Growths Journal

[DumBelle]

Sounds very much what I had. Mine was caused by too much push to pull ratio exercise wise. I did a lot of bench press and didnt work my rhomboids enough. The rhomboids are responsible for pulling your shoulders back and keeping them from slumping forwards. The shoulder balance was that bad that after doing lying db pullovers one day I just didnt recover. I had a really bad case of bursitis in the shoulder. So he had me do the following.

First icing the shoulder every hour until the bursitis settled. This was done for about four days and I took large doses of glucosamine.

Then at each physio session:

Arnold presses - lite weight 3x12

Reverse Flyes on the Pec Dec - Sit opposite the back with your legs astride it and hook your elbows around the pads and push backwards. This hits the rhomboids and corrects the imbalance. 3x12

Reverse rows 3x12

Then rotator cuff exercises with an elastic resistance band attatched to something at elbow height. I'll try to get some pictures of how to do them for you. But I can say to you before I had physio, I had pain everytime I worked out upper body and eventually I wound up with frozen shoulder as I stopped even moving it around and raising it above my head the pain was so bad.

You have to calm the bursitis down before you move onto those exercises and when your doing them starts of with light weights to avoid flaring the shoulder up again. Avoid all pushing exercises until it settles and then when you reintroduce it do a ratio of 2:1 pull to push for a while. So do the above workout FIRST before doing the push based exercises and do more pull to push based exercises. It will be painless in a week or two and if you supplements right, you could be back on track after about a month but you'll need to balance your workouts so it doesnt happen again.

I've heard of the broom based exercise and it will help but it wont correct the imbalance and you really need to work your rhomboids to help with pulling your shoulders back. Especially if you havn't hit them as much as your bench.

A good way to do a stretch is to grab the door fram and walk through it and gently pull your arms behind you. Do that gently though at first. Has the same effect as the broom if you move your arms up to different heights as you stretch.

[DumBelle]

This is the best picture I could find and this demontrates external rotation. To do the internal rotation you do the opposite of what's done in the picture. Do 3x22 of those with a light resistance band and before you start weight based stuff ease into it with just these done every day.

So to recap, 3-5 days icing every hour or so (if its really bad) and 3-4 times a day if it is mild bursitis. Then when that settles do the resistance band exercises for 3-4 days and then move onto the weight based exercises above with the resistance ones thrown in after them.

My should was a mess for 5 months as I did nothing about it and within a month of doing this I was back at it.

[Pseudonym]

Oh for godness sake - I'm not in posing shape and I posted pics, didn't I. I agree with Jono. Grow up and stop being such babies. I'd particularly like to see what Growth looks like, given his alledged totals surpassed mine recently.

Hehehe... you tell 'em, Cornfed!

Seriously though, I can understand if you don't want to - however, as a certain person said to me not so long ago:

Im with Jono, show the pics! :protest:

And congrats on the bench, of course... I'm more than a little jealous.

[Growth]

I'd particularly like to see what Growth looks like, given his alledged totals surpassed mine recently.

Well i can tell you that although our totals may be similar we look alot different.

[Growth]

Thanks for the advise Dumbelle. I have recently started doing a few of the exact exercises that you mentioned, like the reverse pec machine. Also started Glucosamine at 3g a day. Yeah i expect it was caused by having an imbalanced back, doing alot of benching etc. Hopefully with the stretches, new rhombiod workouts and glucosamine i will be right again soon. Ill still do heavy push workouts though, if it doesnt heal after that then ill lay off them too.

[Growth]

Hehehe... you tell 'em, Cornfed!

Seriously though, I can understand if you don't want to - however, as a certain person said to me not so long ago:

Im with Jono, show the pics! :protest:

Haha :pfft: Yeah slightly hipocritical

And congrats on the bench, of course... I'm more than a little jealous.

Thanks

[Marcus]

Hi Growth,

For your stretching, also try setting a smith machine at shoulder height, then reach up from behind & do the same stretch you are doing with the pole. Hold it for a minute. It does hurt but has worked wonders on my shoulders.

[Growth]

Thanks Marcus and to others for all the shoulder advise. The combination of all these streches and strengthing exercises, along with the glucosamine seems to be working really well. Have bumped glucosamine to 10g a day.

[Growth]

Yesterdays Workout

Flat BB Bench

60 x 12

60 x 12

100 x 8

120 x 5

145 x 2

Flat DB Press

52 x 8

52 x 6 SS 19 x 12 DB Flyes

SkullCrushers

45 x 10

45 x 8

45 x 7

Tricep Pushdowns (Rope)

74 x 8

62 x 8

62 x 8 DS

Tricep Pushdowns (Bar)

62 x 6 DS

62 x 6 DS

62 x 6 DS

Managed 145 for 2 yesterday which was a new PB however i feel i sohuld have tried to get 140 for say 4 or 5 then go up in weight. Next time ill probably go back to the 140 and go for more reps to further solidify the gain. Got a couple more reps out of the 52s to get a PB their. Tricep exercises werent all that great, just trying to keep the reps up, doing DS etc.

[jono]

nice work

[Growth]

nice work

Cheers mate.

[Growth]

Todays Workout

Lat Pulldowns

45 x 12

88 x 6

95 x 4

95 x 4 DS

Chins

BW x 6

BW x 6

BW x 6

Wide Grip Assisted Chins

BW-30 x 8

BW-30 x 8

BW-30 x 8

BB Bicep Curls

40 x 8

40 x 8

40 x 8

Hammer Curls

20 x 6

20 x 6

20 x 6 DS

Rear Delt Machine

63 x 8

63 x 8

63 x 8 DS

Wrist Curls

35 x 12

35 x 10

35 x 6

Average workout, have neglected the back a bit lately so made sure i got 3 good back exercises in. Bis were okay, nothing special. Getting used to wide grip chins still, hadnt previously ever done these but have incorperated them into my last two back workouts, pretty weak at the moment, can even pull my own weight up

[Growth]

Todays Workout

Arnold Press

15 x 12

22 x 10

25 x 8

27 x 7

31 x 6

35 x 4

Seated Shoulder Press

68 x 8

75 x 6

81 x 5

Lateral Raises

22 x 8

25 x 8

27 x 8

19 x 12

BB Shrugs

100 x 16

140 x 12

180 x 8

200 x 4

Rear Delt Machine

59 x 8

59 x 7

59 x 6 DS

Decline Situps

BW x 16

BW x 16

BW x 16

Average workout. Nothing to special. Got a new PB on Arnold presses so that was all good. Nothing else of real note.

[jono]

glad to see you still hitting the weights man.. heavy shrugs

[deegee]

Nice. Heavy weights.

[Growth]

Cheers Guys

[Growth]

Yesterdays Workout

Deadlifts

100 x 12

140 x 8

160 x 6

180 x 4

200 x 2

Squats

60 x 12

60 x 12

80 x 8

80 x 8

BB Bicep Curls

45 x 8

45 x 8

35 x 10

35 x 10

25 x 12

25 x 12

Pressups (Close Arms)

20

16

16

16

16

Pressups (Wide Arms)

20

16

16

16

16

Decided to do a few things i have been neglecting recently, namely deads and squats. Deads were good, new PB, the first set felt really weak but then next was fine, must be a bit rusty. I think i need to work on my hamstring stretching a bit though. Lower back is nicely sore today. Squats are dissapointing as usuall, still havent really exerted myself fully on this exercise. I think my stabilizer muscles need to catch up from all those years of leg press. For the moment ill keep the weight light and reps high while i get good form.

[jono]

nice deads man. i wouldnt do deads/squats on same day.. just cos both those ex are take a huge amount of energy

[Growth]

nice deads man. i wouldnt do deads/squats on same day.. just cos both those ex are take a huge amount of energy

Yeah it was pretty taxing doing the squats after going hard on the deads.

[Growth]

Todays Workout

Flat BB Bench

Bar x 21

60 x 12

60 x 12

100 x 8

125 x 6

140 x 5

Flat DB Bench

52 x 6

52 x 6 SS DB Flyes 25 x 12

Two Handed Single DB Tricep Extension ???

15 x 12

25 x 12

35 x 10

44 x 7

Tricep Pushdowns (Rope)

74 x 8

85 x 6

74 x 6 DS

Tricep Pushdowns (Bar)

74 x 8 DS

74 x 6 DS

74 x 6 DS

Declined Crunches

BW + 10 x 12

BW + 10 x 12

BW + 10 x 12

BW + 10 x 12

BW + 10 x 12

BW + 10 x 12

Managed to squeeze an extra rep out of the 140 as i had hoped for, also changed the 120 to 125 because the weights were starting to look a bit stagnent, dont want to get into a rut. Tried an old tricep exersice i used to do, managed to use the 44kg DB for the first time and i havent even been doing this exersice, guess it shows my tricep strength has increased across the board. Did some situps in between other exersices because i rarely get a chance to do any these days. Weight has stopped increasing at the 88kg mark which i aint to happy about, guess i need to check the old diet. A good workout anyway.

[jono]

big bench as usual.. make sure you're getting enough water too man

[Growth]

big bench as usual.. make sure you're getting enough water too man

Cheers mate. Yeah gotta make sure of that, probabley arent getting enough actually come to think of it. Thanks for that.

[jono]

big bench as usual.. make sure you're getting enough water too man

Cheers mate. Yeah gotta make sure of that, probabley arent getting enough actually come to think of it. Thanks for that.

no worries, water is very important

[Growth]

Todays Workout

Lat Pulldowns

45 x 12

88 x 8

95 x 6

102 x 6

102 x 6 DS

Pullups (Close Grip)

BW x 8

BW x 6

BW x 6

Chins (Wide Grip)

BW - 36 x 10

BW - 30 x 8

BW - 30 x 8

BB Curls

50 x 6

50 x 6

50 x 6

Incline Curls

25 x 6

25 x 6

Hammer Curls

21 x 6

21 x 6

16 x 12

Rear Delt / Rhomboid Machine

59 x 8

59 x 8

59 x 7 DS

Starting to get close to PBs for back an bis, a good workout today, biceps are looking larger than usual. Measured my upper arm this morning after i woke up, 17.25" cold, no pump etc. Guess that doesnt really mean much without a BF measurement, although most of my fat seems to hang around the lower stomach and lower back, i can hardly get a skin fold under my tricep but can get a big handful on my stomach :grin:

[jono]

nice work man. strange how your pulldown is so strong yet you dont do bw chins