# Shoulder gave out while benching



## Island Roots (Jul 2, 2005)

The scariest thing happened to me today while at the gym.  I was towards the end of one of my more intense upper body workouts.  While benching a low weight (had no spotter so I was just repping an easy weight), I was in the 3rd of 4 sets (6 reps each).  I brought the bar down to my chest then when I went to push it back up, I felt my left shoulder "pop" or slip and it completely gave out.  I couldn't get the weight back up and luckily there was a personal trainer walking by that lifted the bar back up for me.  When I tried to sit up I couldn't even prop myself up with my left side.

 I stopped my workout after that; it's been about 40 minutes since it happened.  My shoulder just feels weird now...not really a stinging sensation and no sharp pains.

 Any idea what could have happened?  I'm going to go see a physical therapist next week for both my shoulder and my wrist which has been giving me extremely sharp pains after every workout.


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## Randy (Jul 2, 2005)

Sounds like a painful situation.
 It sounds like you described your situation pretty well. It sounds like your shoulder popped out of place somehow. Seeing a doctor sounds like your best bet to find out specifically what and why it might have happened. Seems strange it would happen while lifting light weights though. But sometimes it may not be the amount of weight, but the movement.  Maybe you had problems brewing from a previous situation...who knows. One thing I might add is you want to make sure you warmup well in all cases. I know that helps.

  Wish you the best in getting back on track.


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## Island Roots (Jul 2, 2005)

Now I'm beginning to think I've done something to my shoulder. It's starting to get really sore and its range of motion (without serious pain) is decreasing. And it's giving me a horrible migraine.


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## Randy (Jul 2, 2005)

I would get in to see a doctor before next week with what your describing.


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## ABLQ2 (Jul 2, 2005)

dont mess around with joint pain.  go see your doctor asap, man.


and dont work out again untill you do.  your shoulders are used in a lot of lifts, dont work out at all untill you see a doctor to play it safe.  you dont want to do any more damage.


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## LAM (Jul 2, 2005)

Island Roots said:
			
		

> The scariest thing happened to me today while at the gym.  I was towards the end of one of my more intense upper body workouts.  While benching a low weight (had no spotter so I was just repping an easy weight), I was in the 3rd of 4 sets (6 reps each).  I brought the bar down to my chest then when I went to push it back up, I felt my left shoulder "pop" or slip and it completely gave out.  I couldn't get the weight back up and luckily there was a personal trainer walking by that lifted the bar back up for me.  When I tried to sit up I couldn't even prop myself up with my left side.
> 
> I stopped my workout after that; it's been about 40 minutes since it happened.  My shoulder just feels weird now...not really a stinging sensation and no sharp pains.
> 
> Any idea what could have happened?  I'm going to go see a physical therapist next week for both my shoulder and my wrist which has been giving me extremely sharp pains after every workout.




go see a Dr.  but in the meantime put ice on it for about 20 minutes.  you should do that about 4-5x a day for the first 2 days.


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## P-funk (Jul 2, 2005)

defenitly go to the Dr.  Are you swollen at all?  Like LAM said ice it up!  Maybe a pec tear??


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## Randy (Jul 2, 2005)

Here ya go bro...this looks like it could soothe the pain for awhile 
    Dayammm...they got one of these things for just about every body part  http://www.painreliever.com/elastogel_SW900.html

   They even have what they call a cranial cap   Hmmmm I guess that could come in handy when your girlfriend tosses bowl at your head. 
  Not that I've ever had that happen of course


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## Island Roots (Jul 2, 2005)

Well I got called into work tonight so I didn't have time to go see a doctor - since then the pain is becoming more apparent when I try to rotate my shoulder certain ways. And I can hear a popping sound when I shrug my shoulders.

 I just took some tylenol and will see how it feels in the morning. Unfortunately I have to work all of tomorrow so the soonest I can get in to see a doctor would be Monday or Tuesday, unless it is unbearable then I will call in sick and go to a local urgent care center.


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## keelo1086 (Jul 2, 2005)

A similar injury happened to me while playing basketball. I was slammed into a wall and my shoulder slipped out. It didn't fully dislocate but it still slipped enough to cause damage.  The pain and problems with range of motion you describe were exactly like mine.  It came to the point where i couldnt even raise my arm to put on a shirt.

You most likely have weak rotator cuffs, and when you have you shoulder at a certain angle in your lift it slipped out.  You most go to a doctor.  They will most likely give you and x-ray and mri to check for torn ligaments, tendons, and/or muscle.  Keep icing that  baby it will help with the pain.  You got to hope all the pain and swelling is just a reaction to the trauma and that their is no serious damage.

As for me I still have problems with my shoulder when i don't work my rotator cuff regularly.


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## Ddevildownn (Jul 3, 2005)

This is definitely something to worry about it, if you have trouble rotating it... well not to state the obvious but it is a rotator cuff injury.  I would definitely stay off of anything that puts pressure on the joint in any direction or involves rotation.  I sustained a similar injury by benchpressing like a retard (grip was far to close due to the fact I had a bar that was way to small for a 5 year old... much less someone older.)  Definitely get this looked at and recovered fully before you do anything with it again.


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## Newt (Jul 3, 2005)

I've got a bad shoulder that this has happened to before and I am telling you that you need to go to the doctor!  Hell if nothing else he'll be able to give you something for the pain.  If your shoulder really did come out then over the counter meds aren't going to help.


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## gettnbig (Jul 4, 2005)

u "should" go to a dr but it sounds like u dislocated your shoulder. did it pop back in by itself or did someone have to pop it back in. same thing happned to me with football. tho i never went to a dr its fine now but after the 1st time if u dont get it corrected it will keep popping out more frequently and easier


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## Island Roots (Jul 4, 2005)

Well here it is two days after it happened and my shoulder is still pretty sore but the pain hasn't increased (but hasn't decreased) and I never noticed any swelling.  I think I'm just going to take it easy over the next week or so; maybe focus on lower body if I go to the gym.


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## Mudge (Jul 4, 2005)

When my body does things like that, its time for a break. First a real break, and then light weights coming back into training, which is what I am doing now. Sometimes its also a sign to check your routine itself, maybe you do too much heavy benching, or too much shoulder work, not enough warmups, form could use work - there are a lot of considerations.


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## BruiseKnee (Jul 4, 2005)

that hasnt happened to me before but i'll try and help... go to a pharmacy and get glucosamine, MSM, and chondroitin, preferably in a combo tablet. i have a bad knee and a really bad ankle and it really really helps. From what i've read, glucosamine helps repair tendons/ligaments, MSM helps inflammation and chondroitin helps your body rebuild cartilege when taken over a long period of time. its the least you could do right now, while your body is trying to heal.

 goodluck, and lay off the weights for a while, work on legs


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## Randy (Jul 5, 2005)

Mudge said:
			
		

> When my body does things like that, its time for a break. First a real break, and then light weights coming back into training, which is what I am doing now. Sometimes its also a sign to check your routine itself, maybe you do too much heavy benching, or too much shoulder work, not enough warmups, form could use work - there are a lot of considerations.


Or the problem could just be ....."Not enough Sex!"


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## MyK (Jul 5, 2005)

my right shoulder did that a couple of years ago, when i was doing incline dumbells, damn near dropped the weight on my face.

take a break like mudge said. come back in after a rest, work on proper form, star at a low weight. AND GET SOME OMEGA 369'S!!!!!!!!


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## Island Roots (Jul 5, 2005)

I went to the doctor today and his conclusion was that I tore some ligaments under/around my scapula.  So I'm headed to the physical therapist tomorrow for scapula instability; the physical therapy should last 3 to 4 weeks then I have to go back for a checkup.

 Hopefully I'll be able to at least do light weights @ the gym; I don't want to go a month with no upper body work.


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## god hand (Jul 5, 2005)

MyK said:
			
		

> AND GET SOME OMEGA 369'S!!!!!!!!


What tha fuck is this?


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## MyK (Jul 5, 2005)

In a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Bruce Caterson, Ph.D., and his colleagues at Cardiff University, Wales, found that omega-3s inhibited the activity of enzymes known as aggrecanases, which break down joint cartilage. This protective effect may help maintain joints in the face of rigorous physical activity.

http://www.stopinflammation.com/supplements.html


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## drew.haynes (Jul 5, 2005)

god hand said:
			
		

> What tha fuck is this?



http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/search.php?


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## god hand (Jul 5, 2005)

drew.haynes said:
			
		

> http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/search.php?


What tha fuck is this?


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## Randy (Jul 5, 2005)

god hand said:
			
		

> What tha fuck is this?


 There was a pot of gold at the end of that link, but someone got there before you did


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## rashly (Jul 6, 2005)

I hurt both my shoulders snowboarding back in January. It has botherd me since then, but I really hurt it while doing some incline bench presses.

 I saw a doctor and got an x-ray. Both negative. My next step would be to get an MRI of the shoulder, but all that would show is a tear or something (which it most likely is). I wouldn't want to get surgery now unless it is really bad, and physical therapy is way too expensive.

 I took a week off from working out. My first week back, I didn't do my shoulder/trap day or my tri/chest day.

 I am back to my normal routine, but I'm still going very light on chest workouts and shoulder workouts. I make sure to spend at least 15 minutes stretching my shoulders before and after working out.

 As for the pain, it was a constant pain when I first hurt it. It would hurt 10x more when I lifted my shoulder in a certain way (basically the motion of lat dumbbell raises. If I do that with any weight, even 5 pounds, my shoulder kills me when it "pops"). It pops every time I raise my arm in that direction. Front dumbbell raises are fine.

 Yeah, so I suggest checking it out at the doctor. Icing it when it hurts. Take an anti-inflamatory if you can. Workout with really light weights until you get confident enough to work your way up again.


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## animalmachine (Jul 7, 2005)

Don't waste your time with light reps unless it's part of the PT.  Rest, let it heal.  One month is nothing.  In the future, try just doing dumbell presses instead.  Barbell presses have a tendancy to really fuck up your shoulders.  I haven't done a barbell bench press in two years, and I've seen good results w/ no pain.


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## Randy (Jul 7, 2005)

animalmachine said:
			
		

> Don't waste your time with light reps unless it's part of the PT. Rest, let it heal. One month is nothing. In the future, try just doing dumbell presses instead. Barbell presses have a tendancy to really fuck up your shoulders. I haven't done a barbell bench press in two years, and I've seen good results w/ no pain.


 Sorry to hear you've had bad luck with barbell presses, but they work fine for me.  And I know a lot of people that have had good results doing barbell presses.  Now I don't stick with them, I rotate my exercises of course.  I was just suggesting that as an alternate to dumbell presses when the individual is having difficulty getting the dumbells up into position.


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## animalmachine (Jul 7, 2005)

You're right, incorporating both is always best - I simply avoid barbell bench because it seems to wreak havoc on my shoulders and wrists... I also hate having to ask for a spot.


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## Randy (Jul 7, 2005)

You wouldn't have to ask for a spot anymore than you would with heavy dumbells.


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