Reply With QuoteWhat specifically did you do?
✓ Member
Reprogramming for an injury
Hello.
I recently f***ed my lower back up while deadlifting, and I've been limited in my workouts for over a week now.
Up until this point I was running this HLM-based program.
But I can't squat, deadlift or RDL heavy because of the injury.
Should I reprogram to add volume in the upper body lifts and see if I can make progress while my back recovers?
Or should I just continue the program, but just don't do squats and deadlifts (heavy at least)- and at the same time roll back the calories a bit to maintain?
Thanks!
Starting Strength Coach
What specifically did you do?
✓ Member
I tried to progress on deadlifts, and I think I had some flexion in my lower back while trying to lift the weight.Originally Posted by Dujin
The pain wasnt immediate, but came the next day. It is situated here, and it only really hurts when I try to squeeze my chest up in the deadlift or when I hit parallel in the squat.
Member
When I've done that, I just cut the weight to something I could handle without extreme pain, and progressed back to the working weights. Usually doesn't take long. Do you video your lifts to check form? Since I've been doing that regularly, I haven't had even a minor injury in over a year, despite doing 1RM tests every couple of months.
✓ Member
Then our injuries are not similar - I can only squat 135lbs and DL 225 relatively pain-free as of now, but I think I should just stop doing those movements for now.
No I stopped videoing myself due to switching gyms, but it seems I should begin to do it again.
Member
IME, that weight sounds about right. I cut back to an empty bar once when I tweaked my back, but was back up to working weight in about 3 weeks, IIRC. Reduce weight to what you can handle with some discomfort but not extreme pain, and add a little weight each session, as long as it doesn't make the injury worse. Worst thing you can do, IMHO as an old lifter but a non-doctor, is to quit doing the movements. I realize pain means different things to different people. At my age, I don't pay a lot of attention to it, and basically ignore stuff that would have had me rolling on the floor in agony when I was 17. It's pretty relative to one's experience and attitude. Work with what you've got.
If you stop, you'll just have to do the process later on, and you'll lose even more time.
Do video and critique every work set between sets, and video at least a couple of your warmups each session. Form tends to creep on you very subtly, and this can lead to injury.
Member
If you are still in acute pain, i.e. it hurts just trying to get out of chairs and whatnot, it is probably best to give it a little while off at least until it subsides a bit. If you have any physique aspirations now is a great time to start throwing in some volume for that, or if you have any lifts you want to get good at (for example, chin-ups) now is the time to put a little extra focus in on them.
I would return to squatting and deadlifting for some light work as soon as comfortably manageable and slowly progress from there, no point injuring your back again or making it even worse than before. slightly higher reps may be useful to provide some reasonable stimulus to your legs whilst being much a lighter load on the back, you could also try leg pressing to maintain some strength if that doesn't irritate your back.
Member
This sounds like a muscle injury, which means the bolded is the worst thing you can do. Look up starr protocol, etc. I fucked up my low back and got back to prior working weights in about a month, and I missed a lot of work I could have done to rehab faster. CMG's Log
ETA: not a doctor etc, if it's not muscle you should probably see one.
✓ Member
Yes, I have trouble putting on my damn socks in the morning, but the pain subsides slightly later in the day.
Oh okay, so I can alter the program to throw in some volume for my upper body (variations of the movement, more sets/reps) in order to work on my physique even though the injury might go away in a couple of weeks? Would it be worthwhile?
Higher reps with lighter weights seems to be a good idea, yeah.
I can't see the bolded text, but I assume you refer to not doing the movements. I might do some light movements, I'm just afraid of setting myself back, but I guess that's a natural fear. I'll take a look at the Starr Protocol, thanks!
Hah, I see you have also been wondering if Wolf's blog (or Instagram) is contagious... It seems I'm having the same symptoms as he had when he tweaked his back.
Member
Yeah, it at least gives you something to train hard and may help take the mind off some of the negativity that often surrounds injury. If the injury gets better in a couple of weeks great, you are all better and can resume normal training.
The results will most likely not be significant after a couple of weeks of harder training, but it is at least something more than it usually would be in a two week period. However, if the injury bugs you for the next month, or so, it gives you a great opportunity to focus on some other things and you won't end up wasting the time, which you would if you did nothing extra.
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