shoulder/chest pain after pullups?

[Epimetheus]

Hey guys. Lately I've been doing a lot of handstand and pullup stuff and I've noticed that recently whenever I descend from a set of pullups I get this weird pain in my shoulder right near where it meets with my chest. Curiously it doesn't hurt when I do other things like handstand pushups, dips, ect... it's just after pullup sets. Does anyone have an idea as to how I could get rid of this nuisance? Thanks a lot.

[Coach Sommer]

Actually this pain is not a nuisance, but rather a blessing; and a warning.

It appears as though you are currently overtraining and have probably irritated your AC joint. My recommendation is to rest your upper body until you are pain free (probably 1-2 weeks), before recommencing with your pull-up work; and then to begin again at a greatly reduced intensity and volume. If you continue trying to ignore the pain or to train around it, the chances of this injury worsening and/or becoming chronic increase dramatically.

In our enthusiasm for training and our general mad rush to make as much progress as quickly as possible, we all have a tendency to overindulge. Intensity in training is something best left until you have established a solid foundation. This is not a race. Be consistent, enjoy the process.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer