5 Ways to Stop Shoulder Pain During Push-Ups (So You Can Keep Training Without Setbacks)
You start a workout feeling good.
Push-ups feel fine at first.
Then somewhere around rep 20…
your shoulders start talking.
Tight.
Pinchy.
Fatigue that feels off, not just tired.
So you either push through it…or avoid it altogether next time.
Sometimes its not a strength problem - it can be a preparation problem.
Why Your Shoulders Struggle with Push-Ups
Push-ups seem simple. They’re not.
They require:
Stability through your shoulder joint
Control of your shoulder blade
Support from your rotator cuff muscles
Coordination through your core
If those pieces aren’t working together, your shoulder takes on more stress than it should.
That’s when things start to feel:
Tight
Irritated
Weak in a way that doesn’t feel normal
And if you ignore that long enough… it becomes the reason you stop doing the workouts you enjoy.
That’s the part I care about most.
What we’re really after is long term results.
I dont just want you to get your shoulder through one workout, I want you:
Training consistently
Feeling confident in your body
Doing the workouts you love with the people you love
Not modifying forever.
Not guessing.
Not dealing with the same issue every few months.
That starts with doing the small things well:
Like warming up the right way.
Here’s a simple 3-5 minute shoulder warm up routine that can help you during your next upper body workout (PS - just click the exercise to a video)
1.Shoulder Spin-Up – 10 each side
→ This helps “grease the groove” and wake up the joint before loading it.
Circles
Golf swings
Fruit ninjas
Front to back
Michael Phelps
2. Scap Push-Ups (10 reps)
Arms stay straight—just move your shoulder blades.
→ Gets your shoulder blades to help so your shoulders aren’t doing all the work.
3. Banded External Rotations(10 each side)
→ helps support and wake up your shoulders
4. Down Dog to Plank (10 reps)
→ Transitions between positions, reaching long through your shoulders.
5. Slow Tempo Push-Ups (5 reps)
→ 3 seconds down, slight pause, push up.Groove the pattern before going full send.
That’s it. Nothing fancy, but it can be the difference between your shoulders feeling icky at rep 30, or feeling solid still at rep 200 ( have you ever done the workout, “Murph” before?)
Hope this helps you feel, move, and perform better, because that’s what we’re here for!
It’s our goal that you’re doing and are prepared for all the things you love to do, with the people you love most!
Keep moving,
Dr. Luke
P.S. If you’ve been dealing with shoulder pain during push-ups, or just don’t feel as confident in your upper body as you used to, we should talk.
This is exactly what we help active people with every day (except Sundays)
We’ll help you understand what’s actually going on, give you a clear plan, and get you back to training the way you want to.
Click here to book a free 15-minute consultation and to see how we can help you feel, move, and perform better.
Disclaimer: if anything feels wonky while you do it - listen to your body - it’s wonky, seek a medical professional for help, please do NOT do these exercises if painful.
