Sometimes, I do stupid things … especially to my shoulders !!
Don't do stupid things!
Like most men, I’m prone to acts of stupidity. That’s right, testosterone induced bravado – though not as much as I grow older. At least I’ve progressed beyond the stage where alcohol is involved.
My stupid shoulder trick
About five years ago, my two workout partners and I devised a complex contest to motivate us during our workouts. Basically, we did several exercises and recorded our max weight and and the max number of times that we could perform that lift.
For example:
- how much can you bench press for a minimum of 15, 10 and 5 reps?
- how many chins can you perform with how much added weight for a minimum of 15, 10 and 5 reps?
We limited the exercises to multi-joint exercises – bench press, squat, leg press, seated dumbbell press, weighted chins, incline dumbbell press, etc. We recorded our starting weights / reps and then pushed ourselves over a 60 day time period. The winner would be determined not by who did the most weight / reps, but by who had made the largest percentage increase in weight / reps. This put us all on a level playing field.
Contest takes its toll
Because we were monitoring so many different lifts, it took about a week to get the final results. On chest day, we would do our chest maxes. On shoulder day, we would do our shoulder maxes. So, it took about a week to determine the winner. In fact, it came down to the last day.
Weighted Chins for the Win
The last day was back day and it was close – only percentage points separated us. In order for me to remain in contention, I had to perform 6 wide grip chins with an additional 35 lbs. I didn’t want to waste any energy, so I did about 5 quick warmups and strapped on the necessary weight and started pulling like I was in the “World’s Strongest Man” contest.
I did the needed six reps, but not without pain. About the time I reached four reps, I began to feel intense pain in my left shoulder – but like the guy in the picture, I just kept going.
We all win – I lose and my shoulder pays the price
The contest was very close. In fact two of us tied for the win, but in reality, we all won because we had driven ourselves to the best shape of our lives. We had also monitored our bodyweight/fat composition and it played a part in the contest. I told you it was a complex deal.
The cost for me was huge. I could barely lift my left arm. Lat pulldowns with 50 lbs resulted in me “crying like a baby”. I was out of commission. It took months before I could begin serious training again. But the big loss for me is that I can no longer do wide chins. If I try to move beyond shoulder width, its agony.
Don’t be stupid – watch the video – warm-up your shoulders
This is a good video that shows you some of the basic exercises that will save you from the dangers of shoulder injury. Do them! Before every workout!
My thanks to Lee Hayward for an excellent video.
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Photo Credit: the mad LOLscientist