Program Help, AC Joint/Low Back Problems

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

What would you do in my situation?

I was doing PPL, then switched to Upper/Lower. Problem is I have an AC joint injury (For a few months now, it’s been getting better… I can barbell bench…starts bothering me after like the 5th set), and now I fuarked up my lower back, it needs to rest.

I think it’s my SI joint in my back, but anyway… I really need to take some time off from deadlifts/squats. It’s getting better but always gets painful again after doing those compounds. So I can’t do my upper/lower right now.

My friend gave me an alternate workout but it’s filled with stuff like Scapular Wall Push, Yoga push ups, Band pull aparts, lying dumbell external rotations, kettlebell rdl’s, etc.

I think this is too extreme, I can still do some pressing so I just want to make sure I always give my AC joint adequete rest and still do a proper mass building workout, and in my spare time do all that rehab chit.

Can I do like a push/pull? Maybe Push Pull rest rest Push pull repeat ? I would just add leg press and some hamstring curls to one of the days, better than nothing. For my back I’d have to do T-Bar Rows, Machine Rows, cable rows, pullups, etc.

I can’t be doing anything that loads my back too much like barbell rows or deadlifts. My main priority is to gain as much mass as I can in these 3 months, then have another 3 months to cut for summer. I’d rather go do isolations and let my lower back rest but gain mass then take time off completely to recover for squats / deads atm.

This is coming from somebody whose favorite lifts are the big 4… bench/squats/deads/ohp… but the only one of the big 4 I can currently do is bench and even benching I have slight shoulder problems.

2

I think your friend gave you some good advice. You don’t have to make an entire workout out of those, but incorporate some wall slides, pull a parts, face pulls, etc… at the beginning of your workout for 10-15 mins and something between sets as well. It sucks to have to lay off certain lifts, but speaking from experience, if you don’t listen to your body - further damage will occur. Go light, use dumbbells and single leg work for a few weeks. You won’t lose as much as you think. Good luck.

3

[quote]Ampedlift wrote:
Problem is I have an AC joint injury (For a few months now, it’s been getting better… I can barbell bench…starts bothering me after like the 5th set), and now I fuarked up my lower back, it needs to rest.

I think it’s my SI joint in my back, but anyway… I really need to take some time off from deadlifts/squats. It’s getting better but always gets painful again after doing those compounds.
…
I just want to make sure I always give my AC joint adequete rest and still do a proper mass building workout, and in my spare time do all that rehab chit.[/quote]
At 19, you’re way too young to be getting injured. Shoulders and low back are the kind of things that, if you don’t address them and get them 100% healed, they’ll pop up over and over and screw with your training for a long, long time.

Also, just for reference, what’s your current strength like on the basic lifts? And what’s your current bodyweight?

Your priority should be to get healthy, otherwise you’re just building on a foundation of sand and it’ll crumble sooner rather than later.

That means you really can’t do any of the big 4. Tough. Life goes on and there are plenty of other ways to train. It sucks for you, but it is fixable if you’re not stupid about it.

4

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:

[quote]Ampedlift wrote:
Problem is I have an AC joint injury (For a few months now, it’s been getting better… I can barbell bench…starts bothering me after like the 5th set), and now I fuarked up my lower back, it needs to rest.

I think it’s my SI joint in my back, but anyway… I really need to take some time off from deadlifts/squats. It’s getting better but always gets painful again after doing those compounds.
…
I just want to make sure I always give my AC joint adequete rest and still do a proper mass building workout, and in my spare time do all that rehab chit.[/quote]
At 19, you’re way too young to be getting injured. Shoulders and low back are the kind of things that, if you don’t address them and get them 100% healed, they’ll pop up over and over and screw with your training for a long, long time.

Also, just for reference, what’s your current strength like on the basic lifts? And what’s your current bodyweight?

Your priority should be to get healthy, otherwise you’re just building on a foundation of sand and it’ll crumble sooner rather than later.

That means you really can’t do any of the big 4. Tough. Life goes on and there are plenty of other ways to train. It sucks for you, but it is fixable if you’re not stupid about it.[/quote]

Strength isn’t the greatest on main lifts, ive been lifting for 8 months now but haven’t increased my big lifts ever since my AC joint injury before summer. It was actually a pretty minor injury, but I took two months off of lifting right away and came back to it slow. Just now got back to my previous lifts

Squat: 225x5
DL: 315x5
Bench: 180x5

Right now I weigh 190lbs prolly 17% bodyfat

I agree with you, I want to make sure everything heals. I go to a physiotherapist once a week for my AC joint, he just does acupuncture and soft tissue work, helps a bit. My AC joint doesn’t bother me while standing around, doesn’t bother me when im lifting either, but I can “feel it” when I start getting into more sets of benching or overhead pressing.

I want to make sure I don’t put stress on my AC joint or lower back. My main priority is obviously to be healthy. So I was thinking of maybe doing a push/pull/off/push/pull/off type of split with light high rep work for everything. No barbell rows/ohp/deads/squats/barbell bench. I’ll have to do pull day using t-bar rows, cable rows, machine rows, pullups, etc.

I’d add leg press and hamstring curls to my push days I guess. Better than nothing. My legs are ahead of my upper body atm.

I would also do all the recovery work on my spare time at home

What do you think?

5

You need to get your shit figured out. Try a lot of band dislocations for your shoulder. Keep your scaps pulled back tight as fuck if you do any bench.

I’ve had issues with SI disfunction (one side of my pelvis tilted independently of the other; causes massive issues). What worked for me is intense hip flexor stretching (against heavy band traction and the couch stretch against a wall) and sitting in the squat position for 10+ minutes at a time and just generally stretching and rolling everything in your lower body.

I have no idea what will work for you, but you need to research and experiment and find the things that relieve the issue.

You have to be consistent with mobility work to fix anything. Every day. It took me 7 years to figure this out, and I promise you if you don’t get with the program on fixing your back it might never heal on its own.

6

[quote]csulli wrote:
You need to get your shit figured out. Try a lot of band dislocations for your shoulder. Keep your scaps pulled back tight as fuck if you do any bench.

I’ve had issues with SI disfunction (one side of my pelvis tilted independently of the other; causes massive issues). What worked for me is intense hip flexor stretching (against heavy band traction and the couch stretch against a wall) and sitting in the squat position for 10+ minutes at a time and just generally stretching and rolling everything in your lower body.

I have no idea what will work for you, but you need to research and experiment and find the things that relieve the issue.

You have to be consistent with mobility work to fix anything. Every day. It took me 7 years to figure this out, and I promise you if you don’t get with the program on fixing your back it might never heal on its own.[/quote]

I don’t mean to derail but I’ve had a lot of groin/low back problems the last two years. When I look down while walking my right hip seems to move very little if at all, and my left side moves a lot with my left leg while I walk. Is this what you are talking about?

7

[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
I don’t mean to derail but I’ve had a lot of groin/low back problems the last two years. When I look down while walking my right hip seems to move very little if at all, and my left side moves a lot with my left leg while I walk. Is this what you are talking about?[/quote]

I don’t know about that particularly, but what I definitely noticed, if I can describe it well enough, is that when I was facing forwards with both feet pointed ahead, I could turn my left foot out like 45 degrees, and my hips and body would continue facing straight ahead. If, however, I turned my right foot out 45 degrees and kept my left foot forward, my hips and torso would snap right in line with my right foot.

And there was pretty much constant pain in the left side of my lower back. It never really bothered me that badly except I was constantly paranoid that it was making my deadlift weaker because of unconscious pain avoidance and/or suboptimal muscle activation, because also when I would arch my lower back and flex my spinal erectors, the right side felt like a rope of coiled steel whilst the left side felt slack and weak, like it was missing a piece or something.

It didn’t go away with rest, and it didn’t go away even after several years. I had to actively address the muscle imbalances. In fact it’s still not 100% gone, and for all I know it never will be, but damn if it’s not close enough. And the best part is after I finally found some things that worked to alleviate the problem, progress was extremely swift.

8

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:

[quote]Ampedlift wrote:
Problem is I have an AC joint injury (For a few months now, it’s been getting better… I can barbell bench…starts bothering me after like the 5th set), and now I fuarked up my lower back, it needs to rest.

I think it’s my SI joint in my back, but anyway… I really need to take some time off from deadlifts/squats. It’s getting better but always gets painful again after doing those compounds.
…
I just want to make sure I always give my AC joint adequete rest and still do a proper mass building workout, and in my spare time do all that rehab chit.[/quote]
At 19, you’re way too young to be getting injured. Shoulders and low back are the kind of things that, if you don’t address them and get them 100% healed, they’ll pop up over and over and screw with your training for a long, long time.

Also, just for reference, what’s your current strength like on the basic lifts? And what’s your current bodyweight?

Your priority should be to get healthy, otherwise you’re just building on a foundation of sand and it’ll crumble sooner rather than later.

That means you really can’t do any of the big 4. Tough. Life goes on and there are plenty of other ways to train. It sucks for you, but it is fixable if you’re not stupid about it.[/quote]

X2000000000000000000000000000000000000000

I have chronic AC joint problems. I tried training through the pain and all I got was more pain. Now my ortho told me he could PROBABLY fix it by sawing off a bone end.

I choose to train around the injury. It works well. Some people’s shoulders aren’t meant for barbell benching.

9

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:

[quote]Ampedlift wrote:
Problem is I have an AC joint injury (For a few months now, it’s been getting better… I can barbell bench…starts bothering me after like the 5th set), and now I fuarked up my lower back, it needs to rest.

I think it’s my SI joint in my back, but anyway… I really need to take some time off from deadlifts/squats. It’s getting better but always gets painful again after doing those compounds.
…
I just want to make sure I always give my AC joint adequete rest and still do a proper mass building workout, and in my spare time do all that rehab chit.[/quote]
At 19, you’re way too young to be getting injured. Shoulders and low back are the kind of things that, if you don’t address them and get them 100% healed, they’ll pop up over and over and screw with your training for a long, long time.

Also, just for reference, what’s your current strength like on the basic lifts? And what’s your current bodyweight?

Your priority should be to get healthy, otherwise you’re just building on a foundation of sand and it’ll crumble sooner rather than later.

That means you really can’t do any of the big 4. Tough. Life goes on and there are plenty of other ways to train. It sucks for you, but it is fixable if you’re not stupid about it.[/quote]

X2000000000000000000000000000000000000000

I have chronic AC joint problems. I tried training through the pain and all I got was more pain. Now my ortho told me he could PROBABLY fix it by sawing off a bone end.

I choose to train around the injury. It works well. Some people’s shoulders aren’t meant for barbell benching.
[/quote]
Once again, Chris nails it.

Listen OP, why in the world are you OHP’ing and BB Benching with jacked up shoulders?

Why in the world are you squatting and dead lifting with serious low back pain?

Does that make ANY sense when you think about it? Lifting is fun. Getting stronger is good. Looking awesome without a shirt is great… But walking with a limp and having chronic back pain and diminished ROM when you’re 30 years old sucks so much balls.

There really is no NEED to barbell bench, OHP, Squat or Deadlift. None. You need to find alternative movements that do not cause you pain. Get yourself fixed. Problems don’t go away by ignoring them. You’re 19 years old, you have your whole lifting life ahead of you. Even if it takes a year or two for everything to get worked out just realize that that is an insignificantly small amount of time to go through for a pain free rest of your life.

Good luck bud.

10

[quote]gregron wrote:

[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:

[quote]Ampedlift wrote:
Problem is I have an AC joint injury (For a few months now, it’s been getting better… I can barbell bench…starts bothering me after like the 5th set), and now I fuarked up my lower back, it needs to rest.

I think it’s my SI joint in my back, but anyway… I really need to take some time off from deadlifts/squats. It’s getting better but always gets painful again after doing those compounds.
…
I just want to make sure I always give my AC joint adequete rest and still do a proper mass building workout, and in my spare time do all that rehab chit.[/quote]
At 19, you’re way too young to be getting injured. Shoulders and low back are the kind of things that, if you don’t address them and get them 100% healed, they’ll pop up over and over and screw with your training for a long, long time.

Also, just for reference, what’s your current strength like on the basic lifts? And what’s your current bodyweight?

Your priority should be to get healthy, otherwise you’re just building on a foundation of sand and it’ll crumble sooner rather than later.

That means you really can’t do any of the big 4. Tough. Life goes on and there are plenty of other ways to train. It sucks for you, but it is fixable if you’re not stupid about it.[/quote]

X2000000000000000000000000000000000000000

I have chronic AC joint problems. I tried training through the pain and all I got was more pain. Now my ortho told me he could PROBABLY fix it by sawing off a bone end.

I choose to train around the injury. It works well. Some people’s shoulders aren’t meant for barbell benching.
[/quote]
Once again, Chris nails it.

Listen OP, why in the world are you OHP’ing and BB Benching with jacked up shoulders?

Why in the world are you squatting and dead lifting with serious low back pain?

Does that make ANY sense when you think about it? Lifting is fun. Getting stronger is good. Looking awesome without a shirt is great… But walking with a limp and having chronic back pain and diminished ROM when you’re 30 years old sucks so much balls.

There really is no NEED to barbell bench, OHP, Squat or Deadlift. None. You need to find alternative movements that do not cause you pain. Get yourself fixed. Problems don’t go away by ignoring them. You’re 19 years old, you have your whole lifting life ahead of you. Even if it takes a year or two for everything to get worked out just realize that that is an insignificantly small amount of time to go through for a pain free rest of your life.

Good luck bud.[/quote]

Read my post above after the OP with my stats and what I wrote. I haven’t been doing any of the main lifts im very well aware I have to work around them for the time being at least. I was thinking of doing a push/pull/off/push/pull/off/off split , I wouldnt mind just push/pull/off/repeat but this way I get more rest for my AC Joint. Leg work would be added in on push day most likely since it’d be shorter.

I need help on making this routine tho

11

[quote]Ampedlift wrote:

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:

[quote]Ampedlift wrote:
Problem is I have an AC joint injury (For a few months now, it’s been getting better… I can barbell bench…starts bothering me after like the 5th set), and now I fuarked up my lower back, it needs to rest.

I think it’s my SI joint in my back, but anyway… I really need to take some time off from deadlifts/squats. It’s getting better but always gets painful again after doing those compounds.
…
I just want to make sure I always give my AC joint adequete rest and still do a proper mass building workout, and in my spare time do all that rehab chit.[/quote]
At 19, you’re way too young to be getting injured. Shoulders and low back are the kind of things that, if you don’t address them and get them 100% healed, they’ll pop up over and over and screw with your training for a long, long time.

Also, just for reference, what’s your current strength like on the basic lifts? And what’s your current bodyweight?

Your priority should be to get healthy, otherwise you’re just building on a foundation of sand and it’ll crumble sooner rather than later.

That means you really can’t do any of the big 4. Tough. Life goes on and there are plenty of other ways to train. It sucks for you, but it is fixable if you’re not stupid about it.[/quote]

Strength isn’t the greatest on main lifts, ive been lifting for 8 months now but haven’t increased my big lifts ever since my AC joint injury before summer. It was actually a pretty minor injury, but I took two months off of lifting right away and came back to it slow. Just now got back to my previous lifts

Squat: 225x5
DL: 315x5
Bench: 180x5

Right now I weigh 190lbs prolly 17% bodyfat

I agree with you, I want to make sure everything heals. I go to a physiotherapist once a week for my AC joint, he just does acupuncture and soft tissue work, helps a bit. My AC joint doesn’t bother me while standing around, doesn’t bother me when im lifting either, but I can “feel it” when I start getting into more sets of benching or overhead pressing.

I want to make sure I don’t put stress on my AC joint or lower back. My main priority is obviously to be healthy. So I was thinking of maybe doing a push/pull/off/push/pull/off type of split with light high rep work for everything. No barbell rows/ohp/deads/squats/barbell bench. I’ll have to do pull day using t-bar rows, cable rows, machine rows, pullups, etc.

I’d add leg press and hamstring curls to my push days I guess. Better than nothing. My legs are ahead of my upper body atm.

I would also do all the recovery work on my spare time at home

What do you think?
[/quote]

Still not answered, I need some help making a routine for my recovery.

12

Sorry for double bump, accident.

13

1: Your main priority is not to put on mass. It is to get better. see Chris’ answer.

2: Until you learn 1, you will not progress.

3: Do what doesn’t hurt. Find a squat/deadlift/bench that causes no pain. (I blew my shoulder a few years back, I was doing presses with a broom stick, iso presses with all kinds of angles, band work and ring presses. I have now incorporated “smith scape presses”. I have no idea what my “regular press” is and I don’t care. I can exercise without pain. Ring work with all kinds of angles is presently my staple.)

4: Do the same with squats and deads. Try everything. Learn. You will learn so much about your body if you decide to listen to your body.

5: Open your mind. Everything I wrote has already been said. You just decided to concentrate on a minor point to clarify your stance.

6: Learn patience. Getting over an injury can take time. But well worth the trip. Take it (or not) from a 48 year old.

14

With AC problems you have to figure out what works for you to train around the problem.

Here is what I do for chest day, not saying this will work for you.

Incline DB bench press, arms to 90 degrees 4 sets of 10-20 reps, warm up with 45’s

Hammer strength wide. Raise the seat up high. 4 sets of 10-20 reps

Decline DB bench press, same reps scheme

Dips, very controlled these can irritate your AC easily. I started with assisted dips to control them better.

Peck deck, with depth set very shallow, my AC doesn’t like the full range of motion.

Push ups on handles.

High and low cable flys.

Things I do these on occasion that might work for you.

Single arm DB presses

Floor DB presses

Reverse grip BP

Don’t be afraid to go light and use high reps.

Don’t grind out reps.

Straight bro science this may not work for you

15

Have you tried cortisone shots for your AC yet?