A lot of things you do place a lot of strain on the muscles and tissues in your shoulders, and on the joint itself. Simple activities from shopping to working out at the gym may come with side effects on your shoulders.
However, there are general ways to prevent other causes of shoulder pain but when the source is from the gym then you are not doing something the right way. Below are ways shoulder pain can be prevented/avoided at the gym:
1. Isometric hanging exercises
The mistake you might be making is you try to build your muscles first before building your joints, instead of the other way around. How do you build up your joints? You build up your joints by doing isometric exercises, such as just hanging on a bar or ledge.
You will notice that when you do this, you will develop bigger and stronger shoulders. Beyond shoulder health, the wrists, elbows, and spine all benefit immensely. Strengthening each joint in this chain is part of bulletproofing the upper limbs.
Types of Hangs:
Passive– shoulders are relaxed and up by the ears. Scapula is elevated.
Active– shoulders are engaged and down. Scapula is depressed.
Swinging– side to side, front to back.
Active arching hang– scapulas are retracted and rib cage points toward sky as you tilt/bend back.
2. Weighted Shoulder Dislocates 
Don’t let the name frighten you. This one technique has been in existence for decades, and is also known as broomstick. Shoulder dislocates simply strengthen your shoulder joints and muscles.
You could use five pound plates, rubber, PVC pipes. You will place your hands as far apart as is necessary to achieve this. Overtime they will get closer and closer. Once they are just a little more than shoulder width apart you can move to weighted dislocates. If you start from weighted dislocates you will suffer a lot of injuries.
3. Straight Arm Workout 
Straight arm workouts are really fun and show results earlier than any other method. There are a lot of straight arm exercises to choose from, and they include L-sits, protracted push-ups, handstands, and tuck planche. You would be amazed the results these little isometric workouts will produce.
Try holding up your posture during any of these exercises for 3-5 rounds of 10-30 seconds. Your shoulders should really bulge out after a few weeks.
4. Farmer’s Walks to Avoid Back Pain
Farmers walks are tremendous for full body workout and building massive shoulders. All you need do is grab as much weight as you can hold in each hand, then keeping your arms by your sides, walk for a specific distance and time. It is highly functional.
As they say, ‘no pain no gain’, so expect your muscles and arms to hurt at the early stage, but as you you progress they will tighten and toughen up.
image couresy: muscleandjoint.ca, menshealth.com, jefit.com, fusionfightandfitness.com.au, indianworkouts.com.
