Tweaked my lower back, advice on lifting when not 100%?
DaveRCF
Posts: 266
So after several months of successfully lifting heavy things I tweaked my lower back on a rowing machine on Saturday. Not as feeble as it sounds, I was interval training so I was generating some significant watts at times.
I decided to skip my Monday workout to give it a rest. It is really quite minor, just a bit awkward doing things like tieing up shoe laces, but most everything else is fine. Took a muscle relaxant which helped as well. I'm not a doctor but my self-diagnosis would be minor strain of a minor lower back muscle. Scientific eh?
I am looking for advice on what people decide when they have a minor injury regarding training. Should I deload and carry on with my workout tomorrow (squats, overhead press, deadlift)? Should I skip the workout altogether? Should I take a muscle relaxant, stay calm and carry on with my regular workout
?
At the end of the day, I'm a 49-year old desk jockey who is just trying to stay healthy and stave off the effects of aging. Not out to prove much beyond that. Thanks in advance.
I decided to skip my Monday workout to give it a rest. It is really quite minor, just a bit awkward doing things like tieing up shoe laces, but most everything else is fine. Took a muscle relaxant which helped as well. I'm not a doctor but my self-diagnosis would be minor strain of a minor lower back muscle. Scientific eh?
I am looking for advice on what people decide when they have a minor injury regarding training. Should I deload and carry on with my workout tomorrow (squats, overhead press, deadlift)? Should I skip the workout altogether? Should I take a muscle relaxant, stay calm and carry on with my regular workout
?At the end of the day, I'm a 49-year old desk jockey who is just trying to stay healthy and stave off the effects of aging. Not out to prove much beyond that. Thanks in advance.
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Replies
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At the end of the day, I'm a 49-year old desk jockey who is just trying to stay healthy and stave off the effects of aging. Not out to prove much beyond that. Thanks in advance.
I'd skip it then. One missed workout isn't going to slow you down that much and squats, OHP, and deads all are going to potentially have complications for your back. You could work on non back related things. Or you could just do some cardio (not rowing) if you didn't want to skip the workout all together.0 -
I hurt my lower back a couple months ago. I think it was doing bent over rows.
Since then, I've made the injury MUCH worse by continuing the below:
Weighted Squats
Deadlift
Overhead Press
Power Cleans
..but also found what DOES work.
My new workout routine has been VERY easy on my back and I'm finally recovering.
I use a rotating A-B workout:
A:
Dumbbell Walking Lunges
Dumbbell Step Ups
Bench Press (Feet elevated or on bench = less lower back involvement.)
Dip
Pull up
(Sometimes I sprinkle in tricep push downs for s&g)
B:
Dumbbell Walking Lunges
Dumbbell Step Ups
Let Me Ups
Chin Up
Chest Supported Row (really push in with your chest, this can still hurt the lower back if you aren't careful.)
Look up some easy back flexibility exercises (leaning back, pelvic rotation, knees into chest, NO WEIGHT good mornings, etc)
Any exercise that deloads the lower back is amazing. I feel friggin fantastic after chins/pulls0 -
If it's just a small tweak, I would just work around it. Stay away from stuff that uses the muscle directly, and use a belt as needed.0
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So after several months of successfully lifting heavy things I tweaked my lower back on a rowing machine on Saturday. Not as feeble as it sounds, I was interval training so I was generating some significant watts at times.
I decided to skip my Monday workout to give it a rest. It is really quite minor, just a bit awkward doing things like tieing up shoe laces, but most everything else is fine. Took a muscle relaxant which helped as well. I'm not a doctor but my self-diagnosis would be minor strain of a minor lower back muscle. Scientific eh?
I am looking for advice on what people decide when they have a minor injury regarding training. Should I deload and carry on with my workout tomorrow (squats, overhead press, deadlift)? Should I skip the workout altogether? Should I take a muscle relaxant, stay calm and carry on with my regular workout ?
At the end of the day, I'm a 49-year old desk jockey who is just trying to stay healthy and stave off the effects of aging. Not out to prove much beyond that. Thanks in advance.
What I do is I avoid what hurts..Not just regarding training but in activities in my daily life..If lower back fexion/flexion and rotation causes pain I avoid lower back flexion. Also I try and pin point why the injury occured. Do I have poor technique during certain lifts? Is my training poorly organized? Am I performing to many lifts that are placing stress on my lower back? Am I not allowing enough time for recovery between training days in which the lower back is taking the brunt of the work? Am I doing exercises that place a great deal of stress on the lower back that I don't need to be doing in the first place considering my goals? Am I allowing proper restoration during my overall training cycle? Trying to increase weight on lifts at to fast a pace? Is it from sitting in a desk all day and the exercise was simply the straw that broke the camels back? Is my nutrition lacking? A combination of several of these? ect..0
