Shoulder Pain After Starting the Gym | Physio in Shoreham explains
The shoulder is unique because it relies far more heavily on muscles and tendons for stability than almost any other joint in the body.
Comparing it to the hip, a deep, snug ball-and-socket joint built for stability, the shoulder couldn’t be further from it. It looks more like a golf ball sitting on a tee.
It’s precisely this design that allows elite athletes like Michael Phelps to develop extraordinary, almost double-jointed shoulder range that helped make him the most decorated Olympian of all time.
But that same trade-off — huge mobility in exchange for built-in instability — is exactly why the shoulder is one of the first places many of us feel pain when we start a new gym routine.
If you’ve recently started increasing your gym sessions and now find yourself wincing every time you reach for a top shelf or try to put your coat on, you’re not alone. Shoulder pain is one of the most common complaints we see from new and returning gym-goers. We’re seeing quite a lot of this lately in Shoreham at Shore Health Physio (hence the article!).
In a previous article, we looked at lower back pain after starting the gym. Shoulder pain follows a similar pattern, but the shoulder is arguably the most complex joint in the human body, and one I’ve spent much of my career specialising in.
The Shoulder: An Engineering Marvel
Most people think of the shoulder as a single joint. It isn’t.
It’s actually a coordinated system of several joints working together: a ball-and-socket joint, the shoulder blade gliding across the ribcage, and the collarbone, which is your arm’s only bony connection to the rest of your skeleton.
All of this is held together and driven largely by muscles and tendons rather than bone, which is what gives the shoulder its enormous range of motion.
That’s a lot of moving parts that all need to work in perfect time, dozens of times a minute, every time you lift your arm. So when something new and demanding, like a gym programme, is suddenly added into the mix, it’s not surprising that this finely tuned system can occasionally get a little out of sync.
So Why Does Starting the Gym Cause Shoulder Pain?
At Shore Health Physio, we commonly assess shoulder pain related to weight training, CrossFit, Hyrox, swimming, racket sports and general gym-based exercise. Although symptoms can feel similar, the underlying cause can vary significantly from person to person.
There’s rarely a single cause, and the most likely explanation often depends on two things: your age and your exercise history.
If you’re newer to training, or have jumped back in after a long break, shoulder pain is most commonly related to overload or technique issues, particularly with pressing movements (bench press, overhead press) or pulling exercises (pull-ups, rows).
The smaller muscles around the shoulder blade, which help control and stabilise the joint, often haven’t caught up with the demands being placed on the bigger “mover” muscles like the chest and shoulders. This can lead to irritation of tendons or the small bursa (a fluid-filled cushion) around the joint.
As we get a little older, the rotator cuff tendons and the small ACJ joint (where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade) tend to become more involved — sometimes due to gradual wear that has been building quietly for years and is only now being noticed. This can cause a fairly specific, often sharp pain when reaching across the body or behind the back.
It’s also worth saying clearly: shoulder pain isn’t always coming from the shoulder itself. There are multiple areas that can refer pain into the upper arm, and that’s why having it assessed early can often prevent you from barking up the wrong tree.
What Should You Do About It?
The good news is that the vast majority of gym-related shoulder pain is mechanical in nature, meaning it’s related to how the joint is moving, loading or being controlled, rather than anything being structurally damaged.
This usually responds very well to the right combination of load management, technique adjustment and targeted strengthening of the stabilising muscles around the shoulder blade and rotator cuff.
However, because the shoulder is such a finely tuned system with several possible sources of pain, getting an accurate diagnosis early makes a real difference — both for resolving things faster and for preventing the problem from becoming a recurring one.
If you’ve recently started or returned to the gym and are dealing with shoulder pain that isn’t settling within a week or two, it’s worth getting it properly assessed rather than pushing through or stopping exercise altogether. Both extremes tend to make things worse in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
My shoulder clicks when I move it — is that something to worry about?
On its own, no.
Clicking, popping or clunking (sometimes called “crepitus”) is extremely common and, in isolation, is rarely a sign of damage. It’s often just tendons or the shoulder blade moving slightly differently than usual.
However, if the clicking is accompanied by pain, a feeling of the shoulder giving way, or a catching sensation, it’s worth getting checked.
I get shoulder pain at night, especially when lying on that side — what does that mean?
Night pain is one of the most common things we hear about with shoulder issues.
It tends to happen because lying down changes the pressure and blood flow around certain tendons and the small bursa we mentioned earlier — structures that cope perfectly well during the day but become more irritated once you’re lying on them.
It’s a very common feature of rotator cuff-related shoulder pain and, while uncomfortable, is rarely a sign of anything serious.
Should I stop training altogether if my shoulder hurts?
Usually not.
In many cases, complete rest can make things worse rather than better.
The goal is normally to modify rather than eliminate: adjusting exercise selection, range of movement or load while the irritated structures settle, rather than stopping activity entirely.
A physiotherapist can help identify which movements are safe to continue and which need temporary adjustment.
Why does my shoulder hurt more with certain exercises, like overhead presses, but not others?
This is really useful information, and it’s one of the first things we ask about.
Pain that appears specifically with overhead movements often points towards the rotator cuff tendons or the small space they pass through. Pain with pressing or pushing movements may relate to different structures again.
The pattern of which movements hurt, and which don’t, helps us narrow down which of the shoulder’s many structures is involved.
How long should I expect shoulder pain to last, and when should I get it checked?
Mild shoulder discomfort after starting a new exercise programme is common in the first week or two, similar to muscle soreness elsewhere in the body, and often settles on its own.
However, if pain is still present after two weeks, is getting worse rather than better, is waking you at night, or is limiting your daily activities, it’s a good time to get it assessed.
Earlier assessment generally means a quicker and simpler recovery.
The Bottom Line
If you’re experiencing shoulder pain after starting a new gym routine and want a clear diagnosis and plan, Shore Health Physio provides specialist physiotherapy assessments in Shoreham-by-Sea for shoulder injuries, sports injuries and gym-related pain.
Early assessment is often the difference between a small setback and a long-term frustration.
Written by CJ Bestwick, founder of Shore health physio.
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