Do you experience shoulder pain from push-ups? The causes of this can range from improper form, poor range of motion, or even weak muscles.
Prioritizing good form and full range of motion, and preparing the body by progressing gradually can reduce shoulder-related issues from push-ups. Every one of these exercises is a regression of the traditional push-up featuring the benefits of push-ups. Lifters can cement proper form and strengthen the shoulder joint to prepare it for progression to the traditional push-up.
7 Exercises To Ease Shoulder Pain During Push-Ups
Each of these exercises can positively impact the shoulder joint, strengthening it and improving mobility.
Top Exercises To Reduce Shoulder Pain From Push-Ups
If you want to reduce shoulder pain from push-ups, integrating push-up variations that strengthen the shoulder can provide a positive impact. Each exercise reduces the weight load on the shoulder joint while simultaneously strengthening the surrounding muscles, like the deltoids.
Incline Plank
The incline plank is a beginner-friendly full-body exercise that integrates numerous muscle groups in the lower and upper body. Muscles like the gluteus maximus, erector spinae, transverse abdominis, and deltoids are engaged in the incline plank.
Due to its elevated position, gravity’s weight load is decreased, reducing the intensity of the exercise. This is beneficial for also deducting tension placed on the shoulder joints in the incline plank. For individuals who struggle with shoulder pain from push-ups, performing this exercise can take some strain off the shoulders.
How To Do
- Locate a flat bench for the exercise.
- Place your forearms on the bench from wrist to elbow.
- Line up your elbows so that they are directly beneath your shoulders.
- Move your feet back so that your legs are extended. This is your starting position.
- Engage your core and keep your spine neutral.
- Hold this position for a designated amount of time.
- Breathe throughout the exercise.
- Repeat for desired reps and sets.
Tips
- This exercise can also be performed at home. If you don’t have a bench, a stable chair or bed can be used.
- Don’t let your hips dip, as this can place stress on the lower back. Focus on engaging the core and glutes to maintain a straight back.
Optimal Sets & Reps
Training Style | Sets | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 30–60 seconds |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 30–60 seconds |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 30–60 seconds |
| Power Training | 2–3 | 30–60 seconds |
Incline Shoulder Tap
The incline shoulder tap is another great beginner-friendly exercise that reduces tension on the shoulders. It activates muscle groups like the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, deltoids, and triceps brachii to perform the exercise’s movement pattern.
The elevated body position decreases the weight load on the lifter. It is an excellent alternative for lifters experiencing shoulder pain from push-ups.
How To Do
- You will need a flat bench for this exercise.
- Place your palms flat on the bench about shoulder-width apart.
- Move your feet back to enter a high-plank position on your hands and feet.
- Ensure that your elbows are beneath your shoulders. This is your starting position.
- Engage your core to maintain a neutral spine.
- Take your right hand off the bench, tapping your opposite shoulder.
- Return to the starting position.
- Do the same for the left hand, touching the right shoulder.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat for desired reps and sets.
Tips
- Aim to not twist the torso or lean the body. Keep the body stiff and firm, only moving the working arm. This will help increase engagement in the upper and lower body muscles.
- If the incline of a bench is too challenging, increase the elevation. Consider using a high countertop or a high box to perform this exercise and strengthen your upper body.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 15–20 |
| Power Training | 2–3 | 1–5 (Explosive) |
Incline Push-Up
Incline push-ups are a regression of the traditional push-ups. It integrates an elevated position to reduce gravity’s weight load on the lifter. As a bodyweight exercise, an incline push-up is an excellent option for lifters wanting to decrease shoulder pain from push-ups.
This exercise can be used to strengthen muscles that support the shoulder joint, like the deltoids and triceps brachii. It can promote positive effects by better stabilizing the shoulder joint to reduce pain and injury risk. If the shoulder joint is weak, the risk of injuries like rotator cuff tears, dislocations, or sprains is more prominent.
How To Do
- Place two chairs so that they are facing each other. Ensure that the chairs are stable and will not tip over or move.
- Position a hand on both of the chairs about shoulder-width apart.
- Shift your feet back to enter a high plank position with a straight back. This is your starting position.
- Inhale and lower down as far as you can without compromising form.
- Pause at the bottom.
- Exhale and push up to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for desired reps and sets.
Tips
- Avoid arching the neck to look up when performing the incline push-up. Aim to keep the spine and neck neutral.
- If you don’t have access to a bench, this exercise can be performed on any elevated surface. Try using a countertop, chair, or bed. The greater the incline, the less challenging the exercise. Likewise, the smaller the incline, the more challenging.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 15–20 |
| Power Training | 2–3 | 1–5 (Explosive) |
Bird Dog
The bird dog is a core-focused exercise that utilizes body weight and an unstable position to challenge balance and coordination. Various muscle groups are activated, including the glutes, obliques, deltoids, and latissimus dorsi.
If you experience shoulder pain from push-ups, the bird dog may be an effective alternative to try out. It engages the deltoids, helping to strengthen and improve mobility in the muscles. This can reduce shoulder pain and enhance the functionality of the shoulder joint.
How To Do
- Enter a tabletop position on your hands and feet on the ground.
- Ensure that your hands are beneath your shoulders and knees below your hips. This is your starting position.
- Inhale, engaging the core.
- Exhale and lift your right arm and left leg simultaneously, extending them away from the body.
- Pause, holding the position.
- Inhale, returning to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Alternate and repeat for desired reps and sets.
Tips
- Focus on engaging the core and the glutes to maintain a stable position and deter swaying.
- Perform the exercise with intentionality and control. Do not rush through the movement, as this can reduce engagement in this bodyweight exercise.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 15–20 |
| Power Training | 2–3 | 1–5 (Explosive) |
High Plank
The high plank is a bodyweight exercise that engages muscles in the lower and upper body. Muscles like the hamstrings, deltoids, obliques, and glutes are activated to maintain the plank position for a designated time.
As the high plank activates the deltoids in this exercise, it can also effectively strengthen this important shoulder muscle. It promotes a positive effect on physical fitness while strengthening the core and shoulders to improve posture.
How To Do
- Find a flat space to perform the high plank.
- Enter a tabletop position on hands and knees.
- Lift your knees off the ground, extending your legs back to enter a high plank position.
- Hold for a designated amount of time.
- Make sure to breathe and keep the core engaged.
- Repeat for desired sets.
Tips
- While performing the high plank, ensure your hands are positioned beneath your shoulders. This position is necessary as it reduces excess tension on the shoulder joints.
- Engage your core and glutes to keep your spine neutral. This will also help prevent the hips from dipping and placing excess tension on the lower back.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 30–60 seconds |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 30–60 seconds |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 30–60 seconds |
| Power Training | 2–3 | 30–60 seconds |
Plank Shoulder Tap
The plank shoulder tap is a combination of the high plank and the shoulder tap arm movement. It is a bodyweight exercise that emphasizes a firm body position to challenge balance and coordination.
This exercise is a great alternative for lifters who experience shoulder pain from push-ups. The high plank is less challenging than the forearm plank. The shoulder taps help increase intensity, testing the lifter’s balance and stability to increase muscle engagement.
How To Do
- Locate a flat space to perform the high plank.
- Enter a tabletop position on hands and knees.
- Lift your knees off the ground, extending your legs back to enter a high plank position. This is your starting position.
- Pick up your right hand, using it to tap your left shoulder.
- Return to the starting position.
- Switch sides, using the left hand to tap the right shoulder.
- Repeat for desired sets and reps, making sure to alternate working arms.
Tips
- Aim to keep the core and glutes engaged while performing the plank shoulder tap. The goal is to refrain from the body tipping or twisting while performing the shoulder taps. This will increase muscle engagement and improve results.
- Always return the working hand below the shoulder joint. Try to avoid the hands from moving farther away from their original starting position as you alternate working arms.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 15–20 |
| Power Training | 2–3 | 1–5 (Explosive) |
Negative Push-Up
The negative push-up is a variation of the traditional push-up that can help beginners learn control and improve strength. Different muscle groups worked in this exercise, including the deltoids, pectorals, and triceps.
It is a great alternative to traditional push-ups, improving upper body strength and increasing core stability in the movement pattern. This is productive for strengthening the shoulders and improving form and technique to reduce shoulder pain during push-ups.
How To Do
- Enter a high plank position on your hands and feet.
- Position your hands beneath your shoulders and keep your back straight. This is your starting position.
- Inhale and perform a push-up, bending the elbows to slowly lower the body to the floor.
- Pause at the bottom.
- Exhale, dropping your knees to the ground and pushing back up. Once your torso is up, lift the knees off the ground. You should be back in the starting position.
- Repeat for desired reps and sets.
Tips
- Slow down the lowering movement to increase muscular tension and intensity.
- Do not lift the head while performing the negative push-up. Keep the spine neutral to avoid placing unnecessary tension on the neck and back.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 15–20 |
| Power Training | 2–3 | 1–5 (Explosive) |
Anatomy Of The Shoulder
Getting a better understanding of the anatomy of the shoulder can improve comprehension of exercises and what muscles they target. It can help lifters pinpoint what parts of the shoulder are weak and need to be strengthened.
Anterior Deltoid
Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region
Lateral Deltoid
Muscles located at the side of your shoulder which gives your shoulders a rounded appearance.
Posterior Deltoid
Muscles located at the back of your shoulder. Helps with posture.
Anterior Deltoid Anatomy And Function
The deltoid muscle located in the shoulder is made up of three heads: the anterior, posterior, and lateral heads. The anterior deltoid, or front delt, is found at the front of the shoulder. It is responsible for shoulder flexion, moving it up and forward.
Humans use the anterior deltoid in various activities, like shrugging our shoulders or lifting our arms to reach for something. Keeping this shoulder muscle strong and healthy is important for supporting functional and athletic performance.
Lateral Deltoid Anatomy And Function
The lateral deltoid, or side delt, is situated on the side of the shoulders. It is the largest of the three deltoid heads, making up the bulk of the muscle. Its functions include supporting arm movements, including up, down, and out to the sides.
During jumping jacks or brushing your hair, the lateral deltoids are engaged to promote arm movement. Exercises like the incline push-up or high plank hand taps are productive for strengthening the deltoids to improve function.
Posterior Deltoid Anatomy And Function
The posterior deltoid, or rear delt, is the last of the three heads that make up the deltoid. Situated at the back of the shoulder, the rear delt has a role in numerous functions. It helps extend the arm backward, rotate the shoulder, and move the arm away from the body horizontally (horizontal abduction).
Maintaining health in the posterior deltoid is critical for keeping the shoulder joint strong and functional. It is used in many real-life activities, including opening doors, waving, and reaching for items to move or pick up.
Other Tips To Avoid Shoulder Pain
Suffering from shoulder pain can be uncomfortable and frustrating. Many times, there’s a preventable cause of shoulder pain. Here are some tips to avoid shoulder pain when performing push-ups and other exercises.
Focus On Proper Form
One of the biggest factors of exercising that should be prioritized is form. If proper form is not emphasized while training, the likelihood of injury increases. If the joints aren’t moving in a pattern that is natural to them, this can risk injury to the joint. Another issue is that it places excess strain on body parts, risking injury to ligaments, muscles, and tendons.
If you’re experiencing shoulder pain from push-ups, consider taking a step back and re-evaluating your form. Use the alternative exercises listed in this article to strengthen your upper body and focus on proper form. From there, once you improve form and shoulder strength, try performing push-ups again to assess any pain or discomfort.
Here are some common mistakes to avoid that can make or break your success in performing push-ups correctly.
- Elbow Flare: Avoid flaring your elbows. This common mistake should be avoided as it can potentially cause shoulder or rotator cuff injuries.
- Ego Lifting: Refrain from getting ahead of yourself by jumping to a harder push-up variation too quickly. Slowly progress to these more challenging alternatives to avoid risking injury.
- Poor Range Of Motion: Always complete a full range of motion when executing push-ups. An incomplete range of motion decreases muscle extension, which reduces the intensity placed on the muscles, reducing engagement.
- Sagging Hips: Do not allow your hips to sag. Engage the core and the glutes to keep the hips aligned and maintain a neutral spine.
Warm Up And Stretching
Always warm up and stretch before exercising to prepare the body for movement. Warming up can help loosen a muscle or joint, reducing potential injury from tightness.
Before performing push-ups or the alternative exercises provided in this article, consider dynamic stretches. It utilizes movement to prepare the body in various ranges of motion, like a bodyweight squat before a barbell squat. Try resistance band pull-aparts or arm circles as dynamic stretches to warm up the body before push-ups.
Progress Gradually
Do not ego lift, as this can raise the risk of injury to the lifter. Prepare the body by gradually progressing with exercise intensity, whether through exercise progression, repetitions, or time under tension. This is productive for strengthening the muscles and cementing proper form before progressing in difficulty.
Try using exercises like the incline push-up to practice form and technique before progressing to the traditional push-up. It is great for reducing weight load and intensity, so lifters can focus on form and strengthening the muscles.
Conclusion
If you suffer shoulder pain from push-ups, you should consider using an alternative exercise like incline push-ups. This article provides numerous exercise alternatives that help strengthen the shoulders while reducing strain on the joint.
Using these exercises can positively impact shoulder strength by reducing weakness and pain. Lifters can also properly focus on form and technique to prepare the muscles to gradually progress to the push-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may need to assess and modify the form if you’re experiencing shoulder pain from push-ups. Consider using exercise regressions to reduce weight load while strengthening the shoulder.
The best thing you can do is emphasize good form and technique. These two factors can make or break your exercise progress from performing push-ups. Good form and technique can reduce injury risk and enhance progress by increasing muscle engagement.
Push-ups integrate various upper and lower body muscle groups. The highest muscular engagement should be in the chest, shoulders, and triceps when performing push-ups. These are the primary muscles used in this exercise.
We do not recommend exercising while sore. Give the muscles time to rest and recover to allow them to grow stronger and reduce injury risk.
Push-ups can damage the shoulders if done incorrectly. If there is a lack of shoulder mobility or strength in the muscles to perform the push-up, pain can result.
Resources
Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.
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About the Author
Kaelyn Buzzo, PT Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach
