Injury frustration

MSGSM

Training two and a half years and during that time I've had a lot of stumbling blocks, mainly injuries preventing me from making serious progress in the gym.

I've come on a lot physique wise but was starting to build momentum and my back gave up on me two days ago. Yesterday was agony, today slightly better but it's so disheartening now cos I feel like I keep getting fresh new roadblocks.

I hurt my SI joint before Christmas and learned my mobility was shockingly bad. Over the last few months, I've worked hard on mobility stretches as well as my workouts but two days ago, my back started getting very sore and I don't know why.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to reach my target.
Any advice?
Thanks

Alf Veedersane

You need to look at what is causing the injuries. They don't just happen.

Working on mobility is always a good idea. But it won't necessarily address movement quality. If poor mobility was causing poor technique, working on mobility won't mean you will improve technique. It will mean being mobile enough to move correctly. You may have ingrained poor movement patterns.

Or you may be training poorly insofar as it may be loading and frequency that might create problems.

There could be myriad reasons for it but you would be advised to go to a good trainer to look at how you move and look at how you train. And a good physio as well. Both would help address the underlying factors for the injuries and help you make progress.

MSGSM

Thanks for reply Alf. When I started out, my form was causing a few issues with my shoulder etc but over the last 18 months I've really focused on the form. That's not to say I'm not making mistakes somewhere which could be like putting straw on a camels back until it breaks (pardon the pun)

I do online coaching with a great PT and I've seen great results so far but he isn't in the gym with me so may book a few session when I recover to make sure all is ok.

silverharp

At the risk of telling someone how to suck eggs but have you looked at "safer" variants of the exercises you do? or in hindsight was your recovery time between workouts spot on?

PatrickSmithUS

MSGSM wrote: »

Training two and a half years and during that time I've had a lot of stumbling blocks, mainly injuries preventing me from making serious progress in the gym.

I've come on a lot physique wise but was starting to build momentum and my back gave up on me two days ago. Yesterday was agony, today slightly better but it's so disheartening now cos I feel like I keep getting fresh new roadblocks.

I hurt my SI joint before Christmas and learned my mobility was shockingly bad. Over the last few months, I've worked hard on mobility stretches as well as my workouts but two days ago, my back started getting very sore and I don't know why.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to reach my target.
Any advice?
Thanks

What are you training for and are you giving yourself enough time to recover?

Alf Veedersane

silverharp wrote: »

At the risk of telling someone how to suck eggs but have you looked at "safer" variants of the exercises you do? or in hindsight was your recovery time between workouts spot on?

There can be a whole host of reasons that someone accumulates injuries before needing to look at 'safer' variants.

Technique, intensity and volume, frequency, etc.

MSGSM

Since my injury in November. I do three full body sessions a week while aiming to do rehab stretches every day.
My goal ATM is a fitness photoshoot. I really don't know what made it so bad this time. Saying that over the last few months, I'm regularly stiff in the injured area so I don't know if it was healing right.
I'm only 25 as well.

Alf Veedersane

MSGSM wrote: »

Since my injury in November. I do the full body session a week while aiming to do rehab stretches every day.
My goal ATM is a fitness photoshoot. I really don't know what made it so bad this time. Saying that over the last few months, I'm regularly stiff in the injured area so I don't know if it was healing right.
I'm only 25 as well.

Are you resting the injury? Has the physio ok'd the workout you do?

I had a bad elbow injury that continued until I stopped pulling exercises altogether as I had been trying to modify them and continue.

Zillah

It's a little alarming that you would so casually say "my back gave up on me two days ago". A more accurate thing to say would be "I damaged my back two days ago", and your priority needs to be assessing what you did to cause it. Injuries don't just happen like the weather.

If you keep injuring yourself then you need to get someone to oversee your workout plan and assess what you're doing and how you're doing it.

Transform

MSGSM wrote: »

Thanks for reply Alf. When I started out, my form was causing a few issues with my shoulder etc but over the last 18 months I've really focused on the form. That's not to say I'm not making mistakes somewhere which could be like putting straw on a camels back until it breaks (pardon the pun)

I do online coaching with a great PT and I've seen great results so far but he isn't in the gym with me so may book a few session when I recover to make sure all is ok.

do this test first - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_0MuVsyHfQ youve super tight hips if you struggle with this

then do all this (it takes 5mins) which will identify where exactly you need to work on - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2fW2yvvVWw&t=1s

doing random stretches isnt going to help, plus as mentioned - volume, intensity, loading etc in sessions will play a huge role.

Finally #athleticoveraesthetic but hey maybe im too old to understand

MSGSM

Thanks transform for the reply.
I've got very tight hips but was trying to work on them over the last few weeks.

Would you believe it I tried to do that couch stretch the morning of the injury and I wasnt able to do it at all.

My physio thinks I have to really build up and strengthen my lower back area with Pilates etc and I am back to her next week and I will ask if my lack of mobility in my hips are playing a part.

I started out wanting to look great but now I want to increase my mobility and flexibility first before getting into aesthetics.

Reisers

I would completely stop the rehab stretches

Alf Veedersane

MSGSM wrote: »

Thanks transform for the reply.
I've got very tight hips but was trying to work on them over the last few weeks.

Would you believe it I tried to do that couch stretch the morning of the injury and I wasnt able to do it at all.

My physio thinks I have to really build up and strengthen my lower back area with Pilates etc and I am back to her next week and I will ask if my lack of mobility in my hips are playing a part.

I started out wanting to look great but now I want to increase my mobility and flexibility first before getting into aesthetics.

Lower back is an area that will suffer if your hips aren't allowing you to move properly. Injuries from lack of hip mobility can manifest themselves in lower back, knees etc.

So yeah, strengthening lower back will always help, but it may not be addressing the root cause of the issue that is causing the injury.

Brian?

Mod Note: I am uncomfortable with this thread, it seems the OP is visiting a physio and should be following the physios advice as they are a medical professional.

I am going to lock the thread as it strays too far into medical advice. Please PM me if you disagree.