Can I lift weights with shoulder pain?
Updated: Oct 30
Yes. In most cases, I actually think you should be lifting weights if you have shoulder pain. The important thing is choosing exercises you can manage and progressing them properly. However, if a doctor or physio has specifically told you to avoid using the area, follow that advice.
Shoulder pain is something I work with all the time. I’ve trained clients with recurring dislocations and subluxations, labral and rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulders and various shoulder surgeries. I’ve even trained people while their arm was in a sling.
I'm happy to say every client I’ve worked with for a shoulder injury has reached a point that they were happy with. Which means their shoulder is comfortable in daily life, and they can train productively and feel good.
Shoulders are complicated joints. But the practical approach is straightforward: find what you can do, improve how you do it, then gradually build your strength and movement.
Should I stop lifting weights if my shoulder hurts?
Stop the exercise that causes pain. That doesn’t mean stopping weight training altogether.
If you feel something whilst training, most likely, the answer is better exercise selection and execution.
Try:
Reducing the load
Improving your technique
Choosing a different exercise.
Of course, if something more serious happens, or you’re unsure what you’ve done, get it assessed.
For a more long-term irritation, I would remove overhead pressing for sure and/or any other movement causing problems.
Don't forget, as long as it's comfortable, you can use isolation exercises to keep working particular muscles. A machine chest fly might let you train your chest. Lateral raises might let you work your shoulders, and rope pushdowns can train your triceps.
You can also keep training other parts of your body. As I said, I’ve worked with a client whose arm was in a sling. Machine-based leg exercises and suitable core work can still offer plenty to do.
When should I see a physio about shoulder pain?
A distinct injury or sudden incident is a good reason to get assessed.
Perhaps you lifted something overhead, felt a pop and your shoulder suddenly became painful. That is different from a gradual niggle that has developed over time.
A clear loss of movement is another reason to see a physio. If you can’t raise your arm overhead or move it out to the side, I would want that assessed.
With more gradual discomfort, I often look at how someone is moving and training. Desk work, carrying a baby and the positions you spend time in can all be relevant to that conversation.
There may be useful changes to make through exercise, strengthening and mobility work. If you’re uncertain, get an assessment rather than trying to guess.
For the wider approach to symptoms during training, read What should I do if something hurts while I’m training?
Can strength training help my shoulder pain?
Yes. I struggle to remember working with someone with shoulder pain who didn’t need some strengthening.
The shoulder has a large range of movement. Keeping it working well involves more than one muscle being strong. But not only that, the muscles around your shoulder blade, upper arm and upper back also need to coordinate properly.
The most common pattern I see is tightness around the chest and front of the shoulder, relative weakness through the back of the shoulder and upper back, combined with tightness in the thoracic spine (middle back).
That is where you should start.
Stretching can help relieve symptoms and make movement easier, but strengthening is the long-term answer.
For someone prone to shoulder problems, one rule of thumb I use is three pulling exercises for every one pressing exercise. That helps keep the programme focused on the areas I commonly find need more attention.
What exercises should I start with if my shoulder hurts?
My usual starting point is upper-back mobility followed by controlled pulling exercises.
First, get your upper back moving. Exercises I regularly use include:
Side-lying horizontal twists, potentially progressing to side-lying sweeps.
Then start with pulling exercises where your arms stay mostly close to your sides and you can control the movement.
Useful options include:
The aim is to feel the muscles through your back engaging and working.
I would establish confidence and strength in these movements before progressing towards more demanding positions or adding pressing.
How should I perform exercises to help my shoulder?
There are two things I would concentrate on.
First, use the full range of movement you can control comfortably. You should feel a stretch through the target muscles at one end of the rep and a squeeze through those same muscles at the other.
Keep tension in the muscles as you move between those positions. You are building strength while practising the movement you want your shoulder to perform.
Second, pay attention to your spine position.
People often worry about slouching, then overcorrect by lifting their chest excessively and arching through their back.
That can change where they feel the exercise. Instead of working through the middle of the upper back, they end up putting more effort into the muscles around the top of their shoulders.
Aim for a comfortable, neutral spine. You don’t need to force an exaggerated “chest up” position to have good posture.
For a full deep dive into back training, watch my masterclass on YouTube.
What exercises can help prevent my shoulder pain returning?
I focus on two things: upper-back movement and how the shoulder blade and upper arm work together.
This is why shoulder mobility work involves more than stretching. Strength helps, but the coordination between the different parts matters too.
Exercises I regularly use include:
I would put this kind of work at the beginning of your workout. Think of it as good housekeeping: a regular opportunity to practise moving your shoulder well.
Later in the session, you can include assistance exercises such as:
External rotations are a straightforward way to work on rotator cuff strength. The cross-body raise is another exercise I use to build strength and coordination around the shoulder.
The exact choices depend on what you can currently perform well.
How often should I do exercises to help my shoulder?
Frequency matters more than one heroic weekly session.
If you can spend some time each day practising comfortable movement and improving how your shoulder works, I think you will get more out of that than trying to solve everything in one demanding workout.
This doesn’t mean hammering your shoulder with heavy weights every day. I’m talking about regularly practising the mobility and coordination exercises.
Put them at the beginning of your training sessions and make the movement practice a consistent part of your routine.
Can I bench press with shoulder pain?
If you mean a barbell bench press, I wouldn’t recommend it while your shoulder is painful.
I rarely programme it anyway. For most of my clients, I prefer dumbbells. Each arm can work independently, you have more freedom to find a comfortable movement, and you can build strong, even pressing without being fixed to a bar.
If you enjoy barbell bench pressing, that is a reason to do it when it suits you. It still isn’t something I would push through shoulder pain.
If pressing feels comfortable, my preferred starting variation is a neutral-grip incline dumbbell press.
That means holding the dumbbells with your palms facing each other. It gives you an opportunity to work through a useful range while allowing each arm to move independently.
If that also causes problems, leave pressing aside for now and use the other options in your programme.
Can I press overhead with shoulder pain?
Overhead pressing would be one of the last things I would recommend while your shoulder is painful.
I’m particularly unlikely to choose a barbell overhead press. The bar fixes your hands in position and gives you less freedom to adjust the movement.
If you want to keep training your shoulders, a dumbbell or machine lateral raise may be a more useful option, provided it feels comfortable. You can train your triceps separately with a rope pushdown.
When it is time to reintroduce overhead pressing, my preferred starting point is a supported, seated Arnold press.
The bench provides support, the dumbbells allow each arm to work independently, and the movement takes the weights down in front of your chest before you press.
That is a progression to work towards. You don’t need to force overhead pressing into a programme while it is causing pain.
How do I get back to lifting heavier weights after shoulder pain?
I would progress through the movements in this order.
1. Get comfortable with the rehab exercises.
First, establish that you can perform the mobility and coordination work without pain. While you work on that, train the other parts of your body that you can manage comfortably.
2. Build up horizontal pulling.
Use the rows described earlier. Work towards being able to train them at a worthwhile intensity without shoulder discomfort.
3. Gradually increase the pulling angle.
A 45-degree cable pulldown can bridge the gap between rowing and pulling from directly overhead.
From there, you might progress to a lat pulldown. A neutral grip, such as a suitable MAG handle, may feel more comfortable.
Keep the same principles: controlled movement, a stretch and a squeeze through the target muscles, and a range you can manage.
4. Reintroduce pressing.
Once overhead pulling feels comfortable and reliable, I would start with a neutral-grip incline dumbbell press, then progress towards flat pressing.
Scapular push-ups are useful preparation here. I may introduce them during the pulling stage, before we start pressing again, to practise control of the shoulder blades.
5. Progress towards overhead pressing.
Start with the supported, seated Arnold press. Later, you might move towards a kneeling Arnold press, a standing single-arm press and eventually a barbell overhead press if that is something you want to do.
Each step asks a little more of your shoulder and your ability to control the movement.
For the wider approach to building strength over time, read How do I get stronger as I get older?
You don’t need to reach the most complicated variation to have a successful programme. Progress when the current stage is comfortable and productive, rather than because you feel you ought to be doing something harder.
Can a personal trainer help me train around shoulder pain?
Yes. Shoulder problems are common enough that a trainer should know how to adapt a programme around them and recognise when an assessment is needed.
If you’re choosing a trainer, read How do I find a good personal trainer?
When someone comes to me with shoulder pain, I start by asking questions.
What have they done before? What seems to irritate it? Has anything helped? Have they seen a physio or had a medical assessment? Do they also experience discomfort around their upper back or elbow?
Then we find exercises they can perform well now.
Improving technique is reliably one of my starting points. In my experience, people arriving with shoulder pain usually have something we can improve in their basic pulling or pressing movements.
We may also adjust the tempo and repetitions to suit what their shoulder can currently manage.
From there, we build strength and confidence. Session by session, we broaden their exercise choices and increase the intensity as they become ready.
I’ve used this approach with clients who have had recurring dislocations, subluxations, shoulder surgery and longstanding problems. The starting point differs, but the aim is consistent: less pain, better movement and the confidence to train properly.
You don’t need a perfect shoulder to reach a point where it stops being a problem in your daily life and lets you train in a way you enjoy.
If your neck and upper traps keep taking over during upper-body training, read What can I do about neck pain and tight traps?
If you want help putting this into practice, I offer personal training in Kentish Town. Get in touch to arrange a free consultation.
