Working out with a Shoulder Injury (YOU CAN IF…)

Train smart and keep those gains coming with this program…
If you have a shoulder injury or simply get pain in your shoulders when working out but don’t know what to do about it, then this video is one you’ll want to watch. Shoulder injuries are common when working out. They are either caused by doing certain exercises (even if you do them correctly) or aggravated by good exercises simply because the area is already inflamed. The problem is, thinking that you need to stop working out all together to let the shoulder heal is often the worst decision you can make.
If you have a shoulder injury like a labrum tear or rotator cuff impingement, you will likely find exercises like the pullup or other hanging bar exercises to be difficult. Speaking from experience I can tell you that doing any exercise where I hang from a bar can cause my right shoulder to bark if I don’t set up properly.
Here’s a quick test you can try the next time you do a pullup. From the dead hang position, rotate your chin to either your right or left and see if it makes contact with your shoulder or upper pec area. If it does, you are not packing your shoulders tightly or properly to get the stability needed to perform the exercise without further damage.
You want to engage the traps and scapular stabilizers by raising your body up by keeping your elbows absolutely straight. Once in this position, you are much more stabile and can perform certain exercises that you may have had pain with before (like the pullup or hanging leg raise). The important thing is that just having the injury doesn’t mean that you should stop working out your shoulders all together. Sometimes, the work arounds are the most important part of helping you to regain proper strength and function of the joint so you can fully recuperate.
These types of physical therapy meets strength training videos are what separate the ATHLEAN-X channel from every other fitness channel. By putting the science back in strength, we help you to train with less pain and see your fastest muscle gains ever. If you are looking to train like an athlete or just want to build bigger muscles while training around a shoulder injury or other joint issue, then head to and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System.
For more shoulder exercises to avoid if you have an injured shoulder as well as more workout videos you can use if you have injuries be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at