If you're in pain, it's time to change up your exercises!

Below we offer you some tips on how to build muscle without pain.

Improving your upper body should never be disrupted by pain. The first step, of course, is a visit to the doctor. The second step may be to change your technique to relieve the pain and allow you to continue to improve.

1 - Practice this point of stretching

Stretching and irritated shoulders is a hell of a combination. Exactly what makes them a great exercise for the pecs, unfortunately also makes them a deadly sin for sore shoulders.

With one-armed pull-ups, the exercise is hardest in the most stretched position. Even if you're practicing it correctly - not overdoing the stretch and keeping an active range of motion for your chest - you're still loading your shoulders in a tricky position.

I'm not saying you shouldn't practice the splits at all. It can be a great exercise for bodybuilders. But don't practice it if your shoulders hurt.

Replace them with counter pulley cuts. And stand a little back against the pulleys. This will change the point of maximum tension a bit, and you'll be able to put maximum stress on the contraction, not just the point of full extension.

How to do it:

• Most variations on the pulleys will work. You can pull upwards, downwards or strictly horizontally.
• Start in the basic position for the pull-ups, then take a step back. You should have your shoulders level with the pulleys or slightly behind them.
• From there, practice regular cuts. As the arms get closer together, the exercise will get harder.
• Even if you don't have shoulder problems, this is a useful variation where the full contraction position will be more stressful.

2 - Practice this point of uprighting with a bounce

The swing while bracing is a pathway to shoulder pain. Stop doing it, it doesn't even have much effect on volume and strength. The mechanical tension you need in your shoulders will be replaced here by the momentum of the one-armed swing.

Instead of standing, get down on both knees. You won't be able to swing much in this position. Raise the uniarms to shoulder level for 3 seconds, then lower them for 3 seconds.

This execution allows you to benefit from time under tension. Painless range of motion is key for growth and overall development.

Think about it. When swinging, one repetition takes a second, maybe two. In this execution, each repetition takes a minimum of 6 seconds.

And that's exactly what we're talking about. You'll work off more total volume, and in a painless way.

How to do it:

• Kneel down.
• Raise your arms with the one-armed dumbbell for 3 seconds.
• Lower them for 3 seconds.

3 - Practice this instead of regular push-ups on the bars

Okay, we're not gonna change them completely. This is one of the best exercises for triceps and chest mass. But they can be a problem if your elbows and shoulders aren't enjoying good health... so let's modify them a bit.

Your arms are getting behind your body to allow for shoulder extension. This is fine if you control it and your shoulders are built for it. Unfortunately, for most people this is not the case, and this position puts too much stress on the anterior shoulder ligaments, which can lead to damage to the rotator cuff or biceps tendon.

There's no need to completely condemn the exercise, but let's modify it a bit. Lean forward and lead the movement more with your chest. It's also good to move your legs back, but it's not essential. This change will reduce shoulder extension and engage the chest more.

Also, play with the width of your grip to keep your elbows and shoulders level. This will be trial and error.

How to do it:

• Jump up on the bars and start at the top of the movement.
• Pull your neck up and lean your shoulders forward. You want your torso to be slightly leaning forward, which will be helped by keeping your legs slightly back.
• Your chest leads the movement and you go down as far as you are comfortable. Avoid a painful range of motion.
• If the exercise still hurts this way, replace it with a floor press with a narrow grip or negative bench press.

4 - Practice this instead of benches with the big axis

Not every athlete can or needs to bench with a big axis. However, the average athlete should use it, that is, as long as the range of motion doesn't hurt. This is where the Swiss axis can help.

The Swiss axis offers a neutral grip, which can improve the range of motion during the bench press. If your shoulders are bothering you, I highly recommend this change. It has a much better price-performance ratio than the traditional bench and its shear strength.

Most such axes have room for different hand positions, which should satisfy exercisers of all sizes.

How to:

• Start with your back flat on the bench.
• Press your feet into the floor to create a stable base. Engage the hips and mid-body as well.
• Lower the Swiss axis to your chest and push it back up after a light touch.

5 - Exercise this instead of the military press standing up

Not everyone is built to press straight overhead. This is especially true in the standing position, where you're really pushing perpendicularly. In a seated position, it does have some of that angle.

The exercise itself is not necessarily harmful to your shoulders as many claim. However, it can aggravate their poor condition. In fact, it worsens subacromial decompression, which leads to irritation, inflammation and pain.

Although other factors (muscle imbalances, acromion shape) also play a role here, it is best to avoid perpendicular vertical pressures in the case of shoulder pain.

So sit up, use one-handed grip and prefer neutral or pronated grip. This is how Charles Poliquin made the push-ups famous, as this variation allows the greatest range of motion for your shoulders. They can also move more freely, which reduces wear and tear on them. Standing push-ups can also cause lower back problems for some.

Some people also find it comfortable to put their feet on the opposite wall when sitting. It is more comfortable on the back because of the more advantageous position of the pelvis.

How to do it:

• Avoid upward perpendicular pressure by using the seated position. This will change the angle of pressure because the back support will never be completely perpendicular.
• Use one-handed grips and prefer a neutral or pronated grip.
• Do not push your shoulders backwards when pushing up.
• If your shoulders still hurt, try pushing with the landmine attachment.

6 - Exercise this point of the hip during push-ups

Swinging at the hips is another way we use the swing to make the exercise easier. You may give more reps this way, but will you improve? Probably not much.

If a full range of motion hunch is too hard for you, that's no reason to use the swing. Instead, practice only the lowering and shorten the lifting portion.

This will allow you to focus on the most important part of the swing, when you need to lower down in a controlled manner.

Lower yourself for 5 seconds on each repetition. If even this is too light for you, add a weighted vest, a pair of chains or a weight belt.

The extra weight will make lowering even harder. It will also force you into a clean and painless technique.

How to do it:

• Stand on a crate high enough to get into the top position of the bend.
• Hang from the trapeze bar and lower yourself for 5 seconds.
• Stand back up on the crate and practice the next repetition.

One more thing.

If any of the exercises still hurt after these changes, don't do them! Find exercises that you can work on, but most importantly, you can do them without pain. These alternatives are a good start to avoiding short-term pain or establishing your training longevity.

Source: www.t-nation-com - 6 Exercise Swaps for Huge Results
By Gareth Sapstead, Matthew Ibrahim