During my last workout (Start of week 11 on PB III) I was warming-up on bench press as usul to what was supposed to be 110 kg x 4 reps @ RPE 9. I got up to 100 kg, and on the second rep felt a “click / pop” in my right shoulder. I went back down in weight to 60 kg, I was able to do a couple of sets though they were a bit painful so I decided to stop there for the session. Though, by the end of the workout, the pain kept growing and I was sturggling to lift up a 20 kg plate to put it back in place.
Is this something worth checking out with a PT if it doesn’t improve in the next days, or should I just stick to the usual pain protocal of trying to find an entry point where I can bench without pain and work my way up from there?
Also, should I change anything about my training (I’m planning on rerunning PB III once I finish the current run of the template), or just keep on following the template?
Thanks for the message and sorry to hear about your shoulder. That’s super frustrating!
If this just happened, I do not think an in-person PT visit prior to medical evaluation is likely to be helpful. Similarly, I do not think a medical evaluation by your physician would be helpful if you’re able to find an entry point. The click/pop sensation doesn’t necessarily worry me. I would be more interested in how the discomfort is today and what entry point you can find, if any. You may have to modify other elements of your training if other movements cause discomfort. Hard to predict that ahead of time though.
If the discomfort think persists, you’re worried about it, and/or you need some direct help, then you would likely benefit from a consultation with our Pain and Rehab team.
As for how the discomfort is today - i’d say it’s gotten worse, as now lifting my arm up to change a shirt is a struggle (Not that I can’t do it, though only with qutie a bit of pain).
I was thinking of taking a couple more days to see if it would improve and I can find an entry point in the gym, though as of how it feels today it seems unlikely i’ll be able to find an entry point for the bench press in particular but even for other movements that involve lifting my arm up.
So, if I won’t be seeing any improvement in the next few days, would a medical evaluation by a physician be the move here or would you still suggest a consultation without having a medical evaluation first?
As for modifying my training, i’ll see how the situation changes in terms of what I can or can’t do in the gym, though if it seems that i’m unable to do any pressing, back movements and potentially even squats for a while, is it worth sticking to the PB III template for the rest of the movements that I can do (though there won’t be many)? Also, as a question that has to do with this injury specifically but also with one-sided injuries in general - since my stronger side is injured (i’m right handed), is there any point in doing uni-lateral work by working on my left side until I get back to a point where I can find an entry point for pressing and such?
As a final question - I was on a slow bulk for the past year or so. If we’re talking about a significant amount of time out of regular training (in terms of pressing mainly), should I slightly cut back on the calories i’m eating to around or just above maintenance in order to not just gain fat if i’m not fully able to train, or do I continue my bulk as normal?
Thanks for the reply. I would not actually wait a few days before trying to find an entry point, which can be a partial ROM, isometric, etc. to do something. That said, I have some concerns advising an individual do that without any sort of follow up where I can help guide them. If it’s me or one of my clients, I’m trying to get them into the gym today.
Regarding next steps, I think you’re likely to get a better plan of what to do via a consultation with our pain and rehab team than your physician. You may ultimately have to see your physician, of course.
If you can’t do any form of presses, rows, or squats, I do not think you can do any of our templates right now without serious modifications. I don’t think the rep/set scheme for PB III is likely appropriate for this injury, though again I have limited information here. Yes, unilateral training can be useful for not only staying active, but also helping to maintain size and strength in the immobilized limb (e.g. the crossover effect).
I don’t think gaining weight when you can’t really train is a great idea, but I could see some situations where that would be fine as well, e.g. folks who are very underweight.
I can appreciate that this is probably frustrating for you and I’d love to give you more direct answers, but there’s just not enough information here to do so without multiple caveats. I really think you could benefit from some professional help here if you’re able to do so. If not, you’ll also be fine following some of the general advice presented here.
I’m currently a Uni student and we get free health care in my country, so i’d like to first see if I can somehow manage myself with the available BBM resources + a possible visit to a physician if the pain persists. If I won’t be able to find an entry point as you mentioned, i’ll definitely look into getting a consultation with the rehab team.
In my experience, I would personally be cautious of a general or family physician visit, depending on the country you’re in. At least here in Canada, the non-sports-med trained physician advice I’ve gotten over the years has done little but nocebo or even be harmful, ranging from “deadlifts are bad” to “rest and immobilize” or cortizone shot offers (a doc I had at one stage recommended tempo eccentrics, but he sadly retired). If you do decide to go that route, consider doing a refresh on BBM material beforehand to be able to better evaluate advice. A good doc will likely just rule out any red flag symptoms and will otherwise recommend PT, perhaps country and specialty dependent, so while it may be a comfort in theory it may not be worth your time given Jordan’s recommendations.