shoulder press substitution

[cmf]

Just started the break in program. I have a history of a rotator cuff tear and was told not to lift anything directly overhead. any suggestions for a substitute exercise for the one arm shoulder press.
Thanks

[LisaS]

Do you have rehab exercises for the rotator cuff injury? Perhaps you could do those.

Is this recommendation for forever, or just for now?
Do you currently have pain reaching overhead, say up to something on a high shelf?

[cmf]

Thanks for your response. I don't have any pain now but in the recent past i definitely felt some mild discomfort with bench press and military press as I increased the weight.

[LisaS]

if it were me and my shoulders, I'd probably still do the overhead press.
Perhaps with dumb bells and neutral grip (palms facing each other) hands at 30 or 45 degrees. that is, if I looked down on you from overhead, your arms at the bottom would be \_o_/ not __o__

on Bench, make sure your shoulders are retracted when you set up. Perhaps try to get a hand off so you don't tweak your shoulders or your setup taking the bar off the uprights. Or at least pay attention when you take the bar off. Or use DBs. Also - don't flare your elbows way out, let them come in a bit more like 45 degrees rather than out at 90 degrees.

If you don't think you can do shoulder presses, either because you've been told not to or you have pain, then perhaps you should substitute your RC exercises at that point.

[wil58]

Hand placement is very important when considering impact on the rotators when pressing. When I was rehabbing impingement issues a few years back I pressed exclusively using machines where the handles are perpendicular to the body . i.e. when you are pressing your palms would be facing each other. It is still the only way I do military presses although I've returned to the barbell bench press.