11/14/2025
This week I had a patient who carried ALL OF HIS STRESS in his traps, neck, and shoulders.
He had constant neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and was told that going to the gym would help relieve stress, improve his posture, and ease his pain.
He figured rows would be perfect for that. But every time he did them, his neck and shoulder pain got worse. Now the thing that was supposed to help was only adding more stress.
A lot of people turn to the gym for stress relief, community, and consistency but end up frustrated when something starts hurting. I want you to stay in the gym, enjoy it, and feel confident that your training is helping you, not setting you back.
So, let me break it down in case you have this issue too! 👇👇👇
Here is the mistake I see all the time. Pulling from low to high, squeezing the shoulder blades up and back, and loading the traps and neck. This compresses the neck and adds torque to the shoulder.
Here is a fix I love to use! 👇👇👇
Use a rope so your hands can rotate, drop your elbows to bias the lats, and raise the cable anchor if possible. Let the shoulders elevate and stretch when the weight pulls you forward, then pull them down into your back pockets as you row. This shifts the work into the lats, takes pressure off the neck, and builds the strength you actually want for posture and healthy shoulder movement.
My goal is to help you train safely, stay consistent, and build real resilience so you can enjoy the gym again.
If you try this and it helps, let me know.
If you'd like help figuring out your own pain, training, or movement, send me a message. I would love to help you.