He has since had his medical bills covered by fans
Footage has emerged of a bodybuilder suffering a gruesome pec tear injury during a training session with one of the world’s strongest men, Larry Wheels.
Ryan ‘Big Rig’ Crowley is a 23-year-old bodybuilder who had been training out in Dubai; one of the few places on Earth where gyms remained open during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dubai has long been home to Larry Wheels, a competitive powerlifter and bodybuilder.
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It was during a routine chest session with Wheels that Crowley suffered a horrific pec tear injury that will put him out of action for months.
The two were maxing out on the incline bench press, with Wheels first making 180kg look like baby weights.
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The duo then upped the ante to 220kg, which is when Crowley was injured.
WARNING: Footage of the accident is included below, but beware, it is very graphic.
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Crowley was lucky that Wheels and fellow training partner Charlie Johnson were close by, otherwise a pec tear could have been the least of his worries.
Writing after the accident, the 23-year-old said:
“Cannot believe it happened, completely tore my pec tendon off the bone, I will be having surgery today at 5pm, praying that it gets its shape back and doesn’t ruin the rest of my career in bodybuilding before it’s even started!”
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At the time of the incident three days ago, Wheels put out a plea for fans to help Crowley cover his extensive medical bills.
They duly obliged. Fans raised over $38,000 through a gofundme page set up by Wheels.
Showing his gratitude for the support, Crowley wrote:
“Huge thank you to everyone for the messages and the support, it truly means the world! If you know me you know this has hit me extremely hard, and struggling to deal with it, but let’s get through it and come out the other side stronger!”
In terms of the lessons that can be learned from this, it’s important to leave your ego at the door when entering the gym – despite how tempting it is to constantly aim for a new one rep max.
Crowley is now continuing his recovery in hospital in Dubai.
According to Muscle & Strength‘s guide to the incline bench press, you should prioritise “Technique first, weight second – no one cares how much you bench if you get injured.”
When setting up on the bench, take a shoulder-width grip and retract your shoulder blades back to remain stable.
Control the weight, keeping repetitions slow and steady. Ensure you have a spotter watching you all the way.
It helps if your spotter is one of the strongest men on the planet.
