So I took about a month pseudo-off due to work. I was still lifting around 2x week but not on any particular program.
Towards the end of the month I started having this pain in my low back/hip, almost into my left buttocks. Its strange because I don’t remember injuring it. Its not like I performed a lift and came up with it hurting. Just sort of noticed it one day and it has been pretty persistent for a month or so.
When not lifting, the pain is actually considerably more noticeable when I am sitting. When I stand I don’t really feel it.
When lifting, it is most pronounced during a deadlift (again, I don’t feel like I actually injured it deadlifting). By pronounced, I mean it is pretty significant. I did notice once during heavy squatting it was there and almost had sciatica like pain at the bottom of the lift (shooting pain down the back of my leg). However I’ve essentially taken a break from deadlifting but continue to squat and that hasn’t happened again so I’m not sure how related it is.
Anyway, I tried to work through it on the Bridge but it wasn’t working (I have had several back tweaks like all of us have and I tend to just keep working by dropping the weight 10-20% and it usually just gets better in a week or two) so I switched things up, held off on deadlifting and have been mostly squatting and doing a good bit of benching off program. That has been almost a month and I don’t feel like its much better.
I don’t tend to worry much about pain, have had a number of typical aches, strains and pulls lifting. Never do much special for them, just keep working and assume theyll go away. This has just persisted a good bit longer so I thought I’d gather any opinions?
Again, mostly left hip and into the buttocks. Can feel it most pronounced seated or deadlifting. Single episode of sciatic like pain squatting (unsure if related).
Any thoughts or should I just keep working and let it get better.
37yo. Stopped the deadlift 2 weeks ago bc was really having this pain and kind of radiating down the leg and struggling to get up warmup weights.
Not sure my thoughts. I’m sure it’ll just get better like everything usually does. Just has surprised me how long it has hung around (almost 2 months) despite really continuing to at least lightly lift through it which has always worked.
Squatted this morning and did alright. Can feel it still when sitting down but it’s tolerable. Will plan to deadlift Wednesday and do some extra warmup sets to really get into it. I’ll report progress, there’s probably nothing special to do.
Gotcha. I think the plan you outlined sounds good. If you are having increased symptoms with movements above your tolerance level then I’d recommend either altering the range of motion to tolerance or subbing in alternative exercises for a short period. Keep us posted!
So this week I did a light deadlift session working up to 4 sets of 5 at 225#. 6 weeks ago I was around 345-355 for a set of 5 at rpe 9.
Aside from feeling awkward since hadn’t lifted in a while, I did not feel a particular back pain while lifting.
Subsequently friday I worked up to 3 sets non-belted paused squats up to 225# for 4 (previously would have been around 265#). Again, really no pain while lifting. Actually felt pretty good just a bit de-trained.
That said, I still have pretty significant pain. Oddly, it is not during working out nor is it afterwards in a “soreness” like pattern. Its really just low back/hip pain that is considerably more significant when I am sitting for any period of time. Either sitting in a chair upright or on the toilet (I know, TMI). Standing up out of that seated position if I’ve been in it for more than a few minutes is pretty painful and takes a few minutes to work out.
Oh well, I have no explanation for it. But I’m going to keep working, just add some weight back weekly to get to where I was previously and see how it works out unless there are other suggestions. Fortunately its given me some time to focus on my very poor upper body lifts which needed work anyway.