Inner-Chest Pain

Hey guys,

I'm suffering from some strange inner-chest pain (see picture above). It is somewhat hard to locate, but it feels like something is wrong with the connection between the chest-muscle and the sternum (mainly lower chest).

From what I've tried it mostly/only occurs when I'm pressing downward with straigth arms like in Ring-Support Holds.

Pressing with a closed chest is really painful. Keeping the chest up during Support-Holds is ok but going from closed chest to open chest hurts a lot! It is the same thing with going from BL-tuck (closed chest) to BL-adv. tuck (open chest)...

I quitted doing supports a few months ago when the pain showed up for the first time.

Here's a list of what hurts and what doesn't

- PPP (-)

- Adv. Frog (-)

- front Support on Rings (-)

- Dips (only endposition=Support) (+)

- Ring Support (+)

- BL-tuck (not exactly sure)

- going from BL-tuck to inverted hang (Back Pull - half, BtGB page 146) (+)

I'm going to see a doctor next week but maybe he can help me better if you guys have any ideas what might be the problem.

Any help or just thoughts would be much appreciated!

stretching doesn't hurt either.

When it hurts, the pain is not permanently, only during exercise and muscle contraction..

This is common in gymnastics training and ring training. No need for a doctor. Simply scale back the progression. Too much load.

On rings, basically because they are unstable and there is load they are pulling that are apart.

This is common when getting back to ring training from an absence or beginning it or weakness in general.

Thanks for your answer Blairbob!

This is common when getting back to ring training from an absence or beginning it or weakness in general.

Now that you mention it, it makes sense. I did support holds on very long straps (about 20 feet or longer). That might have been to hard. And I did BL-holds with one leg straight too early.

What's the best way to come over this? I guess I shouldn't abandon BL and support completely.

I think I'll be working

1) BL in tuck again, steady state but maybe 30 sec of total work and

2) supports in the easiest variation on short straps only once or twice a week.

3) So is this some kind of tendinitis? Then heat might be beneficial, right?