This Hurts, Should I Stretch It?

One of the most commonly asked questions I get is:
“I’ve tweaked x muscle/joint, should I stretch it to make it better?”

Depending on how much time I have, my answers usually range from “absolutely not” to “possibly, but I need to know more.”

In this first of a two-part series, I want to share my thoughts on different body parts and injuries that unfortunately do occur in gyms (albeit much less than on sporting fields).

Shoulder Stiffness or Ache From Pressing Movements

If you experience shoulder pain at the bottom of the bench press, as you push yourself off the floor in a push-up, or as you press a bar off your shoulder in a shoulder press, it’s extremely unlikely that stretching will address the root cause of the issue.

From my experience assessing shoulders, 99 times out of 100 the individual will test extremely weak in their rotator cuff (usually their external rotators). The solution here is more strength and stability work—not a chest or shoulder stretch.

Takeaway: If this sounds like you, speak to one of the coaches. It’s beyond the scope of this article to go through all the exercises that could help.

Muscle Soreness on the Inside of the Shoulder Blade

How many times have you seen someone using a lacrosse ball to dig into the muscles around their shoulder blades?

Yes, it can sometimes improve symptoms temporarily and even feel really good, but in most cases the tension returns within minutes to hours.

Root Cause: Unless you performed a huge volume of rows or pull-ups the day before (in which case it’s probably delayed onset muscle soreness), the pain is most likely coming from your neck.

Next Step: Let the coaches know so we can refer you to a specialist—such as Dr. Aysom at Apex Soft Tissue and Spine.

I Can’t Get My Arm Over My Head

Assuming you haven’t had a significant injury to the shoulder or experienced frozen shoulder, an inability to get your arm overhead (tested lying down on your back with arms straight overhead) is 99% of the time due to stiff lats or thoracic spine.

If you can get closer to the ground with thumbs down vs. pinkies down, the lats are part of the problem.

In this case, I recommend some foam rolling followed by a direct lat stretch

Conclusion – The Right Tool for the Right Problem

The takeaway from these three scenarios is that stretching is not always the best answer. The right approach depends on the root cause:

Stability Drill – when weakness is the issue.

Referral to a Specialist – when the problem originates elsewhere.

Simple Stretch – when mobility is truly the limitation.

If in doubt, please never hesitate to ask the coaching team for guidance.

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— Coach Nick