Just read a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research comparing the shoulder function and flexibiity of people who weight-trained to those who didn't, and guess what?  If you weight train, your shoulders are more likely to get hurt.

This is from the study's abstract: 

The findings of this investigation suggest that RWT [recreational weight training] participants are predisposed to strength and mobility imbalances as a result of training. The imbalances identified have been associated with shoulder disorders in the general and athletic population; thus, these imbalances may place RWT participants at risk for injury.

This probably doesn't come as a huge surprise to regular MPF readers.  As I've said before, probably too often, most people train hell-bent-for-leather trying to get big, buff, and/or lean and cut, and give little to no thought to function or long-term health in the process.  So they bench, bench, bench, maybe overhead press, maybe lat pulldown once in a while, probably to the back of their neck, but they NEVER row, stretch, foam roll, or do dynamic mobility work.  That stuff's just a waste of time, it looks silly, and it's just too out there. 

The researchers know this--and mention it in their conclusion:

Common training patterns are biased toward large muscle groups such as the pectorals and deltoids but neglect muscles responsible for stabilization such as the external rotators and lower trapezius.

The bodybuilding model--which, again, MOST people are drawing from when they hit up the gym--favors aesthetics above all else.  It's also a ridiculous, myopic way of training. 

Consider:  you go to the gym so you can pump up to look good.  The whole reason we are programmed, on some primitive level, to think that muscles look good, is because they are associated with what a muscular person can DO.  Said the caveman to his friend:  "Oogark has big arms and shoulders.  He looks like he can protect us.  Let's make him chief of the tribe."  Said the cavewoman to her sisters, "Eelah is lean and fit and has fabulous glutes.  She will bear many children and be able to carry them great distances.  Let us make her our queen." 

If our training is making us LESS capable, LESS functional, LESS able to move and run and reach and lift things than we were before--isn't that, well, STUPID? 

Ahhh, I'm preaching to the choir here, but come on, just think about it for a second!  Shouldn't training make you, you know, healthier?  More capable? 

Fortunately, I found a terrific antidote to the very problem that this study describes, courtesy of Mr. Jim Smith of Diesel Crew.  Below is a video of a 2-minute shoulder warm-up that addresses a lot of common shoulder issues.  I think it's one of the best, most complete shoulder-focused warmups I've ever seen.  Do this before you hit the bench and you'll save your shoulders a lot of grief: