I didn’t see a question, but I will offer up my own question: if, by your own admission, load is not the issue and that you are adapted to this load, what might be the cause of the recurring pec strain?
ill keep it short and simple:
- On the last set of benching 3x5x225lbs, I feel a sharp stabbing pain right where my pec meets my shoulder.
- It didn't hurt that bad but bad enough where I stopped at 4 reps and couldn't do anymore due to pain. No swelling or bruising occurred from what I could see.
- I didn't think much of it until I benched again a few days later and couldn't do much over 185 without pain.
- I did the starr rehab protocol and felt fine within 2 weeks and did 3x5x225 this past Monday with no problem.
- Today I went for 247.5lbs for 3 reps and felt the same damn thing happen. I immediately dropped the weight and tried 225lbs and couldn't get more than 2 reps without pain. I did this weight a few weeks ago without any problem so its nothing new. I've been doing this weight for a while now and have essentially been trying to maintain strength as I lose weight or rehab other unrelated injuries.
I didn’t see a question, but I will offer up my own question: if, by your own admission, load is not the issue and that you are adapted to this load, what might be the cause of the recurring pec strain?
My question is what would you recommend I do next? I thought I had rehabbed the injury by Monday evidenced by my most recent 3x5x225lbs that I had no problem with. But I guess I did not rehab the problem all the way because I felt it again, or I "re-injured" it again, trying for heavier weight this past Friday. Heavier than the Monday weight but not heavier than I have ever done.
Other than running the Bill Starr protocol again, for longer, I don't know what else to do.
I’d recommend a video be posted of your bench, because technique is not to be overlooked here.
For specific rehabilitation, I’m sorry but you’ll either have to crowdsource on here for recommendations, or you’ll have to hire the services of a coach. There is only so much I am okay with providing for free, but once someone asks for specific rehabilitation advice, I have to defer to others, or the person asking the question has to pay for my services.