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Weightlifters: your stories of pain?
I was feeling great in the gym yesterday and switched up my normal deadlift by using the hex bar. It requires a slightly different posture than the straight bar deadlift but felt so good that I kept adding on weight and, evidently, speeding up. What happens when you get a little too enthusiastic under load? Zzzlip! There went my back. So I’m home from work today, barely able to hobble around. Ibuprofen is not enough. I sneezed earlier and it felt like someone had inserted a power drill into my lower spinal column. Yep, I’m feeling stupid today.
Weightlifters, what are your stories of pain? I’m sure there are some good stories out there.
Was felling a little more physically tired that usual, with a slight pain in my back, but was nearly done my second last set of the day - just regular back squats. And I was only 3 weeks away from clean-and-jerking my own body weight - a huge goal of mine. I took a little extra breather and got in position. I got up about 90% of the way then collapsed (barbell went backwards).
On my hands and knees on the platform, I knew something was very wrong. I felt paralyzed. A slight sway would send lightning down my back. I stayed there for a good minute or two catching my breath and not trying to freak out - my first thought is that I would have some kind of paralysis or permanent nerve damage. Somehow I made it to the stretch area that was only about 15ft away, but that was a challenge. The only pain-free position I could be in the next couple of weeks was standing up with a slight forward lean onto a counter. Sitting and laying were unbearable. I learned a lot about my anatomy those couple of weeks.
Always listen to your body, forget about your plans, you can always adjust those. I was set back so far from this incident (including the associated terror/fear) I never made my C&J goal. (It actually took a second incident during squash that finally taught me my lesson).
God, where to even begin. Both of my shoulders have on differing occasions kept me out of the gym for periods of 3 months or longer. I've injured my lower back twice. Forearm pain used to be a consistent issue. My knees have never stopped complaining, although luckily they've never kept me out of the gym either.
If I could go back and tell myself a decade ago to take it slower, focus on form, and stop pushing through the pain I'd probably be a lot healthier today. All in all, however, I'm doing pretty good right now. I'm a lot more sturdy than the peers my age, I have plenty of energy to do activities and aside from the current lingering shoulder issue which I'm going through PT for right now, I'm feeling great physically.
Went a little too heavy on shrugs, with bad form. Ended up compressing my spine and pinching a nerve. Left bicep was basically useless for a couple of months. My hands still had full power and could grip, but I couldn't curl a 20lb dumbbell for a month at least.
Another time, tweaked my shoulder while doing seated DB presses. Took around 2 weeks to recover.
I still push maximal loads, but I've learnt to listen to my body a little more.
Two weeks without training because of christmas and holidays. Went back and was doing deadlifts.
Was feeling really good so decided to try for 140kg. Felt something rip on my lower back. The left side, just above my left buttock. It gave me a feeling of velcro unsticking.
It didn't hurt, so i put the weight down normally. Then the pain slowly came and it was intense. I stopped right there and got home.
I woke in the middle of the night with a lot of pain there. Crippling pain. Went to doctors, did scans and it was nothing, just muscular.
Stopped deadlifting for months, went back slowly only with romanian deadlifts. Fucked up again with romanian deadlifts. Stopped again and went back slowly after one month and didn't hurt again. I never felt cured, it was always there when i felt my back tired. That nagging pain. A little stronger than a dull ache.
What made it really better was deadlifting again. No romanian, no stiff, pure deadlifts but with more volume. Sets of 8, sets of 10, sets of 6 minimum, nothing less.
Now it's almost gone. I don't feel pain. But if i stay out of the gym for a month or two and i sleep in a funny position, it starts creeping up. Romanian deadlifts and back extensions are keeping it healthy for now.
I don't deadlift anymore because my gym is on the second floor so it's not possible, but i miss a lot. Don't know if i would do low reps ever again.
I've only been lifting since April doing basic powerlifting movements (bench press, squat, overhead press, deadlift), rows, and chin-ups.
So far, I haven't had a severe injury. I have experienced joint-soreness and what I think is should impingement, however. Especially since I've pretty much doubled the volume that the program I was following called for. I ought to incorporate some rotator cuff stretches and work on my hip-hinge, for sure...
I took the past week off to give my joints a break and plan on heading back in today. Probably with a bit less volume.