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View Full Version : Training Through Injuries/Illness and Overtraining



kook
02-13-2008, 10:14 AM
Just something I was thinking about while not being able to sleep last night.

I've been through many injuries, although I have never put much thought into them. Not many have been lifting related, but are worsened through lifting. 4 years ago while working by myself I dropped a 250lb beam on my shoulder from about. I caught it while standing on a 12' tall ladder , had nothing else to do but walk down with it in pain(dropping it would have knocked the ladder out from me and I would have fell 10' or so).

I benched 2 days later, and never stopped, it hurt like you wouldn't believe until it finally got better, was it smart? of course not. I probably did more damage to it benching as heavy as I was right before it happened.

Since that time I have had problems with that shoulder, it gets loose, it gets strong, and seems to go on in that cycle. 4 months ago or so I knew it was getting loose again and weak, but I pushed it, would tell my chiro who kept telling me to take it easy for a bit, as I had no contests after Nationals. Well I dislocated it about 3.5 weeks ago, I just popped it back in, but I think I've finally learned my lesson. I have to be smart about this one. Or It might become useless.

Around the same time It felt as though I had pulled my pec on same side as shoulder, turns out its a bruised rib(it could have broke a few months ago for all I know), everytime I bend at the hips it puts pressure on this thing. Tried to bounce a tire off my stomach this past wknd and hurt it again.

And the big kicker, I was getting so strong during July-November leading to nationals and it all fell apart. I was Overtrained, and stressed out from quite a few things.My body shut down, metabolism went to hell, and I gained a lot of weight. I guess my heart wasnt happy with me, it started skipping a beat(robb and I talked about this,thanks bro) it would fill with blood skipping the normal beat then bam rush of blood and a few quick beats to catch up, it was scary as hell.It would happen a few times a minute and for about 2 monthes. I was almost sure I would die at any moment. Anxiety came with it and worsened the problem. But I kept training heavy, went to Nationals, came back did another contest 3 weeks later.

So if you've followed my log, I've made some changes, I've lost 40lbs and have a lot more to go, and have not lost much strength at all! and I feel strong, and good.(and that heart problem has gone away)

I don't need sympathy, just telling my story with some updates.

Mostly I hope that someone else can learn something from what I screwed up on. Overtraining is very real( I used to believe the statement" there is no overtraining, just under recovering), well its true to a point, but if you push it far enough overtraining is what will happen(Adrenal fatigue?)

Be Well, Train Smart

C. Smith
02-13-2008, 10:20 AM
Good post kook. There are quite a few people who push through and overtrain. I've been through the injuries and tried to learn from them and train around them. Quality > Quantity. People would be surprised at how much strength and size they gained by backing down some, imo.

Beverly McD.
02-13-2008, 10:30 AM
Outstanding post.

solidspine
02-14-2008, 05:20 AM
Injuries like yours are our biggest enemy and they seem to only get worst as you get older.

Have to treat them very, very seriously, or they can literally knock you out of the gym.

I am out now for at least 2 more weeks.

Can not train trough them, must train around them.

Kap
02-14-2008, 07:30 AM
Nice post, kook. I could stand to learn something from you. I never treat my injuries accordingly!

kook
02-15-2008, 09:28 AM
Thanks everyone,
SS, I know you've had your fair share of bad injuries, hope this one doesn't keep you out too long. You're right, train around them, and do what does not hurt you until things are ready to go again.

Kap, we'll learn together, I'm sure I'll do something stupid again, I always do, Stubborn is in my blood.

I just hope I can get to be very old and still lift a few weights.

Polski Byk
02-17-2008, 05:41 AM
Kook, glad to see you are one of the smarter ones that realized "adjustments" needed to be made. Your body tells you alot, most just dont listen....and that not good.

saiyanjin
02-17-2008, 07:18 AM
great post kook!

Big Sky Guy
02-17-2008, 08:16 AM
Nothing good has ever come of my training through and I always play it too risky when training around so have to take it as nearly down time and majorly readjust. Generally involving higher rep scheme and conditioning for many weeks to give the bod a break. I know that is near impossible for competitors as there are defined dates that have to be met.

Both injuries this year were outside the gym...waterballon fight took out the shoulder which was iffy anyway due to baseball, football and lifting. And the hamstring was from soccer. I actually surrendered and went to a PT after several weeks as the injuries were not going to resolve and incomplete PT would set me up for reinjury.

I learned a lot from the PT I went to and will go to this guy if I get hurt in the future as he wants full recovery and installs a prevention plan (got to love a doc that does not want to see you back in his office:))

sassy69
02-17-2008, 09:35 AM
Every time I get an injurry of some sort (mostly training related) I do the same sequence of stuff -
- try to train around it
- aggravate something else
- go see a doc / physical therapist / orthopaedic surgeon / chiro / massage therapist
- and then spend the next 3 months taking random days off from the gym just because I can't do anything w/o hurting something
- spend the rest of my life altering my training regimen to work around the problem and visiting my chiro & LMT more regularly.

Beverly McD.
02-17-2008, 01:57 PM
Ditto Sassy.

I plan to smarten up one of these days. Not looking like it'll be any time soon though.

sassy69
02-17-2008, 02:05 PM
LOL! Its a burden isn't it?