Dropping 300lbs. on your chest!

**j.j.** · 06-01-2002, 10:59 AM

made the move to 300 on my set of four today. Bar was bent, rolled, and I dropped 300 lbs. on my chest and the spotter couldn't stop before it hit my chest and it made a hell of a poppin' sound. Don't think I broke anything but it feels like I got shot, I couldn't breathe and I rolled of the bench and was on my hands and knees for a good ten minutes. Sucks because my next cycle is due to start in a couple of weeks. Just wanted to share my experience.

**Tedmax195** · 06-01-2002, 11:51 AM

my buddy did the same thing and he couldn;t breath deeply for a long time its not a good feeling plus its a little embarrasing. PS i dropped a 100 lb dumbell on my chest once thank god i let the other on fall to the ground talk about pain!

**j.j.** · 06-01-2002, 03:46 PM

yea I am a little embarssed, but I really felt sorry for the guy spotting me he must have apologized twenty times. Looks like I will have to lay out of the gym for a while.

**Tedmax195** · 06-01-2002, 04:33 PM

Funny story to add my buddy and me are doing chest and he has 225 on the bar and we were real young and he benching and i'm checking out this hot girl that just walked in forgetting i'm spotting him until i hear him yell my name to help him ooops.

**broncojosh** · 06-01-2002, 05:40 PM

Maybe you cracked the xiphoid process? It's the tip of your sternum. I cracked mine in a "scuffle" a few years back, and it hurt to breath for days, and felt like I was shot...

**Ajax** · 06-02-2002, 12:58 AM

You might want to get an x-ray just to be on the safe side. Ribs can crack and not be very noticable except for pain when breathing...

**j.j.** · 06-02-2002, 07:35 AM

yea I'm gonna head to the VA in the morning, I wanted to see how I would feel today. I don't hurt near as bad today, but when I have to lay on my back or raise up it hurts. And it seems more on my right side than yesterday it was hurting all the way across. Thank god my girl had some vicodin.

**Kaz** · 06-02-2002, 02:39 PM

My training partner did exactly the same thing with his previous partner - not his fault at all, his training partner was watching some chick instead of him and he dropped a loaded bar on his chest.

He had problems for about 5 days but it went away with no ill effects after that. He got checked at the hospital and nothing was cracked or broken and the doctor said he had only bruised himself badly.

At least now he has a decent spotter!

Always best to get checked out though! better safe than sorry!

**j.j.** · 06-03-2002, 08:26 AM

Since it seems pretty common I don't feel so bad. I am feeling better the pain is starting to go away a little and I kinda hoping that when my gear arrives I can hit the gym. Thanks for all the good words it made me feel better.
But the question i have been wondering about since I am getting into the heavy weight. I was thinking that maybe instead of doing flat bench, moving over and useing smith for the bench and still incline freeweight and dumbells. It is hard to get a spotter when I am at the gym. Would the smith affect the development of my chest?

**jeffylyte** · 06-03-2002, 08:16 PM

that checkin girls out instead of doin your job as a spotter shit is for the birds. When you get to heavy weights, you can get killed. When I was using the fellas in the gym i went to to spot, i would always tell em i go to failure and to be ready.

as for smith training, it will limit you some as you dont use as many supporting muscles. but if you dont have a spotter or an adjustable self spotting bench, go for it. its better to go to failure on a smith than to go free and not to failure. right now i use a smith cause i workout at home with my girl. there's no way she could keep it from crashing.

**j.j.** · 06-04-2002, 09:36 AM

I had a series of x-rays done no fractures at all. So, the docters say it's just a bruise. Thank goodness because a fracture they said would keep me out of the gym for two months. Geuss I'll be working smith until I find a reliable spotter. Thanks for all the input guys it is much appreciated.

**B_1** · 06-04-2002, 08:00 PM

back in the day when I didn't know shit. I was showing off with 365 on the bench. I had this russian dude spotting me but, he was too busy watching the chicks. Anyway I had a monkey grip on the bar and was dropping it on my chest to let the bounce get it up. The bar actually was leaving my hands, on the last rep the bar bounced off of my chest out of my hands I caught the bar with my wrist/lower palms and the bar rolled off about half way. It came down on my chest once, twice then a third time until the spotter finally pulled it up. I though I had broken a couple of ribs. besides being unable to breath it was very embrassing. A friend of mine (doctor) came to me and proceeded to press my chest llooking for a broken rib or two, he didn't find any. Myself and my girl went to the juice bar and had a carboFuel. After about twenty minutes I gained my composure and benched again. The next day I was sore as hell.

Moral of the story............ Know your spotter and never use a monkey grip.