Sore back - complete break?

jemhh
jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
edited November 22 in Fitness and Exercise
Last Wednesday I spent a good part of the day helping my daughter sort through toys and books and clothes. At the end of that I had a sore back. I kind of brushed it off and did my workout anyway. It was a squat/RDL workout and the squats were a bit difficult but I did them. Since then, my lower back has been very ache-y sore. No sharp pains, just feeling really tight and it's difficult to bend certain ways, which has me then bending weirdly in order to do anything.

On Friday I was able to do OHP and inclined bench because that was all upper body and didn't cause any discomfort. I was still very sore through this but couldn't really lie down and rest because I had houseguests Wednesday night through Sunday. On Sunday I thought I was feeling a bit better so I warmed up and stretched some, did one light deadlift as a warm up and...couldn't bend back over to put it down. After that I just figured I'd give up doing anything until today when I would do flat bench press and then tomorrow I could try lower body again. Well I tried to bench but couldn't arch my back at all because it was so tight. Tight enough that without the arch my feet couldn't reach the ground. I ended up walking slowly on the treadmill just to try to get in some activity.

At this point, I'm trying to decide if I should just quit trying any lifting for several days (a week?) or if it makes sense to keep trying every other day. I don't want to baby it too much but I also don't want to prolong the issue. I don't think it warrants a trip to the doctor. What would you do?

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    sounds a little bit like you over did it and it didn't have a chance to really recover. Sounds like a combination issue: you're back needs some rest and spend some time working on properly brace for lifting. Even when my back is tight I don't really have that much of an issue with my DL if I'm properly braced.

    I'd focus on recovery for now- if it's not healing well- then lay off- do some foam rolling- go see a massage therapist- and do other work that isn't bothering your back.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Yeah I definitely overdid it. I shouldn't have lifted on Wednesday but I wanted to get it in before our visitors got here just in case I couldn't fit it in later. Between all of the box moving earlier that day and then rushing through that workout, I got sloppy.

  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    edited August 2015
    jemhh wrote: »
    Last Wednesday I spent a good part of the day helping my daughter sort through toys and books and clothes. At the end of that I had a sore back. I kind of brushed it off and did my workout anyway. It was a squat/RDL workout and the squats were a bit difficult but I did them. Since then, my lower back has been very ache-y sore. No sharp pains, just feeling really tight and it's difficult to bend certain ways, which has me then bending weirdly in order to do anything.

    On Friday I was able to do OHP and inclined bench because that was all upper body and didn't cause any discomfort. I was still very sore through this but couldn't really lie down and rest because I had houseguests Wednesday night through Sunday. On Sunday I thought I was feeling a bit better so I warmed up and stretched some, did one light deadlift as a warm up and...couldn't bend back over to put it down. After that I just figured I'd give up doing anything until today when I would do flat bench press and then tomorrow I could try lower body again. Well I tried to bench but couldn't arch my back at all because it was so tight. Tight enough that without the arch my feet couldn't reach the ground. I ended up walking slowly on the treadmill just to try to get in some activity.

    At this point, I'm trying to decide if I should just quit trying any lifting for several days (a week?) or if it makes sense to keep trying every other day. I don't want to baby it too much but I also don't want to prolong the issue. I don't think it warrants a trip to the doctor. What would you do?

    We all go through rough periods, maybe you've just hit yours. If I remember correctly, you're doing 5/3/1 right? Where are you at in your current cycle? How many cycles are you in?
    @jemhh
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    Try applying ice for 20 minutes then heat for 20 more minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day followed by some very gentle stretches. No lifting until the soreness goes away, just walking or light cardio.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Last Wednesday I spent a good part of the day helping my daughter sort through toys and books and clothes. At the end of that I had a sore back. I kind of brushed it off and did my workout anyway. It was a squat/RDL workout and the squats were a bit difficult but I did them. Since then, my lower back has been very ache-y sore. No sharp pains, just feeling really tight and it's difficult to bend certain ways, which has me then bending weirdly in order to do anything.

    On Friday I was able to do OHP and inclined bench because that was all upper body and didn't cause any discomfort. I was still very sore through this but couldn't really lie down and rest because I had houseguests Wednesday night through Sunday. On Sunday I thought I was feeling a bit better so I warmed up and stretched some, did one light deadlift as a warm up and...couldn't bend back over to put it down. After that I just figured I'd give up doing anything until today when I would do flat bench press and then tomorrow I could try lower body again. Well I tried to bench but couldn't arch my back at all because it was so tight. Tight enough that without the arch my feet couldn't reach the ground. I ended up walking slowly on the treadmill just to try to get in some activity.

    At this point, I'm trying to decide if I should just quit trying any lifting for several days (a week?) or if it makes sense to keep trying every other day. I don't want to baby it too much but I also don't want to prolong the issue. I don't think it warrants a trip to the doctor. What would you do?

    We all go through rough periods, maybe you've just hit yours. If I remember correctly, you're doing 5/3/1 right? Where are you at in your current cycle? How many cycles are you in?
    @jemhh

    Yes, I'm doing 5/3/1. I'm starting cycle 5. July was a bit of a mess and I got a bit off schedule due to work so I re-did the first week. Wednesday would have been the third day of the first week (second try at first week) of my fifth cycle.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    edited August 2015
    jemhh wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Last Wednesday I spent a good part of the day helping my daughter sort through toys and books and clothes. At the end of that I had a sore back. I kind of brushed it off and did my workout anyway. It was a squat/RDL workout and the squats were a bit difficult but I did them. Since then, my lower back has been very ache-y sore. No sharp pains, just feeling really tight and it's difficult to bend certain ways, which has me then bending weirdly in order to do anything.

    On Friday I was able to do OHP and inclined bench because that was all upper body and didn't cause any discomfort. I was still very sore through this but couldn't really lie down and rest because I had houseguests Wednesday night through Sunday. On Sunday I thought I was feeling a bit better so I warmed up and stretched some, did one light deadlift as a warm up and...couldn't bend back over to put it down. After that I just figured I'd give up doing anything until today when I would do flat bench press and then tomorrow I could try lower body again. Well I tried to bench but couldn't arch my back at all because it was so tight. Tight enough that without the arch my feet couldn't reach the ground. I ended up walking slowly on the treadmill just to try to get in some activity.

    At this point, I'm trying to decide if I should just quit trying any lifting for several days (a week?) or if it makes sense to keep trying every other day. I don't want to baby it too much but I also don't want to prolong the issue. I don't think it warrants a trip to the doctor. What would you do?

    We all go through rough periods, maybe you've just hit yours. If I remember correctly, you're doing 5/3/1 right? Where are you at in your current cycle? How many cycles are you in?
    @jemhh

    Yes, I'm doing 5/3/1. I'm starting cycle 5. July was a bit of a mess and I got a bit off schedule due to work so I re-did the first week. Wednesday would have been the third day of the first week (second try at first week) of my fifth cycle.

    Ah, gotcha. This is good timing for this as well. A while back Jim Wendler wrote an article on his personal website and I'm not sure it ever went public but it was perhaps one of the most useful training articles I've ever read and it's something to strongly consider because you're right at that point.

    The article was called 5/3 Programming and Periodization, you may be able to Google it, surely somebody pirated it. There's a bit more to it, but the basics of it that would apply to you are this...

    1. Move forward 5 cycles
    2. After the 5th cycle deload and reset to your 3rd cycle's Training Max

    This gives your body a chance to rest a little but without really starting over. With the TM being more a means of auto-regulation, it has little to do with your absolute strength. I've been using this for over a year now and it's never had a negative affect on my training, I've actually hit new PR's right after my reset.

    For now it seems like you need to take a few days to rest. I'm not sure if you've ever used a Lacrosse Ball on your lower back and piriformis but it's almost magic.

    I tend to have an issue with my left hip and left side of my lower back and the bench press doesn't help. I just switched from the bench press to the incline press, at least for a while. I still flat bench with DB's but I don't arch like that and focus a little bit more on volume. It might be an option if this is a more consistent issue for you.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Thanks, @Sam_I_Am77 . That is really helpful. I haven't been able to find the article yet but I get the gist and will start adding the reset.

    Hopefully this is not a recurring issue. The inability to arch stuck out to me because when I first started lifting, my feet didn't reach the ground so I routinely put plates down. Just last week it occurred to me that I hadn't had to do that for quite awhile.

    For now I am icing and rolling and resting until Saturday or Sunday to try anything again.
  • gillian_nalletamby
    gillian_nalletamby Posts: 38 Member
    I'm just throwing it out there but Pilates is good for lower back pain. It may balance you out a bit. Even if you do not have classes at your gym, there are exercises you can do at home. It would be good to do a few classes first though to perfect your technique.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories