Partially tore my f*cking left pec..OUCH!!

**Duck of Death** · 08-02-2005, 11:33 AM

.......glad things didnt rip too bad, Swole, hope you are 100% soon!!
I have been lifting for about 29 years now and I am thoroughly convinced that the flat bench barbell press has to be one of the most damaging exercises there is. This is due to the HUGE number of folks I have personally seen who lift real heavy and get injuries to their Acromio-clavicular joint, their rotator cuff (s), or their pec. Try to find a dedicated bench presser who doesnt bitch about one or more of these! The fact that the wrists cannot rotate outward as is normal when they approach the chest seems to me to be the root cause. Dumbbells allow this to happen, thus obviating injury.
I know that a few get away with barbells, but I think they are an accident waiting to happen. My 2 cents.

**SplinterCell** · 08-02-2005, 11:55 AM

Damn Swole, good luck with that...you wont be needing it though but all the same

**SwoleCat** · 08-02-2005, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by Duck of Death

.......glad things didnt rip too bad, Swole, hope you are 100% soon!!
I have been lifting for about 29 years now and I am thoroughly convinced that the flat bench barbell press has to be one of the most damaging exercises there is. This is due to the HUGE number of folks I have personally seen who lift real heavy and get injuries to their Acromio-clavicular joint, their rotator cuff (s), or their pec. Try to find a dedicated bench presser who doesnt bitch about one or more of these! The fact that the wrists cannot rotate outward as is normal when they approach the chest seems to me to be the root cause. Dumbbells allow this to happen, thus obviating injury.
I know that a few get away with barbells, but I think they are an accident waiting to happen. My 2 cents.

You are ENTIRELY correct about the barbell and it being un-natural. That is exactly how the sports med gentleman explained it to me. What's worse is that the stronger you get, you think "hey I can do more", but that only stresses the tie-in area to the shoulder MUCH MUCH more, and strong or not it will give sooner or later.

D-bells with the natural range of motion and stabilizer muscles having to be worked as well is where it's at!!! I'll never touch a barbell again.

~SC~

**SwoleCat** · 08-02-2005, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by SplinterCell

Damn Swole, good luck with that...you wont be needing it though but all the same

EVERYONE needs a little luck brutha!

Thanks for that!

~SC~

**MilitiaGuy** · 08-02-2005, 04:53 PM

Its been one and half year and I only do barbell for incline everything else is dumbles because of the injury i got from flat barbell, but the problem is when someone ask you how mush you bensh you dont know how to answer!!

BG · 08-02-2005, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

You are ENTIRELY correct about the barbell and it being un-natural. That is exactly how the sports med gentleman explained it to me. What's worse is that the stronger you get, you think "hey I can do more", but that only stresses the tie-in area to the shoulder MUCH MUCH more, and strong or not it will give sooner or later.

D-bells with the natural range of motion and stabilizer muscles having to be worked as well is where it's at!!! I'll never touch a barbell again.

~SC~

Good info!

**smokethedays** · 08-02-2005, 06:45 PM

dude, get well bro.

i got a similar injury 2 years ago. i warmed up with couple push ups sets. then 135 lbs 12 rep, 225 lbs 10 reps, 275lbs 8 reps, then i hit 305 lbs clean 5 reps and at the 6th rep i felt something is being literally ripped in between my left pec. and shoulder.
i went home with a sever pain but no bruise. it was so bad that i couldent hold on to my car's steering wheel.
i stopped lifting for 1 month completley then started lifting again but avoided doing my chest period and did very light weights shoulders.
at the end of the 2nd month i started doing my chest again but once i hit 295 lbs same shit happened again.
so i went to the Dr. who put me on Mobic for 6 month and he said i should not lift for at least 3 month cause it's in a bad shape.
after 8 months i started lifting again (dropped from 198 lbs to 175 lbs) but my chest was pretty weak, and my chest weights were light, coulden't go over 275 lbs.
and for the entire year after that i kept my chest weights under 300 lbs.
but during my last cycle (after 2 years of the initial injury date) i finally broke throuhg it and reached 405 lbs, now it's pretty good.

BG · 08-02-2005, 06:48 PM

Get well, good luck!

**HeavyHitter** · 08-03-2005, 07:24 AM

Swole... can u check out post #29 and tell me what ya think??? thanks again

**HeavyHitter** · 08-03-2005, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

You are ENTIRELY correct about the barbell and it being un-natural. That is exactly how the sports med gentleman explained it to me. What's worse is that the stronger you get, you think "hey I can do more", but that only stresses the tie-in area to the shoulder MUCH MUCH more, and strong or not it will give sooner or later.

D-bells with the natural range of motion and stabilizer muscles having to be worked as well is where it's at!!! I'll never touch a barbell again.

~SC~

if this is true and docs are saying this... why doesnt someone create a new bar-bell capable of providing these movements... hhmmmmm....

SWOLE: i'll provide the funds- can you get it done? We'll sell them to gyms across the world.... and then we'll TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!!!! BWAHAHAHA!!

**G-Force** · 08-03-2005, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

Called wifey from the gym on the cell phone,

~SC~

holy crap
swole is married?

**SwoleCat** · 08-03-2005, 09:04 AM

Yes, I am married! Why are people surprised about that?

I mentioned it a lot lately in many threads, but I know that of course not everyone reads every thread.

Been married 7 years.

~SC~

**chest6** · 08-03-2005, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

Yes, I am married! Why are people surprised about that?

I mentioned it a lot lately in many threads, but I know that of course not everyone reads every thread.

Been married 7 years.

~SC~

Hm I knew that..he says it from time to time

**G-Force** · 08-03-2005, 09:07 AM

ive never heard u mention it

i thought you were a player

**SwoleCat** · 08-03-2005, 10:44 AM

Yes, I am player, but I'm in a game all by myself.

~SC~

**C_Bino** · 08-03-2005, 11:04 AM

Hey man. Hope all goes well with ur chest. Are you able to workout at all? Do you need to lay off chest for a while or whats the deal?
Sorry if you already answered these...
Best of luck to u

-Bino

**SwoleCat** · 08-03-2005, 02:43 PM

I have to lay off all pressing movements for at least 2-3 weeks. I am going to give it the full 3 to maybe a month. I just can't afford rupturing a pec, because when you do that you are out for OVER a year. I'd rather be down 3-4 weeks, the gain what I lost back in about 2-3 months than to have the other scenario.

~SC~

**Swifto** · 08-03-2005, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

I have to lay off all pressing movements for at least 2-3 weeks. I am going to give it the full 3 to maybe a month. I just can't afford rupturing a pec, because when you do that you are out for OVER a year. I'd rather be down 3-4 weeks, the gain what I lost back in about 2-3 months than to have the other scenario.

~SC~

Wise words from the SwoleCat.

**CRUISECONTROL** · 08-03-2005, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

Yes, I am player, but I'm in a game all by myself.

~SC~

Yep he's playing with himself!!!!

***Narkissos*** · 08-06-2005, 10:31 PM

How you doing now Chris?

**Squatman51** · 08-07-2005, 12:35 AM

get better soon bro

**Squatman51** · 08-07-2005, 12:37 AM

and dont take it too hard....it could have been worse...youll be back in no time

**Kärnfysikern** · 08-07-2005, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

From now on, I'll be doing German Volume type stuff and pre-exhaust movements and never use the barbell again. He gave me many reasons why (sports doctor) d-bells are better, and why people tear pecs w/barbells even with a weight they can easily handle, which was the case here. I'm all about proportion now and being healthy and such, who cares about lifting "heavy" and how much you can push. This happened to me for a reason, and I am going w/it. I'd rather lift and look big using medium weight and getting pumped than to use mod-heavy weights and rupture something, because then you have to have surgery, you lose it all, and it's NEVER the same.

Oh well, may the days pass quickly.

~SC~

sounds like a good call.

But just a q? have you ever toyed with the idea of benching pl style since its very pec safe? offcourse its a useless pec exercise done that way and if you dont lift for strenght I guess there is no point.

Hope it recovers quickly

**SwoleCat** · 08-07-2005, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by johan

sounds like a good call.

But just a q? have you ever toyed with the idea of benching pl style since its very pec safe? offcourse its a useless pec exercise done that way and if you dont lift for strenght I guess there is no point.

Hope it recovers quickly

Mmmmm, nope. I won't ever set foot under a barbell again. Not only because of injury, but also because of development. In order to have a productive b-bell workout, I'd have to go mod-heavy and you see what that got me.

I'm doing okay Nark. I aggravated it a bit yesterday while doing things around the house. Went to push something out of the way with my left arm, totally forgot, and felt a sharp pain. It didn't tear anything, no, but just aggravated it. Ughhhhhhhh...............

~SC~

**SwoleCat** · 08-07-2005, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Squatman51

get better soon bro

Thanks!

~SC~

**Swifto** · 08-07-2005, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

Thanks!

~SC~

How is the pec in discussion Swole?

***Narkissos*** · 08-07-2005, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

I'm doing okay Nark. I aggravated it a bit yesterday while doing things around the house. Went to push something out of the way with my left arm, totally forgot, and felt a sharp pain. It didn't tear anything, no, but just aggravated it. Ughhhhhhhh...............

~SC~

I know it'll be hard buddy...but you can't afford to forget. I've been there. Had a torn serratus (not totally torn..but torn enough to hurt when i breathed

). You gotta be conscious of it all the time...so you don't cause yourself further pain...and so others around you don't cause re-injury indirectly. i suspect a large percentage of re-injuries are due to avoidable accidents involving third parties...

Good luck ole boy...

BTW: how does this affect your current goals? What ARE your current goals? You're cutting now?

~Corey

**SwoleCat** · 08-07-2005, 05:52 PM

I am slowly on my way down, yup. I was doing cardio everyday, but decided to go at it much slower this time. No reason to rush, I've nothing coming up show/pic wise, and I'm concetrating all my energy on my business which is busy as h*ll these days. Amazing what a little advertising can do.

~SC~

**armwrestler22** · 08-08-2005, 12:28 AM

best of luck with your recovery swole.

***Narkissos*** · 08-08-2005, 12:59 AM

I...want...to...see...pics.

Bout dam time

...where's the thread already?

**Will_1** · 08-08-2005, 03:22 AM

Good luck with your recovery.

**Smak** · 08-08-2005, 04:40 PM

Sorry to hear that Big Swole! That sucks! No chest work for 2-3 weeks isn't that bad. Luckily you have nice chest development so it won't be that hard to get back where you were. Rest it up and than come back stronger than ever. Sometimes it takes a injury like this to help motivate and stimulate muscle growth to get past a plateau IMO. Luckily it wasn't career ending.

**RJstrong** · 08-08-2005, 05:35 PM

I wish you well and a speedy recovery... it's kinda funny how a little forced time out can really rekindle the flame though. I'm returning from a minor back strain and mentally I feel so refreshed and physically I look foward to the challenge of regaining my peak condition... I know you will feel the same way!

**mitch911** · 08-08-2005, 08:23 PM

did the doc mention anything wrong with smith benching? being a risk of pec tears..

**SwoleCat** · 08-08-2005, 08:25 PM

I imagine the smith would be even worse as you are locked into the movement that much more.

D-bells are where it's at!

~SC~

**decadbal** · 08-09-2005, 09:51 AM

i agree, ive been hittin the DBs for the last 3 or 4 months, and have better development and strenght now.. i will stick with them mostly from now on

**Dally** · 08-09-2005, 10:59 AM

I use dumbells now too, along with incline and flat cable presses.

basically put a bench in one of the arc'd around cable machine that you could do low or high or whatever level chest flyes at (pulley can be set up and down of course) and then plop on some weights an fly/press away.

its really comfortable and fukin stimulates!!

**junkacct** · 08-09-2005, 09:31 PM

Besides flat bench, what other movements should we avoid using the barbell? Perhaps vertical shoulder press?

Get well soon, Swole. I appreciate all your helpful posts.

**SwoleCat** · 08-09-2005, 09:57 PM

Thanks bro.

How do you know about my helpful posts w/one post yourself?

~SC~

**Evil Predator** · 08-09-2005, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

Thanks bro.

How do you know about my helpful posts w/one post yourself?

~SC~

cuz some of us do more searching/reading than posting

I barely post here, but ive taken alot of advice from a ton of threads in different forums here over the past week or so. Especially on the diet side.

I prefer to read alot, and im trying to learn to listen to my body when it comes to diet and workouts. Found a ton of good advice here from alot of different members.