Why am I pulling muscles in my office?!?!

[pseudohero]

Hey guys... I'm 32, not as hardcore as some, but pretty steady with my workout plan..

I've pulled 2 different back muscles in the past 3 weeks!

The first I was in my office....leaning back in my chair stretching puled one in my upper left side (wtf??)...

Second one was yesterday..in the gym doing shrugs..pulled in my lower right side..(I may have lost my form trying to squeeze out a couple extra reps)...

What I'm wondering is... this just luck of the draw? Or am I lagging in an area that I need to target? Or am I just not 20 anymore?

I do try to stretch and warm up well before I start my workout... I do work my back weekly.

Any tips or insight would be great!

[SR800]

The injury rule is that you never hurt yourself exercising or lifting heavy. The injuries come from pushing a button on the remote control, coughing, reaching to pick up a drier sheet, turning to answer the phone etc. That is just how it is, the exercises gods need amusement.

[dbthump]

Are you sure you pulled a muscle? I can't imagine that you can pull a muscle just stretching in a chair. Do you drink enough water? You could always stand to drink more.

[Mark1T]

Originally Posted by pseudohero

Why am I pulling muscles in my office?!?!

I thought that was illegal

But, seriously, I think you should spend more time stretching after (not just before) your workouts and the day after. This may help.

[Bob 1]

This might sound strange but why don't you attack everything you do in the office the same you do it in the gym. If you drop your pen then why don't you bend down to pick it up like it were a heavy dumbbell or barbell.
No, that does not mean you snatch it overhead then let it fall to the ground, you put it in your pocket.

[vol]

Originally Posted by Bob 1

This might sound strange but why don't you attack everything you do in the office the same you do it in the gym. If you drop your pen then why don't you bend down to pick it up like it were a heavy dumbbell or barbell.

That's what I do. The chalk and the belt tend to attract some attention but you just can't be too careful.

[concreteman]

Check out a thread here injured intercostal. I did the same thing. except I was in the truck, hurt like hell.
the remedy it seems is time, and maybe the chirocracker. Dont be like me and quit going to the gym. I also credit that to my feeling better.
Hope you feel better and happy Thanksgiving

[stahlhart]

Originally Posted by vol

That's what I do. The chalk and the belt tend to attract some attention but you just can't be too careful.

vol wins, thread over.

[BurritoMan]

Have to agree with Mark1T, you need to stretch after and even during the workout especially your back. As opposed to before the workout.

[pseudohero]

Originally Posted by dbthump

Are you sure you pulled a muscle? I can't imagine that you can pull a muscle just stretching in a chair. Do you drink enough water? You could always stand to drink more.

I do drink a lot as is, but you're right, I could probably stand more

[pseudohero]

Originally Posted by Bob 1

This might sound strange but why don't you attack everything you do in the office the same you do it in the gym. If you drop your pen then why don't you bend down to pick it up like it were a heavy dumbbell or barbell.
No, that does not mean you snatch it overhead then let it fall to the ground, you put it in your pocket.

yeah, good plan, I'll have to try to train myself to think this way I guess

Originally Posted by Mark1T

I thought that was illegal

But, seriously, I think you should spend more time stretching after (not just before) your workouts and the day after. This may help.

HAHA!
and yeah, good advice, i do strech a lot during and after trying to work the blood around, but again, more never hurts.

Thanks guys for the replies.....I guess this is just part of life and the hobby/sport.

[widebody195]

Originally Posted by SR800

The injury rule is that you never hurt yourself exercising or lifting heavy. The injuries come from pushing a button on the remote control, coughing, reaching to pick up a drier sheet, turning to answer the phone etc. That is just how it is, the exercises gods need amusement.

So true. I've pulled back muscles just getting dressed in the morning. Do I need to stretch and warm up before putting on pants?? Boy I must be getting old. =)

[Growing-up]

Originally Posted by pseudohero

Hey guys... I'm 32, not as hardcore as some, but pretty steady with my workout plan..

I've pulled 2 different back muscles in the past 3 weeks!

The first I was in my office....leaning back in my chair stretching puled one in my upper left side (wtf??)...

Second one was yesterday..in the gym doing shrugs..pulled in my lower right side..(I may have lost my form trying to squeeze out a couple extra reps)...

What I'm wondering is... this just luck of the draw? Or am I lagging in an area that I need to target? Or am I just not 20 anymore?

I do try to stretch and warm up well before I start my workout... I do work my back weekly.

Any tips or insight would be great!

Office space can be a dangerous place, instead of heavy objects you have files and folders, some are even more dangerous, like for example the computer mouse, or the evil keyboard! Worse most of the time these objects are located and placed in non-ergonomic way, for example keyboard that are higher than what it should be forcing your to make involuntary shrugs, but the worse injuries (back injuries) happen when you are not well sited, when you place yourself in such a way that your elbow is supported by one side of the desk while the other is falling bending your back, or when you incline the back rest and you sit like if you were driving a speeding vehicle, and so on, yes check your posture, make sure your hand are almost hovering on the keyboard, your back is straight, an arm of distance between you and your monitor (CRT or TFT).

[Revmachine21]

Originally Posted by Growing-up

Office space can be a dangerous place.....

Amen!

How's your form while in the office? Are you practicing good form there? Posture is very important. All the properly executed lifts in the gym kinda get offset by sitting and walking like a troll.

I wish, instead of learning table top tennis in high school gym, they had spent a couple hours on the importance of good form in daily life to avoid degenerative diseases.

[Dave76]

Originally Posted by vol

That's what I do. The chalk and the belt tend to attract some attention but you just can't be too careful.

Funny. Very funny.

Just curious. Does your office allow grunting?

[pseudohero]

Pulled another one... lower back this time. Working with heavy equip and chains..

Legit scenario for injury...but damn is this getting frustrating..

Last week I started doing double the stretching in the gym...before and all during my workout...

Is my back just a lemon?

[Revmachine21]

I think you need to see a professional to assess your set of issues, prescribe exercises tailored to you & your physical state.

There are simply some things I can't do because I sat at an office desk for a decade without giving any thought to my posture. Dumbbell shrugs are off the menu for me for a lifetime. That doesn't mean I can't do other things!

You need to find the triggers for your issues and learn how to work around them, build strength to compensate for them, and how to work through injury.

[Growing-up]

Originally Posted by pseudohero

Pulled another one... lower back this time. Working with heavy equip and chains..

Legit scenario for injury...but damn is this getting frustrating..

Last week I started doing double the stretching in the gym...before and all during my workout...

Is my back just a lemon?

Don’t think there is such a thing as a lemon back!
I always warm-up first, then stretch to prevent injury, but that does not insure that nothing is going to happen.
There is one thing, we have to learn to hear our body, what is triggering these injuries, are we using the right equipment in the right way or not, and in the gym focus in our weak spots and work on them. I knew my back was not the strongest part of my body, so I targeted it not with heavy weight but very light at first, and start pyramiding the weight up for example.

Originally Posted by Revmachine21

I think you need to see a professional to assess your set of issues, prescribe exercises tailored to you & your physical state...

This is a sound advise, you should get your back assessed by a professional, to make sure no damage has been made to your backbone and in case, ensure you can do certain things or not.

[resurrected]

are you kidding me? I pulled a back muscle when I was 29. I was laid up on a flat floor for 2 weeks from it. All I did was turn the wrong way to wipe my ass........................

[StartinOver-68]

If you have problems with the lower back you might want to strengthen your abbs.

[Growing-up]

Originally Posted by StartinOver-68

If you have problems with the lower back you might want to strengthen your abbs.

This is also true; a strong back has to be in pair with strong abdominal muscle, not just for the cuts or the look, but to balance the body, give your body a strong foundation.

[Bob45]

I guess we need to watch our form no matter what we do. I've always gotten hurt more quickly moving the wrong way than lifting weights.