The Official Gym & Fitness Thread

Im wondering if you guys could put the barbells and the pop tarts down and offer some advices (if you have any).

As you I had rotator cuff surgery (almost 2 years ago). I’ve had zero issues with it since being released 6 months post-op.

Lately its bothering me. I’ve been doing my PT exercises and pain is improving. The past couple days however I’ve noticed the pain is different than my typical rotator cuff pain, I think its my trap and not the cuff.

The only exercises that cause me pain are bench and barbell rows. I stopped the rows. I have no issues with pull ups and lat pull downs, just row movements bending over. The vast majority of my pain is when laying in bed. If I’m lying down and reach for a blanket or the remote it pretty much hurts like hell. Wakes me up all the time.

Oddly the only time the pain is that bad is when I’m doing things that are not gym related.

Anyone else deal with this or have any regab suggestions? Ive never had trap issues before.

Oddly I’m not really concerned about my lifting. I just want to sleep LOL

@DrSouthpaw if he has any ideas.

 

I have rear rotator cuff pain when doing wide-grip pull-ups, wide-grip lat pull-downs, and reverse pec dec rear shoulder flies. I figure it's just natural wear from years of heavy lifting. When I do those exercises, I usually half rep it so it doesn't agitate anything. If it became a problem that significantly effected my lifting, sleeping, or other activities, I'd go have it seen about.

 

Sounds similar to what I have. I was screwing around at a beach house this summer and someone bet me I couldn’t jump from the driveway to the porch and scale my way up...I did it...but I borderline pulled my shoulder out while trying (bc beer) and it’s been lingering ever since. For about 3 months the only thing I couldn’t do was a pull up. I can do them now though. The only time it bothers me is in bed like you described. It’s really annoying...

Using bands and stretching has helped some but I’ll tweak it again and feels like I’m starting over each time.

 

I saw some bros skwatting last night, they look like they lift, then I saw them struggling with 215 doing 5 reps to depth. I think they're the same guys that I saw 1/4 prepping 225 last time. Also they started the bar with 185 on there. No warm up. Just a few leg stretches and go. And I'm over here doing to depth for 5 with 295. I try not to judge but sometimes it hard. It to notice things.

 

Also, how often are you guys maxing out? Not a 1RM but say a PR for 2 or 3? I had not been to the gym in 4 days because I was sick over Christmas weekend, but I went back 2 days ago and was able to knock out 255 on bench for 3 sets of 5. A few weeks ago, I was only able to do 1 set of 6 and a few months ago, I was only able to do 245 for like 3. I guess the rest helped because I felt strong last night during squats and I know my bench is getting stronger too.

 

I do reps of 2-3 on each big body part every week. I only do a true 1rm max about once every month or two. For instance, on chest day, I'll work up to like 315x3 and then go back down. On back day, I'll do rows and work up to a set of 3-5 and then go back down. Same with squats and deadlifts. My workouts consist of rep ranges from 2 to 25. Perfect combination of heavy weight, low reps for strength and lighter weight, higher reps for hypertrophy.

 

What stretches do you do?

I don’t do much stretching anymore as I kind of want a tight shoulder. A lose shoulder is what caused my issues. But might need to get back into doing some.

 

Wat? You don't stretch at all and lift? No bueno senor.

 

I never do.

My 1RM are calculated based off sets of less than 5 reps after warm up.

So in other words I pick a weight heavy enough I can’t do more than 5 reps.

I actually don’t give a shit what the true 1RM is. I don’t compete so no reason to be exact. I have only “recalculated” my maxes every 6 months.

 

I stretch erry day!!!! Erry day!

I just don’t stretch my shoulders.

 

Ahh, ok. I stretch shoulders on chest and back days since delts are used on both days.

 

I do a lot of face pulls, and also just bench press with the bar like 20ish times before I bench...

I also switched to low bar squats which pulls the arm back anyway so it’s already stretching my shoulder with just that

 

That's exactly what I do, I work my way up to a heavy set of 5, do 3 sets then work back down for say another set of 5 then back off some more and do a set of 10-12 and by that time I have a good burn and pump going I haven't done a true 1RM in about 2 months but just calculate roughly with say a bench of 3 or 5 what my 1rm is.

This. 1RM is hard when you have no spotter but I know roughly what it is on the calculator.

I did some low bar yesterday and it stretched my pecs and shoulders out pretty good but after the 3rd or 4th set, it didn't bother me as much. The weight felt good and moved fast and it didn't put strain on my back. I'm going to have to do these more often. I high bar but after 1 set I could feel my back starting to get strained. Low bar it is! Then followed up with some hamstrings curls and some ab work to get the core.

 

I used to 1RM almost weekly sometimes biweekly if I was feeling good. Now that I’m on a program building up for a meet I won’t do a 1RM very often. I spent about 6 weeks building up the my last workout (Tuesday) which was a max effort day for a “test” to see where I was at. Not a 1RM but we took my previous 1-3RM weights and went AMRAP on them...

Squat 340x8 (I blew about every blood vessel around my eyes and have looked like I lost a fight since)
Bench 270x5
DL 365x12

I’m pretty stoked to see what I’ll get on the platform come Feb 3rd

 

how do you guys switch your grip on deads? if youre doing the standard inverse grip. Like switch inverse arm each set? each day you do deads?

 

ha im glad somone else doesen't really give a shit about 1rm. Ill pick weight that i can do 3. But thats usually as low as I go.

 

I’m left handed. On my heavy weight, 1RM or within 85-90% of it I flip my right hand palm up

 

Nice little Friday afternoon by myself for a little bit

 

I do the most minimal stretching if any...a few light sets and straight to it! I go in the late afternoon so I'm already stretched out. It's been working for me this long...stretching = overrated..

 

Post a pic of yourself Kimosabe!