Better Living Through Iron

Training Over 35 Lifter
481

MCL, I am going to try my best but not to sound like a dick. So here goes: I have had severe shoulder pain for at least the last ten years of lifting. I agree that you should accomadate, but I can say from personal experience that my shoulders have never gotten better from not pressing at all. There is going to be pain, and you are going to have to get under the bar at some point.

Start with pressing the bar for 100 reps over 3 sets. And then dumbell bench 3 sets of 30 w/15 pound dumbells. Cortisol shots are a waste of fucking time in my opinion. They mask the problem, don’t treat it.

My 2 cents.

482

OH, congrats on the PR.

483
484

Nice PR! Looking good, mcl. Hope the shoulder is coming along!

485

Pete -
Actually, I agree with you. I agree so much it’s what I’ve been doing for several months now, and it got to the point the other week that I couldn’t raise my arm to horizontal in any direction, nor could I reach across my body.

I’m always willing (perhaps too willing) to work through or around pain. But I want to try this once, to see if it helps. Because what I was doing obviously wasn’t helping, and I want to have every opportunity to do well at my first meet in 7 weeks.

486

1/7/10 ME UPPER REHAB

band internal/external rotator work
band pullaparts
band scapular retractions
incline DB retractions 5x10@45
incline DB Ys 5x10@5
lying DB internal rotation: 5x10@10
incline DB Ts 5x10@10
rolling DB extensions: 5x10@15 (tried 25, but was painful)
panora press: 4x15 w/monster mini
15 w/monster + micro mini
seated cable rows: 5x10@140
DB rev. flys: 4x10@45

bench w/empty bar: 4x20. Felt pretty good, but I’m going to take it very slow and continue doing just the bar for another week.

487

1/9/10 DE LOWER

SSB box squat against purples: 2x9@230
GHR: 3x8
Reverse Hyper: 3x10@320
Sled 7 plates, 200 yards
Yes machine (doubled purples) 5x15s

488

I hope the shoulder is doing better. Also, I noticed a poster in the PL section using your gym’s moniker. One of your team mates, I take it?

489

Hm. Only mention I can find is from someone who trains at SuperTraining, our sister gym in Sacramento. Or did you mean someone who’s name on the forums is wild iron?

The shoulder’s healing nicely. Still a twinge here and there, but I should be ready to put some light weight on the bar next week and test it out. If all goes well, I’ll work back up to 225 and then see how far I can push it, then figure out what I’ll be lifting for the meet at the end of Feb.

490

Good news about the shoulder.

491

That sounds like Marcus, the guy who owns the gym/started the team.

492

1/10/10 DE UPPER REHAB

band internal rotation
band external rotation
band pullaparts
band scapular retractions
plate halos 5x10 both directions
seated DB external rotations 5x10@15
curl bar cuban rotations 5x10@75 (I do not like these, will not do them again)
panora press (mini band) 4x25
facepulls 5x10@20
fat gripz db hammer curls 4x10@30
bench 3x20@bar

weight: 263

No pain in any of the movements. I can still get a twinge if I try a front raise-type motion. One more week, and then it’s back to benching.

493

That sounds great, Mark. Good work.

494

Did you get lost? WE’RE OVER HERE!

495

Damn! Hoss was there yesterday? That’ll raise your game…

496

So, yeah… I obviously haven’t been updating my training log.

I’ve been trying to cut way back on the stuff I read online, and focus more on my training and paying attention to all the experience I have around me, instead.

Anyway, a quick update:

Almost finished rehabbing my shoulder. Still have a slight twinge and weakness, mostly with lateral or overhead motion (I avoid both, except for very light therapeutic movements). I’m still icing it religiously, and paying very close attention to rehab work.

I’ve got my first meet Sunday at SuperTraining.

My weight’s up to about 277-278.

I recently hit a 30 lb PR on bench, pressing 275 without too much trouble. That’s after two months of almost zero benching, and just rehab work.

I hit a 380 box squat + 145 lbs of chain about a month ago. I’m going for a 400 lb squat as my third lift at the meet.

Miscounted the bar load when working up to my DL opener two weeks ago. Took what I thought was my opener (395), and instead pulled by 2nd (445) like it was my opener. My old PR was 455. Definitely going to hit a PR on the DL if I’m not completely exhausted by the end of the meet.

All in all, if I play my cards right, pay attention, and keep my energy up, I should walk away with something around 1100 total. I’m still the weakest guy on the team, but given that I’ve sat on my ass for almost 41 years, I’ll take it as a first meet total.

DCA: Yeah, Hoss drops by now and again when he’s in town for work.

497

I’ve been following the vids. Lotta hard work goin’ on down in Santa Clara.

498

[quote]mcl wrote:

All in all, if I play my cards right, pay attention, and keep my energy up, I should walk away with something around 1100 total. I’m still the weakest guy on the team, but given that I’ve sat on my ass for almost 41 years, I’ll take it as a first meet total.
[/quote]

I’ve learned something interesting as we get older. We only care about what those closest to us think. No one else matters anymore. Nice work.

499

Love the videos. What a great group of lifters you hang with. I’m jealous as hell. Good luck at the meet.

500

Good luck Mark. Glad to see you back posting. Let us know the results.