ironheadPL
01-06-2010, 10:55 AM
Submitted by Sabre on January 5, 2010 - 8:02pm. » quote
Folks,
I've gotten a lot of email following this PLW post questioning how I was able to go from a 468 meet bench to a 505 gym bench in 30 days. The answer is simple - it was finally time to get the monkey off my back. I had a 485 gym bench for a while but was hindered by the aftermath of a bench accident and the ensuing monkey that was on my back. Christmas 09 was simply time to start a new phase of my lifting.
The longer answer is the story that follows. And this story is a lesson to all junior lifters out there - read on. The moral of this story is stupidity can kill you.
On March 16th, 2009 I almost died when I had a bench shirt accident where I dropped 500 on my face. I spent 7 hours in the trauma ward of a hospital that I can't even remember as they tried to put my face skull and jaw back together. The story is as follows:
• It was one week before USAPL Master's Nationals and I was trying to decide which of two bench shirts I was going to use. This was my first assisted meet since giving up on assisted lifting over a year prior. Thus, I was still dialing in my gear one week before the meet. Mistake #1.
• The first shirt was air with 500 but heavy with 550. So I switched to a shirt that I had done 550 easy the last time I wore it. I rushed to get the shirt on. Mistake #2.
• Because I was going back down to 500 after attempting 550 in my first shirt, I had the side spotters relax a few feet away from the bench and had just one spotter at the head of the bench who was inexperienced with heavy benches. BIG MISTAKE #3.
• I got the hand off and tried to get the bar down. It stopped a good two inches above my chest. When I tried to press, the bar cantilevered towards my head and fell right into my mouth. It tore off my lower lip, tore the tops off of four incisors, ripped out 5 molars and fractured my upper jaw/lower skull. The doctors in the trauma ward said that if the bar had fallen one inch higher or lower that I'd be dead. It all happened in super slow motion for me as I literally felt each molar being crushed and it stretching the sides of my mouth as it continued its downward movement. The spotters grabbed it as the bar reached the back of my throat.
• I have spent about 15 grand so far having my face fixed and teeth replaced and I'm only about 1/3 the way through. Insurance is going to cover roughly half of the costs and the rest I must submit to appeal after paying out of pocket. I wasn't handsome by any means before the accident and the accident didn't help any. My lower lip is still heavily scarred and almost completely numb. I had to relearn how to talk. For example, saying the letter ‘F’ is nearly impossible for me since my mouth no longer works the correct way.
• I had nightmares for months reliving the accident. Sleep was a very precious thing that avoided me for a very long time.
• So, on Christmas of 2009, I simply felt it time to get this monkey off my back and go for 500 again on the bench - but this time RAW. I was tired of being scared to do something that I knew I could do. I was comfortable in my rack and simply went for it at the peak of my 6 weak training cycle.
So the summary of this story for all you young kids out there just starting out - act stupidly and this sport can kill you - and I mean it.
- Don't think that you are indestructible - because you aren't.
- Don't ever take any lift for granted because you never know what can go wrong - equipment can fail, your body can fail, your spotters can fail.
- Don't attempt something that you are not ready for. Just because there are 1,000 lb benchers out there, doesn't mean that you will ever be one.
However, if you can train smartly, listen to your mentors, follow advice, keep an open mind, and set obtainable goals, anything is possible.
- Sabre
Folks,
I've gotten a lot of email following this PLW post questioning how I was able to go from a 468 meet bench to a 505 gym bench in 30 days. The answer is simple - it was finally time to get the monkey off my back. I had a 485 gym bench for a while but was hindered by the aftermath of a bench accident and the ensuing monkey that was on my back. Christmas 09 was simply time to start a new phase of my lifting.
The longer answer is the story that follows. And this story is a lesson to all junior lifters out there - read on. The moral of this story is stupidity can kill you.
On March 16th, 2009 I almost died when I had a bench shirt accident where I dropped 500 on my face. I spent 7 hours in the trauma ward of a hospital that I can't even remember as they tried to put my face skull and jaw back together. The story is as follows:
• It was one week before USAPL Master's Nationals and I was trying to decide which of two bench shirts I was going to use. This was my first assisted meet since giving up on assisted lifting over a year prior. Thus, I was still dialing in my gear one week before the meet. Mistake #1.
• The first shirt was air with 500 but heavy with 550. So I switched to a shirt that I had done 550 easy the last time I wore it. I rushed to get the shirt on. Mistake #2.
• Because I was going back down to 500 after attempting 550 in my first shirt, I had the side spotters relax a few feet away from the bench and had just one spotter at the head of the bench who was inexperienced with heavy benches. BIG MISTAKE #3.
• I got the hand off and tried to get the bar down. It stopped a good two inches above my chest. When I tried to press, the bar cantilevered towards my head and fell right into my mouth. It tore off my lower lip, tore the tops off of four incisors, ripped out 5 molars and fractured my upper jaw/lower skull. The doctors in the trauma ward said that if the bar had fallen one inch higher or lower that I'd be dead. It all happened in super slow motion for me as I literally felt each molar being crushed and it stretching the sides of my mouth as it continued its downward movement. The spotters grabbed it as the bar reached the back of my throat.
• I have spent about 15 grand so far having my face fixed and teeth replaced and I'm only about 1/3 the way through. Insurance is going to cover roughly half of the costs and the rest I must submit to appeal after paying out of pocket. I wasn't handsome by any means before the accident and the accident didn't help any. My lower lip is still heavily scarred and almost completely numb. I had to relearn how to talk. For example, saying the letter ‘F’ is nearly impossible for me since my mouth no longer works the correct way.
• I had nightmares for months reliving the accident. Sleep was a very precious thing that avoided me for a very long time.
• So, on Christmas of 2009, I simply felt it time to get this monkey off my back and go for 500 again on the bench - but this time RAW. I was tired of being scared to do something that I knew I could do. I was comfortable in my rack and simply went for it at the peak of my 6 weak training cycle.
So the summary of this story for all you young kids out there just starting out - act stupidly and this sport can kill you - and I mean it.
- Don't think that you are indestructible - because you aren't.
- Don't ever take any lift for granted because you never know what can go wrong - equipment can fail, your body can fail, your spotters can fail.
- Don't attempt something that you are not ready for. Just because there are 1,000 lb benchers out there, doesn't mean that you will ever be one.
However, if you can train smartly, listen to your mentors, follow advice, keep an open mind, and set obtainable goals, anything is possible.
- Sabre