When you’re training at Invictus Fitness, an upper body injury doesn’t mean you step away, it means you get more intentional. I want you to think of this as an opportunity to train around the issue while still moving forward. Let’s walk through two common scenarios we see and how to handle them immediately, and the right way.
What should you do when you have anterior shoulder pain when pressing overhead?
First, if you’re dealing with pain in the front of the shoulder when pressing overhead, especially on one arm, the priority is simple. Avoid painful positions and build capacity everywhere else. That means we’re temporarily removing or customizinging the overhead pressing tasks that cause discomfort and replacing them with pain-free options. Landmine presses, neutral grip dumbbell work, floor presses, and front racked carries are all solid choices. At the same time, we’re going to increase your pulling volume. Rows, ring rows, and controlled horizontal pulling help balance the shoulder and often reduce stress on the front side. This is also the perfect time to double down on pain-free mobility and stability work. Think shoulder CARs, light dumbbell or band rotation exercises for rotator cuff strengthening, and slow, intentional positional work that reinforces stability without irritation. Done correctly, you will build a stronger and more balanced foundation for the shoulder to move pain-free again soon.
What should you do when you have posterior shoulder pain with strict pull-ups?
Second, if you feel pain in the back of the shoulder during strict pull-ups, we’re going to shift your approach slightly differently. In this case, we’ll reduce or temporarily remove vertical pulling that aggravates symptoms and replace it with horizontal pulling like ring rows or supported dumbbell rows. But here, we want to emphasize mobility and stability even more. Often, pain in the back of the shoulder is tied to poor control of the scapula or limited range of motion. So we’ll spend more time on controlled tempo work, scapular pull-ups within a pain-free range, and light activation drills that teach your shoulder how to move well again. The goal is to restore clean, controlled movement before reloading the previously painful task.
How long will it take for your shoulder to heal?
In both cases, understand that healing timelines are not fixed. They depend on the extent of the injury, how long it’s been there, and how well you manage it day to day. What matters most is that you’re consistently working in pain-free ranges while gradually rebuilding tolerance. A key part of that process is re-testing. Once per week, lightly and slowly revisit the movement or range of motion that was previously painful. This is not a max effort test (far from it). Instead, it’s a check-in. If it feels better, you’re on the right track. If it doesn’t, you continue to build around it.
Communication is critical here. Talk to your coach before and throughout your class, every time you train. Let them know exactly what you’re feeling so we can proactively adjust the day’s workout for you. This is what coaching is for. Small, daily customizations add up and allow you to keep training with purpose instead of guessing or pushing through pain. Our goal is to keep you moving forward while protecting the long-term health of your body. If how you train today does not also improve the life of the 10-years-from-now you, then we need to change it.
Finally, if you’re not seeing improvement after a few weeks of consistent, smart adjustments, it’s time to bring in additional support. A qualified physical therapist can help identify underlying issues and give you a more targeted plan. That doesn’t replace what you’re doing here. It could enhance it.
The bottom line is that injuries are part of the process, but they don’t have to stop your progress. With the right adjustments, consistent communication, and a patient approach, you can keep training, keep improving, and come back stronger than before.