Sore neck

[Trance]

I've just been training for about a month, and I keep having problems with my neck and upper back. Is there some type of stretch or warmup I can do to prevent this?

It's mainly located in the muscles at the back of my neck("traps"? I'm a little clueless with this stuff...), and I get really stiff and sore.

I'm doing arm and back exercised three times a week, but am still at a fairly low weight. I'm not sure why I keep running into this.

Any suggestions/info would be much appreciated. I am wearing out my heating pad. LOL

 

[Trance]

Here's what I've been doing 3 days per week:

(basically 3 sets of 10-12 reps for each exercise)

military presses
curls
bench presses
bent over tricep extensions
curls with arms raised
flies
straight arm raises out to the sides
shrugs
straight arms raises to front
1 handed rows(bent over)
forearm curls, inside and outside
dead lifts

I have no idea whether these are the correct names, but you get my drift, I hope.

 

[Gladiola]

Here's what I've been doing 3 days per week:

(basically 3 sets of 10-12 reps for each exercise)

military presses - Front & medial Deltoid (shoulder)
curls - biceps
bench presses pecs/chest & frontal delt
bent over tricep extensions - tris
curls with arms raised - bicepts & maybe shoudlers depending on exactly how you are positioned
flies-- chest
straight arm raises out to the sides medial delt (middle shoulder)
shrugs -traps
straight arms raises to front - front delt
1 handed rows(bent over) - rhomboids (middle back)
forearm curls, inside and outside - forearm
dead lifts - glutes, hams, lower back

OK, just to be sure I'm on the same page with ya, I typed in what you are working with each of those exercises (if they are what I think they are).

Are you doing all of that 3 days a week? That's quite a lot, so I would definitely say over training is a likely factor. Is that the order you do it? You seem to have a lack of lower body training, with dead lifts as your only leg exercise.

 

[Trance]

That's three days per week. The other two days that I lift I do lower body-type of stuff - crunches, leg exercises, etc.

 

[Trance]

No previous injuries at any time.

I do take certain medications that cause muscle stiffness at times, but it seems to have gotten a lot worse, and it is only in my neck. My arms and lower back are fine - actually better than before. I used to have a little lower back pain, but since I have started lifting it's been gone.

My father came over last week to help me out with my form, and he seemed to think I was doing OK.

I'm not sure - maybe it's just the fact that I have never really used those muscle groups before? I have no idea.

It hurts like a bitch, but I hate to take time off. I've just been popping a few Tylenols for it and using a heating pad at night.

 

[Trance]

Only once a week? I thought the more often you worked out, the better. (within reason.)

Nope, no trainer. I wish...

I do kind of tend to lift with my head down(grunting like an idiot...lol), so maybe that's it? I always make a serious effort to keep my back nice and straight, though.

 

[Trance]

I'll give it a shot! Do you think I should decrease sets, too?

 

[Trance]

Yeah, I checked it out on the "training splits" post on this page.

Mine has been more like:

Day One: arms/back

Day Two: abs/legs/butt

Day Three: Arms/back

Day Four: abs/legs/butt

Day Five: Arms/Back

and the weekend off.

Maybe I should re-think that.

 

[Trance]

I am going to sit down with a couple of books tonight and hopefully figure it out! Thanks so much - I will let you know!

If you want to send me a few form pics or links, that would be very helpful. I have the most hard time keeping good for while doing bent-over rows and stuff like that.

 

[Hannibal]

I would be hard pressed to find a serious lifter/fitness enthusiast on this board that doesn't have a once a week training split.

There always has to be one BLACK SHEEP