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Thread: Short term training suggestions for lumbar reinjury

  1. #1
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    May 2020
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    Default Short term training suggestions for lumbar reinjury

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    Although I have been lifting almost 50 years, until last Friday I don't believe I ever had serious lower back pain either during or following lifting. If it wasn't for a lumbar compression fracture when I was in my 20's, I would probably just train through it, as I stupidly did after I felt intense pain about half way though Friday's deadlift workout.

    I am normally fairly flexible, but for the last couple of days I could barely touch my knees without bending my legs. I also can't sit for more than brief periods without significant pain. On Saturday, my back felt better after a Stairmaster workout and a subsequent long nap. My gym has a a HydroMassage unit which helped reduce tightness and pain significantly.

    Whenever I have been injured, I have always just modified my training just enough to complete a decent workout. On Friday, I couldn't squat normally without significant pain. Rather than give up, I tried back squats with a more vertical back angle which allowed my to complete my workout. Today, I took a deload upper body day with my belt as low on my hips as I could get it. Having some lower back support made the workout tolerable.

    I know I should let my back recover, but I hate skipping training. In order to limit bending at the waist, I am considering light front squats and sumo deadlifts later this week. Would I be better off if I took a short break?

  2. #2
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    Aug 2010
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    Wichita Falls, Texas
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    Quote Originally Posted by Logan1 View Post
    Although I have been lifting almost 50 years, until last Friday I don't believe I ever had serious lower back pain either during or following lifting. If it wasn't for a lumbar compression fracture when I was in my 20's, I would probably just train through it, as I stupidly did after I felt intense pain about half way though Friday's deadlift workout.

    I am normally fairly flexible, but for the last couple of days I could barely touch my knees without bending my legs. I also can't sit for more than brief periods without significant pain. On Saturday, my back felt better after a Stairmaster workout and a subsequent long nap. My gym has a a HydroMassage unit which helped reduce tightness and pain significantly.

    Whenever I have been injured, I have always just modified my training just enough to complete a decent workout. On Friday, I couldn't squat normally without significant pain. Rather than give up, I tried back squats with a more vertical back angle which allowed my to complete my workout. Today, I took a deload upper body day with my belt as low on my hips as I could get it. Having some lower back support made the workout tolerable.

    I know I should let my back recover, but I hate skipping training.The older one becomes, the more sinister skipping training becomes. There are certainly reasons to skip training, but, I am of the opinion that if you can modify the training to be able to tolerate it, you almost have a responsibility to yourself to get back in the gym. In order to limit bending at the waist, I am considering light front squats and sumo deadlifts later this week. Would I be better off if I took a short break?Succinctly......probably not.
    As above

  3. #3
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    May 2020
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    Thank you very much! Although I had planned to squat tomorrow and sumo deadlift on Friday, I was concerned that I would make things worse. I have been fairly creative about working around injuries over the years.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
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    4

    Lightbulb Form check?

    Quote Originally Posted by Logan1 View Post
    I know I should let my back recover ... Would I be better off if I took a short break?
    My short answer: No.

    Here is the long one - and a suggestion:
    - Take the opportunity to make a thorough examination of your deadlift form.

    The fact that you’ve been lifting for 50 years doesn’t mean that you’ve been lifting right for 50 years. And even of you have, you might have made small alterations during the past 5 years which effects are starting to show. Creeping deuteriation of form is probably something you can adhere to after five decades in weight-rooms.

    I’ve been strength-training on and off for 25 years. I injured my back during a squat session in December 2020 which prompted me to examine my technique (and also bought that blue book everyone keeps yapping about).
    It turns out that I’ve been setting my back the wrong way for as far back as I can remember. This probably is the explanation of why I’ve had a slight pain every day after deadlifting - for just as long.

    Just to be clear, I have watched all videos, listened to all podcasts and read lots and lots on this site as well as a lot of other sources. But it was first when I read the book my problem became apparent, albeit that I have had it in the back of my head for a while. So, for those of you like me, who are fans of Starting Strength - as someone on a pod might have put it once or twice - ”Read the f****ng the book!”

    I am apparently one of these people with poor awareness of which state their lumbar spine is in. I’m actually pain-free after deadlifts for the first time in my life. Thank you Rippetoe!

    I’m not good at staying on topic.

    The day after the injury I couldn’t put on my socks while standing up, but I went to the gym to deadlift. I lifted at 50% and it went better than expected. Squats the day after that at 70%. Working on my form since then and increasing the weight each workout. I have the growing feeling that this correction of my squat will blow the roof of my nagging (and previously painful) deadlift plateau.

    I’ll try stop talking about myself and get back to topic - I have an uncle who is a doctor, and he claims that a vast majority of permanent symptoms of pain from car-crashes and such are because many doctors advice against movement after the injury. I’m usually remembering that claim to keep myself out of being a p***y at any slight discomfort in the gym.

    Train what you can, as soon as you can, to let the body heal itself. If it’s really painful to repeat a movement I try to do something as close to it as I can imagine – just as you did with the high-bar squats. Were I you, I would try some kind of slow (to be able to back off if the pain is increasing as you go down) variation of deadlifts to get the blood flowing in the injured area.

  5. #5
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    May 2020
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    Quote Originally Posted by eriwin View Post
    My short answer: No.

    Here is the long one - and a suggestion:
    - Take the opportunity to make a thorough examination of your deadlift form.

    The fact that you’ve been lifting for 50 years doesn’t mean that you’ve been lifting right for 50 years. And even of you have, you might have made small alterations during the past 5 years which effects are starting to show. Creeping deuteriation of form is probably something you can adhere to after five decades in weight-rooms.

    I’ve been strength-training on and off for 25 years. I injured my back during a squat session in December 2020 which prompted me to examine my technique (and also bought that blue book everyone keeps yapping about).
    It turns out that I’ve been setting my back the wrong way for as far back as I can remember. This probably is the explanation of why I’ve had a slight pain every day after deadlifting - for just as long.

    Just to be clear, I have watched all videos, listened to all podcasts and read lots and lots on this site as well as a lot of other sources. But it was first when I read the book my problem became apparent, albeit that I have had it in the back of my head for a while. So, for those of you like me, who are fans of Starting Strength - as someone on a pod might have put it once or twice - ”Read the f****ng the book!”

    I am apparently one of these people with poor awareness of which state their lumbar spine is in. I’m actually pain-free after deadlifts for the first time in my life. Thank you Rippetoe!

    I’m not good at staying on topic.

    The day after the injury I couldn’t put on my socks while standing up, but I went to the gym to deadlift. I lifted at 50% and it went better than expected. Squats the day after that at 70%. Working on my form since then and increasing the weight each workout. I have the growing feeling that this correction of my squat will blow the roof of my nagging (and previously painful) deadlift plateau.

    I’ll try stop talking about myself and get back to topic - I have an uncle who is a doctor, and he claims that a vast majority of permanent symptoms of pain from car-crashes and such are because many doctors advice against movement after the injury. I’m usually remembering that claim to keep myself out of being a p***y at any slight discomfort in the gym.

    Train what you can, as soon as you can, to let the body heal itself. If it’s really painful to repeat a movement I try to do something as close to it as I can imagine – just as you did with the high-bar squats. Were I you, I would try some kind of slow (to be able to back off if the pain is increasing as you go down) variation of deadlifts to get the blood flowing in the injured area.
    eriwin, I appreciate all of your suggestions. Like you, my approach to injuries has always been to find the best approximation of my normal routine and train through the pain. This time, my lumbar region felt the way I would imagine it would feel if someone was tightening a vise around it. The only other time I have ever experienced that sensation was after the earlier injury which is, which is why I was concerned. I can handle short periods of acute pain, but I don't want to do anything that will affect my long term training.

    I was recovering from being very ill (Didn't get tested for Covid) and the first of my five deadlift singles was a PR. Although my form is generally good, between feeling awful and pulling heavy in a very cold garage, I wouldn't be surprised if bad technique and poor judgement were the culprits.

    Since the tightness and pain is subsiding, I am more comfortable than I was initially. I was able to squat 3x5 @ 65-70% of my 1 RM yesterday. I will try a deadlift variation on Friday.

  6. #6
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    May 2020
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    Since I find it rude when people ask for advice and never come back, I wanted to follow up with how the first week went. Today, after a couple of lights sets of squats, I did 3x5x315 conventional deadlifts with a very short rest between sets. Other than when the collars on one side of the bar loosened mid-set, it felt almost like any other light day. The only thing I did differently, was to wear my belt a bit lower than normal and I wore it for all of my warmups. Although I don't feel ready for heavy (for me) singles, I should be fine with sets of 3 and 5. Thank you both for the advice.

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