Odd injury

[MazdaMatt]

I was deadlifting on Monday evening. 265lbs, which for me is "pretty heavy". I finished a set of 5 with relative ease (first time I've ever used chalk, wow) and then ten minutes later i wanted to do another set of 5 (I'm dealing with a shoulder injury that isn't letting me get much other lifting in, so extra deadlifts was the plan).

The first three reps went up easy again. The fourth rep had the same bar speed, but all of a sudden there was a *pop* in my abdomen as I was reaching knee extension and transitioning into hip extension.

The pop, and the pain to follow, seem to be located on the bottom edge of my ribs. Just sitting here there is no pain. However, if i breath deep or poke the spot it hurts. It feels like I took a punch in the rib.

The pain is located along the bottom edge of my rib (like i need to suck in and puff up my chest and try to tuck my fingers under the edge of my ribs) about 3 inches down/left from my sternum.

What the hell did I do to myself? My form was definitely spot-on with excelent back extension, shoulders over the bar, bar against my shins, vertical bar path over my mid-foot, neutral head position...

[fnet]

I recall something similar happening to me a while back. I'll have to flip through my log book when I get home. I remember being alarmed at the time and I stopped. I don't think the pain lasted long enough to put me out of commission for any length of time. Again, I'll post if I find something in my log book.

[MazdaMatt]

It hurts the same today as it did on Monday... I think that deadlifting tomorrow may be out.

I just noticed that if i poke straight inward just below the sore ribs there is a feeling that is indescernable between a muffled crunching or a bubbling. I can't really explain it.

[MazdaMatt]

Nobody has any explaination of this? I have no idea what I"ve done to myself... i don't know if my ribs or abs are hurt or what, but it feels the same today as it did on Monday.

[fnet]

Sorry Mazda, looking through my log book didn't help. I just saw that I heard something pop, had some pain in my abdomen and quit. I guess I was all better by next workout. Not as serious as your injury. I did, however, do a quick google search and BB.com, Stronglifts and T-nation all had threads on the subject, so you're not alone. I'm not sure how much stock you want to put in any of the answers you find on any of those sites.

[MazdaMatt]

Thanks for looking. I've found people in other forums withsimilar issues, but nothing seemed to click "ah, that's it".

I'll just do what I can while it is still acting up and if it isn't better in a week i'll see a doc... I'm starting to put together a list for a doc... knee clicks, shoulder fucked from bench and now abs from deadlifts...

[Tiburon]

This has happened to me a couple of times before. Same spot as yours. Once it went away in a week and I didn't miss any DL workouts. The other time I think I missed 1 DL workout.

[MazdaMatt]

Did you find that you could do anything you wanted except for pull from the floor? I'm okay to do situps, but it acts up when i try to do a 135lb powerclean. On a slow pull of 135 i can feel it, but no pain.

[Tiburon]

I don't recall whether it bothered my cleans or not. Everything else was fine.

[liftandfight]

I've had exactly the same thing. It's really uncomfortable.
But I can't remember a pop... I just felt it after a workout.

I've still got it and I've not missed a single workout yet. It's a very distracting type of pain but I don't think it's anything serious - just painful.
Thats what I think - what you have sounds very similar. But pain intensity may differ a bit.

I choose to train through it, I guess you should just listen to your body and make a decision.

I'm not sure how I got it exactly but it was probably from a punch/kick or from one workout where I used a belt that dug into my ribcage real bad during squats (the belt was brand new and very hard/stiff)

[MazdaMatt]

Update - I can't deadlift or clean. Pulling from the floor with any intensity is painful as hell. It feels like I'm going to rip something off.

I CAN squat and completed 3x5@205 (i'm working up from a deload, yeah its low, fuck you). I could "feel" it during squats, but it didn't feel like i was going to drop a rib on the floor like deadlifting.