Jim: Recommendation if I Can't Bench?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
1

Jim, what would you recommend to someone (myself) who has self diagnosed shoulder tendonitis/bursitis in my right shoulder. It’s been ongoing for about a month because I’ve tried to work through it. Well that isn’t working so I’ve decided to check the ego and not do any movements that bother it. Movements that bother it included any out front pressing, dips, front raises, curls, flys, etc.

Deads, squats, military and any rowing, chins, even lateral raises don’t bother it at all so those I’m training as I normally would.

This cycle I’m running BBB.

The option’s my small brain has been able to think up are:

  1. Run BBB 3 days a week with the lifts that I can and ignore bench day until it feels better.

  2. Replace bench day with another awesome barbell lift that I can handle (never tried power cleans but I’m considering it if it doesn’t hurt)

  3. Do military press 2x a week.

  4. More back

  5. Go to the doctor (probably won’t happen unless there is blood)

  6. Stop whacking off. (Please see above regarding blood)

WWWD? - What would Wendler do?

2

not Jim but either rest it or get it checked out. You will not see blood unless you drop a shit ton of weight on you, so hopefully just rest is needed but if you have tore something, it will only get worse, and with still no blood visible :wink: I went over 10 years with my supraspinatus tore off of the bone in my left shoulder, thought it was just workout pains and over use. Actually I just had it re attached last week :slight_smile:

Like me you probably wont listen lol so try floor presses and see if that aggravates it still or wait for Jim’s advice.

get it checked :smiley:

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In general, just pick another full range, barbell movement. Personally, I’d just press. There have been a couple times I couldn’t press or bench: I could do one but not the other. So I just pounded the one I could do until I fixed the problem.

4

So would you just repeat the week you are on?
For example 5’s week for me would be deadlift 5’s, press 5’s, squat 5’s, press (again) 5’s then move to 3’s week and so on…

Thanks for the reply.

5

[quote]Sbender0711 wrote:
So would you just repeat the week you are on?
For example 5’s week for me would be deadlift 5’s, press 5’s, squat 5’s, press (again) 5’s then move to 3’s week and so on…

Thanks for the reply. [/quote]

Yes, you could do that. There are any number of options that you could do: just do whatever fits you.