Hmm, I will take a look for some lifting shoes then. I'm wary, because shoes and I have an agreement - I don't like them and they don't like me. I'm worried that I'm going to shell out $100-ish dollars for a pair of shoes that I can't wear because they hurt too much. This is pretty much how it feels - as soon as I start to go down my body isn't sure what to move so I end up not being able to do anything. But from what you're saying it sounds like I just need to train my body how to do the lift, right?
Partially, but remember to start light. Like..empty bar or less light. Learn what to contract and relax and the timing for that. re: lifting shoes... Get them from zappos. You'll be able to return them. You aren't running in them, you're not bouncing or anything in them, you're just LIFTING in them.
What's the muscle-use difference between deadlifting with an oly bar and deadlifting with a trap bar? I've heard that deadlifting with a trap bar recruits your muscles in a fashion that's more similar to a squat. Which one is more useful for strengthening the lower back?
Speaking of shoes, a friend of mine turned me on to this place. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.joesnewbalanceoutlet.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.joesnewbalanceoutlet.com/</a> They're older models on closeout and, from what I can tell, the prices aren't that much better than you can get from discount shoe places, but the selection is huge. I'm a New Balance shoe junkie, I really, really like the way feel when I run, so I'm a touch biased towards them, but either way the prices are good.
A trap bar can indeed help you have a more quad dominant DL since it's easier to drop your hips more to get "under" the bar. I'm personally not a big fan because, IMO, it can lead to some bad habits when doing a regular DL. But if it's for fitness then it can definitely be another tool in your arsenal.
Yeah, because of my injury I wasn't able to DL for a couple of months. I've started DLing again, but I'm behind and it's starting to catch up with me; right now my lower back is getting fatigued the quickest when I squat heavy. I need to get my lower back caught up to speed with the rest of my body so I was wondering which DL form is better for it.
So....squatting with bulging discs? Yay or nay? I did a lot of heavy lifting in college and my back felt great. However, my orthopedic doc told me hell no, stay away from that stuff, and that I felt good in spite of my lifting, not because of it. Obviously my doctor's opinion is more important to me than things I read online, but I do wonder if any of you have dealt with disc problems. I've had the problems for about 8-9 years and will probably have them forever.
be, depends on what's going on when you squat. Does it aggravate your back? It might actually help with pain relief. I would listen to my body instead of an ortho making a blanket statement like that. Fun fact from a landmark study that came out a few years ago: 50% of a healthy, (read: non-symptomatic, absolutely no current or history of low back pain) adult population has at least one bulging disc. Sometimes bulging/herniated discs are the root of back pain; sometimes they cause absolutely no symptoms. I think they catch the blame for a large chunk of chronic pain patients when there's something else going on. Spines are anatomically dense and there are many other things that can cause pain. Anyway, maybe your ortho threw that out about squatting 'cause he assumes most people do it incorrectly. Or maybe he thinks all lifting is "bad". Maybe you could have someone check your form and technique just to make sure it's spot-on.
Yes, I think that he was making a blanket statement which is why I question it. He also followed up his hell no with a stupid, ''they call them 'dumb' bells for a reason!" He advised me to do various cardio exercises. Sorry, but lifting weights is good for women, and using dumbbells for other exercises wouldn't really even effect my back anyway. OK, /end rant, but I just wanted to see if anyone else had another opinion. And it turns out I am not completely crazy for listening to my body's cues. I don't have any plans in the near future to start squatting again, but I hate limiting my options. It is something I used to really enjoy the hell out of and would love to include it in my weekly exercise regimen.
I had a bulging disc in my early 20s. When I went for physical therapy, they said what you really want to do is strengthen your core. The tighter your stomach, the less pressure on your back. It definitely helps. They also gave me exercises to do when my back was bothering me. Did he recommend anything there for you?
I was in physical therapy for about 3 months. In the beginning she worked on my back a lot but after that it was all core strengthening and towards the end, straight up pillates. I didn't have much improvement. I mean yes, my core got stronger, but in terms of pain levels not much changed. So between that, an xray, an MRI, one of those electrical impulse tests, and a steroid shot, I have had very little improvement (I did have a couple random days where I felt really good that had me hopeful, but the pain came back as it always was afterward). It seems like a no brainer to resume the activities that had me feeling good in the past, but the doc seemed to think that was the worst idea in the world. He gets paid the big bucks to do what he does, but at the same time, nothing else he has prescribed helped me much. He recommended more pt and more steroid shots. I don't think I can do more shots without knowing that it will actually lead somewhere positive. I had about 2 weeks of back pain relief, but it left me with a throbbing hip, plus other nasty side effects (helllloooo 3 periods in 6 weeks).
Well, that's rather discouraging. Have you tried a chiropractor? Probably not the normal route but my 13 year old has had great success with it after falling in the snow a couple of years ago. And one of my friends has had some success with acupuncture after being diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 40. Again, a little outside the box, but desperate times and all. Good luck. I'm sure it can be frustrating at times.
Maybe you should try a different ortho or different PT. Nobody should go for 3 months with only a little improvement. Typically people are referred out if there isn't change in 2 (maaaaybe 3) weeks. Hope you can find something that works for you...acupuncture, chiro, myofascial release...whatever.
I actually did work with another pt while my primary pt was on vacation for 2 weeks but didn't see much improvement. And she hurt way worse! She did this thing where she tried to loosen up some ligaments or something in the center of my body through my abdomen, kind of in the region of my bladder. Holy batman, that was some unique pain. The primary worked on the ligaments directly in the areas that hurt with some little plastic torture device caused a lot of pain, but it was in an area that was used to hurting. ANYWAY. I am hoping to see how free weight lifting works and will consider acupuncture and chiropractics if I don't see success. We have good insurance but constant pt and doc visits twice a week for 3 months adds up and I'm disappointed that nothing came of it. I gotta try the cheaper options before I go the not-covered-by-insurance route. Thanks for the replies y'all. It's given me a lot to think about.
So I went to my dentist yesterday, after having chipped a molar last week. He said that one of my molars showed signs of wear from grinding. When I mentioned it might have been from tensing up during lifting, he immediately went, "Yeah, that'll wreck your teeth," and recommended I wear a mouthguard of some sort in the gym and during sleep. Anyone else have this problem? I'm looking into this guy right now: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/armourbite-mouthpiece/pid1223503-960" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/a ... 223503-960</a>
Yeah, I used to do that. I have a mouthguard (can't remember the brand) for sleeping, and I just forced myself to stop clenching when training. It took a while to break the habit but between the MG and becoming more aware of clenching, I've pretty much broken myself of the habit and rarely have jaw/teeth pain.
Yeah, just buy a cheap one at a sports store, heat it up in a hot pot of water, then bite on it while it's soft and warm (ha ha, I know). It will make a decent mould fit. One's from dentist fit better but cost MUCH MUCH more.
Yay, first time under a bar in about 2 months and I started a new 5x5 for the new year. Boo, I am going to hurt so bad and it is nobody's fault, but my own lazy ass.
I started this week with squats and bent over rows, then did deads and bench the next day. It was stupid to do legs back to back when I am starting to lift again for the first time in a couple years. I could barely get out of bed this morning. Hurts so good though. My back pain is gone. Huh, imagine that.