new guy here, so ive already wasted a week of searching on this on the web with no succes. My Sports Physcial Therapist also has no clue he says. And my doctor said it would pass, well he wrong. So a friend eventually recommended me to try it here.
So i’'ve been having this issue with heavy (for me) deadlifts. Heavy being approximatly 485ish. 440s pose and lighter dont pose the problem.
Im a conventional lifter if thats important to this.
What it is that im experiencing (for well over 1.5 years now) is that it is as if something around my solar plexus, or really under my sternum. Feels like its being torn apart? Or shift or moves away which hurts like a dick.
Different belt tightness and placement has made no difference.
I think best i can describe it, is when youre making a lot of mucus in your throat, or your throat feels congested. And you scrape it like it kkkgggghhhh sound, this can cause you to have a gag reflex? Atleast it does for me. And something cramps up? Then at basically the same problem area. And its almost as if youre throwing up, but nothing comes out and youre choking on it. But this is then less severe as with deadlifts to the mentioned weight.
Does anyone have any clue or idea what my problem is? Or what it is im doing wrong?
im getting really desperate,
any tips/advice or anything to help me move forward with this would be highly appreciated.
I was not referring to wasting my time here, thankyou. And i never implied that either. So if it sounded like that, my apologies. Just several search engines and search options did not come up with anything that would answer my question. And the search option here came up with only 1 result before i posted on “solar plexus”. And that came back to what i found a lot of things seemingly being Costochondritis. same as for the post here. But its not the cartilage or sternum itself where i feel it. A decent high arch is not a probleme either. And it never has sticked around for long the pain-like sensation. Also never flared up during day activities etc. Which does seem to happen with costo, from what ive read on about from what others mentioned.
Regarding belt.
ive never pulled heavy singles or doubles without a belt. So i cant tell. But anything up to 375ish pounds does not provoke this without a belt. (Never really went higher) And same for around a 330 squat without the belt is no problem either. Then again i never wear my belt like suffocating tight. My fit is a tight hug-fit really but i can still fit 2 3 fingers behind the belt in a relaxed position. And else i find it highly uncomfortable to have the belt dig into my skin or floating ribs. So tighter is not really an option.
For the video part imma have to look how to get videos posted or linked here. So if i figure that out, i should have them posted here within the next 4 6 hours. As i do happen to be a noob when it comes to these things
Well i’ve always worn the belt lower for about a year or so, before this actually started flaring up. (and a lower belt positions feels just more uncomfortable for me)
So i started to wear the belt up higher, felt much better and stronger, lower belt position made me feel much more like throwing up after a certain weight.
Could not post videos before as my other post was still waiting to be approved?
So got some video’s here uploaded with wetransfer.
So this video was the first of doubles, this is where the second rep got me that problem i mentioned
Now this was the third set of doubles, and no problem whatsoever. same belt tightness, belt position etc.
Yea, if your waist grew it could be contributing and I’m not sure that higher position is helping you cause. That said, these videos show a tendency to kick the bar forward at the start and then stiff leg the rest of the pull to some extent, but I don’t think any of these are causative.
If it were me, I’d probably try ditching the belt (if uncomfortable) or wearing it a bit lower (given your symptoms) and reducing waist circumference if > 37".
Well if you dont think any of these are causative, do you have any idea of what it is what im experiencing or why?
Regarding the belt, it’s more uncomfortable for me to have it in a lower position, makes me feel a lot more like throwing up, hence why i started wearing it higher.
And i’ve actually experienced the same issue for quite a while now, give or take 2 years. And well i was about 22-25 lbs lighter at that time.
Actually tried yesterdays deadlifts with a lower belt position, and that didnt go very well, lets just say my lunch came back up.
Now im also experiencing more burping and as if my esophagus is being wrong out like a towel, both in the back of my throat and in the area of my plexus.
Would this mean or tell anything with the symptoms mentioned above? Or am i just not made to deadlift at all?
I can’t really tell based on your description of symptoms and would, if I were your medical provider, ask a number of additional questions and then perform the appropriate workup.
With respect to the body weight, if your waist is > 37" I would recommend weight loss. It may not be causative, but it’d be better for your health. Additionally, I don’t really see a reason to do near maximal or maximal deadlifts in training on a regular basis and thus, changing your programming may work well here.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure what you have or how to fix it from here without seeing you, but I’m not sure the belt is doing you any favors. I think if it’s really been bothering you for years you may want to see your physician to suss this out appropriately,
I appreciate the honesty, and thanks for dealing with me for so long :o and i really appreciate the feedback and you thinking along with me here.
I’ll look into the things i can change that you mentioned. and for the sub max deads, that’s just my coach’s programming working towards a peak now, havent had a peak or comp due to this covid for over a year, it’s just to see where i stand more or less.
One last question though, could it be some kind of acid reflux/GERD or that the intra abdominal pressure with deadlifting, somehow triggers this? Trying to think along here, cause the only other thing i can find that would make sense is a hiatus hernia, but should that not bother me like, ALL the time then? instead of only during relatively heavy deads?
It’s possible and seems to be common in a lot of folks- particularly with a belt and during periods of weight gain. I don’t think it’s a hiatal hernia based on your symptoms here, but cannot rule it out of course.
Understand that you can’t rule anything out. But regarding the weight gain, thats been 22 pounds over the course of 2 years. So it’s not like it’s been anything massive or insanely fast. And because i’ve also had the same symptoms/results with heavy deads being 22 lighter.
Either way, thank you a lot for your help, and i see what i can do to either manage the symptoms or get wrid of them.
So no need for another reply, and i’ll make a update or new post whenever the time for it is due.
Thanks again Doc Feigenbaum:)
Yea, the weight gain note is more to do with reflux (GERD) +/- risk from extra body weight when the waist is > 37". I’m not certain your waist is greater than that, but if it was, weight loss would be reasonable
