starting strength gym
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Hip popped - rest or rehab?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Oakland and Los Angeles
    Posts
    1,160

    Default Hip popped - rest or rehab?

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Hello coaches, it's me again--the perpetually injured trainee.

    On December 31, I was squatting and felt a pop in my hip about an inch or two out of the hole. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, and my warmups and everything leading up to that felt perfectly fine. It was painful enough that I couldn't squat any higher than my sticking point, so I set the bar down on the safeties and stopped squatting for the rest of the day.

    For the rest of the day and the following days, the pain wasn't excruciating--it was maybe a 6/10. So I figured that 3 days later I might be able to squat again. I started warming up with the bar, then 95 pounds, then I stopped. The pain was very bothersome as I would approach depth, and it would hurt even more coming out of the hole.

    I took ibuprofen at 2400mg/day for a few days while I took a break from squatting, and that didn't seem to do anything for me. The pain hasn't gotten any worse, but it also hasn't gotten any better--it's been exactly the same since the injury.

    I was able to palpate and pinpoint the area where it hurt just below my ASIS--I'd feel the big tendon there and it hurt. But now the pain is no longer there and seems to be only where I would imagine the top of my rectus femoris is, about 3 inches or so below where it hurt the most to start. The pain is exacerbated by squatting to depth with weight on my back (I can squat without weight and it's nearly painless), or by extending my hip by squeezing my glutes as I'm standing. The pain can best be described as a very hurtful stretch when I extend at the top, or someone grabbing and squeezing my muscle really hard when I'm at the bottom.

    Does this sound like a muscle strain that would be helped by something like the Starr rehab protocol? Should I start squatting really light even if it's painful? Or does it sound like something that needs more time to rest?

    I greatly appreciate your time.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Atlanta area
    Posts
    4,909

    Default

    No surety on what it is. Yes, it sounds like a strain. Or it could be something else (like a small avulsion or a tear). No real way to tell, but if you haven't noticed any blood deposition, probably not a tear. I've certainly had strains in which all I felt was a pop.

    It's been, what, 10 days since? If a strain, it should have started feeling better already. Rule of thumb is that if the pain is manageable, and it gets better as you train, then you can train. Starr is built on this premise. Your mileage, however, may vary. If pain gets worse, or stays the same, you stop and give a soulless of more days for things to settle down.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Oakland and Los Angeles
    Posts
    1,160

    Default

    Thanks, Steve. I think it's just a really bad strain, as you said, since I can't think of anything else it could be. I squatted the bar and up to 65 pounds yesterday for sets of 10 and I'd say the pain was at around a 7/10, occasionally an 8/10.

    It didn't feel worse when I woke up, but it didn't feel much better, either. I'm going to continue on with the Starr rehab protocol and report back in case anyone reading is interested.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Atlanta area
    Posts
    4,909

    Default

    IIRC, Starr rehab starts with sets of 25, even for squats.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Oakland and Los Angeles
    Posts
    1,160

    Default

    Got it. I'll try to make it to 25. Doing 10 really hurt, but I still haven't figured out how much of a pussy I'm being in cases like these.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Atlanta area
    Posts
    4,909

    Default

    I will point out that you reported no pain with an unweighted squat. Use a light bar.
    Last edited by Steve Hill; 01-11-2017 at 10:11 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Oakland and Los Angeles
    Posts
    1,160

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Hill View Post
    I will point out that you reported no pain with an unweighted squat. Use a light bar.
    I can definitely squat my bodyweight with no pain. I think it's because I can stay upright and keep a slightly more open hip angle. I can probably goblet squat with no pain for that reason.

    We do have the 33 pound bars at our gym, so I'll see if those are any better.

    Thanks again.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Posts
    54

    Default

    damn dude! i feel for ya. on the bright side, your bench press is where most novices squat upon finishing their novice LP!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Oakland and Los Angeles
    Posts
    1,160

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by laughter95 View Post
    damn dude! i feel for ya. on the bright side, your bench press is where most novices squat upon finishing their novice LP!
    Bench press is my least favorite lift! So much elbow and shoulder pain and resets the past 6 months. But you're right, I suppose I should take progress where I can get it. I'm hoping my hip will heal in time for the next Strengthlifting meet (and get my pathetic press to at least 205 pounds).

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Oakland and Los Angeles
    Posts
    1,160

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    I'm happy to report that, although still painful, my squats no longer have me grimacing and seething every time I hit depth and drive out of the hole. If I end up pausing at the bottom for some reason, it hurts more. I feel like it's progress because I'm no longer extra cautious getting in and out of my car, either.

    Once the pain is completely gone and I can start ramping up the weight, what's the best way to do that? Do ramping sets until I get to a moderate set of 5s? Should I let pain be my guide at that point? Or what if there is no pain?

    Thanks again.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •