Care to give some pointers on shoulders especially?
It's a problem area for me. I would love for these cracking noises and the "popping" to go away.
Here are some, from someone who first had this issue in 1977 and now no longer has shoulder problems:
-Always ensure 3-5 minutes thorough warmup including slow windmills in each direction, along with lighter weight sets. Take your time.
-Keep the reps moderate or high, never go low with higher weight, which puts more stress on the ligaments, tendons, joints, etc.
-Any exercise that causes chronic aggrevation should be discontinued; sometimes the remedy can turn out to be a more effective exercise. First try modifications of same ie dumbbell presses instead of barbell, or different grip widths, different grips, machines vs. free weights, etc. If all of that doesn't work using the same exercise and variations, find a substitute. In my case i haven't done bench presses in decades; they've been replaced with other exercises which work the muscle better and don't hurt the shoulders.
-Adjust the ROMs - sometimes 3/4 or 2/3 ROMs are not only more effective but easier on the bod. A couple of examples would be preacher curls, in which avoidance of the bottom part of the ROM is significantly easier on the connective tissue while making the exercise more effective. Another would be box squats, which i've always found more effective and again easier on the bod.
-Use intensity techniques to work the muscle harder without increasing the weight - supersets, negatives, rest-pause, etc.
-Rest a minute or less between sets, which keeps the area warm and increases intensity without increasing weight.
-Alternative forms of resistance - bodyweight calisthenics, cables, machines, dumbbells instead of barbells, resistance bands can make a difference.
