I can't lift hard and heavy anymore! Please help me! Please Read!!

[mike001]

You need to IMMEDIATELY and PERMANENTLY discontinue all barbell pressing motions! Dangerous for you!


Hit those dumbbells..

They work better anyway...

You're playing with fire..

my .02..

twitched

are you fucking nuts?

 

[mike001]

Toby, this is just me.. stick with light cable movements if you do anything

 

[Twitched]

No, I am not nuts.


If you have to choose between the barbell pressing he is doing now and dumbells, then YOU must be nuts if you think the barbell is safer.

Barbell benchpress is very tough on the joints and tendons.

Barbell benchpress is a pissing contest.

 

[Twitched]

I don't believe I would recommend heavy dumbell movements, especially ones that stretch the pecs like
incline dumbell presses or flyes, after that type injury. If you have access to Hammer Strength or other good plateloaded machines, they would possibly be safer.
Consulting with a rehab/sports medicine specialist would be a good idea if you haven't already.

I wasn't recommending HEAVY dumbell motions.

I assumed since he is barbell benchpressing now, he isn't going to downgrade to cable exersices.

db press is a happy medium. (with a spotter).

twitched

 

[Big JM]

I hope that this doesn't sound discouraging; I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from lifting hardcore. But maybe you ought to change your goals. Don't worry about the weight and shoot more for the slender, cut look that comes from high reps. Hope I helped a little.

 

[Lift or Die]

I also ruptured a pec tendon about a year and a half ago. It was a long road back and my chest is still only about 90%, which is still pretty strong. I have to warm up real good with very light weights and plenty of stretching before training chest otherwise I get a strange pulling sensation at the insertion point of the pec tendon. My doc says its scar tissue breaking apart. I still go as heavy as possible but don't do flat barbell presses anymore. I stick mainly to incline barbell and dumbell presses.

 

[Toby39]

From all this information it seems to be that I should stick with barbell pressing only and stay away from straight bar presses. Also, does anyone have any links or any routines that I could start that consist of higher reps?

I agree with you, Big JM, that I am going to change my lifting strategy and lift to maintain. I believe I'm going to do a 10 week cycle of 300mgs of EQ a week and maybe, maybe a little bit of sust. Hopefully with just higher reps and low weights I can still achieve a couple pounds and a good physque (sp).

Let me know what you think..

Someone also told me that the crack and pop could have just been a breakup of scar tissue. I emailed my doc and I will keep you guys informed... Thanks!

 

[MadenHB]

I tore my rotator cuff and peck at the same time. After a couple months lay off, I tried everyway of lifting that would not cause pain. The best for chest movements were hammer strenght, by far.

 

[Old Guy]

I agree with you, Big JM, that I am going to change my lifting strategy and lift to maintain. I believe I'm going to do a 10 week cycle of 300mgs of EQ a week and maybe, maybe a little bit of sust. Hopefully with just higher reps and low weights I can still achieve a couple pounds and a good physque (sp). (sp).

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, and probably eventually you'll be able to increase your weights and range of motion. And by the way I wouldn't say you can't do dumbell presses, as long as the injury has healed properly, and you don't go heavy and don't over stretch at the bottom. You should be able to go by feel on that.
I still say something like Hammer Strength machines would be ideal especially if/when you decide to try and increase your weights.

 

[muscle_geek]

Consider applying some point of flexion principles to your chest training. For chest, you could set the safety on the smith machine about halfway between your chest and the finish of your rep and just rep out that way. Then end of the bench press movement is where your chest receives the most stimulus. Your Pec/Delt tie in might suffer somewhat, but you can lift somewhat heavy this way without too much stress on the tendon. You could get good development this way.