Injured, looking for change...

[HitMan-sC]

Hey guys! Back in november, I started madcow's SF 5x5 and continued that until about february, with great gains! At that point, my chest began stalling, and I was unable to reset and make any real progress due to a combination of injuries/fatigue/school. In march/april, I reset the cycle again and started making more progress with my squats/rows and such, and I ended up straining my lower back. Deadlifts had always given my lower back problems on and off, but the pain usually went away in a few days. This pain came from squats, and it felt like it was accumulating. I was keeping an eye on my form, and I couldn't spot anything in particular I was doing incorrectly..

At one point, during a PR day, I strained my lower back hard during my last set of squats. From there on out, it hurt like a bitch! I took two weeks off, and the pain improved, so I tried going back to the gym and didn't even make it through a whole workout before straining it again. This was about two months ago, and it is still hurting me now! I took time off, and I've been trying stretches and light workouts to keep myself somewhat in shape while my back recovered. Two weeks ago, I saw an orthopedist (sp?), and he explained to me that this pain was from a pulled muscle which would take about 2 months to heal; however, he noticed what was possibly a small stress fracture on one of my x-rays, but he said he didn't think it was causing the pain. At his advice, I took more time off and my back was feeling better, although not completely pain-free. I tried going back to the gym yesterday, and after a few sets of squats, my back was killng me again.. stretching helps it feel a little better.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to do squats, deadlifts or even bent over barbell rows for a while, at least until I make a full recovery. I know there is no substitute for squats and deadlifts, but they're out of the cards for now. Would you guys recommend switching out exercises or switching to a different program altogether as I recover? I heard that front squats and deadlifts with a trap bar don't put nearly as much strain on your back...

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

Sounds like you have a flexibility issue or bad squat form. Do you know of any reputable personal trainers in your area?

 

[al420]

I agree - your explanation sounds like hip flexability issues and loosing the positive angle in your back on squats

 

[Sculelos]

I agree - your explanation sounds like hip flexability issues and loosing the positive angle in your back on squats

Yep, I would definitely agree with that.

I would try to work on flexibility.

 

[thebadguy54]

Can you still do front squats, overhead squats and light back squats? If so, just do higher reps until your back gets better.

 

[HitMan-sC]

Hip flexibility? Positive angle in my squats? Could you elaborate please?

 

[al420]

Hip flexibility? Positive angle in my squats? Could you elaborate please?

Hip flexibility is paramount for decent depth. This is why we can all go lower w/ raised heels, or even up on our toes as this takes the hips out of the movement. If you tell a kid to bend at the knees to pick up something underneath them they will naturally have a narrow stance and will go onto their toes as they decend. I would read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe to better undersrtand the mechanics behind the squat - it was very helpful to me.


By positive angle I mean lower back integrity - no rounding or folding under the weight in the hole. I squat Oly stye and on my heavy doubles I sometimes bend a bit in the very bottom, but not by much.