It was around 1:30 AM, maybe later—the exact time is fuzzy when you’re sleep-deprived—when my wife nudged me to check on the baby. I rolled over, blinked, and turned on the monitor. There was our newborn, Julian, making his case for one of us to get up.
Our little guy just reached four weeks, and Lisa and I have had a crash course in sleep deprivation and baby talk. The kind of talk that goes, “What are you trying to tell me? Please stop crying. I’ll do anything. No, really, anything…”
We don’t have much to complain about in the grand scheme. Julian has been amazing. Like any baby, when he cries it usually means one of a few things: a diaper change, hunger, the need to be swaddled, needing his pacifier, needing to be rocked or moved, or overstimulation. And sometimes—just for fun—a little extra cowbell helps.
As the weeks go by you stop panicking, run through the checklist, and before long you’re a pro at calming a baby.
It’s funny how, while I’ve been deep in baby chaos, I notice how often I draw connections to my work coaching athletes. A common scenario I see with new clients is a beginner or intermediate lifter dealing with a painful shoulder that keeps them from training at their best. It’s frustrating for them, and my job is to help uncover the root causes.
THE “MY SHOULDER HURTS” CHECKLIST
1) TECHNIQUE
Most people notice bench pressing bothers their shoulders. Fixing technique is the first line of defense. If something hurts, stop doing it, but don’t jump to conclusions. Sometimes a few small tweaks to setup make a huge difference. I often start with the setup: a bridge position to engage the upper traps and squeeze the shoulder blades together and down. This improves stability, which often translates into better strength. Many people flare their elbows out too much, leaving the shoulders exposed. Since filming that video a couple years ago, I’ve adjusted how I cue things. Elbows tucked on the way down is still important, but letting them flare slightly at the start of the press—with leg drive—to keep the joints stacked can boost performance. The bottom line is that setup matters: small adjustments can dramatically ease shoulder pain.
2) What People Don’t Want to Hear: Stop Benching, Bro
Seeing someone stop benching for a while can feel like bad news. The barbell can lock the shoulder into internal rotation, which can contribute to impingement. If benching hurts and technique hasn’t fixed it, I’ll suggest switching to dumbbells with a neutral grip to open up the space, or trying a decline bench to limit shoulder flexion. Pressing off a foam roller can also help by promoting better joint alignment and letting the scapulae move more. If necessary, it may be best to pause bench pressing for a few weeks to let things settle down.
3) Let the Scaps Move, Yo
I’ve stressed the importance of bringing the shoulder blades together and down for stability. If you want to lift heavy things, you also need to learn to let the scapulae move. When the scapulae are stuck and can’t move through their normal range of motion, it can cause problems. Push-ups are a great example: a closed-chain exercise that encourages scapular movement. If your scapulae aren’t moving well, your shoulders won’t stay healthy.
4) More Rows
This one’s simple: do more rows. Many lifters are too front-dominant and neglect their back. For every pressing movement, add 2–3 rowing movements. Any row will do.
5) Address Scapular Positioning
Most shoulder problems come from off-track scapular mechanics. The scapula does a lot: rotates, tilts, protracts, and retracts. If it isn’t moving well, the shoulder can hurt. Some people are too shruggy or stuck in downward rotation; others need more serratus work or better eccentric control. It’s surprising how often someone has seen many professionals and never had someone examine how their shoulder blades move. I don’t push corrective work too soon, but if pain persists after the basics, it’s time to dig deeper. And avoid too much glenohumeral extension, which can push the elbow forward and worsen scapular anterior tilt.
