Off Topic: Hernia

[Arnold jr]

Well, great news, apparently I have my first hernia.

I first noticed it a few wks ago when doing t-bar rows...last wk trying to do deads was impossible. I could do them light, but anything over 405 was impossible. It's a spot about 3inches above my pecker and it runs up and to the right about another 3inches...to my right if I'm looking down.

Anyway, there's nothing sticking out yet, and I don't feel it unless I'm doing certain back exercises or squats.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I still enjoy training as hard and heavy as I can, of course, it's a far cry from where it used to be...although I have a 200mg prescription for low test that's all I have...I'd still say I lift heavier than the average guy though by a pretty good bit. Actually it's kind of funny....although I carry a lot less muscle mass from my gear days, after training hard again for awhile now I'm almost as strong as I was before...just smaller. Legs would be the exception...I cannot squat anywhere near what I used to. Don't misunderstand me, I was a lot stronger on gear, but the gap between then and now has not been as significant as I expected it to be.

Anyway, any tips on healing this thing would be appreciated. Obviously I'm going to have to back off a little and avoid certain lifts for awhile, and from talking to the doctor he said it was possible to heal without any invasive treatment if I didn't cause any more damage.

I've never had a hernia before, so any input from you guys who have would be great.
Thoughts?

[oni]

I herniated a disc doing deadlifts while preparing for a cycling competition. I ignored it because I was so close to competition lol, kept deadlifting with awful form until it got to the point I couldn't even cycle without pain lol but carried on deadlift regardless. I herniated the disc lifting a 1RM of 150kg and by the time I stopped before comp I was deadlifting 170kg, just to give some idea on how stupid I was. Took 50mg of JWH-122 (synthetic cannabis) 6 hours prior to racing and won lol

I took a 2 month break after that but it would still hurt most days. Did a shit load of ab work, no flexion it was all stuff like planks etc. Found that I could front squat without pain so hammered that instead. Did DE method deadlifts to maintain my strength. I also wear an inzer lever belt on squats and deadlifts.

It's much better now 10 months on, it hurts sometimes if I get a crazy lower back pump say if I'm splitting wood or in the garden but I'm pleased with the results I got without any sort of official therapy and I'm glad I found a way to train around the injury until it was better

[delta9mda]

you are going to need surgery bro. you have an inguinal hernia. i had that and 15 years later i had an umbilical hernia.

you will not be lifting for 3-4 weeks.

its not a big deal, first 2-3 days kinda suck but then after that no big deal. take the vicoden and relax.

when the time comes you will be able to hit the gym hard after the layoff and feel good about it. work into heavy over a few weeks.

take it easy on squats and deads and any bent stuff. hit the hammer machines.

if you need more details then pm me

[AlphaM]

for those who are still young and don't have these issues what would be the safety methods/approaches/exercises to not to get one like that?

[bber]

the other day I was finishing my workout and decided to do some abs, and fucking hell I could only do 3 reps because I had some weird pain where you described, so I just left the gym lol, hasnt hurt since though

edit:on the left side though

[oni]

for those who are still young and don't have these issues what would be the safety methods/approaches/exercises to not to get one like that?

lots of core work
i do two ab workouts a week, 3x5 each time and go as heavy as possible
I like standing cable crunches, have to use the lat pulldown machine now because the cable station doesn't go heavy enough lol
dumbbell side bends are also good
or you could be a pussy and never lift heavy lol

[Luolamies]

you are going to need surgery bro. you have an inguinal hernia.

x2

One of my friends at the gym was feeling funny when doing deads, ignored it (for 2-3 weeks) and ended up passing out mid-set on he leg press. Gladly he had the safety pins on. He had to be carried out of the gym, came to in the ambulance. No lifting for 6-8 weeks...

Bottom line: get rid of it asap.

[Arnold jr]

Luo, didn't you have one a few yrs ago or am I remembering wrong? Delta, pm sent.

[AlphaM]

So basically strong well developed abs/core would prevent it? Also what about wearing a belt on heavier lifts?

[matrixgh]

Iv been living with hernia disks for past 8 years, at first I thought I have a problem only one hernia disk then after my wife did mri on me she found out that I have 2 hernia disks l3 and l5, I stop doing dead lifts and replace with hyper extension, I dont go heavy on squats I do at the end of legs setion with belt, I wear belt with every heavy set no matter what body part I do, I learn one thing you dont need to squat with very heavy weights to build big legs, so when you see bbs squatting with alot of plates, most of them are on pain killers

[Overload]

Hernias and herniated disks are a bit different.

Inguinal Hernias can be congenital.

My brother had the same thing and didn't see a doctor for a few years. After moving into a new home he was in so much pain he went to the doctor and he ended up having surgery. My brother has never been an athlete and i don't think he has lifted a barbell since high school. He was in pain for a few days and he said he felt like he was kicked in the nuts by a horse. Today he is fine and hasn't had any issues with it.

I have herniated disks all down my spine. It's a price i paid for squatting and deadlifting so heavy for so many years. When i had a MRI done the doctor said I'm going to have some issues once i get older. I'm not in any pain unless i do heavy squats or deadlifts; i haven't done deadlifts in over 2 years because of this. I will do power cleans and hang cleans, but anything over 315 gives me a bad feeling in my lower back.

Good luck, I'm not sure if this type of hernia can heal on its own without surgery.

[Arnold jr]

Hernias and herniated disks are a bit different.

Inguinal Hernias can be congenital.

My brother had the same thing and didn't see a doctor for a few years. After moving into a new home he was in so much pain he went to the doctor and he ended up having surgery. My brother has never been an athlete and i don't think he has lifted a barbell since high school. He was in pain for a few days and he said he felt like he was kicked in the nuts by a horse. Today he is fine and hasn't had any issues with it.

I have herniated disks all down my spine. It's a price i paid for squatting and deadlifting so heavy for so many years. When i had a MRI done the doctor said I'm going to have some issues once i get older. I'm not in any pain unless i do heavy squats or deadlifts; i haven't done deadlifts in over 2 years because of this. I will do power cleans and hang cleans, but anything over 315 gives me a bad feeling in my lower back.

Good luck, I'm not sure if this type of hernia can heal on its own without surgery.

From what I've been reading it is possible to fix some hernias without surgery through certain stretches and exercises....but the odds still seem low but I figure it's worth a shot so I'll try it out.

I've always thought I had a fairly strong core, but everything I keep reading says it needs to be stronger to heal this....that's why I'm doubtful. I don't do any ab work, probably should a little but i don't. But, if you can hold a butt load of weight over your head for military press or on your back for squats your core should already be pretty strong...maybe I'm wrong on this one.

[Luolamies]

Luo, didn't you have one a few yrs ago or am I remembering wrong? Delta, pm sent.

No, i have never had a legit hernia, but i have had more or less every injury in the book...

 

[Overload]

From what I've been reading it is possible to fix some hernias without surgery through certain stretches and exercises....but the odds still seem low but I figure it's worth a shot so I'll try it out.

I've always thought I had a fairly strong core, but everything I keep reading says it needs to be stronger to heal this....that's why I'm doubtful. I don't do any ab work, probably should a little but i don't. But, if you can hold a butt load of weight over your head for military press or on your back for squats your core should already be pretty strong...maybe I'm wrong on this one.

It's worth a shot to see if you can get it to heal.

I always do core work, but i do believe that all the heavy overhead pressing, squatting and deadlifting is what built my core. I have very defined abs and they don't seem to have changed much in the last few years. In fact, my abs get extremely sore the day after i do core work, but i can't say I've seen any improvements since my power lifting days. All the power lifters i know have incredible abs once they lean out.

[LittleJ]

From what I've been reading it is possible to fix some hernias without surgery through certain stretches and exercises....but the odds still seem low but I figure it's worth a shot so I'll try it out.

I've always thought I had a fairly strong core, but everything I keep reading says it needs to be stronger to heal this....that's why I'm doubtful. I don't do any ab work, probably should a little but i don't. But, if you can hold a butt load of weight over your head for military press or on your back for squats your core should already be pretty strong...maybe I'm wrong on this one.

You dont train abs?

[Arnold jr]

It's worth a shot to see if you can get it to heal.

I always do core work, but i do believe that all the heavy overhead pressing, squatting and deadlifting is what built my core. I have very defined abs and they don't seem to have changed much in the last few years. In fact, my abs get extremely sore the day after i do core work, but i can't say I've seen any improvements since my power lifting days. All the power lifters i know have incredible abs once they lean out.

Yeah, I'd rather at least try before I breakdown and have surgery...might be a long shot but I figure it's worth a try.

I used to do a lot of abs years ago, but the best I ever looked was all from hard lifting.

You dont train abs?

Nope, I probably should though if for no other reason than my health. Even so, I do not believe a lot of ab work makes that big of a difference if you're lifting hard and heavy.

[oni]

So basically strong well developed abs/core would prevent it? Also what about wearing a belt on heavier lifts?

Yes wearing a belt will help, it increases intra-abdominal pressure and will prevent flexion

[Rearden Metal]

you are going to need surgery bro. you have an inguinal hernia. i had that and 15 years later i had an umbilical hernia.

you will not be lifting for 3-4 weeks.

its not a big deal, first 2-3 days kinda suck but then after that no big deal. take the vicoden and relax.

when the time comes you will be able to hit the gym hard after the layoff and feel good about it. work into heavy over a few weeks.

take it easy on squats and deads and any bent stuff. hit the hammer machines.

if you need more details then pm me

good advice, get it taken care of asap. The longer you go to more susceptible you'll be to multiple hernias and re-tears.

[reppingfor20]

Well, great news, apparently I have my first hernia.

I first noticed it a few wks ago when doing t-bar rows...last wk trying to do deads was impossible. I could do them light, but anything over 405 was impossible. It's a spot about 3inches above my pecker and it runs up and to the right about another 3inches...to my right if I'm looking down.

Anyway, there's nothing sticking out yet, and I don't feel it unless I'm doing certain back exercises or squats.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I still enjoy training as hard and heavy as I can, of course, it's a far cry from where it used to be...although I have a 200mg prescription for low test that's all I have...I'd still say I lift heavier than the average guy though by a pretty good bit. Actually it's kind of funny....although I carry a lot less muscle mass from my gear days, after training hard again for awhile now I'm almost as strong as I was before...just smaller. Legs would be the exception...I cannot squat anywhere near what I used to. Don't misunderstand me, I was a lot stronger on gear, but the gap between then and now has not been as significant as I expected it to be.

Anyway, any tips on healing this thing would be appreciated. Obviously I'm going to have to back off a little and avoid certain lifts for awhile, and from talking to the doctor he said it was possible to heal without any invasive treatment if I didn't cause any more damage.

I've never had a hernia before, so any input from you guys who have would be great.
Thoughts?

don't train for a month and don't do any strenuous activities that would stretch that area.  Then start going light back into the weights.

[Arnold jr]

don't train for a month and don't do any strenuous activities that would stretch that area.  Then start going light back into the weights.

You might as well ask me to give up women and start liking goats.

The only way I'll take that kind of time off is if it's needed for surgery.

I feel I can still do most things without any problem...going to do chest here in just a bit and I can't see how on earth that's going to be a problem.

[reppingfor20]

You might as well ask me to give up women and start liking goats.

The only way I'll take that kind of time off is if it's needed for surgery.

I feel I can still do most things without any problem...going to do chest here in just a bit and I can't see how on earth that's going to be a problem.

just saying, I've had what you have explained and it has gone away on it's own.  It can flare up though if you do concentrated exercises in that area hard in the future, just be careful not to stress that area.  Training abs won't help it, it will only aggravate it even more.

You could get the surgery, but you'll be out of commission for a good month from the gym, unless you do cardio and it sounds like you really don't want to do that(stay away from the weights after the surgery).

[Arnold jr]

just saying, I've had what you have explained and it has gone away on it's own.  It can flare up though if you do concentrated exercises in that area hard in the future, just be careful not to stress that area.  Training abs won't help it, it will only aggravate it even more.

You could get the surgery, but you'll be out of commission for a good month from the gym, unless you do cardio and it sounds like you really don't want to do that(stay away from the weights after the surgery).

More than likely I'll have to have this fixed...I realize that. It's probably the only way heavy lifting can continue. I realize I'm not the youngest guy on here, but 33 isn't that old and the last thing I want to do is give up heavy lifting for good at this stage in my life. I'll just be careful and hope for the best until I can do what needs to be done.

[reppingfor20]

More than likely I'll have to have this fixed...I realize that. It's probably the only way heavy lifting can continue. I realize I'm not the youngest guy on here, but 33 isn't that old and the last thing I want to do is give up heavy lifting for good at this stage in my life. I'll just be careful and hope for the best until I can do what needs to be done.

yeah if your going to continue the heavy lifting it will only keep haunting you, just schedule a nice time that works in your schedule to get it fixed and accept you won't be able to lift heavy for a while, but the healing process will go by fast and you will be back in the gym in no time. 

[Marlo Stanfield]

Well, great news, apparently I have my first hernia.

I first noticed it a few wks ago when doing t-bar rows...last wk trying to do deads was impossible. I could do them light, but anything over 405 was impossible. It's a spot about 3inches above my pecker and it runs up and to the right about another 3inches...to my right if I'm looking down.

Anyway, there's nothing sticking out yet, and I don't feel it unless I'm doing certain back exercises or squats.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I still enjoy training as hard and heavy as I can, of course, it's a far cry from where it used to be...although I have a 200mg prescription for low test that's all I have...I'd still say I lift heavier than the average guy though by a pretty good bit. Actually it's kind of funny....although I carry a lot less muscle mass from my gear days, after training hard again for awhile now I'm almost as strong as I was before...just smaller. Legs would be the exception...I cannot squat anywhere near what I used to. Don't misunderstand me, I was a lot stronger on gear, but the gap between then and now has not been as significant as I expected it to be.

Anyway, any tips on healing this thing would be appreciated. Obviously I'm going to have to back off a little and avoid certain lifts for awhile, and from talking to the doctor he said it was possible to heal without any invasive treatment if I didn't cause any more damage.

I've never had a hernia before, so any input from you guys who have would be great.
Thoughts?

Hey AJ, hope you get better, any updates?

on a side note, im actually suprised that gh15 or one of his elfs havent taken credit for you getting a hernia... saying some shit like ..".filt, he had it coming, see what can do , just wait, the end is near...may 2012" or some random date 

[Arnold jr]

Hey AJ, hope you get better, any updates?

on a side note, im actually suprised that gh15 or one of his elfs havent taken credit for you getting a hernia... saying some shit like ..".filt, he had it coming, see what can do , just wait, the end is near...may 2012" or some random date 

Ha! You're right...I never thought of that...I'm sure that's what it was, lol!

I tell you though guys, the gear free lifestyle sucks ass. Well, I guess if I'm technical I'm not gear free, a TRT script is some gear but I mean, come on...you know what I mean. I don't see how any human being over the age of 30 trains hard and heavy day after day without a significant amount of gear. The aches and pains are just ridiculous.

I do know I'll be taking a full wk off from training this wk, I don't have a choice. Tonight doing chest, incline hammer right at the chest/delt tie in it popped on my second set so loud it sounded like a gun shot to me. Was the second exercise after BB incline and it was weight I've done a bazillion times easily, 4 plates per side but the 5th or 6th rep it all went down the toilet, lol!

Been a rough week training wise to say the least.