Broken/cracked Rib and training.

[Aslin]

Got into a bit of fighting round the world a couple of weks ago in a bar, anyway I fell into a chair and I'm pretty sure I broke or at least cracked a rib.

I've had some sort of horrible virus the last couple of weeks, so I took things easy and only really did my squatting.

today I tried a full workout, and everything went well except the bench press, I could do the exercise with a lot of pain, roughly 80% of max... My question is, can you work through broken ribs like this and be ok?

[kjd2121]

Got into a bit of fighting round the world a couple of weks ago in a bar, anyway I fell into a chair and I'm pretty sure I broke or at least cracked a rib.

I've had some sort of horrible virus the last couple of weeks, so I took things easy and only really did my squatting.

today I tried a full workout, and everything went well except the bench press, I could do the exercise with a lot of pain, roughly 80% of max... My question is, can you work through broken ribs like this and be ok?

I think you need to see a Dr. Broken ribs can puncture a lung among other nasty things.

[Aslin]

I dont particularly wanna see a doc, I know i'll just be told to lay off the weights until it heals, I've broken ribs before, its rather common actually.

[Ryan Long]

Hopefully it is a broken rib and not torn costal cartilage, that is just as painful (maybe more than a broken rib) and takes longer to heal. I took a bad fall snowboarding in Mar 2009 and thought I broke ribs, the xrays said otherwise. I took 3 weeks off and then started lifting again. In the middle of catching a heavy clean I felt the cartilage tear even more (it was a posterior rib injury) and dropped the bar in the most epic failure ever. I had to take another 2 months off before I was comfortable lifting again. I still have a lot of pain even getting out of bed over a year later.

The moral of the story is don't rush in, whether you have broken ribs or not, something in there needs some more recovery time and I don't know that the Starr Protocol will work here. Let pain be your guide.

[Gary Gibson]

I dont particularly wanna see a doc, I know i'll just be told to lay off the weights until it heals, I've broken ribs before, its rather common actually.

Yikes. I'll be trying to stay on your good side.


Hopefully it is a broken rib and not torn costal cartilage, that is just as painful (maybe more than a broken rib) and takes longer to heal. I took a bad fall snowboarding in Mar 2009 and thought I broke ribs, the xrays said otherwise. I took 3 weeks off and then started lifting again. In the middle of catching a heavy clean I felt the cartilage tear even more (it was a posterior rib injury) and dropped the bar in the most epic failure ever. I had to take another 2 months off before I was comfortable lifting again. I still have a lot of pain even getting out of bed over a year later.

The moral of the story is don't rush in, whether you have broken ribs or not, something in there needs some more recovery time and I don't know that the Starr Protocol will work here. Let pain be your guide.

Double Yikes. Sounds like good advice.

[Damien Thompson]

I've broken a rib and was able to keep barbell training, but i wasn't able to twist or rotate at all so my ability to punch/wrestle, etc. was hampered.

Other i know have broken ribs and couldn't flex/extend but could rotate.

I think it depends what rib you crack, etc. on what you will be limited on. Basically as long as it doesn't hurt during or after, then your fine to do it.

Do what you can, as hard as you can. Stop what hurts.

[Aslin]

Thanks for the advice, I guess no benching then, I'll focus on pressing lol.

[kaisermetal]

Never work THROUGH pain, work at a weight that you won't feel any discomfort. above that and you are just hampering your recovery process

[StrongIslander,NY]

Hopefully it is a broken rib and not torn costal cartilage, that is just as painful (maybe more than a broken rib) and takes longer to heal. I took a bad fall snowboarding in Mar 2009 and thought I broke ribs, the xrays said otherwise. I took 3 weeks off and then started lifting again. In the middle of catching a heavy clean I felt the cartilage tear even more (it was a posterior rib injury) and dropped the bar in the most epic failure ever. I had to take another 2 months off before I was comfortable lifting again. I still have a lot of pain even getting out of bed over a year later.

The moral of the story is don't rush in, whether you have broken ribs or not, something in there needs some more recovery time and I don't know that the Starr Protocol will work here. Let pain be your guide.

i thought maybe wearing my belt too tight i might've crack a rib- but in reading ur post and seeing where costal cartilage is- my pain is diagonal right of my sternum right under the right pecs---if i yawn or sneeze its like somebody poked me with a stick. if i feel something coming on i try to compress from expanding. but to touch it there's no tenderness. i noticed it getting out of bed the day after a heavy lift- i twisted and was immediately in pain.

[Corrie]

i thought maybe wearing my belt too tight i might've crack a rib- but in reading ur post and seeing where costal cartilage is- my pain is diagonal right of my sternum right under the right pecs---if i yawn or sneeze its like somebody poked me with a stick. if i feel something coming on i try to compress from expanding. but to touch it there's no tenderness. i noticed it getting out of bed the day after a heavy lift- i twisted and was immediately in pain.

Sounds like it could just be inflamation of the cartilage if the pain isn't too severe.

[Crockett]

i thought maybe wearing my belt too tight i might've crack a rib

I currently have rib pain likely from my belt. I think I'm wearing it too tight. Don't think I broke or cracked a rib; breathing, coughing, and sneezing are not painful, but certain movements are pretty painful. Supposed to deadlift tomorrow; we'll see what happens. In any case, I'm getting a larger belt.