So maybe there is hope for your shoulders. Have you tried arm extended pull downs, or pull up type pull downs (you need pullies I guess) sideways and front ways? The same motion you would use swimming but with more resistance. (again, start with little weights and build up) Hank

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Luckily part of this sit-down job is that I'm off the machine that was causing the problem I have to be careful swimming as the pulling of a crawl stroke aggravates my shoulder, it took quite a while to recover after my Instructor swim test. The pool at Glenwood Springs is the only pool I've met that I can swim in for any length of time without pain because the water is so warm from the hot springs that feed it.

My body had found so many ways to cheat that the therapist had a hard time developing an exercise regimen that would challenge the muscles of the rotator cuff without having some other muscle group kick in. I guess my bicep was compensating for my shoulder somehow--she didn't say how she just said it was weird. I've been trying to go slow and not hurt anything
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Hank49]

Luckily part of this sit-down job is that I'm off the machine that was causing the problem I have to be careful swimming as the pulling of a crawl stroke aggravates my shoulder, it took quite a while to recover after my Instructor swim test. The pool at Glenwood Springs is the only pool I've met that I can swim in for any length of time without pain because the water is so warm from the hot springs that feed it.

My body had found so many ways to cheat that the therapist had a hard time developing an exercise regimen that would challenge the muscles of the rotator cuff without having some other muscle group kick in. I guess my bicep was compensating for my shoulder somehow--she didn't say how she just said it was weird. I've been trying to go slow and not hurt anything
Ber :lilbunny:

Well, hang in there. I'm finding that all the injuries I had are coming back to haunt me so if you can fix that now, I would do it.
Have you had your shoulder checked out by a doctor? My friend, an old fart like me, just had surgery (laser of something, just two small red marks on his shoulder) to remove a bone spur or chip that was causing him a lot of pain when he raised it up. I saw him a week later and he said it was way better.

 

[Randy43068]

For me, really fast. After a month I'm really out of shape..

I used to work night shift and run a machine that required me to constantly be on the move. I've been on day shift since May, the first time I've been off of night shift in 10 years or so. I always take the stairs but that's about the extent of the exercise I'm getting right now, I spend most of my day sitting at a desk. I've always been teased for my high metabolism, people tend to think I have an eating disorder because I eat so much but stay so thin. I noticed my jeans no longer fit in August and now the dress pants I wear to work are getting tight and I can see a fat layer under my skin that was never there before. Yesterday I was panting after trotting up the stairs and that has never happened before. I'll be 37 in December and I've noticed as I get older something about my body changes a couple of months before my birthday so the timing is right for stuff to start happening.

Is this how "out of shape" happens? This is all new to me so I don't know if it's the normal progression of weight gain or if it's something I should contact a Doc about.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[coach_izzy]

Have you tried arm extended pull downs, or pull up type pull downs (you need pullies I guess) sideways and front ways? The same motion you would use swimming but with more resistance. (again, start with little weights and build up) Hank

Actually this would make the problem even worse. Those motions rely mostly in the latisimus dorsi and teres major group, with assistance of the pecs, ALL major internal rotators of the shoulders. The excessive development of such group leads to what's called "upper cross syndrome" which is deterrent for a ball-and-socket joint that requires a lot of mobility and a major cause of back and shoulder pain.

Instead to balance to load out, she needs to work in what is called the "transverse" plane of motion. Movements in this plane are rows (with BB, DBs, Cables, etc) with the hands in supination, reverse flyes (with DBs, cables, bands, etc) and many other motions that target those neglected postural muscles.

The nice thing about this kind of work is that the rotator cuff group (Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Subscapularis) get highly involved and also benefit.

 

[coach_izzy]

Actually my shoulders are my weak joint. A lot of overhead lifting at work resulted in the muscle that goes over the top of my shoulder getting very strong; so strong, in fact, that the physical therapist said it was trying to tear my rotator cuff apart. Ber :lilbunny:

:06: Are you sure that is what your PT said? Physiologically, that is impossible in any type or form. A lot of OH activity usually results in development of upper traps and deltoids (that's how the body adapts to the demands) which could pull your scapula (shoulder blades) upward and cause shortening of the Supraspinatus muscle (one of the four components of the rotator cuff) which then becomes more prone to injure when you engage in activities that demand a great deal of motion from the shoulder joint. A lot of OH activity is also a culprit in the development of impingement due to irritation of the bursa (very common in people who spend prolonged periods of time with their arms up such as electricians, construction workers, etc)

But your RT being in danger of being torn by an overpowering muscle group? I still do not see how's possible. I think your PT was just trying to scare you from putting anything overhead. Happy and fast recovery

 

[Hank49]

Actually this would make the problem even worse. Instead to balance to load out, she needs to work in what is called the "transverse" plane of motion. Movements in this plane are rows (with BB, DBs, Cables, etc) with the hands in supination, reverse flyes (with DBs, cables, bands, etc) and many other motions that target those neglected postural muscles.

The nice thing about this kind of work is that the rotator cuff group (Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Subscapularis) get highly involved and also benefit.

Could you give me a bit more detail on this? I have a bit of the same problem with shoulder "stiffness" (a bit of pain) when I start military presses or ...sidways flies? (I'm sorry I don't know all the terminology). It goes away after a set or two but a few days later when I start, it's back again. I do rowing and I think "reverse flies" but I'm not sure of the terms. Thanks