Should have quit while I was ahead...

[TBrookeD]

Well I really screwed up today. Felt a slight pain on my 385 X 3 bench and I should have stopped right there. Normally if I feel the slightest tingle or pain I will stop. Any, the guys wanted to see 405, so like a dumb ass I went for it. Picked it up and it felt pretty good. Brought it down and started pressing up and SNAP!. Torn left pec. This is the 3rd time that I have torn a pec and I should have known better. First two times I couldn't move my arm for about one month, but eventually recovered without surgery. This one is pretty bad. Going to the doctor in the morning. Think that this one is going to require a scalpel.

I just hope that this isn't the end of my weight lifting hobby. I am 40, weigh 200 lbs, and can normally press around 425 lbs. Like to show up the young fella's in the gym. May just have to settle back in my rocking chair and become a couch potato.

Went to the drug store to get some aspirin for the pain. Was told to put a heating pad on it. Is that right, or should I put some ice on it?

Later...

 

[Clydesdale]

Well I really screwed up today. Felt a slight pain on my 385 X 3 bench and I should have stopped right there. Normally if I feel the slightest tingle or pain I will stop. Any, the guys wanted to see 405, so like a dumb ass I went for it. Picked it up and it felt pretty good. Brought it down and started pressing up and SNAP!. Torn left pec. This is the 3rd time that I have torn a pec and I should have known better. First two times I couldn't move my arm for about one month, but eventually recovered without surgery. This one is pretty bad. Going to the doctor in the morning. Think that this one is going to require a scalpel.

I just hope that this isn't the end of my weight lifting hobby. I am 40, weigh 200 lbs, and can normally press around 425 lbs. Like to show up the young fella's in the gym. May just have to settle back in my rocking chair and become a couch potato.

Went to the drug store to get some aspirin for the pain. Was told to put a heating pad on it. Is that right, or should I put some ice on it?

Later...

At this point it's ice, Bro, I'm so sorry about what happened to you. I'm 48 years old, I broke down my weights a bit. you probably have to do the same
at my age I don't care what I can Bench press...........I'm a Body Builder

 

[TBrookeD]

OK, thanks. Heading for the ice right now. All the heating pad is doing is making me sweat. Don't like to sweat unless there is a good reason such as pumping iron, or playing with the ladies.

 

[thebrick]

Man, I hate to here that! Ice it and get ye to the doc pronto!

 

[JETHRO TULL]

ICE FIRST!

SORRY THAT HAPPENED TO YOU. DON'T WAIT....GET A GOOD ORTHOPEDIC GUY WHO DEALS WITH ATHLETES. DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE FROM BUT, IF THERE ARE ANY PROFESSIONAL ATHLETIC TEAMS OR BIG COLLEGES AROUND YOU ....ASK THEM WHO THEY'D RECOMMEND.

ICE AND ANTI INFLAMATORIES....KEEP THE SWELLING DOWN. I TORE A BICEP....ICE IT AND SEE A GOOD DOC. I FIRST WENT TO A GP AND HE SAID WE'D PUT IT IN A SLING AND LET IT HEAL ITSELF?!

UH....NO!

 

[oldfella]

Hey bro, that's not good news. Very sorry to hear. I'm 48 and there is more than one way to skin a cat, or young fella. I just turn up the intensity and they can't hang. I usually out lift most but I do not push my luck. My current training partner is 23 years my junior. he is as big as a house and animal strong, until I pull up his form. This slows him down dramatically. I make him go to the basement when we squat and that fucks him up and usually I leave him behind. As older guys we need to work smarter not harder. I hope you can get this fixed and return to normal training. All the best.

 

[TBrookeD]

I've got a question, why does this only seem to happen when I am on the end of a cycle?

 

[jrmuscle]

same pec as mine

i tore my pec hell of long time ago like 4 months ago just had surgery 5 weeks maybe 6 weeks ago and surgery went well so dont be worried youll be showing up the young guys again soon

 

[oldfella]

I've got a question, why does this only seem to happen when I am on the end of a cycle?

Not sure but one possible answer is , the muscle gets a lot stroger than the attachments, now tendons are usually very strong and the muscle will tear before the tendon will let go. Sometimes. I have heard of this before but my real medical knowledge is lacking. But I'd say that at the end or near the end of a cycle your strength is peaking. The muscle will only take so much and of course as we get older it will lose some of it's elasticity. When you put maximum effort on it and your case you had a minor tear occur while benching the rest was bound to happen if you did'nt back off. I'd say the lack of elasticity and age, along with increase in strength over a short time frame were all contributing factors.

 

[WARLORD_123]

RICE...

Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation...

+ Anti-Inflamatories and get to the doc asap. MAke sure you go to a Sports Medicine Doctor and not a General Prac. Tell him your life revolves around weight training and boxing or something and the return to full functional usuage is para mount.

 

[bodystrength1964]

I agree with warlord.....

Sorry to hear about the injury..... I myself am 42 and stubborn like yourself, with showing up the young lads... I have been lucky not to have any serious injuries during my 29 years of lifting, knock on wood...


Good Luck

Fast recovery


Peace

 

[TBrookeD]

Can I go heavy again?

Well, it's going on 9 weeks since I tore my pec. It bruised from my left elbow all the way around to my lower left side. Chest looked wicked, got lot's of stares at the gym.

Anyway, I am back into the groove, but I am very afraid to lift heavy again. Currently I am doing 225lbs x 20 x 4, but this is just getting me tired. I feel strong, but the tear on the left pec is clearly visible. The muscle across the front of my shoulder is about half the size as the right side, and you can see a lump about the size of an egg on my left outer pec where the muscle is balled up. (Only shows when I flex)

Went to the doc about two weeks ago, and he said that unless I was a bodybuilder that there really isn't any reason to try to fix it via surgury. He said that it would be very difficult to immobilize the muscle and since it was a muscle to muscle tear that it could possibly make things worse. (Tear the stitches apart)

My question is, can I go heavy again? If not, then how long should I wait? If I can't life heavy anymore, then what else can I do?

Thanks

 

[toby99]

What did the Doc say?, was there any kind of rehab involved, has far as what else you can do ..I am 48 also and the past few years I have changed my training style to the "mind in the muscle" sure you heard about it but if you apply it properly it works well and it is a refreshing change. Instead of counting reps for example on bench try the strecth- squeeze method on every rep and get your mind on working the muscle not lifting a certain amount of weight. These are two different things . Unless you are powerlifting sometimes as we age we have to put our ego's at the door. Hope this helps

 

[rl3355]

Normally if I feel the slightest tingle or pain I will stop.

Just follow what you said earlier. The better ques is should you go heavy again. Do like oldfella says and up the intensity and have strict form for a while. Ease back into the heavy weights. And if it doesn't feel right...STOP. Good luck.

 

[Sasquatch]

EASE BACK INTO IT

I'm also coming off an injury, bad car accident over a year ago. Messed up my legs, back, & hip. I'm 38. After months of rehab, I still cannot squat nearly as much as I used to.
I hear you bro!
I BADLY want to be able to squat what I did just a couple years ago.
But I can't. Not yet.
I'm now squatting on the Smith machine, and it helps. Keeps my form honest, and very little pain.
But if I go heavy on regular squats, the pain begins... and it ain't the good kind of pain.

My advice is just slowly ease back into it, see a good specialist for advice, but until you get good med advice, go very easy on it.

 

[mountaindog1]

Hey bro, that's not good news. Very sorry to hear. I'm 48 and there is more than one way to skin a cat, or young fella. I just turn up the intensity and they can't hang. I usually out lift most but I do not push my luck. My current training partner is 23 years my junior. he is as big as a house and animal strong, until I pull up his form. This slows him down dramatically. I make him go to the basement when we squat and that fucks him up and usually I leave him behind. As older guys we need to work smarter not harder. I hope you can get this fixed and return to normal training. All the best.

Well said - I love supersets personally. Pick the right two exercises, done with no rest, and you will get down deep in the muscle. There are many different ways to increase intensity - and yet stay safe. The funny thing is, that many assume doing things like supersets slow down your strength gains. My opinion is that they can accelerate them, because you are getting down deeper into the muscle, and keeping your tendons from getting overworked. My favorite superset is squats and hack squats. 12 reps on each, ass to the floor, and you'll know the meaning of the word pain.

John Meadows