Help with going heavy on legs... injuries

ka0tik

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Hey guys,
I have trouble doing heavy leg workouts due to my bad shoulder. My shoulder kills when I try to do a normal squat or whenever i rest weight on my back, even with 135 and before the severity of my injury increased I could do 275. However, front squats work a bit, i just dont want to push it. Deadlifts are no problem. Leg press is ok. I cant hold enough weight with my hands to sufficiently tire out my legs. Straps dont really work either due to a control issue and/or my traps get fatigued. Any ideas?

I will always have a preference for free weights over machines. However, I still do leg extensions and curls on the machine, but nothing seems to work like squating heavy used to.

Thanks in advance
 

AdtheRock

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ka0tik, sounds when you pull your shoulders back into a power grip position it is stressing your rotator cuff or possibly stressing your shoulder ligaments? If you could give me a run down of your shoulder if you know of a injury, it would help. However, check into a "Olympic Safety Squat Bar". These bars should help you because it will make your hands go from power grip to neutral grip. I believe the parallel neutral grip takes the load off your shoulders, due to the grip without loosing that squat feel. Do your research on them they run 150-300$. Another lift, you said your shoulders only hurt when its resting, look into a "Snatch Squat or Overhead Squat". Check Youtube if you are unaware of how to facilitate this lift. It will not only work your quads, hams, and core it will increase balance/equilibrium. Lastly, check into "Split Squats" with dumbbells. This lift will also remove the shoulder stress while targeting that particular muscle group you need, once again check Youtube if you dont understand this lift. Keep me update and good luck.
 

ka0tik

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I tore my right labrum 6 years ago from a severe dislocation. Went to physical therapy but it kept subluxating so I had surgery to repair it a year later. I eventually re-dislocated it boxing. I have dislocated it a total of 5 times since surgery (3 of which happened when I was extremely drunk....). I assume its the same injury as before but I havent had an MRI to say for sure. However about a year ago I have had a arthroscopic surgeon look at it to get a prescription for physical therapy and the doctor and the therapist both agreed with me. I have a hill sachs lesion in my ball and socket, which makes it even more prone to popping out (from the original injury, however it could have gotten worse because they tend to do that). My shoulder is more prone to popping out the front, however it will pop out the back (subluxated once). I was thinking about surgery, but the first one took me out for 6 months and this one would take me out for 9 due to bone grafting to fix the lesion... That being said, I have only not been able to do 135-185lb due to shoulder pain for the last 8-10 months.

the olympic safety squat bar looks awesome. My shoulder should be just fine with that. The issue is resting weight on my back or shoulders when my hands are up to the sides (closer to my ears than my chin) which is why the olympic bar should work well and why front squats are doable.

I stay away from anything over head unless it is very light, so snatch squat or the overhead squat are not possible. I nearly dislocated my shoulder doing overhead press. I know how to get a great shoulder workout (due to 2+ years of shoulder PT) without doing overhead press.

I do split squats (lunges with dumbells) which are great. That was the item I was referring to where I can't hold big enough weight to tire my legs and my traps get soar before my legs.

There is just something about lifting heavy that I am trying to get at and I think you solved my problem with the olympic bar. Now I just need to find a gym with one to try it out before I make that type of investment.

Thank you for the input
 

AdtheRock

New member
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I tore my right labrum 6 years ago from a severe dislocation. Went to physical therapy but it kept subluxating so I had surgery to repair it a year later. I eventually re-dislocated it boxing. I have dislocated it a total of 5 times since surgery (3 of which happened when I was extremely drunk....). I assume its the same injury as before but I havent had an MRI to say for sure. However about a year ago I have had a arthroscopic surgeon look at it to get a prescription for physical therapy and the doctor and the therapist both agreed with me. I have a hill sachs lesion in my ball and socket, which makes it even more prone to popping out (from the original injury, however it could have gotten worse because they tend to do that). My shoulder is more prone to popping out the front, however it will pop out the back (subluxated once). I was thinking about surgery, but the first one took me out for 6 months and this one would take me out for 9 due to bone grafting to fix the lesion... That being said, I have only not been able to do 135-185lb due to shoulder pain for the last 8-10 months.

the olympic safety squat bar looks awesome. My shoulder should be just fine with that. The issue is resting weight on my back or shoulders when my hands are up to the sides (closer to my ears than my chin) which is why the olympic bar should work well and why front squats are doable.

I stay away from anything over head unless it is very light, so snatch squat or the overhead squat are not possible. I nearly dislocated my shoulder doing overhead press. I know how to get a great shoulder workout (due to 2+ years of shoulder PT) without doing overhead press.

I do split squats (lunges with dumbells) which are great. That was the item I was referring to where I can't hold big enough weight to tire my legs and my traps get soar before my legs.

There is just something about lifting heavy that I am trying to get at and I think you solved my problem with the olympic bar. Now I just need to find a gym with one to try it out before I make that type of investment.

Thank you for the input
No problem man, sounds like you have had some issues, my best of luck goes for you in your future. I have read on using rubber bands to is quite beneficial too. I work out with a guy who suffered rotator cuff. He uses a set of bands to warm up and cool down, to slowly rebuild and loosen the tendons. He says it definately has been helping, I would take a look into it, if you already havent. He baught a nice set for around 25$ came with three bands, two handles, two feet attachments, and a nice carry bag at Dicks Sporting Goods. Good luck.
 

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