Firehawk

[Dan C]

How's the post-operation hernia recovery coming?

[F_Mac]

shhhhhhh............it was really gender re-assignment surgery........and well past due.

At least now he has an excuse to be lifting like a 13 year old girl.

hahahaha........that was like 3 burns in 2 sentences.

[Firehawk]

Yeah now the cases of Vaginitis I have in the gym on occasion are legitimate.

It's a bit frustrating but I'm getting there.

[Dan C]

What exactly happened?

[Firehawk]

I brokeded my abs.

[Dan C]

This happened while you were lifting? What happened?

[Firehawk]

I was benching, as soon as I took the weight out of the rack i felt a pop. Femoral hernia, just like that. Happened about 11 weeks ago now. Had surgery 7 weeks ago.

[luke.w]

nature of the beast


so you were doing 3-board presses, missed 320, added deniem shirt, missed 365, 365x1 thats when it happened?

haven't you benched that in a shirt?

shirted board presses, LOL, it's bad enough you don't even have a great raw base, now your using equipment on partial lifts. You are so lucky to have all this wonderful help. does your gym pay for the operations?



weres darkangel been, last I saw on FI he was going to the docs for a possible hernia as well? haven't heard from him since?????

[Dan C]

I realize this is a sensitive subject, and I hope you believe me Dave when I say I didn't start this thread to talk any trash. But I'd like to draw some honest, unbiased dialog out of you.

I've always felt that using weights that exceeded your 1RM increased a persons chance for injury, regardless of the method employed, but especially regarding powerlifting gear. I mean, you're forcing your body to move weights that it has not yet adapted to, and I don't mean just muscular strength wise. We're talking the body's ability to handle internal pressures, in a cardio-vascular sense, skeletal & connective tissue tensile strength, lot's of different aspects that go into the handling of heavier weights, especially weights nearing 50% over your "natural" max.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on the subject. Knowing what you now know, that injury is the "nature of the beast" in powerlifting, geared lifting especially, and considering that you have undergone heart surgery and now hernia operations, how do you see the risk benefit ratio of the sport for YOU?

Are PR's worth injuries? That's a question that goes to everyone. And how severe of an injury are you willing to risk in the pursuit of strength?

[maverick]

Too avoid confusion amongst anyone else reading this thread, I don't believe Firehawk's heart surgery had anything to do with powerlifting. I think it was a pre-existing condition, but he can correct me if I'm wrong.

[Dan C]

Originally Posted by maverick

Too avoid confusion amongst anyone else reading this thread, I don't believe Firehawk's heart surgery had anything to do with powerlifting. I think it was a pre-existing condition, but he can correct me if I'm wrong.

I believe it was a pre-existing condition. Which personally, would make me think twice about putting myself at certain risks involving extreme levels of intrathorasic pressure.

But that's just me.

[maverick]

I see what you are saying, and I knew your intent. Just didn't want people drawing the conclusion that powerlifting directly leads to heart surgery. I won't comment on Gene Rychalk's diet.

[Firehawk]

I don't really know how to say what I want to without sounding nasty. I mean, how could I not think you just started this thread to number 1, dog me, and number 2, try to use me and the hernia as an example of how powerlifting equipment is dangerous? I wasn't even gonna respond at all but I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

I don't get Luke's comments to be honest. The board was there to get used to bringing the weight that low and driving it abck up. If you knew anything about shirts luke, you'd understand, but once again, you are talking about something you dont' know ANYTHING at all about. I'll try to explain though. I was already tired from benching, but everyone was doing shirted presses and someone had a shirt there that they wanted me to try on. So i tried it and gave it a go. I was trying to get the technique right because for one, It has been forever since I benched in a shirt (contrary to what you guys think, we don't all use gear every workout, or even most workouts). Second, the board was there to keep me from going any lower. The plan was to touch the board and drive it back up. The shirt does not help beyond half way up. But, it does keep your body in line so you can get the best push under the weight.

There are a few things that should be stated here:

Number 1: In this case, the equipment had nothing to do with it. I took the weight out of the rack and then felt the pop. I have pin pressed 425 before so that kind of doesn't jive anyway. WHy did it happen then and not before when i had more weight in my hands? I have a theory on this but nobody will ever know for sure. When I set up for the bench, i tuck my feet under my butt, slide my ass down and arch my shoulders into the bench. This first of all stretches out the ab area, and thus when I take a deep breath and hold it, I am adding all kinds of pressure to the area which is already stretched out. That could have been the final nail in the coffin. I had a tight belt on though which also is weird, because it would add support to that area.

Number 2: Hernias are weaknesses in the muscles, or in my case, where the ligament is (I could look up all the proper terminology but I don't feel like it right now honestly). I believe it's called the Inguinal Ligament. The muscle tore away from that ligament a little bit. I had a femoral hernia which is a very uncommon hernia for a male to get. Most get Inguinal or Umbilical hernias. Just because someone strength trains doesn't mean they can strengthen this area. It seems like you could, but not from what I have read and from what the doctor told me (and I had a very good doctor). Sometimes sh*t just happens. Luke doesn't understand this because he thinks his ass is bulletproof and won't ever end up in the hospital. You can do all you can to prevent it and try your best, but you can't see the future, and lifting is dangerous no matter what.

Number 3: The heart thing was likely from birth. It just never showed up until i started to exert myself hard (I was not even into powerlifting when this occured anyway). And yes, this makes me think about thigns ALL THE TIME Dan. Whenever i get under heavy weight, no matter if I have equipment on or not, I am always worried because I hold my breath and that makes your blood pressure skyrocket. I have been told by the doctors that it's fine but it always makes me think twice, and I think this holds me back from progress sometimes.

If you didn't start this thread to slam me, why did luke just do it? Are you guys taking the "you slam him but i'll try to be PC so that he won't think anything"? If you really didn't, that's mighty nice of you but I am skeptical. We don't get along, haven't since you came here and there's no other reason for me to believe you have another agenda in mind.

But in an unbias dialog, I will try to state what I feel about the subject on gear to the best of my ability. Sometimes i'm not the most tactful but I will try (this is my disclaimer ).

Gear is supposed to protect you at your most vulnerable point. The only way for you to understand this is to train in it for awhile and attempt max weights. It does give you protection and that's it's job. A benefit is moving more weight. It generally turns the bench and squat into partial lifts in my opinion, aside from learning the technique of course.

[Firehawk]

Wanted to add to my previous post, because I re-read Dan's post with the questions in them:

The internal pressure thing affecting my heart scares me all the time, it scares me when I am using equipment and when I'm not. Being honest, I definitely worry about it. But, I don't think this should be applied to the sport. I am a special case. Doctors say I am fine now, it's not like I have blood pressure problems or heart structural problems. But, I definitely worry anyway.

And, I'm offended by those slamming my gym. I train with some awesome guys who were all very concerned about me when I got injured, and when I went through my heart surgery. So, if you want to slam me then slam me, but don't say sh*t about my gym.

[F_Mac]

Being someone who has been very lucky thus far with respect to lifting injuries I can't really comment on how much pain something like this would cause someone. I also can't comment on how much dedication it takes to come back from a severe injury knowing you were once much stronger, as I have never really had to do this.

What I will say is that injuries and lifting heavy go hand in hand. Luke, Dan, you guys are not immune, neither am I, we just haven't had our turn yet. Dave is doing something that he loves, powerlifting, this involves moving very heavy weights and training "equipped" because, like anyone with a competitive edge, he want's to do his best, put up the most weight, and maybe even win.

Injuries happen, sometimes there's just no way to avoid them, sometimes they come from being a little too enthusiastic, or a little to tired or unfocused, but they are part of the game. Slamming a guy for doing what he loves and enjoys because he got injured is extremely petty and not at all in the spirit of this board, which last time I checked, was to help and encourage others.

Sure, he's taking risks, all of us do when we pick up a weight, go for a run, or engage in any other physically demanding action. But all (well, at least most) of us do it because we enjoy it. I think dave is more aware than any of us as to the risks associated with what he is doing, but it's what he loves to do so let him.

Or perhaps we shoud all stay safe and stick with things like swinging sledgehammers and dropping pumpkins on each other from ladders.........no risks there right?