I train at a gym but Im a lone wolf with no spotters, trainers or partners.
After dicking around (so I found out) injury free with various machines for about a year or so I started barbell exercises and after about 2 months managed to hurt the left side of my lower back deadlifting a PB of 125kg (it was the last set of 3x5).
I realised the injury was due to fatigue and rounding my lower back (Id already squatted a PB and benched that session), but mentally it knocked me around.
There was no doubt I had to have a few days off, I could barely walk let alone carry shopping bags or train, but after a week it was hard to know whether I was being soft or smart by easing my way slowly back into training - but it took me about 6 weeks to get back to lifting 125kg. I could have lifted heavier but I kept feeling that twinge even at lower weight and it was always in the back of my mind that it could happen again any second and be worse than the first time.
It's definately made me a lot more cautious about increasing the weight, which is probably detrimental to my progress.
I also had some serious pain in my hip joints squatting when I got to the 100-105kg mark and so I rested for a few weeks and then started again at 85kg at higher reps for a few weeks. I then started slowly increasing the weight and Im back at 100kg with no pain, though Im keeping my feet closer together and knees pointing more forward to avoid that grinding pain in my hips.
I also seem to have developed tennis/golfers elbow but that's no problem ATM as massage brings almost immediate, temporary relief (lol that sounds dodgy).
Anyway I definitely think the injuries Ive had have made me think that:
1) I'm not invincible, at least not now Im getting old (I'm 33yo)
2) I need to takle things slowly
3) Maybe I'm not cut out for this kind of training, since everyone on here seems to be squatting 120kg for working sets after a couple of months.
Yeah, injuries fark with your head, for sure.
1) You are not invincible, but is it too hard to concieve that your anxiety, and associated physical stress response could be exasperating the issue? Confidence in the movement is a must, I stop an excersise the moment I start feeling that 'ugh, this feels like it MIGHT go bad.' Some people may call me a pussy, but this kind of training, where you aim to minimise your stress response and anxiety has made me very strong.
2) Not so much a matter of slowly, but at a rate where you do not feel anxious approaching a weight or a movement. At the end of the day, who gives a fuck if you move a weight from point A to point B in a predefined movement pattern? It's inconsequential.
3) I hate the tough love approach, but seriously dude, stop being a bitch. The thing you need to remember is that NO one is forcing you to lift. There is a HUGE difference between wanting to lift, and having to lift. You don't HAVE to do a single fucking thing, everything you do is because you want to.
If balance is good, and training is sensible with technique, imo injuries will develop purely as a response to how stressed out you are about training. If you are constantly having to force yourself to do something, the body will find a way of stopping you stop the incessant tide of anxiety and cortisol. Learn to live within the perfection of each rep. And I don't mean perfect in the bodybuilding set, but perfect in that each rep is something meaningful, powerful and enjoyable. Like I said, whenever things start turning ugly, eg slow ugly grinding sets, pain, anxiety, I cut the excersise right there.
Next time you train and are feeling these feelings, take a breath, stop and do two things.
First, remind yourself that you don't have to do a fucking thing if you don't want to.
Second, ask yourself if you want to do this or not. If you don't, then THERE IS NO ISSUE. Once you realise that, training can again become enjoyable.
The psychology of injuries
Many (most?) of us here have suffered training injuries. What sort of effect did it have on your mental approach to training? Obviously we'd all be frustrated that we couldn't train, but did it cause you to lose motivation, cause you to re-evaluate your choice of exercises, rep range, that sort of thing. Did the injury cause you to re-focus or cause you to completely lose focus?
Cheers Fuzzy. Your response seems a bit over the top, but it's the internet and I think you may have misinterpreted my point - and I may have misinterpreted yours.
I'm not really having a whinge or a sook (though I can see how it would sound like that), I was just trying to answer the question proposed in the OP which was:
I thought I answered the OP pretty well, and I was honest with how the injuries made me feel/think - at times. I enjoy my training immensely and I've learnt (and Im still learning) a lot from the iron.
My point was that (simply put) injuries can put negative thoughts in your head. I didn't crap on about overcoming them, becuase that's not what the OP was about.
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