Toughen Up

[hazmat]

Frysebox: That's not particularly weird, I have had the same problem. Do you use computers/video games a lot? I would suggest tennis ball therapy on your pecs, biceps, brachioradialis and wrist flexors/extensors. If you loosen all that up, your shoulders will come a bit back, circulation will improve and the problem is likely to go away.

How do you use the tennis ball, really? You just put it in a sock and roll away, or do you not roll and just stroke yourself with pressure?

I tend to stroke myself with pressure...brushburns are a bitch and take forever to heal in dark places.

But seriously, you just roll it on your muscles with pressure. If it's on your back, you can get on the floor and position the ball...or stand against the wall and get the ball where you need it to be and lean back into it. You'll know when you're doing it right. It'll hurt like crazy at first, but then it'll start to loosen up and it'll be that good kinda pain you're looking for. Tennis balls are awesome.

[OnFit]

Some pains are worth ignoring. Some pains are important.

Paul, the fact that you are 18, 255lbs with some big lifts tells me that you are genetically gifted. Basically, you're young and God made you freaky haha. You shouldn't really have to worry much, you have been gifted to be big and strong. While you might have been 100 lbs lighter 4 years ago, you were also 14 back then. I'm sure your genetics have predetermined you to be an animal, and I'm also sure you work your ass off on top of this.

Guys like you don't get injured as easily.

Also, you've demonstrated that you know a bit about corrective work. Good on you!

Unfortunately, most gym goers are brutally stupid. They will blast their anterior delts (usually unknowingly) with 8 million types of presses and then wonder why their posture sucks and they can't raise their arms. Or rep 800+ pounds on the leg press with bad form (increased shearing forces). Or jog everyday. If this type of training is prolonged, surgery is inevitable. I've seen it happen with many folks.

Although some people maybe complaining prematurely, lets sit back and see how these injured folks turn out -- they will either re-evaluate and come out on top, or continue down a destructive path and forgo lifting forever. Sometimes it's hard for these people to let go and simply learn .

We'll see.

[Liv92]

Whats wrong with taking a jog everyday???

[Dragar]

It's often a difficult choice what to live with and what to try and sort out. I tend to wait ages before getting anything treated because most things going way, but I've also aggravated injuries that way and caused myself a lot of further grief

For a new lifter in particular not sure if he has hurt himself or not it's better to ask more experienced people than to either stop lifting or keep working when he really shouldn't

[KyleAaron]

Its true that there's a difference between simple soreness and genuine injury. It's also true that when people are training for the first time, they often won't know that difference. Rather than Mehdi's rule of thumb, I suggest - if it restricts your movement, see a physician; if it doesn't restrict your movement, wait for it to go away in a few days, otherwise see a physician. Most genuine injuries restrict movement, it's rare for simple muscle soreness or a light bruise to do so.

And don't expect random strangers on forums to take the place of qualified physicians, particularly if those random strangers are 15-25 year old males, who tend to have an attitude which... explains why most victims of accidents and people involved in violent crime and as victims are 15-25 year old males.
"Ugh, smash!"

[HarrisonSL]

I agree with what mjh said earlier. Its best not to just fob stuff off.

Of course people must learn that muscular soreness is not an injury. Anything that goes away after two or three days is usually just a tweak and fine.
But a constant tweak should tell you something is wrong.

I heard a general rule of thumb before: (it was specific to knees but i think it applies to most joints)
If you get pain whilst working out but not when resting you need to check your form look into mobility/flexibility work
But if you get chronic pain whilst resting and no pain when lifting something a lot more sinister is up

I think people who have just started lifting will learn pretty quickly what muscular pain is, what just a tweak is and what serious pain or recurring muscle pain/tweaks/spasms are like.

I agree with the train of thought of someone before also, some people are just genetically gifted and will barely get injured. The guys you know who lifts huge amounts with shitty form but suffer no pain. and others who well lets just say i was at a garden party not long ago and my housemate the day after was like omg my leg hurts so much from standing for so long last night. his leg still hurts. from standing.
Not training through an injury doesnt make you a pussy, i think this is more important to tell (generally) men who lift weights because lets face it we like to be all rough and tough and nothing sounds cooler than "Ive broken my arm but im going to the gym anyway". But not long ago i was shadow boxing barefoot on this new carpet, slipped, rather than falling over landed rather awkwardly on my toe, huge crack, lots of pain. I went to uni walked *limped around all day to my lectures despite the pain. Went to the gym did my usual routine had a very good day for the snatch, afterwards went to rugby training with some mates who have been trying to get me to go with them (i used to play when i was younger) ran around on it and it was really hurting by then, next day i go to hospital after my housemate sees this gigantic black blue purple mess in place of my toe and after shrieking told me i was going to hospital. The doctor says immediately "I dont want you to put any weight on this until youve been to the fracture clinic tomorrow" i asked him "So is it broken?" Immediate response "Oh yeah. Definately." I didnt dare tell him how much id been front squatting the day before

So although you shouldnt be a wuss and stop training at the first inkling of pain, it pays in the long run not to train through the serious injuries and to know when to take a few weeks off.

[HarrisonSL]

Oh yeah, i think painkillers are stupid for injuries due to sports. If something hurts i want to know so i can respond to the pain. What do you guys think about them?

people who take aspirin when they feel a headache coming on...eesh Why not figure out why you have a headache. dehydration? not eating enough? etc (this train of though clearly doesn't translate to migraines)

[Oxygen8]

This post is probably only of interest to anyone over 40 who hasn't done much training.

I haven't been able to train much at all this year, right after discovering weight training and finding StrongLifts...some health issues not injuries. Soon to be sorted and soon to really get started on SL...with a few age-related tweaks.

I'm 50.

When I have been able to train, light as it's been, it's been a treat. I've had chronic back pain for decades...you learn to live with it. My left elbow/bicep tendon is as nervous as a virgin bride and my right shoulder (suprasinatus region) has hurt 24/7 over the last few years to the point of distraction.

But....when I have been able to train, my back pain disappears and my shoulder loves me. Squats have relieved me of decades of chronic back pain and OHP has all but "fixed" my shoulder issue...I have no idea why.

Deadlifts...I got injured...at 60KG...combination (in hindsight) of bad form and a major lack of flexibility.

In my opinion you can FEEL the difference between a minor injury and something you should immediately take notice of WHEN it happens.

I can't do deadlifts from the floor (been doing rack pulls when I can)....so I figured I'd try a mix of sumo deadlifts and rack pulls last week. I knew immediately that the sumo was a wrong move....just a slight "twinge" in the left knee. I wasn't used to the position. Nothing much but enough to tell me to leave it alone for the day, and next day I was glad I did. Still I reckon, for me, it will be a good mix.

There's obviously a difference between normal-training-related pain and an injury....or the set-up-potential for an injury and the older you get the shorter the distance between the two becomes.

I love the pain produced from training.

Injuries just slow you down. Sometimes It's a fine-line I guess.

Sidenote: Even with as little (and VERY light) training as I've done in the last 12 months (Squat/Rack Pulls/OHP/Pushups) I ran into an old friend tonight who was blown away by the change in my appearance.

"Look at your neck man...look at your shoulders...what the F have you been doing"?

Long live Stronglifts.

Long Live Basic Compound movements.

[cripmeister]

Oh yeah, i think painkillers are stupid for injuries due to sports. If something hurts i want to know so i can respond to the pain. What do you guys think about them?

people who take aspirin when they feel a headache coming on...eesh Why not figure out why you have a headache. dehydration? not eating enough? etc (this train of though clearly doesn't translate to migraines)

Although it sounds kind of funny I can assure you it wasn't. I got a tear in my rectum in 2003, how I got the tear I don't know. I couldn't sit down for a month, the pain was the worst I have experienced. Two years later I had a herniated/slipped disc in my low back which took months to heal. If I'm in severe pain I take painkillers.


/Chris

[cripmeister]

Although it sounds kind of funny I can assure you it wasn't. I got a tear in my rectum in 2003, how I got the tear I don't know. I couldn't sit down for a month, the pain was the worst I have experienced. Two years later I had a herniated/slipped disc in my low back which took months to heal. If I'm in severe pain I take painkillers.


/Chris

Sorry, sphincter muscle not rectum - there is a difference. Oh and painkillers help with the recovery process because they allow you to relax muscle around an injury.

/Chris