How to Workout After Shoulder Surgery
The shoulder is a highly used ball and socket joint that's responsible for allowing the arm to perform a variety of tasks. As strong as the joint is, it's also fairly susceptible to injury that in many cases leads to corrective surgery. Following the surgery and any physical therapy sessions that may have been ordered, once you've been cleared by your doctor, getting back into the gym and incorporating shoulder work may seem daunting.
Instructions
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Lay down on the floor on your side with your affected shoulder toward the ceiling. Prop yourself up from the floor with your elbow. With a light hand weight in the hand of your affected shoulder, bend your elbow to 90 degrees, palm facing the floor.
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Raise your forearm from the floor in an up-and-down motion while keeping your elbow locked at your side. Go slow and do three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps. This exercise primarily strengthens the four rotator cuff muscles.
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3
Attach one end of the elastic band to a stationary object such as the bottom of a free weight bench or gym fixture. Hold the opposite end of the band in the hand of the affected shoulder and, with a slight bend in your elbow, raise your arm at the shoulder so that your arm is parallel to the floor. This adds strength to the deltoid (shoulder cap) muscle. Follow the same rep/set scheme as above.
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Perform traditional exercises like bench press or pullovers, exercises that incorporate the shoulders into the movement while not directly placing stress on the joint. Lie flat with your arms shoulder-width apart and press the weight above you to bench press or let your arms fall back behind your head to do pullovers. Again, go with light weight and follow the same rep/set scheme.
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Tips & Warnings
Stop the exercises at any sign of sharp pain and consult a doctor as soon as possible. Do not work to muscular failure, and resist the temptation to return prematurely to any heavy shoulder lifting.
