Started lifting 3 months ago, now experiencing tightness obstacles

Started lifting 3 months ago, now experiencing tightness obstacles

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I started lifting about 3 months ago, and am in my mid 30s. About 10 years ago I had a back injury to my lumbar muscles in my back by lifting some beer out of the back of a car and it took me out for about 2-3 months (walking with a cane, muscle relaxers/opiods, the works..)

I started lifting about 3 months ago, and am in my mid 30s. About 10 years ago I had a back injury to my lumbar muscles in my back by lifting some beer out of the back of a car and it took me out for about 2-3 months (walking with a cane, muscle relaxers/opiods, the works..)

Ever since then my back has been relatively problematic, where if I push it too hard I need to do a lot of stretching and walking to get it loosened up again to calm down.

I started a twice a week lifting routine 3 months ago, my current DL and Back Squat PR are both ~150.

In addition to that, I do 35 pushups every morning and aim for about 25 chin-ups throughout the day as I’m around the house (usually in 5-10 set reps.)

Usually when I get tightness in my back that takes me out, I end up with visible lateral pelvic tilt from my body trying to protect the area during healing, but it always seems to be the same side in the same place.

Since starting my exercise routine (Saturday’s I start with deadlifts, about 12 sets total, starting at an empty bar and moving up to ~135-150, 10 reps each, with RPE around 7 at the end). I do some supporting exercises like bent over rows, landmine rows, as well. Sundays are my squat day and I have a similar routine and also do some balance board work and some core exercises (leg lifts, chin-ups, pullups, around the worlds, weighted split squats)

My back had been improving for a while, and even if I had tightness in the morning, by the time I finished working up and into my workout I would feel GREAT the rest of the day.

However, the last weekend I swapped my days because I was short on time and started with squats on Saturday. I immediately felt discomfort in the usual spot as well as some pain on one of my initial lifts and thought I had injured myself. After some ibuprofen and walking most of the day I felt better by evening, and the next day I was able to do a good DL workout routine without issue.

Here I am about a week later, though my back still feels iffy in the usual spot.

I started lifting because I’d like to improve these issues, I had a CT scan for an unrelated issue and the rad tech happened to notice that I have some tightness in my spine in areas and my doctor recommended more mobility exercises to reduce the pressure on the spine.

Basically, I’m looking for advice on what type of training I should be doing to not make things worse, become more limber, and not keeping having this damned pain/tightness in lower back (picture below of where it is).

Any advice greatly appreciated!

4 thoughts on “Started lifting 3 months ago, now experiencing tightness obstacles

  1. I’d be willing to put money on this not being a back issue but your glutes are TIGHT and your core is weak. Usually happens when your body has been guarding a lower back injury. To test it try and do a glute bridge and squeeze really really hard at the top. Can you hold that for 20-30 seconds without cramping? If not you got some glute work to do. Basically just start doing glute bridges for 3 sets of 5 for as long as you can hold it squeezed at the top and it will really really help you with lower back discomfort.

    Then it’s time to move on to start doing more core work to take the load off your lower back, I suggest googling the McGill big 3 and doing those daily/every other day

    I have recovered from constant back pain that started with three herniated discs to pulling 500lbs in a deadlift, so trust me when I say there is hope of it getting better it just takes a bit of focused work!

  2. Your body and brain need energy during a workout. If you’re well-fueled, there’s energy readily available in your blood stream. If you’re not well-fueled, your body is going to need to tap into your energy stores, which takes time

  3. I am pretty out of shape, skinny mind you aside for manboobs. Im am a 20 yearold male in college, so you can fill in the blanks on my average eating, sleeping and drinking lifestyle. Im also really good with cardio, its how I procrastinate lifting. Every time I try to start regularly going to the gym, I usually last a month then relapse horribly. One of the main reasons is I am constantly sore and unable to extend my body and limbs properly.
    I usually do 8ish minutes of streches, then 20to30 minutes of cardio, 45 minites of lifting (mostly machines becuase I am woried my form isnt correct, I work every body part when I go, which is every other day as a goal), then 10ish minutes of cool down cardio and 10 minutes of stretching.

    I did that 2 nights ago for the first time. Maybe im just being a bitch, but the the level of soreness in my armpits is interfering with my life and sleep. Also my shoulders and upper back are really stiff, I cant really raise my arms past a 45 degree angle.

    So people of who lift regularly is this just the status quo for you, I have read you get used to it but do you mean you feel it but dont mind or your body adapts and you stop feeling it. Sorry about the who essay, just wanted to give yall all the facts.

  4. What you’re experiencing is DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. It will go away eventually, as your body gets used to working out. You can randomly get it however, and after a little over a year of working out I still get it from time to time.

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