First of all, I don't know what I'm doing. I have under my belt six years of formal training when I was twelve, some exceptionally crappy TKD (the same school that Michael Descado called bs in two sessions took me two months), and some messing around with something that vaguely resembles Xing Yi (if you squint and don't really know it at all) out of a book edited by a drunken orangutang. Oh yeah, and the last real fight I was in I lost. To a girl.

So you might want to use small words.

Anyway, while doing my Ying Xi (since I don't want to bespoil the real art's name)*, I ran into a problem that has occured in every attempt to do anything active: My amazing dislocating shoulder.

It's great at parties, since I can clasp my hands together behind my back and bring them over my head to the front. I can also make it dangle limply over my back like Jim Carrey used to do in his comedy routines. What it's not so good at is for things like throwing punches, bench pressing, or reaching across the table for salt. Sometimes it'll just spontaneously dislocate and go flying around wildly before snapping back into place like a rubber band. It seems like the more I use that arm the more easily it dislocates.

Does anyone know of any good exercises that can help build up the shoulders to prevent this sort of thing without losing too much flexibility? I don't particularly enjoy having to run to catch up with my fist after I throw a punch or dropping the bar on my neck because all support just left my arm.

*Incidentally, I looked this up in a chinese dictionary. My personal favorite was "insect that annoys his superiors."

I have a similar problem, the support in my left arm would just go away. Now, Ive found that as long as I"m careful not to rotate my arm when I lift, I"m good to go. But at the end of a hard set, I feel it start to give. All I can tell you is to keep you shoulder straight, and for the love of god stop dislocating your shoulder.

I remember accompanying a friend to the doctor about a knee problem she was having. Afterwards I popped my shoulder out asking him "is this bad? can I fix it?" To which he replied, "Never do that again." So I didn't. So far I"m okay.

Dude you seriously need to go to a physical therapist if not an orthopedic surgeon. Youre labrum and shoulder ligaments are probably hanging like a sock that has been overstreched and wont stay up anymore.

Hrm...that's not good. I'm well aware of the fact that my shoulder ligaments are extraordinarily loose, but I didn't realize it could be THAT bad. It seems to run in my family too, since my father used to have the same problem at my age, and I learned the "over the head" trick from my grandmother.

Thanks for the tip, Akurra. I'll stop dislocating it on purpose, maybe then it'll stop doing it on accident.

That's what called an "atraumatic" disloaction, versus a "traumatic" one, which is the kind that pops out and doesn't go back in.

Ummm...not much I can tell you beyond that. I had a traumatic one, which required surgery and physical therapy. I re-dislocated it once after that, but it was a minor one that I could actually put back into place.

It's not your shoulder that's dislocating. While you may be able to pull it around your head, it's an action of the tendons versus dislocating your shoulder. The amount of pain you'd be in would definitely prevent it from being a party trick. I have the same problem as you with my left shoulder and the only way I was able to get around it is by strengthening the tendons in my left shoulder through resistance training. It now never bothers me.

/me thinks that the title Stupid is a good way of telling The_Fan that he's stupid.

Well, its your problem, go look for a Xing Yi teacher if you really wanna do xing yi, xing yi is too dangerous in every way, be it if you're practicing wrong or if you're applying it on someone (It would be dangerous for him).

I chose the title because I know I'm an idiot, to pretend otherwise would be lying.

I've stopped doing Xing Yi for now too, instead I'm taking kung-fu at a somewhat dubious but still decent school. The instructor seems to know that his art is about 1/2 bull, since we also do BJJ on saturdays. This is also why I've returned to this thread.

And I thought doing improper xing yi caused my shoulder to come out...hooboy. The big problem I've found is that with strain on my shoulder, I seem to skip the point where it's hurting but not yet causing injury. I can be stretched a lot further than most without having to submit, but then all the sudden *pop* and I'm in severe pain.

This also means I can twist out where most people couldn't. Is it possible to improve the tendon strength to avoid the pop, but still keep the flexibility that lets me get out of an armbar? Any specific exercises you could recommend?

Go to a good trainer/pt/sports injury doc.

That said, I have shoulder problems (ok, I'll admit to one or two other...) and I use flies (move like back knuckling two guy's chins who are in front, then to the side, etc) and such with low weight, 30x x 3 reps. Bench press is NOT good for the attatchment at all.

Okay, this is a problem with the tendons associated with your deltoideus, and possibly your teres minor. For a progressive resistance program, I'd suggest Military Presses(shoulder presses) with both DB's and the flatbar. While bench press does work the shoulders, it's not a primary muscle for the movement. As for the amount of weight and repetitions, it's up to you. It depends on what your goal is going to be in the long run, however for the first 4-6 weeks, I'd say three sets of ten at around 60% of your 1rm. Since you have a problem with your shoulder, you're going to need a spotter, doing it on your own is going to result in more injury. Stay away from the machines, as you need to have more than just the isolated muscles strengthened.

I would stongly suggest against the above advices of military press and bench press. Conventional bodybuilding excercies wil not help and probably only serve to further aggrivate your shoulder until you can tighten it back up . You need to at the very least see a qualified physical therapist. Nobody can diagnose your exact problem over the internet. Speaking from personal experience here the more you subluxate and dislocate the easier it is to keep happening.

Yeah, it's not like a PT wouldn't suggest the exercises I mentioned or a variant of them. Those exercises will help to strengthen the tendons and muscles associated with those problems. No where did I state that he should just load up the bar with 400 lbs and damage himself, but if he lifts smart he'll overcome the problems he's experiencing. Also, I've had a very similar problem to what he's describing, and by talking to PT's they have told me there's nothing I can do short of surgery to fix the problem, but I can minimize it by strengthening those areas affected by it. I now never have a problem with my left shoulder.

Until you know what the hell you're talking about, just be quiet.

Well if it worked for you then it must be a universal truth. The exercises given to me were nothing even close to what you are describing and I have recovered nicely.
AkiraMusashi"cyber-certified physical therapist/orthopedic Dr"

My advice isn't based on just "recovering nicely." It's based on progressive ass kicking resistance. If people like you want to do arm circles while sitting on your lazy boy watching the latest episode of Desperate Housewives with a bag of Cheetos, then by all means, continue your "recovery." People like myself want a superior body, superior health and have superior standards when it comes to fitness. We strive for ever increasing perfection and are never satisfied with "just recovering."

Be great, or don't be at all. :XXknight:

LOL cheetos and arm circles
communication on the internet is sometimes difficult but
I will gladly post a pic of myself to show you what a superior body looks like

I know! This calls for more e-penis measuring contests!


Or maybe, he could start adding the recommended exersizes to his routine (which sound likely to help or at least not hurt) whilest waiting to contact a professional?