This is a question I get asked a lot: “I hear a lot of clicking and popping noises in my shoulders when I work out. What can I do to fix this?”
It’s a very simple answer. This is the shortest blog you’ll ever read. The clicking and popping noises you hear is tendon rubbing over bone. Tendons are what connects your muscles to bone. When the muscles are tight, the tendon runs over the bone, and you hear that popping noise. Is it a bad thing? Not necessarily. If there is no pain or discomfort, you might not have to worry about it. However, it is an indicator of one or two things, and they are the 2 ways to reduce that clicking/popping/grinding noise in your shoulder. They are:
1) Tightness in your shoulders. This refers not just to the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint itself, but everything that connects to it, including the muscles in your upper arms, your chest, your upper back, and even your neck.
2) Weakness in your back. When you use the muscles in the front of your body too much, and the muscles in the back of your body not enough, this causes an imbalance. When the muscles in your back get weak, the muscles in the front are overworked when they have to complete a task.
Want to know how to fix shoulder popping and clicking? We’ll start a few exercises for flexibility, and then include some simple rowing exercises.
1. Downward facing dog
2. Dolphin
3. Strap stretches behind back
4. Eagle (or just eagle arms)
Strength:
1. Pull-ups (use a monster band or a lat pull-down instead if you can’t do a full pull-up)
2. Horizontal rows
Now you have some exercises to help, but the best way to help your flexibility and strength is by training intelligently, with a balanced blend of strength, flexibility, and stability for your whole body. This is yoga for people who wouldn’t normally enjoy yoga – yoga for people who aren’t flexible, who might not want a spiritual workout while they get a physical workout, and yoga for people who’d rather get straight to the fitness aspects without the extra fluff. Sign up for a 7-Day Free Trial to the Members Area, an online resource and community loaded with over 100 HD videos and workouts, by clicking here.
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About The Author
Dean Pohlman is an E-RYT 200 certified yoga instructor and the founder of Man Flow Yoga. Dean is widely considered to be an authority on Yoga for Men. His workouts and programs have been used by professional and collegiate athletes, athletic trainers, as well as Physical Therapists in Texas.
Dean is a successful published Author through DK Publishing (Yoga Fitness for Men), selling 25,000 copies worldwide, in addition to being a co-producer of the Body by Yoga DVD Series, which has sold over 40,000 copies on Amazon since its release in 2016.
Man Flow Yoga has been featured in Muscle & Fitness Magazine, Men’s Health, The Chicago Sun, New York Magazine, and many more major news media outlets.
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7 Comments on “2 Ways to Reduce Shoulder Clicking”
Amazing , a want to be strong and very flexible and have an amazing functional body , you are awesome amazing ,
Kind regards
Willie
Sorry didn’t finish . Am I better using body weight or good old fashioned weights , I’d bench . Deadlift , squat,pull-ups dips etc can you please advise I also do bit of running maybe 6 mile three times week , don’t mind getting older just love the buzz from yoga etc , feeling body bein worked hard , again very inspiring just awesome in every way ,
Thanks
Willie
I would listen to your body and let that guide your answer. I don’t know enough about you to give you advice, but I would recommend a blend of everything you mentioned above.
how many horizontal rows and pull ups should I do a day and when?
When doesn’t really matter, and how many you should depends on your fitness level.
You should do as many as you can 2-3x per week, 2-3 sets. Shoot for 2-5 minutes of total tension.
So 2-3 times a week and 1 set of horizontal rows + pull ups?
I would alternate the days for rows and pull-ups. One day focus on 3-4 sets of horizontal rows, and at least 2 days later you can do 3-4 sets of pull-ups.