Female breasts and bench press

[Cody]

My point exactly, babz. I don't think Dr. T meant that specific meaning when he used the term, even though the term is rather specific.

With respect, Dr T has mentioned several times that his word choice and phrasing is very specific and carefully chosen.

[jkolt]

the term is rather specific.

Like, go to jail specific.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Doc, it seems to me that your thinking on this is molded by the fact than when your patients go into surgery they look one way, when they come out they look different. Sometimes much different. Whatever the aesthetic impact of bench pressing on breast appearance will ultimately be - it ain't gonna happen so suddenly that it cannot be aborted.

Perfect clarity. Why can't I be this incisive?

[MPhelps]

This may only apply in criminal law, but it seems that a REASONABLE person would understand that bench pressing might change the appearance of their chest, and therefore the coach/trainer wouldn't be liable. Of course liable is a civil law term, but I'm not being too careful with my word choice or phrasing.

[Philbert]

Perfect clarity. Why can't I be this incisive?

Bill Been is incisive and clear when he wants to be because he deliberately concentrates all the confusion and verbosity that finds its way into his brain into discrete packages, and leaves them on this forum as humor posts.

[Dr.T]

Doc, it seems to me that your thinking on this is molded by the fact than when your patients go into surgery they look one way, when they come out they look different. Sometimes much different.

They look different. Then over the next 3-6 months, they change again. Slowly. Some breast reconstructions after mastectomy take require multiple stages which can take 1-2 years. It requires great patience and subtle changes can frequently only be seen in the sequential, standardized multi-view photography. So the suppositions about the specialty are, well not wrong but more nuanced than you may think. Besides, suggesting I can't tell the difference between a plastic surgery change and an incremental resistance-induced hypertrophic change is a little... far-fetched, for all kinds of reasons, not the least of which is the amount of thought and work I have put into this topic, which I hope is evidenced on this very thread.

Whatever the aesthetic impact of bench pressing on breast appearance will ultimately be - it ain't gonna happen so suddenly that it cannot be aborted.

Yes that is the rub. What is the solution here for patients like the one in case #3? How would a coach, who assumed a fiduciary responsibility, handle this?

Given that some hypertrophic changes are long-term, if not semi-permanent.

Given that it would not happen suddenly. Subtle changes occur over months that would be difficult for the coach or, especially the client, to appreciate. How does one know when to abort?

I worked with some uninformed coaches...

I am just not going to go around suing people...

Are coaches like the ones in case 1 and 2 uninformed or fraudulent? That is, of the coaches that make unrealistic promises, or counter-purposeful promises, what % are out of ignorance and what % are making fraudulent claims for personal gain? For example, Rippetoe loves to, righteously, rail against MDs for dispensing bad exercise advice. I would presume this is 100% ignorance, with no fraud for gain.


Nobody has suggested suing anybody. I am referring a an ethical, not a legal, fiduciary duty. I would like to be very clear on that.

I hear that Austin is a great city, and I will finally visit when I compete in Worlds this summer. You can come watch one of the most boring events ever-hours of people moving heavy weight!

Please tell us about this. I cannot seem to find it. It may increase SSC exposure to our fair city.