Your weight training injuries ?

[J4CKO]

As per title, I want to remain injury free so was wondering what kind of injuries you lot have had, what have caused it and whether you could have done anything different ?

[Heathwood]

I'm quite injury prone, albeit they're more inconvenient than serious. My 2 regulars are rotator cuff issues (at least I think that's what it is) and lower back pain.

Six months ago I took a step back and started doing stronglifts 5x5. This helped me to really focus on form whilst the weight was low. The low weight also took the strain off my body for a while, which improved matters. However, once the weight became seriously challenging the issues started to return again, particularly RC pain. Back squats, deads and standing military press in the same session seem to put a little too much strain on my lower back. I need to look at breaking that up as I'm currently struggling with my lower back again.

Just recently I can also add a curious upper forearm/elbow tendon strain to the usual list. Maybe it's just age!

[ikarl]

Neck muscles and twinges down my traps..... at least once a month!

Sometimes could just be picking up a light dumbbell at the end of a session, maybe pick it up wrong and then have that horrible feeling down one side of my neck/back for a few days

[Rewe]

Torn rotator cuff and always worried it will go again. The thing I wish I had done years ago was to use lighter weights but move them much more slowly; the same effect but half the risk.

[fishseller]

Rewe said:

Torn rotator cuff and always worried it will go again. The thing I wish I had done years ago was to use lighter weights but move them much more slowly; the same effect but half the risk.

I have the same problem did you have an opp?
or let it repair naturally

[meehaja]

Being injury prone (Shoulder, lower back, neck) I'm careful. I swapped bent over rows for a cable row as I just couldn't seem to find form that didn't feel like my back was at risk. I also shoulder press on a machine as I dislocated my shoulder once doing shoulder presses, and whilst it has been repaired, I'd rather not go through that again!

Worst injury I've had recently was my foot whilst squatting. I have one leg shorter than the other by about an inch and a half and tend to put all my weight on the shorter one, I must have rolled onto the outer edge of the foot whilst squatting and pulled something, that was sore for weeks!

[LordGrover]

Over many years of consistent niggles to downright painful, I've learnt to go steady.
If anything is not 100% perfect, forget it. Try again next time.
Had this last weekend - was working my way up through deadlift warm-ups as usual; 60, 80, 100, etc - but at just 80kgs something wasn't right... just the vaguest hint of a twinge somewhere in the lower arse/glutes/top of hamstring area. Called it a day.
Seven days later and had a great deadlift day, matching PB from a few years ago.

I never push on through like I used to, but I'm not ultra competitive or 'commited' like some.

[didelydoo]

Some kind of glute/Ham injury, that finally resulted in a loud snap, then went away when healed. Other than that, nothing really, and I push hard, and heavy pretty much all the time.

[Zod]

Rotator cuff ligament a few years ago, but that's sorted.

Currently, it's patellar tendons. They hurt a bit when I do squats, leg press, rowing, running.

[Mothersruin]

LordGrover said:

Over many years of consistent niggles to downright painful, I've learnt to go steady.
If anything is not 100% perfect, forget it. Try again next time.
Had this last weekend - was working my way up through deadlift warm-ups as usual; 60, 80, 100, etc - but at just 80kgs something wasn't right... just the vaguest hint of a twinge somewhere in the lower arse/glutes/top of hamstring area. Called it a day.
Seven days later and had a great deadlift day, matching PB from a few years ago.

I never push on through like I used to, but I'm not ultra competitive or 'commited' like some.

This pretty much.

It's also hugely apparent the older you get the longer, sometimes much longer, it can take you to recover from an injury.

[BigMon]

I've had loads.

Tore something in my groin (similar to a hernia) whilst deadlifting. It healed eventually without surgery but I can't deadlift any more so there is obviously still scar tissue there.

Rotator cuff issues that I needed to have physio for. That worked but I can still feel it.

I currently have golfers elbow which means I can't curl with my palms forward or do chin ups, etc.

It's probably down to a combination of things but, ultimately, I've been weightlifting for almost 30 years and I suspect a lot of these are stress injuries that have built up over time.

Also you don't heal as well in your forties as you did in your twenties!

I also do a lot more warming up now, and spend about ten minutes stretching upper and lower body at the end of my session. It's amazing how many people don't warm up or do any stretching and, IMHO, that's just asking for it.

[louiebaby]

I once burst a blood vessel in my eye whilst bench pressing. Does that count?

It made me feel like a hero when people asked how I'd done it. I didn't mention the (relatively pathetic) amount I was attempting to lift at the time.

[ORD]

None. I've never even torn a muscle. I've been lifting fairly consistently for 15 years. I have various things that cause me joint trouble, so I tend to avoid them or do them for only a few weeks at a time - barbell bench press, tricep extensions and OHP, most notably.

It probably helps that I am not very strong so don't lift enough weight to hurt myself. My only respectable lift is the bench press (which I almost never do) at about 125 kg. I am pretty good at landmine presses, but nobody cares about those. I am relatively careful, which I know limits my ability to add weight - I doubt I will ever get to a 180 kg squat or much above a 200 kg deadlift.

I have, however, aggravated an existing neck injury (originally a martial arts injury) quite a few times over the years. It is an absolutely bd. The weird thing is how many different exercises have caused it to flare up. From memory, it has "popped" doing the following exercises:

Barbell bench press (a couple of times)
Pull ups (a couple of times), but chin ups are fine.
Dumbbell shoulder press, but barbell has always been fine.
Back squat (grinding out a rep).

Interesting to hear how many people have had neck trouble.

[lost in espace]

I have got exertion headaches which I directly attribute to deadlifting, comes back now and again if I sneeze or cough funny. Get a twinge when lifting too, take the weight off goes straight away.

[ben5575]

I've managed to dislocate/tear both of my ac joints at different times. Happens when you extend your elbows backwards past the line of your body, so inclined chest presses for example. Takes an age to repair as well; it's a good 6 months out and sleepless nights.

I don't lift anymore (not that I ever did remotely seriously in the first place), but I even do press ups on my knees now

And as above, hit 40+ and everything hurts! Latest one is plantar fasciitis which has me hobbling like a 90 year old first thing in the morning!

[lost in espace]

ben5575 said:

And as above, hit 40+ and everything hurts! Latest one is plantar fasciitis which has me hobbling like a 90 year old first thing in the morning!

Being 49 I am finding rowing, running and weights are essential I am just very pleased to be able to do it, if I picked up an injury like that it would make everything so much harder. Feel for you Ben!

[Mark300zx]

Competed at O lifting for 25 years, the more serious injuries, two compressions fractures T11+T12, torn cartilage and shoulder impingement.

What would I do with hindsight, more off season variety training, more overall strength in different planes of movement and less big lifts.

[ORD]

Mark300zx said:

Competed at O lifting for 25 years, the more serious injuries, two compressions fractures T11+T12, torn cartilage and shoulder impingement.

What would I do with hindsight, more off season variety training, more overall strength in different planes of movement and less big lifts.

More bodybuilding-style work, basically?

[Mark300zx]

ORD said:

More bodybuilding-style work, basically?

No could be sprint work, throwing, functional movements and conventional weights.

[okenemem]

tendonitis from pull-ups

weird shoulder injury from behind the neck shoulder press

lower back pain from poor form in heavy clean and press,