I’m not new to bodybuilding, but taking a look at my upper body might lead to that impression.
I have tendonitis of the supraspinatus and teres minor. Over the last six months, my bench strength has increased, but my progress has stalled again. My whole right side is experiencing a great pump, but my left side feels weak and the bones inside feel so tight during the press.
I’ve started following the strengthening program from T-Nation, but it limits it to only once a week. The cuban press / muscle snatch is impossible for me to currently do in good form (not even for a few reps), and I risk fucking my shoulder up big time if I can’t let it heal.
My question is, what can I do to steadily go up on my bench, since I finally feel like I’m making some great progress and have consistent energy and drive to train unlike ever before. It fucking blows not being able to lift like I could. I can’t even do 2 reps of wide-grip pullups!
P.S. My doctors strengthening advice hasn’t really helped, since following it has basically done fuck-all. My left leg is 5mm (1/5 of an inch) shorter than my right, which brings the left side of my body down a little unless I wear an extra sole in my shoe.
This is fucking getting me down big time, but I’m determined not to let it get in the way.
I’m not sure exactly what all those problems you listed in your shoulder are. But I was having alot of pain in my shoulders when I benched… I started doing the “cracking the rotator cuff conandrum” and I have been seeing great results… Just add this inplace of direct shoulder work.
[quote]SteveB wrote:
I’m not new to bodybuilding, but taking a look at my upper body might lead to that impression.
I have tendonitis of the supraspinatus and teres minor. Over the last six months, my bench strength has increased, but my progress has stalled again. My whole right side is experiencing a great pump, but my left side feels weak and the bones inside feel so tight during the press.
I’ve started following the strengthening program from T-Nation, but it limits it to only once a week. The cuban press / muscle snatch is impossible for me to currently do in good form (not even for a few reps), and I risk fucking my shoulder up big time if I can’t let it heal.
My question is, what can I do to steadily go up on my bench, since I finally feel like I’m making some great progress and have consistent energy and drive to train unlike ever before. It fucking blows not being able to lift like I could. I can’t even do 2 reps of wide-grip pullups!
P.S. My doctors strengthening advice hasn’t really helped, since following it has basically done fuck-all. My left leg is 5mm (1/5 of an inch) shorter than my right, which brings the left side of my body down a little unless I wear an extra sole in my shoe.
This is fucking getting me down big time, but I’m determined not to let it get in the way.[/quote]
I’ve been having problems getting my bench back up to my ‘pre-marital’ levels. I’ve developed an inbalance where my chest and anterior delts outgrew my posterior delts, upper traps and lats. As a result it hurt like hell in the pectoral-delt tie-in whenever I benched.
Nowadays, I do a lot of dumbell work for lateral and posterior delts and some rotator cuff work. Eventually I’d like to be able to bench 405 again, but at 39, I don’t know if I’ll see those kind of numbers anymore. Anyway, hope this helps.