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Bodybuilding Unhealthy? Could it be?
"Is bodybuilding unhealthy?"
Bodybuilding is both healthy and unhealthy. Healthy when there is the right knowledge, which I believer 90% percent of people don't have the right knowledge--that goes for most of the people in gyms and people giving advice on the topic too. The right knowledge usually starts with the end result in mind--getting big. This is where we mess up, we start at the wrong place when creating goals, or rather we skip over some very essential parts while making our goals.
A week ago after a vigorous work out I left with a semi sore rotator cuff. The sore shoulder got me scared. I had never felt this type of soreness in my rotator cuff. Sometimes I feel some type of pain in my back which I can relieve easily--but this pain in my rotator cuff did not go away. Afraid I hurt myself, I focused on stretches, icing, self massage, rolled on a foam roller, and asked my girlfriend to massage my chest, back, and shoulders. For a few days I read about injury prevention and laid off the weights completely. The scare sent me into a new world called, Injury prevention. Sure I always stretched, spent some time doing warm up routines before working out--but it was always a drag, boring, and made me feel like it was just delaying my work out--delaying the REAL fun. This pain made me think of injury prevention in a new way--the way I think about wanting to get muscular--IMPORTANT and worth a HUGE investment of my whole being.
In my reading I read something by Jason F. that really struck me, he said, "take care of your hips, get them right and the rest will take care of itself." Then he suggested that I take a look at my body and see how it was aligned. I checked, like all of us, I saw that some parts of my body were uneven. No wonder sometimes certain body parts feel a little beyone sore or bug me through out the day.
Many of us can lift a lot, advance to new weights, yet our body has to compensate in ways it was not meant to. Too many of us work out hard and later find that our bodies hurt. I have done it, it happens to everyone. I wish I could take a survey on how many gym enthusiasts have hurt themselves, currently hurt and still don't know what to do--yet they still work out hard and continue to work past the pain (even slight pain). These same gym enthusiasts who have bodies we crave, yet ironically their bodies plague them. Health is not just look thing. Recently I saw an x-ray of Hulk Hogans back and it looked like the bottom half of the letter S. Not what you would expect from a guy who is millionaire and can afford great health care and who got famous for his musculature body. Sure he wrestled and jacked his body up--my point is that what on the outside is not always a clear sign of what is going on inside the body-- or the pain a person feels within.
My new journey through bodybuilding is on learning about injury prevention, aligning the body so it feels great, and creating a stretching (static stretching too) and anything else that may aid in the quest to learn about getting the body so the hips are where they should be and the rest of the body for that matter.
I would love to be able to squat but my body doesn't like it. I would love to dead lift but my body doesn't like it.
I am starting to go to physical therapy, I will go to a few massage sessions, and a few chiropractic sessions (I have found a great chiropractor that I really trust).
If you have any ideas on what to read, do, websites, movies, anything please let me know.
What is your injury prevention program like?
Bodybuilding is both healthy and unhealthy. Healthy when there is the right knowledge, which I believer 90% percent of people don't have the right knowledge--that goes for most of the people in gyms and people giving advice on the topic too. The right knowledge usually starts with the end result in mind--getting big. This is where we mess up, we start at the wrong place when creating goals, or rather we skip over some very essential parts while making our goals.
A week ago after a vigorous work out I left with a semi sore rotator cuff. The sore shoulder got me scared. I had never felt this type of soreness in my rotator cuff. Sometimes I feel some type of pain in my back which I can relieve easily--but this pain in my rotator cuff did not go away. Afraid I hurt myself, I focused on stretches, icing, self massage, rolled on a foam roller, and asked my girlfriend to massage my chest, back, and shoulders. For a few days I read about injury prevention and laid off the weights completely. The scare sent me into a new world called, Injury prevention. Sure I always stretched, spent some time doing warm up routines before working out--but it was always a drag, boring, and made me feel like it was just delaying my work out--delaying the REAL fun. This pain made me think of injury prevention in a new way--the way I think about wanting to get muscular--IMPORTANT and worth a HUGE investment of my whole being.
In my reading I read something by Jason F. that really struck me, he said, "take care of your hips, get them right and the rest will take care of itself." Then he suggested that I take a look at my body and see how it was aligned. I checked, like all of us, I saw that some parts of my body were uneven. No wonder sometimes certain body parts feel a little beyone sore or bug me through out the day.
Many of us can lift a lot, advance to new weights, yet our body has to compensate in ways it was not meant to. Too many of us work out hard and later find that our bodies hurt. I have done it, it happens to everyone. I wish I could take a survey on how many gym enthusiasts have hurt themselves, currently hurt and still don't know what to do--yet they still work out hard and continue to work past the pain (even slight pain). These same gym enthusiasts who have bodies we crave, yet ironically their bodies plague them. Health is not just look thing. Recently I saw an x-ray of Hulk Hogans back and it looked like the bottom half of the letter S. Not what you would expect from a guy who is millionaire and can afford great health care and who got famous for his musculature body. Sure he wrestled and jacked his body up--my point is that what on the outside is not always a clear sign of what is going on inside the body-- or the pain a person feels within.
My new journey through bodybuilding is on learning about injury prevention, aligning the body so it feels great, and creating a stretching (static stretching too) and anything else that may aid in the quest to learn about getting the body so the hips are where they should be and the rest of the body for that matter.
I would love to be able to squat but my body doesn't like it. I would love to dead lift but my body doesn't like it.
I am starting to go to physical therapy, I will go to a few massage sessions, and a few chiropractic sessions (I have found a great chiropractor that I really trust).
If you have any ideas on what to read, do, websites, movies, anything please let me know.
What is your injury prevention program like?
Views: 57
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Z on -
hey luis you got some interesting things to say about bodybuilding, it seems like you have come a long way. I say this because I have come to a bodybuilding revolution in my life as well, and just like you it happened after I hurt my rotator cuff. I'm not saying this is a coincidence most people learn through there mistakes, and almost all people who lift weights frequently, hurt there rotator cuff. The best thing you can do besides stretching before workouts (which in my opinion can be a workout on its own) is to visit a chiropractor that has graduated from the ART(active release technique) course. The pain you are experiencing sounds identical to the one i had and if you are starting to feel it along your shoulder blade than its better to act now rather than ignore it. I have read a lot about ART and what it is is simply a way of releasing scar tissue from the area which has built up over time they do this by messaging the area along with rotating the shoulder to give you the full range of motion back in your rotator cuff. you can find videos better explaining what ART is on youtube its common amoung most athletes these days. hope this helps you the way it helped me luis.
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Permalink Reply by Luis on -
Thanks. I will look into it.
Tommorow I have an appointment with a physical therapist and am going to ask about what you mentioned. I also plan on going to some massage therapy--it seems like it would all compliment each other and get my body working the way it should, feeling the way it should, and allow to work out gain size AND feel good as I do it.
ART(Active Release Technique). Thanks.
I have been working with different stretches and creating a stretch routine for myself that works for my specific needs. I also have begun to do some light but somewhat difficult balance type of exercises to work out the uneven spots in my body. Thisis the stuff bodybuilding does not talk about but I think it should be the starting point.
Joseph Z said:hey luis you got some interesting things to say about bodybuilding, it seems like you have come a long way. I say this because I have come to a bodybuilding revolution in my life as well, and just like you it happened after I hurt my rotator cuff. I'm not saying this is a coincidence most people learn through there mistakes, and almost all people who lift weights frequently, hurt there rotator cuff. The best thing you can do besides stretching before workouts (which in my opinion can be a workout on its own) is to visit a chiropractor that has graduated from the ART(active release technique) course. The pain you are experiencing sounds identical to the one i had and if you are starting to feel it along your shoulder blade than its better to act now rather than ignore it. I have read a lot about ART and what it is is simply a way of releasing scar tissue from the area which has built up over time they do this by messaging the area along with rotating the shoulder to give you the full range of motion back in your rotator cuff. you can find videos better explaining what ART is on youtube its common amoung most athletes these days. hope this helps you the way it helped me luis.
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Permalink Reply by Cranky Goat on -
Great thoughts - I used to be at the competitive bodybuilder stage in my early University years, but focused so much on that I neglected to explore broader horizons with regards to fitness. That was a "few" years ago, nowadays there is an emphasis to improve aerobic capacity; cross train and vary your workouts when bodybuilding ... and I like the new HIT principles, even though developed in the 1970's it is really starting to gain momentum now and appears to be less injury prone as a workout method. I fundamentally believe bodybuilding is healthy, but you are absolutely right with regards to it being all about one's mindset towards the sport. For me, after years of neglecting my physical health, I am finally 'back on board' and am focusing on being svelte versus bulky and that changes my bodybuilding workouts quite dramatically - and for the better in my case. I am utilizing HIT training principles; Yoga; cross country running and intense jump rope routines and my core exercise regiment ... this way I still get the joy of a good weight workout without focusing too hard on it, and the Yoga (more like a modified Pilate's program for me) has improved my body / muscle awareness significantly.
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Permalink Reply by Kyle Morgen Garrett on -
I have been bodybuilding for the last 5 years or so. Went from about 149lbs (6%BF) to 230lbs (10%>BF).
Over those years I too had a rotator cuff injury, developed a bad hip, and a sore knee on the same leg. These Injuries, 2 bouts of over-training syndrome (this is terrible, don't let it happen to you), stretch marks etc, have led me to search for different, more sustainable ways of continuing to lift weights through alteration of both training and diet.
Fact is, I love to lift weights, but i've come to the realization that what I was doing was not sustainable, and if it isn't sustainable then whats the point?
Luis, it sounds like you are definitely experiencing some of the same problems.
Obviously, two key things to look at; Training and Diet. Since your on the Vega forums, i assume your diet is fairly clean. This is absolutely crucial, and I have learned that to lift weights seriously means one has to eat like a saint. The more you workout the more stringent you must be with diet, not the reverse. Its very much an all or nothing lifestyle, either lift weights and eat well, or don't bother at all. The consequences of poor eating hit you fairly quickly (over-training, stretch marks (since these are caused by high cortisol levels, keeping nutritional stress at a minimum is very important)).
As for training. I used to lift 6 days a week. I have since scaled it back considerably. I find that 2-3 day splits work just as well, if not better. I feel like a normal human, as opposed to a psychopath. You mood is incredibly different, and your likelyhood of injury is much lower. I recommend you check out Chad Waterbury and his various programs.
Scrap isolation excersizes and workout days. I.e. Arm day, Shoulder day. These are not necessary at all. I have found that my muscular development improved when these days were tossed, and my joints felt much better. I know guys who work arms once a month and they are 20inches around...arm days are not necessary.
For shoulders, if anything a few sets of shoulder presses (with dumbells not barbells) is all you need. Perhaps a few lateral raises.
Look up some Scapular Stability excersizes. These are great for stabilizing the rotator cuff.
Base your training around compound movements (Squat, Deadlift, Presses, Rows, Chin/Pull-ups etc), and try to use dumbells when you can (at least for the next while). Many pro bodybuilders i.e. Troy Alves uses only dumbells to keep his joints intact. Its unfortunate your body doesn't agree with squats, i find i do better on front squats as opposed to back squats however. I would also recommend getting a trainer to watch you squat, just to ensure your technique is perfect.
As for Physiotherapy, get acupuncture. I know alot of people are scared of it and think its a joke. This is the real deal. Sticking a fine needle directly into scar tissue within the joint helps to break it up. Over time the scar tissue is 'dissolved'. Obviously after injury your joints will never quite be good as new, but this treatment DOES work. I have had it done, and I highly recommend it. Ronnie Coleman goes (or used to prior to quitting) to physiotherapy on a weekly basis to keep things together.
KG
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Permalink Reply by Luis on
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Great reply!!
I really appreciate the info (the names of people to look up) and your confessions of getting injured too.
It sounds like you used to work excessively--like someone who was ready for a competition. You also gained a lot of muscle. You must have had to eat like a monster!
You have definitely come a long way in your understanding--I like when you said, "if it isn't sustainable what the point." I too agree with that.
I also have learned--in this short amount of time that compound movements are the best. I actually got injured when I was trying out a hypertrophy phase (with a good amount of isolation movements and 8-12 reps). I too agree that 2-3x's a week is sufficient for work outs, a person (at least me) does not need much isolation movements. I also like the low reps high weights and short work outs the best. I tried that for a while and liked it--but didn't like leaving the gym so quickly. It's not just me who likes the short work out, heavy weights and low reps--but so did Dorian Yates and so does Jason F. and Sean N--some lifters that have taught me a lot about working out. I think now I know that if I want to stay at the gym longer I might do more cardio or kettle ball exercises, or routines that are sport like rather than weight lifting focused. I used to wrestle and really enjoyed the sport.
I am now going to a PT and have some new exercises that I am working on.
It has been a week and my rotator cuff is almost completely back to normal. I miss the gym (I haven't gone back yet as to assure my recovery and want to keep more focus on PT routines than my own right now).
Acupuncture sounds great. I went to a session once and because it was $90 a session I stopped going. I have found a place that costs $15 dollars a session and will try it out.
I also really like Shi-atsu. I find that it too can be great for breaking up the stuck muscle tissue.
It's great to read about people's journeys with the sport and I really liked reading what you wrote--thanks.
Kyle Morgen Garrett said:I have been bodybuilding for the last 5 years or so. Went from about 149lbs (6%BF) to 230lbs (10%>BF).
Over those years I too had a rotator cuff injury, developed a bad hip, and a sore knee on the same leg. These Injuries, 2 bouts of over-training syndrome (this is terrible, don't let it happen to you), stretch marks etc, have led me to search for different, more sustainable ways of continuing to lift weights through alteration of both training and diet.
Fact is, I love to lift weights, but i've come to the realization that what I was doing was not sustainable, and if it isn't sustainable then whats the point?
Luis, it sounds like you are definitely experiencing some of the same problems.
Obviously, two key things to look at; Training and Diet. Since your on the Vega forums, i assume your diet is fairly clean. This is absolutely crucial, and I have learned that to lift weights seriously means one has to eat like a saint. The more you workout the more stringent you must be with diet, not the reverse. Its very much an all or nothing lifestyle, either lift weights and eat well, or don't bother at all. The consequences of poor eating hit you fairly quickly (over-training, stretch marks (since these are caused by high cortisol levels, keeping nutritional stress at a minimum is very important)).
As for training. I used to lift 6 days a week. I have since scaled it back considerably. I find that 2-3 day splits work just as well, if not better. I feel like a normal human, as opposed to a psychopath. You mood is incredibly different, and your likelyhood of injury is much lower. I recommend you check out Chad Waterbury and his various programs.
Scrap isolation excersizes and workout days. I.e. Arm day, Shoulder day. These are not necessary at all. I have found that my muscular development improved when these days were tossed, and my joints felt much better. I know guys who work arms once a month and they are 20inches around...arm days are not necessary.
For shoulders, if anything a few sets of shoulder presses (with dumbells not barbells) is all you need. Perhaps a few lateral raises.
Look up some Scapular Stability excersizes. These are great for stabilizing the rotator cuff.
Base your training around compound movements (Squat, Deadlift, Presses, Rows, Chin/Pull-ups etc), and try to use dumbells when you can (at least for the next while). Many pro bodybuilders i.e. Troy Alves uses only dumbells to keep his joints intact. Its unfortunate your body doesn't agree with squats, i find i do better on front squats as opposed to back squats however. I would also recommend getting a trainer to watch you squat, just to ensure your technique is perfect.
As for Physiotherapy, get acupuncture. I know alot of people are scared of it and think its a joke. This is the real deal. Sticking a fine needle directly into scar tissue within the joint helps to break it up. Over time the scar tissue is 'dissolved'. Obviously after injury your joints will never quite be good as new, but this treatment DOES work. I have had it done, and I highly recommend it. Ronnie Coleman goes (or used to prior to quitting) to physiotherapy on a weekly basis to keep things together.
KG
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