Hey Gunny! And all you other muscle heads~

[random3434]

I need some workout injury advice.

I have been doing the "pec machine" at the gym. 3 reps going facing front at 70 pounds (14 times each) then 55 pounds facing the machine (same amount of reps)

Well, for the first time my arms hurt whenever I reach for anything. I haven't used that machine for over a week because of this. I just thought it would go away. What was I doing wrong? Why does it still hurt? When will it go away? I really like doing this machine, and the results it gives me.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Gunny]

I need some workout injury advice.

I have been doing the "pec machine" at the gym. 3 reps going facing front at 70 pounds (14 times each) then 55 pounds facing the machine (same amount of reps)

Well, for the first time my arms hurt whenever I reach for anything. I haven't used that machine for over a week because of this. I just thought it would go away. What was I doing wrong? Why does it still hurt? When will it go away? I really like doing this machine, and the results it gives me.

Thanks for any advice!

What part of your arms hurt? The muscles? If that's the case, stop whining.

If it's your shoulders causing you pain, that type of exercise may be irritating your rotator cuff. The solution to THAT is to find a pec exercise that does not.

Three bones and tendons and ligaments all come together to make the rotator cuff. Nerves and blood vessels run through the center of it down your arm. If the alignment is off in the rotator cuff, your shoulder will hurt, and which ever muscle is jacked up from it.

Try 8-10 reps instead of 15.

Try not letting the machine stretch you all the way out in the stretch position.

It could be a matter of positioning your hands/arms differently.

Try some barbell/dumbell bench presses and see if you get the same or better results.

 

[random3434]

I need some workout injury advice.

I have been doing the "pec machine" at the gym. 3 reps going facing front at 70 pounds (14 times each) then 55 pounds facing the machine (same amount of reps)

Well, for the first time my arms hurt whenever I reach for anything. I haven't used that machine for over a week because of this. I just thought it would go away. What was I doing wrong? Why does it still hurt? When will it go away? I really like doing this machine, and the results it gives me.

Thanks for any advice!

What part of your arms hurt? The muscles? If that's the case, stop whining.

If it's your shoulders causing you pain, that type of exercise may be irritating your rotator cuff. The solution to THAT is to find a pec exercise that does not.

Three bones and tendons and ligaments all come together to make the rotator cuff. Nerves and blood vessels run through the center of it down your arm. If the alignment is off in the rotator cuff, your shoulder will hurt, and which ever muscle is jacked up from it.

Try 8-10 reps instead of 15.

Try not letting the machine stretch you all the way out in the stretch position.

It could be a matter of positioning your hands/arms differently.

Try some barbell/dumbell bench presses and see if you get the same or better results.

Excellent advice! Thanks for answering, that's the kind of ideas I was hunting for! I will try that and get back to you.

 

[American Horse]

I need some workout injury advice.

I have been doing the "pec machine" at the gym. 3 reps going facing front at 70 pounds (14 times each) then 55 pounds facing the machine (same amount of reps)

Well, for the first time my arms hurt whenever I reach for anything. I haven't used that machine for over a week because of this. I just thought it would go away. What was I doing wrong? Why does it still hurt? When will it go away? I really like doing this machine, and the results it gives me.

Thanks for any advice!

Easy,

as Gunny says you may have some rotator cuff damage. It can occur even as a result of an exercise, or work operation that you have been doing without any prior problem. Try holding your arm extended while lifting some weight, even five or ten pounds will be enough. Do each arm seperately. Is there a problem of pain with either arm? If so you may have some tissue damage.

I have found it is a good idea to avoid any kind of strenuous excercise when you have a cold virus, as the virus moves through the system it goes to the most vulnerable tissue. At those moments tissue is vulnerable to tearing if used intemperately. This could be a sudden twist or a sudden lifting action, and is more likely to produce a painful tear with a cold virus in the system.

Once I remembered my boot camp days with relish, believing I could relive that process by exercising. But the body is wearing out and we don't recover and build like we did when in our youth. I do about 30 minutes of multiple exercises every day with one day off per week, without overdoing any of them, but the pain no longer completely goes away.

I have recovered from a very bad rotator cuff tear beyond what my doctor would admit was possible for me. I was told I could never hold a paint brush up to "cut in" around ceilings, but I do it by varying my method frequently, but not without some pain.