maintaining strength whilst on a break?

[Rager Ivan]

I've had a lower back injury for about a year now. It doesn't really hurt much, but its definitely sapping my strength and it isnt healing or getting any worse and i'm 25 damnit. I'm going to have to stop proper strength training until its healed.

Ill basically do more bodybuilding type stuff, putting more isolation work in and reducing the compound movements, becasue the compund movements are what are stopping it from healing I think. I was hoping I could still at least maintain most of my strength though.

I was planning to do 10 rep sets for the bench press and reducing the arch and leg drive in it slightly. The millitary press was putting a lot of pressure on the lower back, so Im going to switch to 10 rep sets of seated dumbell press. The damn press took me ages to build strength on though..
Im going to only squat once a week but I will push myself very hard for 3 sets of 5. The deadlift I will do one heavy set a week for 5 reps.. although many say that deadlifting less= a better deadlift, and seeing as I'm recovering maybe once a fortnight is better.

Will this still at least stop me from losing strength for when I one day return to proper training? thanks.

 

[pliftkl]

Since you describe it as "lower back injury", I'm guessing this is all self-diagnosis. Go see a sports doctor and find out what's actually wrong, and do what the doctor says to do.

 

[Mumrik]

Also, what is your strength level?

Unless you're pretty advanced it won't take you long to make a comeback after even a rather long layoff.

Anyway, do indeed get your back checked out. Don't end up like me wasting 2 years trying to get a back injury diagnosed.

 

[Rager Ivan]

I saw a doctor and have seen a physio every few weeks for about 6 months. i was given stretches to do, but none of them gave anything but temporary relief. As far as the physio could tell, something around the joint connecting my hip to my lower spine is damaged. After nothing healed me, he said go back to your doctor to get referred to some acupuncture guy :/

My strength level is:
5 rep max for squat is about 220 lb
5 rep max for deadlift about 310 lb
5 rep max for bench about 200 lb
5 rep max for press about 130 lb

Took me frickin forever to get there though. Hopefully bodybuilding routine will maintain it mostly.

 

[miaou]

What was doc's diagnosis?

...other than "something around something else is kinda damaged"?

 

[Tosa]

Have you seen a sports medicine doctor? Tried a different physiotherapist? Have you had your lifting technique checked? What sort of hip mobility work do you do?

That being said, altering your training to let an injury heal doesn't necessarily mean doing bodybuilding BS, and isolation work. Do you have access or can you get access to a prowler or weight sled. Do step-ups or single leg squats bother you back? What about back extensions, glute ham raises, glute bridges, reverse hypers, or swings? You might want to consider learning how to pull sumo as well.

I can't say which of the above, if any, will work for you. And the first, second and third thing to do is see a doctor. But having an injury doesn't mean you spend your gym time doing BS exercises.

 

[Rager Ivan]

The physio couldn't figure out exactly, he just said something was damaged around the joint. He said I could continue weight training, just drop the hanging leg raise, barbell row and power clean.


Kinda sucks that I couldn't get a more specific diagnosis. Anyway it didnt heal, so Im gonna take it down another notch. Was gonna try this for a few months.

Monday- Back/Biceps
Deadlifts 4x5 (ill alternate with weighted hypers every other week to give more rest)
Dumbell lying row 4x8
Chinups 4x8
Barbell Curls 4x10


Wednesday-Chest/Triceps
Bench Press 4x5
Incline Bench Press 3x10
Dips 3x8
Skullcrushers or Close Grip BP 4x10


Friday- Legs/Shoulders
Squats 4x5
Leg Curl 4x10
Calf Raises 4x12
Dumbell shoulder press - 4x10

Ill try some of the other exercises you mentioned and ill try and get another physio. The one I saw didn't seem to be able to hit the spot very well..

 

[miaou]

So did you go to a doctor and did he make a diagnosis before sending you to the physiotherapist?




He can't send you to a physiotherapist without a specific diagnosis for the physiotherapist to work with, you know.

 

[pliftkl]

Ill try some of the other exercises you mentioned and ill try and get another physio. The one I saw didn't seem to be able to hit the spot very well..

You need to see a doctor who specializes in sports medicine.

When you go see your normal family doctor for an injury, he thinks of his role as making sure that you can resume normal life again (i.e. drive your car, go to work, play with your kids). A general practitioner will typically order X-rays of the area that you say hurt, examine those X-rays, and then prescribe generic physical therapy for whatever ailment is closest to the symptoms you describe.

When you go see a sports medicine doctor, his role is to figure out how to fix your injury so that you can resume athletic endeavors. He's going to figure out exactly what is wrong and then figure out exactly what you need to do to fix that injury.

 

[Rager Ivan]

It wasn't my normal doctor I saw when he referred me, but no he didnt diagnose me.
The useless physio helped not at all. I just phoned up my normal doctor a minute ago and told him it was still aching. He told me to wait a few months and theres no point getting an xray because it isnt interfering with my job and an xray probably wouldnt help anyway, Asshole.

Thanks, a sports doctor sound great, I'll google for somewhere in my city. How do I know I dont get some micky mouse doctor though? I'm a Brit btw.

 

[pjmeunyc12]

It wasn't my normal doctor I saw when he referred me, but no he didnt diagnose me.
The useless physio helped not at all. I just phoned up my normal doctor a minute ago and told him it was still aching. He told me to wait a few months and theres no point getting an xray because it isnt interfering with my job and an xray probably wouldnt help anyway, Asshole.

Thanks, a sports doctor sound great, I'll google for somewhere in my city. How do I know I dont get some micky mouse doctor though? I'm a Brit btw.

Just try to find a practice that is affiliated with a pro/college sports team. My shoulder has been jacked up forever, and I went to see a sports doctor thats affiliated with the phoenix suns, and he was good.

 

[pliftkl]

Thanks, a sports doctor sound great, I'll google for somewhere in my city. How do I know I dont get some micky mouse doctor though? I'm a Brit btw.

Find a local college that has an athletic program. Call them and ask them who they would send a star player to if he were injured.

 

[Rager Ivan]

Sound advice, I'll let y'all know how it goes.