The most imprtant thing most of you need to learn

[iron addict]

Is injury prevention and rehab. I have lifters that get pulls and strains pretty frequently. When I tell them they are to do NOTHING that remotely aggravates it, they usually whine like a little girl that just got told they can't have a new Barbie. I have guys that get a slight strain that will take 1-2 weeks to heal and tell them no squatting or deadlifting and I get: YOU MEAN I CAN'T SQUAT AT ALL, WHAT ABOUT MY LEGS? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? You are supposed to do nothing. People hurt their shoulders which often put them out of upper body work all together. When I tell them they will be out for 1-4 weeks, they act like the world is coming to an end. This tells me they are not very mature lifters, and not patient people.

What then often happens is they take an injury that would have healed in 1-2 weeks, and make it a long term injury because they were too thick headed to just leave it alone and let it heal. Missing a few weeks of training a bodypart doesn't hurt a thing in the long run. Ronnie takes three months off after the Olympia and top lifters in all sports often take weeks or even months of when they are peaked out and KNOW their bodies need a rest.

I haven't been able to train most of my body for about 2.5 months now. Why? I have old injuries that are in desperate need of healing. I am letting them do just that. Is my world crushed? Not hardly. I KNOW when I come back I will get right back to previous levels and will surpass them in a couple of months. I COULD have just pushed on. Most people would. You want to play with herniated disks, go ahead. I prefer to take the safer path. Even with herniated disks I have pulled 620 lbs at age 43.

Here is a list of my injuries. The ones related to lifting except the thumb were all done 8+ years ago in my "HIGH INTENSITY" BB'ing days BTW. The shoulder, knee, and low back have never healed all the way. They are still problematic at times. And the worst thing is they all could have been prevented, and reduced (if I hadn't rushed back to the gym). The list isn't as long as some notaries such as Dave Tate, but at least he had the glory of being world class. I received nothing for my efforts but a lot of experience of things that don't work, that I like to share to prevent others from following the same path.

Here is my injury laundry list.

Broken left collar bone, never healed quite right. Motorcycle wreak age 16

Every finger and all toes broken on right hand and foot at least somewhere from martial arts and bar fights. Left thumb cut off at first digit--motorcycle wreak.

Neck in terrible shape from being rear ended by some chick doing 50 not noticing the traffic stopped because she was putting on makeup. Neck in traction 3 x a week for 6 months.

Torn rotators both shoulders. Pretty lightly torn though.

Upper back broken. Not sure if it was a motorcycle wreak or the time I was jumped and beaten by 6 guys and left for dead. Every time I get an x-ray the doc says "how the heck did you break your back like that" and is really dismayed when I tell him I am not sure which time it was--lol. After both incidents I couldn't walk for almost 2 weeks.

2 herniated disks low back. Was told I would never lift again. ASSHOLES.

Umbilical hernia. 1st time age 5 trying to lift a big rock--lol. 2nd time age 34 or 35 pulling 625 in the rack.

Shot with 45 in the pelvic region, slug still in me--don't ask.

Left knee cap ground down a good ways through from a motorcycle wreak. Thrashed from the inside doing 1100 lb leg presses and going down to fast when fatigued.

Oh yeah, my big concern at the moment, right thumb got severely dislocated when a 335 lb floor press got out of shape and it is almost popping out of joint now doing very light things. Very concerned about it losing all integrity in the thumb.

Sometime when I have a moment I will go over how the lifting injuries happened. Needless to say machismo, stupidity, and poor lifting advice (behind the neck presses, and WIDE grip benches anyone) were the main culprits.

Lift smart, and don't let your ego get the best of you. When you get injured (and you will if you lift long enough) LET IT HEAL before going back into the gym, at least before going back for the effected area. A few weeks, or even a few months off will not set you back. A long term injury will. I was off for 4 full months after my belly button popped and my guts were almost poking out. I did VERY LIGHT training for 2 more, at the 7 month mark, it tore again. It is still tore to this day. One thing I learned was the size and strength I had came RIGHT back.

If your whole world revolves around nothing but your training and your body, you are not a very well balanced person. Seek balance. What am I doing while off? Pulling the sled, doing cardio, and doing more mind training. When my thumb, shoulders, and back are ready, I will hit the gym. I would surely not prefer to be in this position one of the most important things one ever learns is that it’s not what happens to you in life that counts, its how you handle what occurs.

IA

[Doc D]

I too have made many of the mistakes outlined above, and whilst I have been less prone to disasters outside my control, I have, over the last 20 years, suffered a number of injuries in the gym which could have been obviated. I have also been guilty of rushing back into the gym too quickly, but even more important for me, in hindsight, would have been working on balance and flexibility. This would have meant:

Train abs regularly and hard - not just for aesthetics when bodyfat levels low;
Work rotator cuffs diligently;
Stretch and roll/massage glutes, hams, TFL, IT band, rectus femoris, hip flexors etc. mercilessly;
Work hips and glutes harder;
Get up from my desk more often (I often sit 14+ hours p.d. because of work) and do some stretching, movement etc.

But, alas, one only appreciates a pain-free, correctly functioning body when one no longer has it.

[Papa Rage]

Great post. Especially for those of us who are just starting out, hopefully we won't need to learn some of these things the hard way.

That and I'll try not to crash my motorcycle or get jumped by 6 guys

[Tough old Man]

Originally Posted by iron addict

Is injury prevention and rehab. I have lifters that get pulls and strains pretty frequently. When I tell them they are to do NOTHING that remotely aggravates it, they usually whine like a little girl that just got told they can't have a new Barbie. I have guys that get a slight strain that will take 1-2 weeks to heal and tell them no squatting or deadlifting and I get: YOU MEAN I CAN'T SQUAT AT ALL, WHAT ABOUT MY LEGS? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? You are supposed to do nothing. People hurt their shoulders which often put them out of upper body work all together. When I tell them they will be out for 1-4 weeks, they act like the world is coming to an end. This tells me they are not very mature lifters, and not patient people.

What then often happens is they take an injury that would have healed in 1-2 weeks, and make it a long term injury because they were too thick headed to just leave it alone and let it heal. Missing a few weeks of training a bodypart doesn't hurt a thing in the long run. Ronnie takes three months off after the Olympia and top lifters in all sports often take weeks or even months of when they are peaked out and KNOW their bodies need a rest.

I haven't been able to train most of my body for about 2.5 months now. Why? I have old injuries that are in desperate need of healing. I am letting them do just that. Is my world crushed? Not hardly. I KNOW when I come back I will get right back to previous levels and will surpass them in a couple of months. I COULD have just pushed on. Most people would. You want to play with herniated disks, go ahead. I prefer to take the safer path. Even with herniated disks I have pulled 620 lbs at age 43.

Here is a list of my injuries. The ones related to lifting except the thumb were all done 8+ years ago in my "HIGH INTENSITY" BB'ing days BTW. The shoulder, knee, and low back have never healed all the way. They are still problematic at times. And the worst thing is they all could have been prevented, and reduced (if I hadn't rushed back to the gym). The list isn't as long as some notaries such as Dave Tate, but at least he had the glory of being world class. I received nothing for my efforts but a lot of experience of things that don't work, that I like to share to prevent others from following the same path.

Here is my injury laundry list.

Broken left collar bone, never healed quite right. Motorcycle wreak age 16

Every finger and all toes broken on right hand and foot at least somewhere from martial arts and bar fights. Left thumb cut off at first digit--motorcycle wreak.

Neck in terrible shape from being rear ended by some chick doing 50 not noticing the traffic stopped because she was putting on makeup. Neck in traction 3 x a week for 6 months.

Torn rotators both shoulders. Pretty lightly torn though.

Upper back broken. Not sure if it was a motorcycle wreak or the time I was jumped and beaten by 6 guys and left for dead. Every time I get an x-ray the doc says "how the heck did you break your back like that" and is really dismayed when I tell him I am not sure which time it was--lol. After both incidents I couldn't walk for almost 2 weeks.

2 herniated disks low back. Was told I would never lift again. ASSHOLES.

Umbilical hernia. 1st time age 5 trying to lift a big rock--lol. 2nd time age 34 or 35 pulling 625 in the rack.

Shot with 45 in the pelvic region, slug still in me--don't ask.

Left knee cap ground down a good ways through from a motorcycle wreak. Thrashed from the inside doing 1100 lb leg presses and going down to fast when fatigued.

Oh yeah, my big concern at the moment, right thumb got severely dislocated when a 335 lb floor press got out of shape and it is almost popping out of joint now doing very light things. Very concerned about it losing all integrity in the thumb.

Sometime when I have a moment I will go over how the lifting injuries happened. Needless to say machismo, stupidity, and poor lifting advice (behind the neck presses, and WIDE grip benches anyone) were the main culprits.

Lift smart, and don't let your ego get the best of you. When you get injured (and you will if you lift long enough) LET IT HEAL before going back into the gym, at least before going back for the effected area. A few weeks, or even a few months off will not set you back. A long term injury will. I was off for 4 full months after my belly button popped and my guts were almost poking out. I did VERY LIGHT training for 2 more, at the 7 month mark, it tore again. It is still tore to this day. One thing I learned was the size and strength I had came RIGHT back.

If your whole world revolves around nothing but your training and your body, you are not a very well balanced person. Seek balance. What am I doing while off? Pulling the sled, doing cardio, and doing more mind training. When my thumb, shoulders, and back are ready, I will hit the gym. I would surely not prefer to be in this position one of the most important things one ever learns is that it’s not what happens to you in life that counts, its how you handle what occurs.

IA

43 working on 83. Not good bro. I thought I have had a few injuries in my days, but nothing like yours. At least you keep your head up and look for positiver things ahead of you.

[iron addict]

Originally Posted by Tough old Man

43 working on 83. Not good bro. I thought I have had a few injuries in my days, but nothing like yours. At least you keep your head up and look for positiver things ahead of you.

Aside from some aches and pains it's more like 43 going on 23

IA

[Dan_Grr]

Whats that with martial arts and bar fights? You were young, and hard headed? What about those 6 guys? Burglers?

Here, it might be useful, and interesting: Self Defense Forums: For a Fighting Chance

They have a forum with great people and good reads. See you there.

[zengland]

I'm taking this great advice to heart.
More fantastic info from IA.
I'm so glad I found this place while I'm still a beginner.

[Joe]

i realized this too a weeka go when i really widened my stance in DLs and squats.. groin starts to get sore, and i always do high rep reverse hypers for my lower back now to make sure it's always good. all you need is a little scare then doing injury prevention is no prob

[Hoops]

He did mention he was a bouncer...but yeah IA clearly was either a bit hard headed or just has really bad luck with fights

[Khryz]

Great thread IA, injury prevention and rehab are usually at the bottom of everyone's list in their training.