Heavy lifting and hernia's?

MrBiggiesworth
MrBiggiesworth Posts: 846 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Will proper form while lifting heavy help me avoid hernia's 100%? This is one thing I hate about lifting heavy, I feel like I'm straining so much.

Replies

  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
    If you joined a gym, you'd be under supervision.
  • keflexxxx
    keflexxxx Posts: 25 Member
    unless you're deadlifting upwards of 585lbs i wouldn't really be worried about a hernia
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  • iquiltoo
    iquiltoo Posts: 246 Member
    unless you're deadlifting upwards of 585lbs i wouldn't really be worried about a hernia

    I think that hernia's have been caused by much less than that.

    That's true, they can be cause by far less than that. I am no expert by any means, but I have seen guys at the gym I go to wearing a type of wide belt around their mid-section that may be for helping avoid hernias. Ask at the gym, or at a physiotherapist, or even your doctor. Trust me, you do NOT want a hernia! (I had one repaired, and now have two more that he won't repair until I either get sick from it like last time, or lose more weight.)
  • keflexxxx
    keflexxxx Posts: 25 Member
    unless you're deadlifting upwards of 585lbs i wouldn't really be worried about a hernia

    I think that hernia's have been caused by much less than that.
    and some people get nausea when then have vitamin c
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  • BIRD0
    BIRD0 Posts: 74 Member
    Proper form and BREATHING will help. Holding your breath can cause a spike in blood pressure, which while lifting can cause you toget herniated. Don't know the science since I skated through anatomy, but that's what the trainer who showed me how to do squats with a barbell said.
  • the_dude00
    the_dude00 Posts: 1,056 Member
    unless you're deadlifting upwards of 585lbs i wouldn't really be worried about a hernia

    I think that hernia's have been caused by much less than that.
    and some people get nausea when then have vitamin c

    indeed.
    I have felt like I've strained my abdominal wall just doing cable bicep curls with heavier weights. Everyone is always telling me lift heavy, but I feel like I hurt myself in the effort to lift heavier, while if I take the weight down just a bit I can still get a good pump, but I am able to complete 10-15 sometimes 20 reps before failure and i'm told that I need to increase the weight if I go that high.

    Don't mess with heavy weights until you've mastered your form. If you do you're cruising right into an injury.

    Once you've got proper form, the heavier weights will come.
  • keflexxxx
    keflexxxx Posts: 25 Member
    unless you're deadlifting upwards of 585lbs i wouldn't really be worried about a hernia

    I think that hernia's have been caused by much less than that.
    and some people get nausea when then have vitamin c

    indeed.
    I have felt like I've strained my abdominal wall just doing cable bicep curls with heavier weights. Everyone is always telling me lift heavy, but I feel like I hurt myself in the effort to lift heavier, while if I take the weight down just a bit I can still get a good pump, but I am able to complete 10-15 sometimes 20 reps before failure and i'm told that I need to increase the weight if I go that high.
    a strain is not a hernia. you're letting your fears get the best of you.
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    If you joined a gym, you'd be under supervision.

    Whats that mean, NOBODY cares in your typical gym. They don't supervise, and even getting a personal trainer doesn't mean decent supervision!

    Proper form can still result in a hernia, dependent upon your own physical weakness and effort. It all depends on the situation and person, but one cannot rely on proper form alone to avoid a hernia.
  • jdm_taco
    jdm_taco Posts: 999 Member
    a hemorrhoid is more likely
  • punkture
    punkture Posts: 15
    lifting heavy won't give you a hernia, being prone too one, poor form and not breathing will. 15-20reps is WAY too high for hypertrophy to occur. You'd should be struggling to get 8-10, it's personal preference but usually its lower or equal to 10-12 reps.

    Also if your not comfortable lifting a heavier weight, re-assess your form, but remember if you stay at a weight that is comfortable youll be getting no where.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Lifting "heavy" does not mean lifting to the point of injury. If you have recurring pain (not just soreness) and serious worries about a hernia, you're doing it wrong. Either your form is off, your weight is too heavy, or your reps are too high. Or some combination of the three.
  • ChrisH135
    ChrisH135 Posts: 8 Member
    I herniated a disc many years ago at the gym lifting heavy and with poor form and it still is a factor in my life today - so please don't worry about lifting 'heavy', jut worry about lifting safely.
    in my opinion weight on the bar for us non-professional lifters and athletes doesn't need to be the main focus - you can get one hell of a burn with moderate weight in any exercise if done correctly with perfect form, breathing and timing.
    to confirm if you need to increase the weights that you're currently doing higher reps with - SLOW the exercise down, focus solely on the muscle being targeted, make sure it's being stretched at the bottom (say a bicep curl) and squeezed or contracted at the top on each repetition - if you truly can do 6 to 10 reps like that then add a small increase to the weight.
    good luck - sensible (and safe) experimenting will get you where you want to be.

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