back in the gym...after injury

[PaperEnterprise]

Coli people, late last summer i did the 60 day challenge and got in good shape and got in rhythm with the gym, it became a way of life.

Then early december, while doing deadlifts, i fukked my back. It was one of the most painful feelings ever. I stayed out the gym for a week and went back doing light weights and walking on the treadmill...stupid mistake

the back pain stayed with me for almost two months...finally i stopped going to the gym for almost a month. Did body weight exercises and the pain went away.

Now ive been back for a week and doing light weights and 10k on the bike...i never realized how much the bike is good for you if you cant use the treadmill...my legs are on fire without back pain...

As i type this, im in the sauna for the first time ever. Sweating like a dog.

I have finally figured out what works for me. If you want to get in shape, go out and exercise and eat better.

Good luck to all coli fam in pursuit of a healthy living.

 

[Kal El]

I just made a thread before this re: a wrist injury. First time getting seriously injured, thought I was invincible.

Deadlifts aren't worth the risk unless you're a powerlifter. Way safer exercises you can do to achieve the same results. Good to see you overcome it breh

 

[PaperEnterprise]

Thanks. Im 33 and work crazy hours per week. Im happy with light weights and cardio. It wasnt easy but i sacrifice a social life to remain in the gym...truthfully i rather be in gym than at a club

 

[Hybrinetics]

If you have insurance you really should go to a doc and see whats up. Lower back injuries from deads are no joke. If you heard/felt a loud pop in lower back or a tingling sensation run down your leg you need to get checked. Since the pain was with you for a few months it sounds somewhat serious. Even if it doesnt hurt now I would get an MRI or atleast have an ortho look at it

 

[PaperEnterprise]

If you have insurance you really should go to a doc and see whats up. Lower back injuries from deads are no joke. If you heard/felt a loud pop in lower back or a tingling sensation run down your leg you need to get checked. Since the pain was with you for a few months it sounds somewhat serious. Even if it doesnt hurt now I would get an MRI or atleast have an ortho look at it

You are right. I will get a MRI.

 

[-G$-]

If you have insurance you really should go to a doc and see whats up. Lower back injuries from deads are no joke. If you heard/felt a loud pop in lower back or a tingling sensation run down your leg you need to get checked. Since the pain was with you for a few months it sounds somewhat serious. Even if it doesnt hurt now I would get an MRI or atleast have an ortho look at it

exactly what happened to me last summer, ruptured L4/L5. haven't been the same since.

 

[PaperEnterprise]

exactly what happened to me last summer, ruptured L4/L5. haven't been the same since.

Damn bro, im scared now. hope you recover over time...

Not to sound like an idiot, im worried about my sex game...havent fukked crazy cause of back injury. Had the girl stay on top but damn i hope my lower back heals properly. Def going to a doctor

 

[-G$-]

Damn bro, im scared now. hope you recover over time...

Not to sound like an idiot, im worried about my sex game...havent fukked crazy cause of back injury. Had the girl stay on top but damn i hope my lower back heals properly. Def going to a doctor

thanks man.

yeah, i mean i've "mostly" recovered. i don't have much regular pain. once in a while i wake up and my back is very tight and it takes a good hot shower and some movement before it loosens up. i can run, do romanians, most other exercises etc. but i lost an extreme amount of mobility in my lower back through my hamstrings, specifically enough to do conventional deadlifts. kinda sucks because they were always my favorite lift.

it gets better w time but i have this feeling i will never be 100% again.

 

[Walt]

I've had 3 back surgeries due to a basketball injury from my playing days; have dealt with bouts of serious nerve pain too. The key is doing the research on your back and getting attuned to your body as far as what stresses it and what strengthens it. I wouldn't even think about doing a situp, or pilates, for instance. Then again, I guess I wouldn't consider pilates anyway, because that kind of shyt just ain't my wave. But you have to check your ego at the door - once you go 7 months with little to no range of motion, and two weeks with half an hour to an hour sleep every night due to nerve pain, you learn that no deadlift, benchpress, or basketball game is worth fundamental comfort. I'm in the gym 3-4 times a week at this point, in great shape, lifting heavy weights. I do the elliptical because it doesn't deliver the same level of shock to the back that running outdoors or on a treadmill does. I do Farmer's Walks up stairs because it doesn't stress my lower back, but I stay away from deadlifts because it simply isn't worth the risk for me. I focus much more on form than I ever did before, and I never let adrenaline or ego drive me to move heavier weights. I take my progressions way more patiently than I used to, and I've actually made considerable strength gains doing so. Lifting patiently and with excellent form>>>>>>

Another thing: at the hint of any pain, I stop the workout. Period. I know from experience that my attitude as an athlete - to push through pain and tough things out until I reach the finish line - is counterintuitive, especially after a certain age. Any hint of pain, the workout ends. Period. Losing one or two sessions can save you from losing 3 months. Recently I was benching heavy, and doing curls and standing shoulder presses with heavy weights, and my body suddenly felt weak. I wasn't moving the weight easily. I thought it was a fatigue issue, but it's important to recognize the body communicates with us as a form of self-preservation. My body was like "fam, drop down some. Your physique is straight, your heart is healthy, the exercise is good for your mind - you ain't about to enter any contests, my g. Take it easy." So I took my bench down to 240, my curls down to 65 pound dumbbells, and my shoulder press all the way down to 70 pound dumbbells. Cut my lat pulldowns out completely for a minute. Body felt refreshed immediately, workout was still taxing and invigorating. There is nothing more important than being able to walk down the street pain-free, hold your lady close to you without your wrist becoming overwhelmed by shooting pain, travel in a car without feeling like you might pass out from pain.... That extra weight ain't impressing anyone, and it can definitely lead to a loss of time, money, and happiness.

Patience and awareness. If I can move weight and stay in great shape after 3 major back surgeries, just about anyone can be productive in the gym.

 

[Truth200]

Damn bro, im scared now. hope you recover over time...

Not to sound like an idiot, im worried about my sex game...havent fukked crazy cause of back injury. Had the girl stay on top but damn i hope my lower back heals properly. Def going to a doctor

I been thru this before and it still fukks with my confidence years later from a sports injury.

I wish you the best and my only advice is that no exercise in the world is worth hurting your back.

 

[Truth200]

I've had 3 back surgeries due to a basketball injury from my playing days; have dealt with bouts of serious nerve pain too. The key is doing the research on your back and getting attuned to your body as far as what stresses it and what strengthens it. I wouldn't even think about doing a situp, or pilates, for instance. Then again, I guess I wouldn't consider pilates anyway, because that kind of shyt just ain't my wave. But you have to check your ego at the door - once you go 7 months with little to no range of motion, and two weeks with half an hour to an hour sleep every night due to nerve pain, you learn that no deadlift, benchpress, or basketball game is worth fundamental comfort. I'm in the gym 3-4 times a week at this point, in great shape, lifting heavy weights. I do the elliptical because it doesn't deliver the same level of shock to the back that running outdoors or on a treadmill does. I do Farmer's Walks up stairs because it doesn't stress my lower back, but I stay away from deadlifts because it simply isn't worth the risk for me. I focus much more on form than I ever did before, and I never let adrenaline or ego drive me to move heavier weights. I take my progressions way more patiently than I used to, and I've actually made considerable strength gains doing so. Lifting patiently and with excellent form>>>>>>

Another thing: at the hint of any pain, I stop the workout. Period. I know from experience that my attitude as an athlete - to push through pain and tough things out until I reach the finish line - is counterintuitive, especially after a certain age. Any hint of pain, the workout ends. Period. Losing one or two sessions can save you from losing 3 months. Recently I was benching heavy, and doing curls and standing shoulder presses with heavy weights, and my body suddenly felt weak. I wasn't moving the weight easily. I thought it was a fatigue issue, but it's important to recognize the body communicates with us as a form of self-preservation. My body was like "fam, drop down some. Your physique is straight, your heart is healthy, the exercise is good for your mind - you ain't about to enter any contests, my g. Take it easy." So I took my bench down to 240, my curls down to 65 pound dumbbells, and my shoulder press all the way down to 70 pound dumbbells. Cut my lat pulldowns out completely for a minute. Body felt refreshed immediately, workout was still taxing and invigorating. There is nothing more important than being able to walk down the street pain-free, hold your lady close to you without your wrist becoming overwhelmed by shooting pain, travel in a car without feeling like you might pass out from pain.... That extra weight ain't impressing anyone, and it can definitely lead to a loss of time, money, and happiness.

Patience and awareness. If I can move weight and stay in great shape after 3 major back surgeries, just about anyone can be productive in the gym.

What three type of back surgeries did you have?

I played basketball in college on scholarship and coached high school until i was 30.

At age 30 i was showing the high school kids on the team i could still do a variety of dunks with a core.


Got hurt and started taking vicodin & 5-hour energy drinks just to make it thru practice.


Until one night i laid down on an ice pack before going to bed with back pain realizing i might have ruined my life.


It's years later now and i never physically or mentally recovered.

I went from being the life of the party and having fine girls to becoming a recluse.


Now i live in regret..

 

[Walt]

What three type of back surgeries did you have?

I played basketball in college on scholarship and coached high school until i was 30.

At age 30 i was showing the high school kids on the team i could still do a variety of dunks with a core.


Got hurt and started taking vicodin & 5-hour energy drinks just to make it thru practice.


Until one night i laid down on an ice pack before going to bed with back pain realizing i might have ruined my life.


It's years later now and i never physically or mentally recovered.

I went from being the life of the party and having fine girls to becoming a recluse.


Now i live in regret..

All L4 and L5. Disk compressing the nerves. Shooting pain throughout the lower back around the spine, and up and down the legs into the foot. The pain, man... put it this way, I was in so much pain that I developed a tolerance for pain that sometimes seems inhuman. I got a tattoo done back in October, and the artist had to wake me up because I dozed off in the middle of it. She said in all her years of working, I was the first person to ever fall asleep while getting needled the fukk up.

That shyt changes your entire life. Energy all goes to managing pain; personality darkens; drinking can increase significantly. There was one period, for like a-year-and-a-half, when I was drinking almost every night, and drinking 7-15 drinks. I don't even drink like that - I can go months without drinking without even noticing. But I was drinking to numb the pain, and also to make myself pass out at the end of the night, because the discomfort wouldn't allow me to fall asleep. My relationship suffered, my friendships suffered, my career suffered, etc.

What saved me was exercise. Met with a friend who is a respected doctor, and we tried to figure out alternative to surgery, since that obviously was a temporary fix to start with, and provided less and less relief each time. Started doing light exercise and daily stretching. shyt took dedication and patience. I'm talking walking for miles, for an-hour-and-a-half each day. Did that shyt for months in conjunction with stretching. Progressed to strengthening my core at the gym, starting with light weights. Took a beginner's yoga class. For 9 months I did something extremely basic that helped so much: I treated myself well. No alcohol whatsoever. Cut sugar almost completely. Started taking supplements known from anti-inflammatory properties. Tried juicing for an extended period.

I reached a point with the pain that had me in serious doubt that I could ever really be "myself" again. I had just about given up hope. But word life, I swear to you, the pain lessened with time and effort, and with that my mood became lighter, my optimism returned, the world around me became interesting again, my personality was as dynamic as ever, and I got back into tip-top shape. There's light at the end of the tunnel, breh. But you have to pull yourself out of the dark mental state back pain can plunge you into. Have to learn to believe what you can't see.

 

[PaperEnterprise]

I've had 3 back surgeries due to a basketball injury from my playing days; have dealt with bouts of serious nerve pain too. The key is doing the research on your back and getting attuned to your body as far as what stresses it and what strengthens it. I wouldn't even think about doing a situp, or pilates, for instance. Then again, I guess I wouldn't consider pilates anyway, because that kind of shyt just ain't my wave. But you have to check your ego at the door - once you go 7 months with little to no range of motion, and two weeks with half an hour to an hour sleep every night due to nerve pain, you learn that no deadlift, benchpress, or basketball game is worth fundamental comfort. I'm in the gym 3-4 times a week at this point, in great shape, lifting heavy weights. I do the elliptical because it doesn't deliver the same level of shock to the back that running outdoors or on a treadmill does. I do Farmer's Walks up stairs because it doesn't stress my lower back, but I stay away from deadlifts because it simply isn't worth the risk for me. I focus much more on form than I ever did before, and I never let adrenaline or ego drive me to move heavier weights. I take my progressions way more patiently than I used to, and I've actually made considerable strength gains doing so. Lifting patiently and with excellent form>>>>>>

Another thing: at the hint of any pain, I stop the workout. Period. I know from experience that my attitude as an athlete - to push through pain and tough things out until I reach the finish line - is counterintuitive, especially after a certain age. Any hint of pain, the workout ends. Period. Losing one or two sessions can save you from losing 3 months. Recently I was benching heavy, and doing curls and standing shoulder presses with heavy weights, and my body suddenly felt weak. I wasn't moving the weight easily. I thought it was a fatigue issue, but it's important to recognize the body communicates with us as a form of self-preservation. My body was like "fam, drop down some. Your physique is straight, your heart is healthy, the exercise is good for your mind - you ain't about to enter any contests, my g. Take it easy." So I took my bench down to 240, my curls down to 65 pound dumbbells, and my shoulder press all the way down to 70 pound dumbbells. Cut my lat pulldowns out completely for a minute. Body felt refreshed immediately, workout was still taxing and invigorating. There is nothing more important than being able to walk down the street pain-free, hold your lady close to you without your wrist becoming overwhelmed by shooting pain, travel in a car without feeling like you might pass out from pain.... That extra weight ain't impressing anyone, and it can definitely lead to a loss of time, money, and happiness.

Patience and awareness. If I can move weight and stay in great shape after 3 major back surgeries, just about anyone can be productive in the gym.

Yo i applaud you. Im starting to have the mindset you have. Major props.

Also how old are you?

 

[Walt]

Yo i applaud you. Im starting to have the mindset you have. Major props.

Also how old are you?

Never ask a gentleman his age.

Spoiler

Not quite , but not quite either. Mid-30s.

 

[JahFocus CS]

I think deadlifts are pretty safe compared to a lot of other lifts, including squats. If you stretch to maintain your flexibility, warm up well, and have good form, you should be good. If the weight is too heavy, you can always drop it (unlike with benching, squatting, etc.).

My best DL was 465 lbs back in 2013