Project: Beefcake

[Birds]

Holy shit TTTinman...you do have a heart.

[rev210]

Basically if my palm is facing backwards and I try to draw my elbow up as if it's being pulled up by a string with the forearm hanging loose, this is when it hurts. Can only get to about 45 degrees from my body before it gets tight and I need to stop. Every other movement is fine.

Turn your hand to have the thumb face down to the ground. raise the arm and put some resistance on the arm using the other one. If you feel some pain on the top of the shoulder you have the rotator cuff issue.

Rest and ice , is what you need initially as suggested. A good active release massage (which may hurt alot) and icing might see you right to go for a ride pending the physio's ok. depends how bad it is.

[JEPPE]

Thanks guys, unfortunately no ice while at work but will do my best. Might pick up a sling tonight to take any normal pressure off it. Feeling slightly better every day.

[JEPPE]

Turn your hand to have the thumb face down to the ground. raise the arm and put some resistance on the arm using the other one. If you feel some pain on the top of the shoulder you have the rotator cuff issue.

Yep it feels like that, although it's feeling even better than this morning. Have cancelled the track day anyway all your logics are correct Can comfortably do push ups but movement isn't free enough in general.

Guess this will be my weekly-break-every-so-often-during-gym thing.

What kind of exercises do you guys think would be safe? I think it would be good mentally for me to get back to the gym for a light work out or working out something completely separate. Are squats ok? Anything tricep/bicep/shoulder related that I could pull off? Will get to the physio and ask these questions as well but if the motion feels comfortable is it safe? Like I said push ups are easy. Need to go study anatomy, would like to know how the ligament is affected from different rom and if they are ok to use or not.

[TTT]

youtube "rotator cuff rehab"

there are plenty of band exercises to help.

Google images "rotator cuff muscles" - you'll be able to work out where you feel the pain and know which muscle it most likely is.

ICE when you can

The bands you can buy from lots of places.

Rebel has some near the gym section.. with the Yoga/Pilates shit - they are cheap.

Still go and train anything you can... as long as it is pain free.

[darksky34]

I go through tubes of voltaren during the soccer season. Magical stuff!

oh and yeah, i found that my shoulders needed a fair while to build up. rotator cuff can so easily get hurt.

[JEPPE]

Well, contrary to advice I'm currently in the hotel at Eastern Creek. Damn organisers wouldn't refund my track day even though there was only one vacancy and I had a very good reason. Couldn't stand the thought of handing hundreds of free dollars to them so drove up anyway. Turns out I'm almost fully recovered anyway, I think I freaked because every new injury I get seems like the end of the world when I don't know what it is or what will happen.

So there's going to be lots of wind and rain tomorrow, wish me luck

[rev210]

Well, contrary to advice I'm currently in the hotel at Eastern Creek. Damn organisers wouldn't refund my track day even though there was only one vacancy and I had a very good reason. Couldn't stand the thought of handing hundreds of free dollars to them so drove up anyway. Turns out I'm almost fully recovered anyway, I think I freaked because every new injury I get seems like the end of the world when I don't know what it is or what will happen.

So there's going to be lots of wind and rain tomorrow, wish me luck

Hope you enjoy the day. It will be worth it for sure.

When you go back to the gym consider how important those small rotator muscles are and take some time to make them strong too. Lots of people hurt them ( including me in the past). But, this injury can be a great opportunity to tweak the muscle 'balance' in your weekly program.

Something else to add , if you don't already do it, practice 'scapular retraction' when you are doing pressing movements. It means pulling your shoulders back and down and holding them in place by squeezing the shoulder blades together. Hold this position when you are doing shoulder pressing movements. Why? because in this position shoulders are strongly stable.

You are going to keep getting better all the time , learning about your own body and it's limits. Then training out weakness.

[JEPPE]

22/01 Genesis Southbank

Military press

12.5kg

15

22.5 6.5x2

LPD wide behind

60lbs

80

100 10x1

9x1

Seated row

50lbs

80 10x4

Decline cable crossover

30lbs

40 10x4

Squats

20 10x1

30 10x1

47.5 10x1

DL

30 10x1

50 10x1

72.5 10x1

Bicep bar curls

10kg

12.5

15

26/1 chapel st

Bench DB press

9kg 10x6

Lpdcg

60lbs

80

100

DB inclined bp

8kg 10x3

9kg 10x3

Tricep push down

30lbs

40

50

Leg raises 15x6

Genesis Dandenong

Bench press DB

7kg

10

12.5

Lpdcg

60lbs

80

100

DB inclined bp

7kg

10 10x4

Sit ups 20x3

Tricep push down

20lbs

30

40

1/2 genesis Berwick

DB bench press

7.5kg

10

12.5

Lpdcg

60lbs

80

100

DB inclined bp

7.5 10x3

10 10x3

Rotor cuff exercise

20lbs 10x3

30lbs 10x1

Tricep push down

30lbs 10x1

40 10x1

50 10x1

60 10x1

70

Leg raises 15x6

Wrist curls

1kg 20x5

Edited February 1, 2013 by JEPPE

[JEPPE]

Also track day was awesome, was super wet and the fool mechanics put my wet rear on backwards which I rode my two sessions on. Was still a good day though the rain was actually awesome fun and my shoulder was perch by then!

Here's a pic

Didn't ride enough to see if my concentration or stamina has improved but was still a great into back. So much rain we had mud slides so couldn't ride!

Went to the physio today re shoulder and wrist which started hurting ironically from playing piano. He gave me additional exercises which I did today and are included above. Shoulder has definitely weakened in one movement but I'm glad I know what to do now to improve. Wrist is just a long term strengthening exercise and it's good for motorcycle riders too so I'm happy to include that.

Peace!

[rev210]

drop the internal rotation / pressing movements for a week . That's the chest stuff and the pressing movements using the shoulders.

See how you go then . It you feel ok , then in small steps introduce the pressing movements back.

[JEPPE]

That's basically what I've been doing, as you can see I dropped the weight. It feels pretty much back to normal the only movement that is hindered is if I'm in a Barbie pose with my arms at right angles both facing forward and there is force pushing my hands together from the outside - then my left is much weaker than my right. My physio seemed to think continuing bench would be ok as long as there's no pain which there isn't. Am keeping an eye on it though and going slow.

[rev210]

It's good that you are thinking to take it easy it's a great attitude. But, if you are keen to recover much faster and completely consider my advice and a little extra research.

i have hurt my rotator quite a few times in earlier life and my physios at that time gave advise much like yours. "It's ok to bench etc.. as long as there is no pain.." The fact is rotator cuff damage occurs often without immediate pain feedback. Once damaged it continues to be more easily torn (it's already quite a small/weak muscle group).

The reason to completely drop the bench and pressing movements (as opposed to keep doing them) is two fold.

I give you the advice I reveiced from a professional athletics and sports physio . It was the last time I hurt my rotator cuff, it was the worst injury I had ever had but, based on this advice I recovered many mant times faster so hopefully your recovery will be faster too and you will avoid the recurring injury.

1) The pressing movements place the rotator cuff under stress, as they are recruited to stabilise. So this causes them to remain in a recovery state or may aggrevate the injury. (the rotator injury doesn't always give immediate pain feedback whilst it is actually being damaged)

2) Dynamic instabillity is the reason you got hurt.The relative weakness of the cuff muscles in relation to the pressing muscles you have been training is the main reason you have incurred the injury. You need to create a 'balance of strength in the shoulder. There is actually only one joint in the shoulder so ROM is completely stabilised by muscles.

Training the chest and other pressing groups in the short term isn't going to allow the rotator muscles the chance to catch up, strength wise.

I'm not wanting to create a crazy phobia about this injury, just help you cut your recovery time massively and give you some info to stop it ever happening again.

[JEPPE]

So, how do I work out when I can exercise it again? It happened a week and a half ago and stopped hurting after 3 days and now it has full range and doesn't hurt at my normal weights

[rev210]

the only movement that is hindered is if I'm in a Barbie pose with my arms at right angles both facing forward and there is force pushing my hands together from the outside - then my left is much weaker than my right.

This is weakness why taking a break on the press movements is recomended. I am sure it wasn't hurting right before the oringinal injury. So don't take that as a comprehensive green light. Strength and ROM should be normal. Retraining in the way that caused the injury is the last phase in the recovery. Weakness has it's cause in a reduction of muscle fibres / recruitment. due to the small tears the muscles expereinced when they were hurt. You have weakness, so best not to train as though you are 100%.

When that weakness goes away you are normal or at least both rotators are in balance. This weakness is what I would call the bad end of dynamic imbalance. Showing up as weakness in a pretty normal and lightest load movement, lets face it the barbie pose isn't a feat of strength. It means the tear in the muscle/s isn't yet full healed or recovered, to where they used to be. When it is, it will work like the other side does.

The reason people most often get this injury is because of dynamic imbalance and incorrect form (not using correct scapular retraction). Big strong pushing muscles and unmatched little shoulder girdle muscles under load = injury.

If you can modify your training to take this into account for the future , you far less likely to ever hurt it again. Also, you will have much better inprovements in the push movements strehgth to boot.

In terms of ROM. try these for a quick check too.

* Can you link hands when you reach behind the back with one and benind the head with the other?

If you are more than a fist away then you have some work to do. If you can touch then thats good.

* Shoulder flexion; Begin standing tall with your back and neck straight. Gently raise your straight arm forwards and up. At the top does your hand move to behine the head before you feel the stretch or before it.

Not trying to stall you on working out. Go for it on the legs etc.

Sorry if I am ranting a bit but, I'd hate to see you get hurt again.

Edited February 2, 2013 by rev210

[JEPPE]

Ok, so if I do these rotator cuff exercises to gradually strengthen the muscle is that ok? Obviously won't be anywhere near as hard on the muscle as bench press but then should be a little more up to standard with the other muscles once I get back into it.

Also what actual exercises can't I do? Is pulling ok? Can I do any shoulder exercise? I'm not that familiar with what actions affect certain muscles (thinking of taking an anatomy course actually) so an ABC123 explanation would be awesome if you can

[rev210]

You can still keep some shoulder movements, you need to activate them just not try to load them up till you are ready. I'd take that weakness on one side being gone (with full ROM) as your indicator to go back to 'normal' . Just having added some new excersises.

Rotator cuff and back work.

I had a quick google and these are some good ones for training (bit of anatomy in there too). But, there are also lots of youtube vids around I would guess for the how to as well.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/cracking_the_rotator_cuff_conundrum

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/pushups_face_pulls_and_shrugs

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../my_shoulder_hurts_the_finest_whine

[JEPPE]

Cool, thanks for that!

Well in more positive news I'm pretty sure I'm ready to up LPD close grip to 110lbs without consequence on form, did a 7th set last night and finished the 10 reps with no trouble. Also triceps are getting a lot stronger as well. Can now see physical changes in triceps and abs and maybe a little in thighs.

[JEPPE]

Had a good day today, 10x75kg dead lift. Squats are still the same, could up them but was to perfect my form as much as I can and I know I can do better at the moment. Will eventually update my log!

[TTT]

Good articles Rev.

I started doing the little routine he suggested in one of them yesterday.

feels good mang