Pain in right flank around bottom of ribs while deadlifting

[aweight]

I get a pain in the right side of my mid-back while deadlifting even half my 5RM weight. It doesn’t really come in the way of squats but I can mildly feel the pain just after the sticking point. Doesn’t come in the way of bench and overhead press either though I can sort of mildly feel the pain in some positions.

About 8 weeks back I injured my rib cartilage and it would hurt around my right pec region especially while doing things like crunches. That has since healed but I’ve had the pain moving around from there to my scapular region now to a bit lower down back around lats or serratus. I’m also able to reproduce the pain by bending to my left and trying to lift something heavy with my left hand while using the tensed right flank as leverage.

Any tips on what I injured and how to speed up recovery?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Numbers?

[aweight]

6’1” in my forties, beginner about 6 months in and had ramped up to a deadlift 5RM of 245 lbs and squat 5RM of 182.5 lbs; body weight increased from ~142 to 150 lbs (current) during this time with seemingly mostly muscle mass increase. This injury streak is my first long one since I started with most previous niggles resolving over the weekend or with a week of reduced weights.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You are 6'1" and 150 pounds. Correct?

[aweight]

Correct.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Being clinically underweight has some serious drawbacks.

[aweight]

Thanks for your response. My understanding was that my current BMI of 20 is now comfortably above the 18.5 boundary for clinical underweightness, but I take it your advice is that my low weight is responsible for my injury.

May I ask how so many people work their way up to 2.5x to 3x body weight lifts even at lighter body weights? My lifts are much more modest at around or barely 1.5x. Is there a minimum BMI or muscle mass you recommend to be at all lifting the weights I’m lifting?

[Mark Rippetoe]

BMI does not apply to a trained population.

[aweight]

My body fat is around 14% based on a DEXA not too long back. Are you saying I’m underweight for the weights I’m lifting or “clinically underweight” from a medical standpoint? I did read that your advice is that “fully grown men must be at least be 200 lbs”, but am hoping there is room for those of us with more modest strength goals than that weight suggests to benefit from your advice.

[dalan]

May I ask how so many people work their way up to 2.5x to 3x body weight lifts even at lighter body weights?

Those people are 5'1", not 6'1".