shoulder clicking when doing weights.

[OneEyebrow]

When i do shoulder press with dumbells my shoulders click(right shoulder more than left). just wondering if im doing any damage while doing this? is there a way to stop the clicking? Also my kness click when doing squats!

[smudge]

I don't do dumb bells, but I have a painful clicky left shoulder & I'm left handed. I have always had crackety knees too - is it something in the water?!!

[IggyB]

joints clicking when you do weights if annoying but common, the clicking may indicate that some damage to the lining of the joint could be done in the long term. My advice would be to spend a bit more time stretching before exercise AND afterwards, because the shoulder / arms have such a range of motions there are several types of stretchs you should be doing your gym instructor can show you them. However for a lot of people (me included) the traditional shoulder press is uncomfortable and can produce loads of creaks and clicks whatever you do, this is simply due to the way our joints are made. A way to get round this is to try an inclined press, this is where you set the bench to a slight incline back and then lift the weights vertically, you'll prob find this much more comfortable and it has the same approximate results, tho it does bring in the pecs a little bit more. good luck

[smudge]

Thanx for the info IggyB, I think I'll stick to my Yoga classes! Smudge.

[incitatus]

joint clicking is called chondromalachia and is very common. the official explanation is the movement of gas bubbles in the joints but this always sounded like a "dont know" to me. What does help is a diet high in fish oils. (cod liver or otherwise), a regular exercise regime and doing flexibility work as well as weights. I would reccomend to any weightlifters (and I am one, though due to a bad ankle am currently in dock) to do a short course of yoga or similar as the added flexibility sorts out a lot of problems. If you cant a) touch every part of your back or b) do straight leg touch toes and hook a knuckle under then you need to work on flexibility.

[gazzawazza]

Can I just point out that when on a PTI course from work we were given a booklet on exercises which stated that touching the toes with straight legs is the most dangerous exercise you can do.

I'm not saying that nobody should ever do this as I've seen top sportspeople doing much more than this ie bending over double and pulling their chests onto their thighs.

The point I'm making is that after carrying out studies it was discovered that this exercise causes more back injuries than any other, and the reason for posting this is to hopefully prevent "unfit" people suddenly trying to touch their toes and doing themselves injury.

[smudge]

Thanks for that gazzawazza. I attend yoga classes twice a week & our instructor said the same thing. You see people in the gym really going for the burn, but some extreme excercises can actually cause damage to certain parts of the body. In yoga, excercising is done in a more gentle & serene way, which is good for body & mind. But everyone to their own. P.S. Housework & walking up & downstairs is also a good way of excersising

[smudge]

Exercising is even better when it's spelt correctly - more haste less speed!