Mofo'ing deadlifts and random injury

[mattikake]

They're mofo's for random injury and I remember now why I never bother with deadlifts...

So here I am sat in a funny position trying not to let my back over-stiffen due to a Romanian deadlift "twinge".

I've been doing what I call a "strongman" routine - the 5 major lifts - deads, squats, militaries, bench, bentover row with a few ancillaries in a 5 day split for over 3 months. Full on L-Glutamine supplementation as well, with a full 4,000kcal bulking diet (put on 3kg since start). 4 weeks on, 1 week off. So just starting the 3rd month.

So I go and do a RDL doing the same weight I have been doing the period before except with just 1 extra 6rep set... I do a nice warm-up, some mobility, just as before, get onto my 3rd set of a 40rep bodyweight mobaliser, 10r (warmer), 6RM, 6RM, 6RM and right on the very final rep... twang! I feel a pull in the left Illiac-crest area - probably Longisimus/Multifidus origin. Ok so it's a pretty minor over-strain - it didn't hurt and I immediately called it my final rep and end of session, but still, why?

Why does that only happen with DLs? I can smash my body with in any exercise with any weight no problem, you lift or you fail, bring it on. But with DLs, PROVEN within your own abilities and ding, random muscle pull for no reason I can fathom.

fked off, 8 hours laid out watching the snooker, I went and smashed my irritating disobedient puney body with a cycle to the offie and back at a silly pace, 1 gear higher than I've ever managed. Burn you mo'fker. Pain? Yeah, take it. .

[didelydoo]

Cool story Bro etc......

[mattikake]

I'm no good at being a bro. See above!

[mattikake]

Odd. I woke up this morning expecting to be stiff beyone belief and nothing. I just got up as normal. :s Feels weak, but ok.

[pilchardthecat]

Deadlifts and high reps = injury

Stick to 3x3, 5x2, singles, etc.

[mattikake]

3x6 is considered high reps?

The 40rep mobaliser was just me bending down touching my toes 40 times, the kind of thing I've been able to do since school and also the kind of thing I'd expect anyone who is mobile to be able to do.

[pilchardthecat]

mattikake said:

3x6 is considered high reps?

The 40rep mobaliser was just me bending down touching my toes 40 times, the kind of thing I've been able to do since school and also the kind of thing I'd expect anyone who is mobile to be able to do.

Reading comprehension fail on my part - saw "40 rep" and my wtf response activated

[mattikake]

Right. Was worried for a moment there!

I've always done a proper mobility exercise before doing DLs. Anything else I can just pile straight in, but never DLs for the exact reason above!

Well annoyed. I treated the DL seriously, concentrated on form, have been giving my body every chance to get used to the idea with the same warm-ups and build-ups in a 4 weeks on, 1 week off pattern since February... I did everything by the book and I still got a random twinge.

Maybe I swayed or staggered slightly and didn't notice? There wasn't even any pain, it just felt a bit 'odd'. In fact there was so little pain I considered ignoring it and doing another set for a moment. So glad I kept playing it by the book and called it quits! I stiffened up massively by the 48 hour mark but feeling rapidly and progressively better by the day. I've had some general lower back soreness and occasional shooting burning pains running through my Glutes and TFLs. I guess this is all down to aggravated nerves near the source, rather than actual injury.

Every reason to believe that was a minor muscle pull?

Still not touching my back for at least another week though. May quit DLs altogether. Being self-employed I can't afford to be laid out for weeks with a proper injury.

[LordGrover]

Deads are pretty much the heaviest weights we ever shift.
I suspect any minor imperfection in either preparation or form when lifting approaching your physical maximum is more likely to induce an injury.
The only injuries/twinges I get these days are either deads or shrugs, both the heaviest I shift. Pretty sure my form's good but it must happen for a reason.

[ikarl]

In my experience I used to get twinges or pains during/after deads where I had either;

a) done something before deads (where I may have had to wait 15 minutes to get a bar) just something to pass the time (bench, arm curls etc)
or
b) where I had stretched my legs/back beforehand

Now, I just get straight to it. I'll normally do my first set at 60% or my 1rm (set of 8) then follow with a set of 6,3,1 - always finishing on my 1rm which I try to move up as much as possible.

It works for me and I very rarely get any pain or problems.

[Tim1989]

I'm not sure Romanian dead-lifts are particularly good for you. I'm on a variation of the Strongman routine at the moment.

Try doing it the traditional way, i.e. bent legs. Also it helps to have someone checking your technique and to do it in a mirror so you can check you're not over-straining your back. I've been doing it about 3 weeks, never having done dead-lifts before (although I have put in a whole lot of time doing other back exercises) and consistently upping my weight lifted each week.

[LordGrover]

I wouldn't use mirrors on deads. You have to move your head and neck out of position which may be dangerous in some circumstances.
Either get someone who knows or video yourself.

[mattikake]

ikarl said:

In my experience I used to get twinges or pains during/after deads where I had either;

a) done something before deads (where I may have had to wait 15 minutes to get a bar) just something to pass the time (bench, arm curls etc)
or
b) where I had stretched my legs/back beforehand

Interesting you mention that. Recently ACSM (my qualifying standards body) recently found that athletes who stretched before exercise performed slightly worse and were more prone to injury, than those who didn't. So clear was the study, that ACSM changed their official gym routine standard method from warmup, stretching, mobility, resistance, CV, stretchdown to warmup, mobility, resistance, CV, stretchdown. I've been following this for the past few months since the bulletin was released. It's quite a major shake-up/u-turn in the industry.

[AnonSpoilSport]

mattikake said:

ikarl said:

In my experience I used to get twinges or pains during/after deads where I had either;

a) done something before deads (where I may have had to wait 15 minutes to get a bar) just something to pass the time (bench, arm curls etc)
or
b) where I had stretched my legs/back beforehand

Interesting you mention that. Recently ACSM (my qualifying standards body) recently found that athletes who stretched before exercise performed slightly worse and were more prone to injury, than those who didn't. So clear was the study, that ACSM changed their official gym routine standard method from warmup, stretching, mobility, resistance, CV, stretchdown to warmup, mobility, resistance, CV, stretchdown. I've been following this for the past few months since the bulletin was released. It's quite a major shake-up/u-turn in the industry.

With no intention of sounding like a clever dick, that concern has been known and reported for a good while now - i.e. that static stretching and similar before training has correlated with an increased risk of injury so in some circles had been replaced by dynamic stretching/warm ups and whole body (or larger area0 warm ups such as on cycles, rowers, skipping etc.