I think that this is a big risk for tears. The times I suffered injuries was when I was on a cycle and growing fast. Connective tissue just cant keep up with rapid growth of muscle. Another reason for slow and steady growth. When I got older I learned to sometimes hold back the weight I used and just add reps instead. Increase weight slowly week to week. No more than 5 or 10 lbs a week.Not sure how long you've been lifting for, what progress and in how long you've made on your current protocol, but I know with me when I grow too quickly before my tendons and ligaments have time to catch up this always happens. As I typed this I decided I'm getting a sports/fascia massage tonight lol.
Vince Gironda (Iron Guru) had a rule about keeping the weight the same for 3 workouts before increasing it. He was a fan of higher volume, fast paced lifting too. As I've gotten older there is logic behind his methods.
Some used to say that bodybuilders look for ways to make the weight feel heavier while powerlifters try to make it feel lighter. Some truth to that.Short rest periods, a la 8 x 8 training for example. These will necessitate lower weights used during training. He called it intensity but now it's considered training density.
After 5 tendon tears and 4 complete ruptures I proactively look for ways to extend my training life.
It's impossible to answer. It could be 101 things but no point going through many of them. We can't see how you trained that day plus even if your form was perfect sometimes injuries can just happen. So many things (form, warm ups, temperature, weight, hormones, diet, drugs you are using, dehydration etc) can increase the probability of getting injured so it's just a case of minimizing them all. Weight is irrelevant as I have injured my lower back badly picking up a piece of cardboard. Although 55lbs db's for skull crushers is definitely enough weight. I lift very heavy for tri-ceps and 55lbs db's are decent for good form skull crushers. It's pointless going over things in many ways because you can injure yourself warming up on your 1st set. Although you write it was your 5th set. Was this a working set? Had you moved up in weight slowly over the 5 sets? Was this the first set with 55lbs db's? How many reps can you get with that weight and how many were you on when you had to drop the weight? Was this your max weight set or would you have gone heavier? Have you had bloodwork recently? Why are you using arimidex on 80mg test c? Low estrogen can definitely increase the probability of injuries.
I just had that exact same conversation today at work. I was talking about my time in powerlifting and the switch to bodybuilding, including changes as I've gotten older.Some used to say that bodybuilders look for ways to make the weight feel heavier while powerlifters try to make it feel lighter. Some truth to that.
Doing things like pre-exhaustion and drop sets work well. Decrease rest time between sets too will make the weight "feel heavier". That will reduce the stress on the tendons while still working the muscles really hard. Lifting fairly strict and not using momentum to move the weight, slow down the movement.I just had that exact same conversation today at work. I was talking about my time in powerlifting and the switch to bodybuilding, including changes as I've gotten older.
That certainly is a factor IMO. Warming up is important as well as some stretching before lifting. I also think you have to slowly increase the max weight you lift in the gym, from week to week. Doing a squat that is an all time high by 45 lbs would be a bad idea.Maybe you need to warm up better and stretch more. The only time my muscles get strained is when I jump to heavy weight to quickly
Last topic I posted was on a slight pec tear. I'm still waiting to see a specialist. First time back in the gym today and hitting arms. 5th set in and doing DB skull crushers I feel the same popping/rope strand giving away feeling in my left tricep and I drop the weight. 55lb dumbbells, nothing outrageous. Tricep is tender but can't tell if it's serious or not. I don't see anything. I am now on 80mg Cyp and .5mg Anastrozole EOD. What is going on with my muscles? Am I not drinking enough?I've heard AI's can do this....? It's like I can't push myself without this happening.
I actually mistyped the above and corrected it in a later post. I am on 80mg 2x a wk. Not sure of estradiol, but whenever I go lower than .5 EOD I start feeling that burning sensation in my nipples I am too familiar with. When I have gotten tested feeling the same dose my E2 has been anywhere from 36-72.100% Anastrazole.
Overkill on 80 mg, you should need none Most men feel best 42-70 pg/mL.
Do you know your Estradiol level?
I actually mistyped the above and corrected it in a later post. I am on 80mg 2x a wk. Not sure of estradiol, but whenever I go lower than .5 EOD I start feeling that burning sensation in my nipples I am too familiar with. When I have gotten tested feeling the same dose my E2 has been anywhere from 36-72.