Originally Posted by
T-Man007
If it hurts all the time I would personally take off atleast 4weeks from everything. You have to use your delts in too many exercises to just skip shouler day. they are used on chest, back, tricep set up, bicep if you go heavy and swing some, squats when you hold the bar, etc... Shoulders are a very very valuable part of bodybuilding. Imagine if you had shoulder surgery, what would you be able to lift? Practically nothing. So that's what you train, nothing. You can do some cardio in the form of sprints to keep your legs but you have to give up on weight training totally. I can promise you, you don't want a torn rotator. It almost never helas the same as before and you will be plagued by years and years of disappointment due to it. It's better to take off now and make it up later. I would start with one month off and during that month I would ice the delt for 20 minutes 3 times a day for the first week to get the imflamation down faster. Then when 4 weeks are up I would then start with rotator exercises. If they hurt, then do not do chest or back. You can do some light bicep and some light tricep but stay away from heavy compounds. I would stick with the rotator stuff for 4 weeks and ice it for 20 minutes after every workout to get the imflamation down quickly. The exercises will aggitate it but the ice will calm it down. After another 4 weeks if it's still hurting you might have to go see a physical therapists. If you lay off the weights and do your rotator really light after a 4 week rest and it still hurst then you might have already torn it.
Also, if the rotator exercise hurt really bad, then do not do them. Just keep resting. If they hurt just a little or only in one range of motion go very very light and focus on the ROM by going slow. Mine were a little sore when I stated back and that ok, but if they are still in bad pain then dont lift yet. More than likely the ice treatments will speed the healing by reducing the inflamation but dont lift for 3 to 4 weeks after you finsh the week of ice.
That's my suggestion, others might have a different approach but I have been very successsful in avoiding chronic pain or serious injuries by being cautious with pain. There is a difference between soreness and pain. Pain is the body saying something is not right so don't ignore it. It's tough, I know, but better safe than sorry.