Is this one of those stay off it cases?

[Inja]

HI guys,
Let me start by saying that I have been lifting for several years and have never had an exclusively training related injury before, so this is a little new to me.
Right, so what happened... I decided to take a break from the free weights and hit some of the machines for a few weeks. I finished a session using all the pec and tri machines available, and was doing my streches when I noticed considerable discomfort in my right shoulder. It got quite bad, and I stayed out the gym, only doing some pull excercises on one day in the last two weeks (some of which caused a little discomfort).
It got alot better so I decided to try some bench yesterday, but began to experience alot of pain and could only get to about 70% of my usual weight before giving up.

Pain is mostly in the joint (behind all the muscle), primarily in the anterior region, but the posterior flames up as well during excercise and when streching my tri's and lat's.

1) Is this a common rotator cuff injury or something else?

2) Should I stay off it for a longer period entirely, or excericise with lower weight? How long is the accepted wait usually?

3) I was planning to start a Dbol/Deca//Test cycle next week! How long after I am back up to maximum weight should I safely wait to ensure I don't make things worse with a massive strength gain?

Thanks guys, I've been pretty lucky with my body so far, don't wanna make things worse, but was so excited to start my next cycle... Any advice?

[Gavin Laird]

Sounds like small rot cuff problem to me.

No benching or OHP, ice it after all other bodypart workouts, replace chest / sho day with re-hab work, focusing mostly on external rotation (L-flye etc) and pec / front delt stretching.

Longer term, strengthen your rear delts, supra and infraspinitus and work on pec mobility.

No cycle till you have had 2-3 weeks of being "back to normal". Prognosis with rehab is good, without it cuffs problems usually re-occur intermittently for years.

cheers,
G

[thick]

no reason to do the machine work again either..

[role model]

Sounds like a rotator cuff injury.
Icing it as Gavin Laird said is a good idea after shoulder work along with ibuprofen before.

I had the same problem and just found exercises to do where it didn't hurt. Do not do anything where it hurts or it will never heal.

Decline or Incline in place of flat bench. Use Bells, cables etc. as long as it doesn't hurt. Those injuries take months to heal, so stick with bells or close grip presses.

Sure you can do a cycle as long as your not stupid and insist on benching. Get your legs, arms or back huge.
It might be 4-5 months before you get back up to maximum weight benching, but if you drop the ego you can still get a great chest. In fact some people discover different exercises that work as well or better than bench. Hell I know guys when I was in prison that got an awesome chest just from push ups.

Also as Gavin said cuff problems usually re-occur intermittently for years or even life if your not careful.

[Inja]

Thanks guys for the input,
I'll play it safe but play it by ear, cause I will not make it worse!
Doing physio already, I'll try some different exercises...

Rolemodel, your words are encouraging, cause I hate to give up a cycle,
but I can't help worrying I'll fuck something up if I start one... I'll think on it
for a bit longer before I decide its a good idea. I guess its a good thing
I have good chest development already like most egotistical bastards.

[dennis]

Originally Posted by Inja

Thanks guys for the input,
I'll play it safe but play it by ear, cause I will not make it worse!
Doing physio already, I'll try some different exercises...

Rolemodel, your words are encouraging, cause I hate to give up a cycle,
but I can't help worrying I'll fuck something up if I start one... I'll think on it
for a bit longer before I decide its a good idea. I guess its a good thing
I have good chest development already like most egotistical bastards.

All really good advice..I too have rot cuff problems and have for years..bench is what hurts mine and some shoulder exercises..to recap..do not do any exercise that hurts it,I would not cycle till it is 100 % again,find any chest exercise that does not hurt it and use it.Sorry bro..welcome to the world of wieght lifting...

[Inja]

Dennis,
Since this is a problem that has been with you for very long, do you still perform those exercises that aggravate it from time to time, and does the rot cuff problem itself go away and then come back intermittently ?

Thanks bro.

[dennis]

The pain comes and goes for me..i may have it for 6-8 weeks per year and have to stop heavy bench and just do lighter sets and then I may go pain free for several months and slowly increase weights again.At my age i can forget trying to go big time heavy on bench anymore because of the injury.I think if you baby it along for now and let it heal maybe you will not have problems with it in the future.I lifted a good solid 10 years before mine flared up....When i feel it hurt now I just slow down..take some weight off and go easy..If it still hurts then I find other exercices do do that does not cause it pain..If mine hurt I would not cycle..because once I cycle I push myself harder than normal and will injur it for sure....

[Inja]

Thanks everyone.