How many years into your training did it happen. At the moment I’m at 2.5 yrs so my strength is at that stage where I have to be especially careful about my form (I’m still a long way off the “safer to use machines” stage though ha) on lifts like deads, squats the notorious flat BB bench. I haven’t had any injuries thus far - touch wood - but I guess at least one will happen inevitably…
Never been ‘injured’ per say. I am nursing a bit of a sore back though and going easy on it for a bit. Other that, I’m good.
Last year. It was not even a year of serious training before it happened.
I was doing power cleans (with a slightly bent bar), but on my last set, I couldn’t get the weight up even though I have done it plenty of times before. On my last rep, I got on my shoulders, but I was in an awkward position. I didn’t want to drop it, so I just jerked it up.
Next day, my right lower back was really fucked up, but I kept lifting for another two weeks. During that time that, it was hard to walk or even bend over. Once something hit the floor, it was down there for a while.
Couldn’t even squat 75 pounds. Trying to bench with an arch almost killed me.
Eventually, after a 4 day break, it felt a lot better, and I could walk without pain. Took me 3 weeks to get my squat and clean back. I still feel it every now and then, but nothing serious.
First injury was not even 5 months of lifting… warming up for cleans with just the bar and let go of it or something and pretty much tossed it right into my face.
First real injury was my shoulders… something about how I was bench pressing messed it up.
when i was 17 or 18 dont remember (28) now.i worked out in my basement and did lots of deads and one day two of my buddies were over and we were down stairs and I had left a bunch of weight on the bar and my buddies were like lets see how much we can lift so i put everything i had on the bar which was about 400 lbs and with no warmup I pulled it along with a bunch of muscles in my back.it still bothers me to this day if i move wrong.
Last year I would have to say it was my sciatica/lower back pain/compressed disc issue. I was cutting down in order to see my abs again and offer something to the AAS gods. I got down to 208 but throughout this process I was completely depleted and lifting the same weights doing the same routine I was doing running 400g(thats alot for me bastards!) of carbs per day only I was getting less than 40g.
Well somewhere along that time my form must have slipped and it took me out for a couple weeks. The numbness travelled down my leg and basic physical activities were impossible. I’m somewhat back to normal now but I’m not doing much heavy bent over row work. I still do them but I never go over 225. Better safe than sorry. Other than that just basic wear and tear on the body have been minor issues.
Rotator cuff tear when dieting down for the first time. I sustained all my injuries trying to handle off season weights while cutting carbs. One of the reasons I never go low reps on some movements while on a cut, even if that might be a great way to hold on to muscle.
\begin{hijack} On a side note (and this is just my opinion) I feel that spinal loading yourself by unracking a loaded barbell in a squat rack, walking out the weight and holding it for 30 seconds and walking it back “in” 2-3 times a week (and trying to force some progress there in load, sets, time) helps you limit muscle loss GREATLY (and I mean significantly) when dieting down without “help” (winny, deca), even if you’re avoiding heavy squats and rack/floor deadlifts (I;m talking off season poundages here) when cutting carbs and calories.\end{hijack}
Sounds like Piriformis syndrome. You may have been able to save yourself years of pain by foamrolling your piriformis and/or gluteus minimus at the closest chiro,
[quote]Growing_Boy wrote:
Last year I would have to say it was my sciatica/lower back pain/compressed disc issue. I was cutting down in order to see my abs again and offer something to the AAS gods. I got down to 208 but throughout this process I was completely depleted and lifting the same weights doing the same routine I was doing running 400g(thats alot for me bastards!) of carbs per day only I was getting less than 40g.
Well somewhere along that time my form must have slipped and it took me out for a couple weeks. The numbness travelled down my leg and basic physical activities were impossible. I’m somewhat back to normal now but I’m not doing much heavy bent over row work. I still do them but I never go over 225. Better safe than sorry. Other than that just basic wear and tear on the body have been minor issues. [/quote]
I injured myself after 2 weeks of lifting on Rippetoes. I didn’t have no one teaching me shit or helping me. So being the ignorant bastard I was I tried learning stuff myself and thought I knew it all. I end up squatting some measly weight and probably did like a half squat half good morning on my toes while also rounding my lowerback.
Lets just say I was put out of commission for two weeks striaght. I had a hard time getting out of bed, putting socks on and taking a shit was painful. Glad that didn’t make me quit though!
There was the time I decided to deadlift for the very first time. Pulled something in my back. Went to lie down on one of those exercise mat things. Couldn’t get back up off the mat, or even move, for at least 30 minutes.
I ruptured a bursa sac in my elbow last summer doing leg raises in a captain’s chair. Totally bizarre considering I’ve done plenty of real lifts over the years without incident. This was nasty – the thing was protruding into the skin and my arm went kinda numb. I had no idea what was going on and the gym staff told me it looked like a dislocated elbow and called an ambulance.
Of course the trip to the ER turned out to be unnecessary and a waste of money. I reruptured it a few days later and the orthopedist told me not to use that arm for anything until the bursa sac went back to normal (can’t feel it there) size. Took 2 months off the gym and waited till it shrunk. Not fun - though everything is ok now
[quote]bulldog24 wrote:
I ruptured a bursa sac in my elbow last summer doing leg raises in a captain’s chair. Totally bizarre considering I’ve done plenty of real lifts over the years without incident. This was nasty – the thing was protruding into the skin and my arm went kinda numb. I had no idea what was going on and the gym staff told me it looked like a dislocated elbow and called an ambulance. Of course the trip to the ER turned out to be unnecessary and a waste of money. I reruptured it a few days later and the orthopedist told me not to use that arm for anything until the bursa sac went back to normal (can’t feel it there) size. Took 2 months off the gym and waited till it shrunk. Not fun - though everything is ok now[/quote]
damn 2 months! ouch! did you get any physical warnings before it happened or was it completely out of the blue?
about a year into lifting i was doing some heavy deadlifting with a mate and we decided to follow it up with some squatting. dont ask why… 19 yr olds do silly things sometimes. any way the next day i felt a burning pain in my glute and couldnt extend my left leg to push down the clutch in my car due to the pain.
the doc sent me to get a ct scan which showed a disc herniation at the l5-s1 level… not good for a 19 yr old. i was prescribed a heavy dose of anti-inflamatries and sent on my way which was the worst possible thing. the NSAIDS worked so well that i thought i was right, plus i wasnt aware of the nature of the injury hence i resumed heavy lifting.
after a month the course of NSAIDS ran out and instantly the pain was back but about three times worse. I then saw a physio and had to stay away from free weights for about 7 months. It was nothing but core strengthening and pain management for ages. lost 15 kgs (approx 37lbs).
It was by far one of the best things that ever happened to me because A: I learned a huge amount in that time about injury which is why now Im injury free and making great gains, and B: those seven months out of the gym will fuel my motivation to train for the rest of my life…
About 6 to 7 months ago I was doing hack squats and just getting warmed up for my heavier sets and herniated a disk in my back. I had done a couple sets with 2 plates per side, then 3 plates, then 4 plates and that is when it happened. At the time I was using 6 per side so it wasn’t anywhere near my max but I assume it’s cuz I was getting a little sloppy and going through the movement too fast. And yes they were ATG. No half reps lol
[quote]akkxn wrote:
damn 2 months! ouch! did you get any physical warnings before it happened or was it completely out of the blue?[/quote]
i had fallen on the elbow the maybe 5 days before and there was minor swelling for a few days. the day i got injured in the gym, there was no swelling, pain or warning. it was quite surprising
I don’t belive injuries are inevitable I have close to 27 yrs under my belt and despite the number of injuries I have had none of them occured training.