Weird hips and heavy lifting

mortuseon
mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey there,

So I started seriously lifting about three months ago now and a problem I've had since I was very young has slowly come to my attention. I have hips that partially pop out of the joint if I place too much weight on them (i.e. if I were to shift my weight outwards to one leg it 'clunks' out of position).
It's never really been a huge issue unless I'm sitting cross-legged for long periods of time or doing stuff that flexes the joint (I got stuck in position during a Pilates class once) or sometimes even walking for long distances: these things can be painful. But now I'm starting to worry about hip flexion in movements such as squats/deadlifts and how it is going to affect how I manage the weight as I lift heavier. I've been told that I don't engage my glutes very much during some of these movements - I've been working on trying to do so more - but I'm wondering if my hip weakness might be related?

Was hoping that someone here might have experience or just ideas on how I can train without damage to my mysterious popping hips. Or even letting me know if it won't be an issue at all. Thanks!

Replies

  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    Think this is a question for a doctor.
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    Think this is a question for a doctor.

    My GP isn't really up on sports science or I would. I had hoped someone here might have had experience. Maybe I need to get referred to a physio or something?
  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    A physiotherapist, definitely. Can't hurt.
    Let's just bump your thread up so that the super experienced lifters can get a look at it and offer some opinions. :laugh:
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    ...apparently even MFP is bamboozled by this.

    Thanks for responding anyway. :indifferent:
  • jason_adams
    jason_adams Posts: 187 Member
    I've not experienced this, nor heard of it before, so my advice will be pretty generic, but should NOT be taken as advice from a health care professional.

    So start slowly - don't jump to big weights right away. But make sure you ARE training to failure at all times.
    Work your way towards bigger weights through volume. This will help ensure that all your secondary and support muscles have time to adapt as well.

    Also, seek professional advice regarding your hip asap. My experience is with a dislocated shoulder - I've popped my right one out twice. I can still lift, but I don't do barbell benches any more. At all. Ever. Based on the advice of a professional. DB Bench is fine, but I never let my upper arms go past parallel. (I could do the same with a bar, yes, but it's just weird). Pushups don't pose a problem. Hopefully a professional can help you find corrective measures or alternatives that work for you!
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    I've not experienced this, nor heard of it before, so my advice will be pretty generic, but should NOT be taken as advice from a health care professional.

    So start slowly - don't jump to big weights right away. But make sure you ARE training to failure at all times.
    Work your way towards bigger weights through volume. This will help ensure that all your secondary and support muscles have time to adapt as well.

    Also, seek professional advice regarding your hip asap. My experience is with a dislocated shoulder - I've popped my right one out twice. I can still lift, but I don't do barbell benches any more. At all. Ever. Based on the advice of a professional. DB Bench is fine, but I never let my upper arms go past parallel. (I could do the same with a bar, yes, but it's just weird). Pushups don't pose a problem. Hopefully a professional can help you find corrective measures or alternatives that work for you!

    Thanks very much! This is not so much an injury but a permanent problem with my hips that is starting to reveal itself as I progress. I think I'll ask my GP if there is a physio who is informed on heavy lifting that she can refer me to. I'm just worried that I'm not training properly or will cause myself an injury because of this.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    ...apparently even MFP is bamboozled by this.

    Thanks for responding anyway. :indifferent:

    it's not that we're bamboozled, it's that this is a question for a professional that has first hand knowledge of your situation. I'm fairly positive that you'll be able to lift, but BEFORE you start, you want to see some to give you advice on what to do and not to do, and you may have a set of specific exercises to strengthen/activate your hip/glute/core area before you begin any serious lifting work.

    Find someone qualified to give you this advice, not us random strangers on the net

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