| EliteFTS

I haven’t posted any bench training in a while since my strength hasn’t progressed as I would have hoped following my Hemicap procedure on my right shoulder, but also because I asked the Orthopedic Surgeon to take a look at my left shoulder during my follow up this last November. Well, turns out it’s just as bad, if not worse, than my right was regarding cartilage loss as you can see from the X-rays. I’d prefer not to opt for another surgery, at least not for as long as I can hold out. Although it looks just as bad, if not worse, my left isn’t causing mobility issues or as much pain as my right had prior to the surgery. The surgery also costs over 7K, even with insurance. For now I’m going to do my best to continue working around it as well as to incorporate more mobility work to see if it helps.

Using reverse bands seems to be ideal since the most support is provided where my shoulders need the most assistance. The Swiss or Football Bar also work well to be able to use a neutral grip and reduce shoulder stress. I did 245x3 with reverse light bands and the MC (the one we do not speak of). The other video is my warm up of 185x3. Thanks again to Jon Neel for training with me and dealing with my training adaptations and to Anthony Liardo for his help.

Although I competed for over 20 years without a serious injury, I swear something will eventually get you in this sport. You can’t push your body to the limit year after year without causing some damage, even with proper training. Mine happened to be cartilage loss, which I have no doubt was accelerated due to my autoimmune issues. My goal now is to stay as healthy as possible while improving my cardio and mobility and hopefully improving my joint health. I hope to be able to help other lifters with what I learn in the process.