muscle imbalance

[zorquif]

Hi,

This is a sort of injury, sort of advice kind of question, so I am using the 'template'...


- 31, Male, spent years dicking around in a gym, then found SS about 18 months ago.

- Sore lower back, on the right hand side. Doesn't feel like a disc, if that makes sense. The pain is probably only a 3 or so at the minute, but I don't want to fuck it up any more. I would say that it is an ache. It tends to feel better when I have been walking, but bending over definitely makes it worse. Originally, it was sore to the touch, but now it is just an ache.

- I was doing SS and was up to about 250 on the squats about a year ago, and I pulled something in my back. Low down (L4ish) on the right hand side. Tons of physio, rest, MRI showed a slightly bulging but not slipped disc. Eventually told to get back to the gym. Complete deload, started SS again. Really concentrated on form, no buttwink (albeit only just hitting parallel). Bang - same strain, same place. I have taken 3 weeks out and it is still sore.

So I have asked a PT friend some advice, and he reckons there is a muscular imbalance (when doing prone leg extension on the left leg, there is a shift to my right hand side. Also, there is clearly more activation when I do a PLE on the right leg).

Incidentally, I screwed up my right leg pretty badly in the past (dislocated ankle, broken fibula, ruptured ankle ligaments...)

Basically, I want your opinion on what I should do - a big deload concentrating on form again, or some exercises to sort out any imbalances (any advice on what I can do would be great), or something smarter?!

Thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

There is a difference in strength because of the back injury, you fool. Unless your squat was asymmetrical, your strength cannot be ASYMMETRICAL.

[zorquif]

Haha, fair point. I suppose I have another question then - what do you think might be causing this exact same injury to happen twice, at very similar weights?

Thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

You don't know how to squat correctly.

[zorquif]

Thanks Rip. Whilst i am looking up a decent strength coach, is there a top candidate as to what I am doing wrong to pull a muscle on one side of my lower back? I have to admit, the second time I did it whilst doing front squats (I know, I DNDTFP). Is it more likely to be squats than deadlifts? I only mentioned what weight I was squatting as an indication as to where in the program I was. In both cases, I didn't really feel it until the day after...

[kessg]

Suggestion to the OP: film your squat from the back to see if your squat is asymmetrical (you come up unevenly). If it is, it may be causing the back strain/pain.