starting strength gym
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Preventing groin tears

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    121

    Default Preventing groin tears

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    First off, thanks to threads like this for information on how to deal with this type of injury. I tore an adductor on Monday and did some very light squats today.

    On Monday, I did the first two of five squat sets with no discomfort. While resting before the third set, I felt some discomfort in the adductor in question, I'm guessing a mild strain. The third set went fine with no discomfort that I can recall. In the hole of what I think was rep four of the fourth set, I experienced a sensation similar to what was described in this article.

    My question is: What is the appropriate course of action when dealing with the sort of mild discomfort described above? I have experienced something similar several times, usually before training, and after a lengthy warmup I have always been able to complete the session as planned.

    Some stats:
    Age: 33
    Weight: 180-185ish
    Intensity day last Friday: 264x2x3
    Planned volume day on Monday: 222x5x5
    Post-lockdown LP ended at 242x5x3 about a month ago.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    120

    Default

    I had an adductor tear a few years ago and I used the Starr rehab with good success. I had some warning signs before the tear happened and towards the tail end of my recovery, my other adductor started acting up.

    Since then, I've had what felt like a few minor strains, but after a lot of experimentation with recovery & prevention, I've decided that the root cause is a muscle cramp. The reason I think this is because stretching the adductor produces quick recovery and prevents it from happening again. Since I've included adductor stretches in my pre-squat routine, I haven't experienced any other adductor pain.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    121

    Default

    How long would you say the recovery took you? I'm now nearing four weeks after the injury, and have just recently been able to squat the bar below parallel. Strength and ROM is improving a little bit each day.

    Minor correction to the first post: Intensity day was Saturday, not Friday. Not sure if that is relevant at all as I ate and slept well the following two days.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    120

    Default

    About a month & a half. It was a while longer before I got back to my original weight, but that's only because the *other* adductor started acting up as I was almost recovered.

    I would say that you shouldn't be using a weight where you weren't able to get full depth. Also, it helps to keep the toes pointed more forward for a while.

    I supplemented my recovery by using the adductor machine at the gym.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    121

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dust Devil View Post
    I would say that you shouldn't be using a weight where you weren't able to get full depth.
    That would have meant not squatting at all, even with assistance, for the first several weeks. I figured something is better than nothing.

    Deadlifts, interestingly, are still out. The pain comes on rather sharply when the bar gets much past the knee, so I've been avoiding those. How long until you added that back in?

    To Will and anyone else: How long after an apparent complete recovery is it sensible to add back the olympic lifts?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    120

    Default

    Looks like it took about 3 weeks before DL. I dropped the weight 20 pounds from previous and my notes say "8 reps. Should have done more, First time since squat injury"

    "I figured something is better than nothing."

    I'll leave it to the PTs to offer expert advice, but my understanding that it was important to get full range of movement to keep scar tissue from forming incorrectly. From what I've seen Rip say before, during the Starr rehab, the movements are expected to be uncomfortable, but not painful. I know that I started with the empty bar. My notes on day 4 say: "moving pain free, bruising seems to be fading, 3 x 25 x 45, doesn't hurt, but scared, at bottom...not sure getting below parallel"

    Note on day 9: "Most of the pain from everyday activities is gone. Bruising faded quite a bit, but
    flowed to below left knee"

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Posts
    1,208

    Default

    Hey gallon of cheese,

    Once you make an apparent full recovery I would just start back doing the Olympic lifts lightly. I would probably avoid split variations for a couple of weeks in the transition back and then test the waters back with lunges, or no bar drop splits, just to make sure you can tolerate the position.

    I think you are probably good to start deadlifting again lightly. I would see what happens to the pain over the course of a few light sets of 10.

    As a side note, I've had 2 moderate groin tears and one happened during a spit snatch on a platform that sand on it. The back leg went back a few inches further than planned. It took me about 5-6 weeks to get back to form but I took a very aggressive rehab approach.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    121

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Just wanted to say a belated Thank you to those who have commented. Training has been sporadic due to closed gyms and an unrelated personal lack of motivation, but I am hopeful to make a full recovery eventually.

Posting Permissions

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