Shoulder Impingement: A Pre-Emptive Approach to Sustainable Strength Training
Shoulder impingement is one of the most common long-term lifting problems. Many lifters — experienced and novice — don’t “injure” their shoulder in one dramatic moment. They slowly grind away at the structures in the front and top of the shoulder for years… until one day, overhead pressing or even putting a shirt on suddenly “pinches.”
This is the problem: you can build strength while training in bad positions — but your joints are the ones that pay for it.
What actually gets impinged?
When you press overhead (or horizontally) with poor mechanics, the upper arm bone migrates forward and upward in the socket. This decreases the “subacromial space” — the small gap where your rotator cuff tendons and bursa sit.
Less space = more irritation.
Do this with heavy loads + sloppy form for 5–10 years… that’s how impingement is created.
The most common gym mistake
Most people press overhead with their elbows flared out at 90°. This is a terrible position for the shoulder joint. The humeral head literally jams upward.
The safer, stronger position? Slight tuck. About 30° forward of your body line. This engages the rotator cuff as a stabiliser and gives the joint space to move.
This applies to:
- overhead press
- incline press
- flat bench
- machine chest press
- even lateral raises
Why this matters
Strength training teaches your nervous system to reinforce whatever pattern you repeat.
If you repeat bad patterns, you’re not just “training wrong.” You’re engraving the wrong movement into your brain. Then it becomes automatic. That’s how lifters in their 40’s and 50’s end up saying things like:
“My shoulders have just always been bad.”
Not true. They were just taught sloppy movement.
The good news
Impingement is rarely a “lost cause.” It’s usually a movement problem that can be fixed by re-learning:
- scapular control
- humerus position
- correct pressing angles
- correct loading progression
Investing in your health by using a personal trainer who understands shoulder mechanics can literally save you years of wear and tear simply by teaching you how to align the lift correctly.
If your shoulder pinches: It’s not a mysterious injury. It’s a signal. A signal that your movement needs correcting — not that you need to “push through” or “ice and hope it goes away.”
Correct technique is not about looking clean. It’s about listening to your body and staying healthy enough to lift for decades to come.
3 Common Exercises That Worsen Impingement (if done wrong)
1) Barbell Overhead Press (elbows flared)
Creates upward humeral migration → closes shoulder space.
2) Heavy Dumbbell Bench Press with Wide Elbow Angle
Loads the front of the joint hard, especially near the bottom range.
3) Upright Rows Pulled Too High
Brings the shoulder into internal rotation + elevation = worst combo.
3 Better Alternatives to Help Rebuild Shoulder Mechanics
1) Dumbbell Press at ~30° Tuck
Slightly in front of the body line — protects space + strengthens proper control.
2) Landmine Press
Great for rebuilding pressing mechanics with safer angle + natural scap rotation.
3) Cable Face Pulls
Retrains scapular retraction + external rotation (key for fixing the pattern).
When To See a Coach
If you’ve been training for years, your patterns are deeply ingrained.
Correcting them on your own is possible — but very difficult to “feel” from inside your own body.
A good PT / coach can see the micro-errors:
- elbow angle
- rib flare
- scap position
- head forward posture
- end range drift
These are tiny details — but they are the difference between a shoulder that lasts and a shoulder that grinds.
Final Word
The shoulder is not designed to be punished — it is designed to be guided.
Most impingement is not the result of one bad lift, but thousands of slightly-off reps over time. If you can learn to press with healthy joint angles, controlled range, and intelligent load progression, your shoulder can stay strong for decades. And if you already have impingement, good news: it can often be reversed by improving the quality of your movement — not by lifting heavier or “pushing through.”
Technique isn’t a luxury — it’s joint protection. Investing in correct form today saves your body tomorrow.
