Injured...again.

[buckhunter21]

Yes, sometimes we think we have it bad, till we see something or hear someone talk that has it way worse than we do, but is 10x more positive about his situation.  It's too bad it doesn't take a long time for a lot of us to forget that....

[DeanoZ]

Joe I feel your pain, as someone whose lively hood depends on his fitness I let my ego get the better of me in the gym.  Last year I started feeling twinges in my elbow..I passed it off as just a sign of getting older.  Acouple steroid shots and an MRI later discovered I had golfers elbow (funny, I really don't golf) brought on by some heavy benching, rows, and pulls.  I RICE'd it and laid off the weights for 5 months.  I'm certain using a climber did not help but I was not about to let that ruing my 08 hunting season.  Got back into the gym last spring and eased my way back, but not doing any real heavy lifting.  Then a few weeks ago my elbow started falring up again and now I'm back to square one.  Tendinitis is probably one of the most difficult injuries to bounce back from...its constant and does not take much to re-injure, as I've found out.  So now its back to strictly cardio for a few monthsand then we'll see where that gets me.  Getting old sucks!  Your body just does not heal like it use to.  Best of luck to you this season and in getting back from your injury.

[Cut N Run]

Best wishes on the healing Joe. You never know what you've got till it's gone. It sounds like you either need to pace yourself a bit or get some help doing your stand site prep.  I like having an ace up the sleeve-type  stand where I'm the only one who knows where it is in a location that usually doesn't see much pressure.  That usually requires hanging the stand alone, or others may hunt it more than I do and it loses its magic.
 
 I'm recovering from my second shoulder surgery this year. This time they cut the upper biceps tendon as it was pretty well shredded and on the way to tearing loose on its own at some point. They did the surgery  arthroscopically a month ago, so it wasn't as bad as it might have been, but it still hurts bad.  I qualified for & got a crossbow permit. Trouble is, that I've missed 7 weeks of work from both the surgeries and our business isn't exactly going gangbusters in this economy in any case. So, I don't have enough spare $$ to get the crossbow I want.  It gives me something to focus on and work for though. I probably couldn't cock a crossbow right now anyway.  The possibility of getting to hunt again before the gun hunters hit the woods motivates me.  I will make it happen next year.
 
Here's hoping you get to hunt pain-free and get a crack at some nice deer soon. Please hang a tag on a good buck for me & please don't forget to share the pictures.
 
Jim

[JPH]

Exactly what I was saying in my last post, Jim! Just when you think you've got it bad, someone else has it worse, but complains less. I'm praying for your quick recovery.
 
You also make some good points about the buddy system. I tend to do all this stuff alone. Out of the 16 stands I worked on, I had help for 2 of them, and honestly he pretty much watched and handed me stuff. That is a bad habit. I need to team up with someone and share the work load.

[OHhunter]

You also make some good points about the buddy system. I tend to do all this stuff alone. Out of the 16 stands I worked on, I had help for 2 of them, and honestly he pretty much watched and handed me stuff. That is a bad habit. I need to team up with someone and share the work load.

Guilty as well, I do just about all of mine alone also. Just a week or two ago I was moving stands because of logging in the area. One stand I moved consisted of five 4 foot sections of hang on steps and a chain on stand. I strapped it all together and packed just shy of a mile on my back through the woods and muddy skidder trails. Needless to say I wasn't good for anything the rest of the day.

[Goose]

Guilty as well. My excuse is shift work! LOL
This is probably our macho gatherer coming out......[:)]
 
 
Hope everything works out for ya Cut N Run! Keep the faith!

[OHhunter]

This is probably our macho gatherer coming out......

The wife don't find it very macho, when I'm laying around trying to get sympathy.
I get the same line everytime "well, who's fault is it?"

[drdaven]

JPH,

I have followed your posts for awhile now.  Your proposed workouts appear to be well balanced and provided you are practicing what you preach you should have good symmetrical function of the shoulder.
I am a biomechanical specialist and I would like to help you if I could.  Couple questions, because I don't know your history.
Is this subscapular strain on the same side as last years rotator cuff tear?  Do you have any other historical injuries to this side? Other than the stated ice, rest and Advil treatment, are there any other procedures being performed now or historically?
Let me know.  I may just have a few answers for you.

[JPH]

drdaven, I'm so glad you jumped in! I have been hoping you start visiting this scetion of the board.
 
Brief explination of my history. my workout style (at least for the last 5-6 years) is centered around high intensity and lots of variety. I jump between weights and body weight, with varying loads and rep cycles, often with minimal rest. A large amount of my stuff centers around the posterior chain and compound movements, but I try to balance muscle groups. If you read the "exercise/routine of the week" thread you can get a pretty fair picture.
 
The rotator cuff was the result of submission grappling with a guy who outweiged me by 50 lbs, and 10 years my junior. It was on the left. I never had an MRI, but I suspect it was a slight tear. It was resolved with PT and rest. Oddly enough, my max pull-ups increased during that lay off.
 
The subscapular pain began as something that is VERY common for me. I get painful knots in my upper back all the time. I usually just train through them or take a few days off and they go away. They happen on both sides but are more common on the right, which is where this one is. The problem with this one seems to be that in addition to not resting from my workout schedule, I was also shooting my bow and doing more than the normal amount of lifting, climbing and sawing.
 
Maybe too much information, but I'll take any help you can offer. Thanks in advance!

[drdaven]

JPH,

Okay, your workouts (as suspected) are very balanced.  Very glad to hear your variety and the areas you target are spot on.  To many people train only the show muscles and very little of the go muscles.  About the only caution I can offer is one of REST!  It doesn't sound like you have enough down time.  The increase in max pull-ups following your injury was likely due to the increased rest you were getting and the targeting of primary stabilization musculature by the PT. At least I hope they were targeting them. 

That said, I have a few more questions.  What does your posture look like?  Stand comfortably against a wall.  Does the back of your head, shoulder blades, butt and heels all touch with the same pressure?  I am guessing your head is held in a forward translation.  Now, stay against the wall and raise your arms above your head as if to perform a press and lower your elbow down to shoulder level and slightly below.  Do the back of your forearms want to list forward?
One more, this one requires another set of eyes.  Have someone stand beside you and raise your arms above your head, feet shoulder width apart and perform a squat.  Do your arms want to lean forward?
Okay, one more.  (I lied the first time)  Reach over your head with one arm at a time, as if to scratch down your back.  Can you reach the same spot?  Now reach up your back, as if you couldn't reach the itch from the top.  Are both arms the same/same distance up the back?

Will check back soon for your reply