Gym injuries
Gym shoulder pain: causes, fixes, and when to see a physio
Shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons gym-goers end up in clinic, and bench press, overhead press, and pull-ups are usually the exercises that trigger it. The shoulder is built for mobility over stability, which makes it very capable, but also more sensitive to volume and technique errors than most other joints.
The usual suspects
- Volume spikes. Suddenly increasing pressing volume, whether from a new programme or extra sessions, is one of the most common triggers.
- Limited shoulder blade control. If your shoulder blade doesn't move well on your ribcage, the shoulder joint itself takes on more stress during overhead and pressing movements.
- Weak rotator cuff relative to your pressing strength. If your bench or overhead press has outpaced your rotator cuff strength, the joint loses some of its stability under heavy load.
- Poor bar path or range of movement, particularly flaring the elbows too wide on bench press or pressing behind the neck.
What usually helps
In the short term, reducing pressing volume (not necessarily stopping entirely) and swapping to a pain-free range of movement lets things settle without losing all your training momentum. Longer term, the fix is almost always rotator cuff and scapular strength work, done consistently, alongside a technique check on your main lifts.
Exercises worth trying
- Band external rotations, done slowly and with control
- Face pulls, focusing on squeezing the shoulder blades together
- Scapular push-ups, to build control of shoulder blade movement
- Landmine or incline pressing, which is often better tolerated than flat barbell bench while things settle
When it needs a proper assessment
See a physiotherapist if the pain has lasted more than two to three weeks despite reducing load, if it's affecting your sleep, if you've noticed a clear loss of strength or range of movement, or if it started from a specific traumatic incident rather than gradually building up. An assessment will confirm exactly which structures are involved and whether it's a loading issue, a mobility restriction, or something that needs imaging to rule out.