I had to roll a loaded barbell across my chest and . . .

[MidniteRambo]

I couldn't get my last rep up on some heavy benches.  I work out alone so the only thing I could do was roll the bar across my chest.  No bruising but now when I do pullups or anything that tends to stretch the ribcage, including preacher curls, significant pain right under the right pectoral.  It's been three days.

Any thought, advice?  Cracked rib seems unlikely because I'm not in constant pain . . . some kind of separation?

[pumpster]

Wait 7-10 days then see a doc if it's still there. It's probably just bruised tissue that takes a while to heal; 3 days is nothing.

In future get a rack, a bench with a rack, use dumbbells, a machine or get a spotter for a minute, so that you can continue to push to failure without something like this. Someone training alone can't ignore this and still train with intensity it'll happen again if training hard.

Not as good: use the same method but either pre-exhaust with flys so that less weight's used, or put a folded towel down to cushion the chest.

[AVBG]

I couldn't get my last rep up on some heavy benches.  I work out alone so the only thing I could do was roll the bar across my chest.  No bruising but now when I do pullups or anything that tends to stretch the ribcage, including preacher curls, significant pain right under the right pectoral.  It's been three days.

Any thought, advice?  Cracked rib seems unlikely because I'm not in constant pain . . . some kind of separation?

Arghh.. that brings back memories, same thing happened to me a few years back..

I'd say its bruising, if its an acute/sharp pain see a doc straight away..

I changed my training so this wouldn't happen again lowered the weight and go for max contractions on each rep ala Milos Sarcev.. Now for the heavy work I use dumbells (easier to escape)

[The Squadfather]

never ever use collars on the bar when you bench alone, if you get stuck again just drop the weights off one end of the bar and let the other side go flying, sounds stupid but it's better than rolling a bar down your stomach and over your dick and balls.

[climber]

never ever use collars on the bar when you bench alone, if you get stuck again just drop the weights off one end of the bar and let the other side go flying, sounds stupid but it's better than rolling a bar down your stomach and over your dick and balls.

yeah that can be quite sore. I've had to do that a few times. take sqaddies advice.

[pumpster]

never ever use collars on the bar when you bench alone, if you get stuck again just drop the weights off one end of the bar and let the other side go flying, sounds stupid but it's better than rolling a bar down your stomach and over your dick and balls.

Just my opinion, that leaving the collars on and tilting the bar to one side or the other until the bar falls to one side is probably safer. Without the collars, once the plates start sliding off it's unpredictable and dangerous.

[AVBG]

never ever use collars on the bar when you bench alone, if you get stuck again just drop the weights off one end of the bar and let the other side go flying, sounds stupid but it's better than rolling a bar down your stomach and over your dick and balls.

that's good advice.

[MidniteRambo]

Thanks for all of your replies, it sounds like others have had similar experiences and have taken steps to safeguard against it.  I will wait 7-10 days to see how the injury responds and in the future take steps, suggested above, to avoid a repeat incident.