i do some minor weight training to complement BJJ. So i don't hit all muscle groups usually i hit chest and biceps and sometimes work in triceps. I naturally have big shoulders and upper back but have not done really any strength training with them. I have been prone to injuring my neck muscles and the area between my shoulder blades is often sore. I'm wondering if it could be my chest muscles tightening and pulling on the unworked muscles. if that makes any sense? If so what are some things to strengthen these muscles? thanks
Without knowing more, I'd venture to guess it's a postural issue and it's likely that your shoulders are strongly internally rotated. As for fixes to this, look up fixing internal shoulder rotation on youtube, you'll find a lot of good stuff.
Why not just run a balanced strength program? BJJ isn't going to provide the same form or intensity of training for your back that a barbell can.
What the guy above me said sounds correct. Also, strengthen and stretch your back (esp. upper), lots of BJJ guys are swaybacked
Any type of rows is good. You can also do face-pulls for lower weight and higher reps. Diesel Crew's shoulder warm-up is also good for doing before and after upper body lifting. They also have a rehab protocol if needed.
If you're lifting to compliment BJJ, you're doing it 100% incorrectly. What are chest and bicep exercises doing to help your BJJ? I swear this is yet another troll thread. At least I hope it is.
Not a troll just saying i do some strength training but because of the time i dedicate to bjj i don't have a lot of time to spend also lifting.
What they are saying is that your training philosophy is so out of whack that you're not even pointed in the right direction. It is indicated by your chest/biceps comment. You hurt because you're imbalanced. Proper strength training, as advocated in this forum, produces a balanced athlete. We also tend to recognize that power and strength comes from the legs/hips/back. The chest and biceps are more for show than performance. So you should be doing compound back and lower body movements such as barbell rows, squats, and deadlifts, and probably at a higher than normal frequency to make up for your lack of progress compared to your chest.
thank you I came to this forum because I felt like I was doing something wrong and wanted to seek advice. Not to troll it. I will change my work out. right now I do 3x12 and can usually get in 3 exercises taking about 45 minutes. What is a good repxset amount for rows squats and dead lifts? which can be done same day which should be alternate days?
I'm honestly happy to see someone willing to learn. Too often on the sub I watch people come and complain about their routine and then ignore anyone who contradicts their methodology. It's almost always beginners. It's for the best to really take an objective look at yourself. Do you squat 1.5x bodyweight? Do you pull 2x bodyweight? Do you press 1.25x bodyweight? If the answer is no to any of them, it's probably best to use a beginner routine. They are usually simple and highly effective linear progression routines with only 3 or 4 exercices every other day. This subforum has a great FAQ. The few pages on there have some of the best information on the internet to get started.
A lot of people here are being far too quick to try and diagnose. While your training is horribly imbalanced, and could quite likely contribute to the problems you mention, trying to narrow it down to something specific isn't really possible with the information given, or over the internet. A more balanced routine would be a good start - I'd start by looking at the routines in the FAQ. I'd also suggest doing the YWTLs from the video DrBdan posted. The idea of push-pull balance is an oversimplification with regards to shoulder girdle health, and doing something like YWTLs will go a long way to keeping the shoulder girdle healthy. That said, it doesn't always have to be YWTLs - there are a lot of other options, although they all train the same sorts of things. Finally, mobility work for the thoracic spine, and SMR/stretching for the pecs (especially the pec minor). Which is a shotgun approach - it's all stuff the will contribute to shoulder girdle health, and I think there's a good chance that something there will help your specific issue, but who knows? It's all stuff that's pretty reasonable regardless.
As usual Tosa brings quality. I myself am struggling with pain in my neck and trapezius/rhomboid minor/upper back area. I've noticed it worsens a lot in periods where I bench and OHP more than usual. I think it's some kind of inflammatory response. I tried cutting out presses entirely for a week or so, and it actually subsided. I also have internally rotated shoulders, which is probably linked, and have been working on outwards rotation exercises with bands. I haven't seen that YWTLs stretch before and I rarely stretch at all. Will definitely include that and the pec minor stretch to see if it helps over time. Thanks!
Thanks for all the help. I will read some of the FAQ and start putting together a new routine and will definitely put the YWTL warm up into what i do
