coming back from time off

thegreatiam

any merit to the advice I was given recently?

Ive been at the gym now for 2 years, but constantly plagued with injury, nothing major just niggles bad enough to keep me out og the gym for a few weeks at a time.

Most recent was some tendonitis. Coupled with going to Vegas for 2 months kept me out of the gym.

My trainer has suggested instead of going back to the gym with 70-80% of my previous totals and doing the same routine, basically strong lifts + some accessories 3x a week
I should consider coming back with 20-30% of my previous numbers and going every day. Possibly increasing the weight every other session rather than daily. until recovery forces me to revert back to 3x a week

the advice seems to be solid, afaik tendons take a little longer to strengthen than muscle so this measured and gradual increase may be wise.

Any thoughts?

Blacktie.

Don't tendons take much longer to atrophy as well though? Isn't this part of the reason for old man strength.

Sangre

I'm in a similar boat and I think a full body* routine is the best approach. Hit all the big lifts as often as possible. You'll know yourself when its time to start splitting out the movements for recovery.


*I'm not including leg work due to a lower back injury I'm trying to rehab. Thankfully I seem to have finally found the cause of a number of niggles over the years - slight leg length discrepancy.

Alf Veedersane

I would have thought that you could go back to doing what you were doing but maybe at 50% rather than 20-30 or 70-80. I might not go 5x5 straight off - maybe 2/3 x 5 and build the volume as well as the weight.

Did he explain why he thought you should go that low and every day?

Nervous Wreck

If your training is leading to constant injuries, my advice would be to start back by booking some sessions with a good PT to fix what you're doing wrong. Improve the quality of your work before you consider increasing the quantity.

Hanley

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

If your training is leading to constant injuries, my advice would be to start back by booking some sessions with a good PT to fix what you're doing wrong. Improve the quality of your work before you consider increasing the quantity.

LOL!

thegreatiam

Blacktie. wrote: »

Don't tendons take much longer to atrophy as well though? Isn't this part of the reason for old man strength.

Im not sure, its not something ive heard, but the prescribed treatment for my tendonitis is low low weight and many many reps. im doing 150+ a day with 2kg and it seems to be working that im 2 weeks pain free.

Sangre wrote: »

I'm in a similar boat and I think a full body* routine is the best approach. Hit all the big lifts as often as possible. You'll know yourself when its time to start splitting out the movements for recovery.

*I'm not including leg work due to a lower back injury I'm trying to rehab. Thankfully I seem to have finally found the cause of a number of niggles over the years - slight leg length discrepancy.

i do the main 5 with some small accessory.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I would have thought that you could go back to doing what you were doing but maybe at 50% rather than 20-30 or 70-80. I might not go 5x5 straight off - maybe 2/3 x 5 and build the volume as well as the weight.

Did he explain why he thought you should go that low and every day?

Im doing "strong lifts" with 3x5 not 5x5 for a while. I think the idea is is to flatten out the progression over the same amount of time. and also get more volume in during this month coming. I work freelance so im pretty much off now till december so I have the time.
I could start now on my exact old routine and be back where i left off in end of nov, or I can start lower but go for an easy progression and still be in the same place in november. working daily with small or no weight increases until im am at a level where i feel i can add weight faster, then drop back to 5x then 3x a week as the weight builds.

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

If your training is leading to constant injuries, my advice would be to start back by booking some sessions with a good PT to fix what you're doing wrong. Improve the quality of your work before you consider increasing the quantity.

Im at a physio and chiropractor now for the best part of a year. Ive been rested up since april at their advice. My PT buddy is aware of it all and helps what they do. Im yet to get my physios opinion on my pts latests idea, but it seemed sound to me I was just interested in some other thought or if it was a common practice for adults in the gym

the program i do is the main 5 lifts @3x5 with some accessory work advised by the physio. He seems happy that my gym isnt the cause of the problem as such rather than part of the solution. Im pretty confident that these "injuries" are a result of poor previous lifestyle rather than lifting weights, just that lifting weights really highlights my weaknesses.


without boring you with detail, i have tennis/golfers elbow from squating, so we focus a lot on treating that but also thoracic mobility to prevent reoccurrence. but since that is partly due to a mild scoliosis from poor posture at work for 20 years its tough going. I try to do as much as I can for my back now by making most of my accessory work target the upper back to strengthen what i have. and both the physio and chiro have noted progress.

Hanley wrote: »

LOL!

Hanley

Why don't you go back doing some bodybuilding stuff for 3 months.

Easier on tendons, better chance of building some muscle, and done right - less chance of injury.

If you're constantly broken for the last 2 years you're almost certainly training too hard and too heavy.

thegreatiam

Hanley wrote: »

Why don't you go back doing some bodybuilding stuff for 3 months.

Easier on tendons, better chance of building some muscle, and done right - less chance of injury.

If you're constantly broken for the last 2 years you're almost certainly training too hard and too heavy.

Well like i said the injuries are not really a result of training. out side of the golfers elbow most are caused by 20 years of bad posture and inactivity. and when I say injury i dont mean i was specifically injured just couldnt think of another word for it. like a knot in the neck and back that means I cant move properly for 2-3 weeks, but the exercise and other stuff ive been doing has helped lessen it. i just dont want to go to the gym knowing that i cant turn my head unloaded so didnt want to risk putting any load on it at all.

these injuries have been affecting me for years. but they are improving since ive been lifting with this program.

since noone seems to have an opinion thats its good or bad then ill give it a shot once i get cleared from my physio on tuesday. and try to keep some diary on my progress.

dor843088

I feel your pain man not being able to lift properly is depressing. If im injured I just go to the gym and focus on what I can do instead of what I cant and slowly reintroduce stuff back in as and when I feel ready . At the end of the day thats all you can do. Machines can be good for times when handling a barbell may be risky. Hope it works out for you in the end dude.

thegreatiam

went in with the intention of doing my whole routine at 25% weight but 2x reps 5/7 days to slowly build up tendon strength and a little conditioning, first week went well but now I have tonsillitis. FML

i did realise that 25% weight is pretty pointless, even 5x10 is fairly easy not much above a warm up. but I managed 4 weight increases before i got sick. so ill go back to 50% weight and 8 reps next week and then back to regular loading 5x5 3 days a week the next.

judging by the first week I do feel better as it has been easier on the joints and tendons and I'm getting back up to the same weight in the same duration. So as a once off, coming back from tendonitis I prefer this method rather than my regular back into 5x5 at 80-90% of previous weights.

Alf Veedersane

It's like you're made up entirely of baby kittens with immune deficiency diseases.

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

It's like you're made up entirely of baby kittens with immune deficiency diseases.

im a jelly man

Alf Veedersane

thegreatiam wrote: »

im a jelly man

U mad 2?

thegreatiam

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

U mad 2?

i'd swallow my anger, but it hurts

Dave 101

Hanley wrote: »

Why don't you go back doing some bodybuilding stuff for 3 months.

Easier on tendons, better chance of building some muscle, and done right - less chance of injury.

If you're constantly broken for the last 2 years you're almost certainly training too hard and too heavy.

do this, why are you still on strong lifts after 2 years of training, my advise would be upper lower twice per week each or push, pull, legs training 4 times per week

thegreatiam

Dave 101 wrote: »

do this, why are you still on strong lifts after 2 years of training, my advise would be upper lower twice per week each or push, pull, legs training 4 times per week

Cos the progressive overload still works, which is the point of strong lifts. Keep loading till you plateau. As it happens each time I've been close to a non breakable plateau I've been forced to take a break. Either through work or physical circumstances and this has reset my progression.

Why would you advice upper lower or push pull?