Preventative measures have been my go-to, I’m 40+ and still deadlift and squat weekly, as well as do static hangs for grip strength, shoulder, and lower back health. And two dozen or so other workouts for various sectors of the body.
My friends in their mid 30s are always complaining about aches, but what can I say? They don’t wanna be told to workout so you just nod and say, “Aw man, backs amirite?”
So I roleplay back pain for social reasons, but I don’t actually know what they mean. I feel like a spy.
Being 40+ I’d always been surprised I’d never had the back pain I was told I should have at this age. Feeling that I was just luck up to this point I saw posts like yours:
Preventative measures have been my go-to, I’m 40+ and still deadlift and squat weekly,
I know form is important and bad for can hurt you, so I got a personal trainer on staff at my gym. I’d said I wanted to learn deadlift and squats properly using free weights (and Smith machine). I was able to do them, and was told my form was correct. It wasn’t comfortable, but strenuous workouts rarely are. After 3 week of it… my back hurts now. I’ve stopped those workouts about another 3 week ago and my back is hurting less.
So in conclusion, I never had back pain until I started doing what I thought I needed to to avoid back pain.
Your situation is unfortunate, and I realize in a lot of ways I’m spoiled, I grew up in a fitness family and started learning lifts when I was a teenager so I am a bit privileged in that way.
Deadlifts are a tricky one, maybe work on general accessory back work when you are able again, get your stabilizers to a place of confidence, and approach deadlift again when you feel ready.
Alternatively, you can pass on deadlift and learn ‘good mornings’ or hyperextensions which both touch on similar muscle groups.
When it comes to fitness, there are so many alternative lifts for different physiology. Me for example, I have to take caution with barbell overhead press because for whatever reason my shoulders sometimes pinch a nerve in my neck, so I do dumbbell instead. It takes time to learn your body.
Use this website to find alternative workouts for the muscle group in question, it’s one if the best.
Are you sure it was skeletal pain and not muscular? I decided on a whim to go for a PR on deadlift after slacking off from the gym for ~2 weeks. It aged my back by 30 years for a week before the stiffness went away.
I’m personally a big fan of Barbell Medicine and the biopsychosocial model they’re pushing. A point Dr. Feigenbaum had made is that if you’re capable of performing the barbell movements without load, there isn’t really any reason for why the movement should cause harm. If it causes pain, you’re loading up too much weight before your body has adapted to it.
I wish I had time to workout but I actually really don’t. My day starts at 530 am and goes to 9 pm working every day. It sucks.
I can relate, there have been times in my life when I was going to community college and working at night (and various other life situations, including just plain old depression) that I had to temporarily quit the gym. During those times I was usually making some huge leap or working through personal stuff so it was worth it.
At the very least I tried to walk a lot.
Luckily though, muscles are pretty good at picking up where you left of, and from the age of 10 to 40s (now) about half of that time I was in the gym which I feel is pretty solid.
It’s discouraging going from strong to weak, but the biggest thing that keeps me going is remembering the only person I’m competing with is me from yesterday.
the biggest thing that keeps me going is remembering the only person I’m competing with is me from yesterday.
thanks for this sentence. I’ve been struggling at the gym the past two weeks and have been trying to think of ways to motivate myself more, and this did it for me
The sentence of this idea I use is:
“You’re not in a race with others, only the previous version of yourself.”
Another thing that may help, I stole this from Terry Crews, the only goal each day at the gym is to walk in the door. After that, you’re done, no bullying, no critiquing your workout or progress. You went. You won.
Do what you can when you can. And when you can’t, that’s okay. You still went, the routine is the key.
Hopefully someday I don’t have to work 60-70 hours a week and can catch up.
Honest question, is there no dead time during the work schedule to do at least a little bit? There’s a lot of exercises that don’t need any equipment. You might look like a bit of a weirdo to your colleagues, but health > social awkwardness imho
No I wish there was. I’m already doing usually three people’s jobs and I have a night job too, and trying to start a business on the side, as well as some extra work I am picking up.
Never tie your finances to that of a narcissist.
I’m sorry man. I hope things get better for you.
I appreciate it. Don’t marry a crazy person ok?
I am constantly amazed at my spine when I am doing deadlifts or squats. I mean it’s kinda like a stack of bones lined up like a jenga tower and here I am putting a couple hundred pounds on it and it never falls over. It’s pretty wild.
I feel this, this morning. Had a back spasm on the walk in for no reason, still hurts like hell 2 hrs later :(
And it’s so hard to resolve. Your doctor will tell you to do certain stretches but it never helps me. Just rest.
Rest was standard of care 30-40 years ago. We stopped doing that because inactivity leads to muscle atrophy and further spinal stabilizer muscle atrophy, thus greater spinal instability.
So just die?
Yes, I’m sorry. May the iron grant you a swift passing.
It sounds weird, but the best I’ve found is running. When I’m in running season, I tend not to get back spasms, and if I do they are mild and only last a day or two. In the winter when I don’t run, a back spasm hurts like hell for a week or longer. I’m guessing it’s my shoulders moving up and down with each stride? I don’t know, but something about it helps immensely.
Glad that helps you. I wish I didn’t work every day for 11 hours so i could try.
Boop beep I got delete.
It’s not that the secret snake likes to hurt, it’s that you’re (ab)using it in a way that it doesn’t typically get used in. That’s part of why you don’t tend to see cats have back issues, even though they go full slinky.
Cats are 24/7 yoga practicioners, “And for this next stretch, put your rear right paw in your left ear. That’s it, really stretch those kickers. Okay, now we lick the butt. Good effort Whiskers! Professor Meowington keep your back curved!”
Sir, this is a Wendy’s
Actually you are the snake, and for some reason you have to drag this stupid meat suit around
Kundalini?
My first thought! I used to live in a town where there was a kundalini yoga studio, and they started classes at 4 am. It was a white couple who ran it, and they wore their white outfits everywhere, and he was also a mailman and would deliver mail in his white robes.
go ahead, Pull it out if you dont like it!
