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Originally Posted by ksanjee I wanted to share this - even if it makes a difference for one person, I will be happy.
I am in my 40s and I really wish I did NOT lift beyond what my frame and genetic constitution allowed me to. I am currently nursing a right rotator calf injury. My left is not great either. Your body gives you ample indications and you need to heed the warnings - no one else can do that for you.
Somehow, I had this ridiculous ambition to bench press [free wts of course] 200lbs and I weighed only 125. I got to 155 [4 reps with no spot] - then could do one rep of 165 with a spot but no help. This was a long time ago. My joints were warning me but I decided to continue bouncing the bar off my chest like crazy.. Nourishment was another factor - primarily veg diet.
It took me a while to get there - I was around 100lbs when I started lifting and could barely lift 65lbs. So, when I got to the two 45lbs plates, I felt invincible and thought I could just keep going - big mistake.
I still work out regularly, but I wish I had better joints to not be constantly in pain.
Remember 5 things:
Form - clean and slow - start very light [I see so many folks in the gym doing it all wrong]
Increase - don't just slap on wts until you have the form nailed down
Diet - Whey is pretty good and so are egg whites [yolk BTW has all the nutrients - I would limit to one a day] - do your research
Recovery - muscles need time to recover - I would rather err on the conservative side.
Stretch - start slow, it should not hurt like crazy when you stretch - again, take your time - not everyone has the same flexibility - trying to match an expert yoga instructor can only hurt you.
Always WARM-UP - take a good 20 minutes of cardio.
Krishna
Consistency is the key - not one gladiator kind of work out..
Krishna
Unless you are a paid body builder, it is difficult to justify the damage you can do and suffer later on in your life. |
Hi ksanjee,
I am taking the liberty to assume it is a Rotator 'Cuff' Injury you are referring to here.
Firstly it is great on your part to understand and acknowledge your limitations and weaknesses to spot injuries.
Secondly, you cannot write-off weaknesses as 'frame and genetic constitution'. You should train to get stronger or train to get bigger. Decide your goal and there is a separate program for both.
To get stronger you have to invest in a strength training program, and to get bigger you will have to resort to hypertrophy specific training.
I believe injuries are signs that you are training hard, and they should make you train smarter, whilst training harder.
Coming to your body and lifts, it's good weight you are pushing on the bench, but how much weight do you row and squat?
Rows are the only savers of the scapular complex, if you are not rowing enough your shoulder health will suffer greatly, and you will never be able to break a 'press' plateau, be that on the bench or the overhead press.
The Rows when done correctly heal many a shoulder injury and correct alignment/postural issues too.
See, we are a working population and drive right handed too. All major causes of the rotator cuff issues are owing to the arm staying 'mostly' outstretched, and that applies to working a 'mouse' as well as writing right handed.
Here's a link:
How to Deal with Shoulder Injuries: The Infraspinatus | StrongLifts.com
I have injured my shoulder on many occasion and trust me they recover sooner than your doctor says they will.
The best exercise is the Row, best done with a bar. And for conditioning start with inverted rows or just rows with an empty olympic bar.
Inverted Row
Look up the word 'Rhomboids' and do as much Rear Delts work possible (light weighted), you will see amazing results on your bench too.
The above is only advice since I do not know much about your proficiency level in lifting, so am sure you might know most of the above, but just my two bits, and hope this helps.
Also, always have a program which is a mix of heavy and light work, 'heavy+low rep' for the muscle groups and 'lighter+hi rep' for the joints and soft tissue.
Vegetarians can build muscles too, and so can guys with small frames. There is enough and more locked in our gene pool, just need the right key sometimes.
