Pro's and vets...I need help bigtime

[marc0g]

Ok well Months ago I woke up with a serious, sharp back pain after a deadlifting session, But i kept trying to lift through it, because I am in fact dumb, but anyways. After a week of trying to work through it, I stopped hoping the pain would stop. Well after a 3 weeks off from lifting I had to find time to go to the docter becuase it was serious. Well at first glace they knew i tore something and it was later said that it was the quadratus and psoas muscles, I went to physical therapy and such, pain still continued. I was then ssent for an MRI and found out that not only did I tear those Muscle but i also had a herniated disc. Among other buldging discs on the verge of becoming seriously injury. Well Said most of this was due to extremely tight muscles, and they tried acupuncture and the needles would go in my back straight and leave bent due to the muscle tension. I am very prone to injury, I had just come back from a torn rotator cuff and i have also torn my trap and delt. I always warm up thoughourly but it seems I may have some Pinched nerves as well as some other nervous system issures that keep my muscles from relaxing well. I am currently on the medication Flexeril, a muscle relaxant. Ok well heres where the importance of the long story comes in, I will eventually be pumping iron again basically becuase "if theres a will theres a way" and i would give my left nut to be back lifting in full force. But you pro's and vets have most likely had injurys and I was wondering. Since I have a very injury prone body and i keep getting seriously injured, should i make changes to my routine and or nutrition to keep from having these problems as much as possible.
One thought of mine was to use higher rep scheme and increase the volume slightly, I already do 10 minutes of cardio before every workout and 20 minutes of stretching after. Another thought was to drink alot more water may help. Since I am still a teenager I would not life to have to take anymore meds then I am currently on.
Can somone please help me with a new style of lifting with less injuries, I miss the gym with all my heart, I wanna get back in that fkin place and stay there!!!

Thanks to any bros that can help out!

Peace dudes

[Gr8Ape]

Im not too experienced with injuries, im luckily not prone to injury, but i think what would be wise is to avoid risky movemets. I know deadlifts are fun but......having a lumbar problem all your life isnt. I dont know how you do on squats, but theyre risky too. you seem to be experienced so i guess your form is good, but maybe double check it just to be sure.
neways theres probably someone with more experience whos gonna answer so good luck with recovery

[marc0g]

Im not too experienced with injuries, im luckily not prone to injury, but i think what would be wise is to avoid risky movemets. I know deadlifts are fun but......having a lumbar problem all your life isnt. I dont know how you do on squats, but theyre risky too. you seem to be experienced so i guess your form is good, but maybe double check it just to be sure.
neways theres probably someone with more experience whos gonna answer so good luck with recovery

Thank you gr8Ape, I hope you stay injury free like you are now!! happy lifting to you bro!

[RealDeal2099]

One thought of mine was to use higher rep scheme and increase the volume slightly, I already do 10 minutes of cardio before every workout and 20 minutes of stretching after. Another thought was to drink alot more water may help. Since I am still a teenager I would not life to have to take anymore meds then I am currently on.
Can somone please help me with a new style of lifting with less injuries, I miss the gym with all my heart, I wanna get back in that fkin place and stay there!!!

Thanks to any bros that can help out!

Peace dudes

Here are some suggestions.

First, make sure you perform all exercises with perfect form. I'm talking about full range of motion while maintaining a healthy arc in your lower back. This is not just for deadlifts, but squats and standing exercises like laterals and curls, even lying exercises like the bench press where you need to keep your erectors tight to stabalize the weight. Too many times I have seen people in the gym trying to pull more weight than they could handle by shortening the range of motion. These individuals invariably hurt themselves if they get stuck and have to push out from a position they usually do not lift from (i.e. the bottom position of a full squat).

Second, as Gr8Ape stated, avoid injury-prone exercises. I myself have problems with heavy stiff-legged deadlifts. I have a very strong lower back to the point where I can add 10+ pounds to my deads every week with ease, but that is not healthy for the muscles and supporting tissues to accomodate to such an increase that fast (especially over a 16 week period), so I have injured myself on several occasions. Which brings me to another point. If you are injury prone, never, ever lift for your ego. Lighten it up, go for a feel in the target muscles, and only increase the weight when you can handle it confidently for your target rep range.

Also, make sure you hit every single muscle to avoid strength imbalances. I have seen football players tear their hamstrings because all they ever trained was quads, leaving the back of their legs severely weak in comparison. Therefore, as a whole remember that you can still train if you are injury prone, but you have to train smart. Lift like a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter, take care of yourself but getting adequate rest and nutrition to recover from your workouts, and never be afraid to back off from lifting heavier if your body doesn't feel up to it. Learn to be instinctive in the gym, listen to your body, and you will enjoy longevity in the sport. I hope this helps. Good luck, bro.

[marc0g]

Here are some suggestions.

First, make sure you perform all exercises with perfect form. I'm talking about full range of motion while maintaining a healthy arc in your lower back. This is not just for deadlifts, but squats and standing exercises like laterals and curls, even lying exercises like the bench press where you need to keep your erectors tight to stabalize the weight. Too many times I have seen people in the gym trying to pull more weight than they could handle by shortening the range of motion. These individuals invariably hurt themselves if they get stuck and have to push out from a position they usually do not lift from (i.e. the bottom position of a full squat).

Second, as Gr8Ape stated, avoid injury-prone exercises. I myself have problems with heavy stiff-legged deadlifts. I have a very strong lower back to the point where I can add 10+ pounds to my deads every week with ease, but that is not healthy for the muscles and supporting tissues to accomodate to such an increase that fast (especially over a 16 week period), so I have injured myself on several occasions. Which brings me to another point. If you are injury prone, never, ever lift for your ego. Lighten it up, go for a feel in the target muscles, and only increase the weight when you can handle it confidently for your target rep range.

Also, make sure you hit every single muscle to avoid strength imbalances. I have seen football players tear their hamstrings because all they ever trained was quads, leaving the back of their legs severely weak in comparison. Therefore, as a whole remember that you can still train if you are injury prone, but you have to train smart. Lift like a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter, take care of yourself but getting adequate rest and nutrition to recover from your workouts, and never be afraid to back off from lifting heavier if your body doesn't feel up to it. Learn to be instinctive in the gym, listen to your body, and you will enjoy longevity in the sport. I hope this helps. Good luck, bro.

Wow man, I owe you alot for that, you must have taken a good chunk out of your time to help me i appreciate it alot, rep for you and gr8pe of course and anyone else who can help!

[bdiesel]

i agree. when you do go back leave your ego at the door. use light weights and proper form. volume training can be just as effective as heavy lifting.

[RealDeal2099]

Wow man, I owe you alot for that, you must have taken a good chunk out of your time to help me i appreciate it alot, rep for you and gr8pe of course and anyone else who can help!

Anything I can do to help, brother, that's why I'm here on these boards. Train hard. Peace!

[Heavily Armed]

Chiropractic care and massage, when financially feasible, will help with general health and improved recovery. As for deadlifts, try them, when you're ready, on a Smith Machine. You'll be starting from a higher position than a free weight bar, which will lessen the chance of injury (low end is where the greatest chance of injury occurs). Also a couple of supplement suggestions. Glutamine; the most abundent amino acid in muscle tissue for soft tissue recovery. Glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM; vital ingredients for joint repair and joint health. My favorite brand is Labrada, the product is called Elastijoint.

Remember, when you lift, you're breaking down muscle tissue, creating microtrauma to the muscle fibers that have to be repaired. This repair is being done while you rest. You have to have rest days, every third day or so. This is when you get bigger and stronger, provided you're getting the protein and other essentials you need. Break down the muscles, don't destroy them. The greater the trauma, the longer the repair process. I'm not saying to undertrain, hit it hard. I'm just saying be careful not to overtrain. It sounds as if you have no problem with intensity or tenacity, just temper it with patience. Overtraining, lifting too often or too long per session, with too little time to recover, will cause injury and reduced immune function.

[TRICK D]

I have lowerback pain from a car wreck I had when I was 17 Years old. I have 3 bulging discs. I have had to change my workouts because of this. I do deadlifts which surpriseingly do not bother my lowerback. But squats do. Because they put so much pressure on my lower back when squatting. So squats are out. I do hack squats now. It keeps you straight up, and doesn't give me any pain.


I would look at between 12-15 rep ranges. With wait that tires you out after doing that many reps. Don't be afraid to be a "pansy" for a while and use light weight. Just make sure you get the pump and make it burn. Maybe try doing some 21's with some light weights. It gives me a great pump.

If you need any more advice send me a message. Sorry to hear about the injuries!