Getting Hurt in the Gym

Today I was diligently working towards a personal goal in the gym and I ran a little short on energy.

No problem, right?

I kept the day short and decided to finish off with some board presses to work a stick point.  I warmed my rotator cuffs as usual and started off just slightly heavier for my first warm up set than usual.  I went through my three warm up sets of increasing weight.  My first work set was fairly comfortable even though I felt a little run down from the all out effort on my previous exercise (pulls from below the knees). My second work set had a surprise for me.

Just after my pause on the board, about two-thirds to lockout, I felt a pain in my left pec.

It was a small almost unnoticeable tweak, but I immediately dumped the weight onto the rack.

I must admit, I was nervous. I have so many associates in strength sports with “zippers” (the playful phrase coined for the scars gained from rotator cuff surgery) that I automatically assumed the worst case.  After a moment, I realized that I might have jumped to the wrong conclusion. I tentatively lowered myself into a push up position to see if it was all in my head. I could feel a slight twinge of pain when my elbows were at 90 degrees, so I immediately got up and cleaned up. I finished up with some ab work and went to where I could apply some ice. 

A few minutes later I checked for bruising or swelling and there was none.

I will not touch a push exercise f or a week regardless of how I feel. I may use a purple mini band for mobility if I feel good during this time.

All of this brought up the fact that a lot of you do not know what to do if you experience a soft tissue injury.

While I always recommend going to your doctor (insert disclaimer here), there are some basic things you can do to minimize the effects of these injuries.

The method that has been used since what seems like the dawn of time is the R.I.C.E. method.

I recall that Men’s Health magazine printed this old practice back in 1992.

THE R.I.C.E. METHOD was the norm even before then. The article stated the following:

When it comes to treating injuries like sprains, pulls and tears, R.I.C.E. is the gold standard among sports-medicine professionals. This treatment helps to reduce the damage and swelling caused by an injury and can significantly speed healing.

R est. Stop exercising. Immediately. Decrease weight on the injured area (or eliminate it altogether) to prevent further damage.

I ce. Apply ice wrapped in a towel or plastic bag to the injured spot for 10 to 20 minutes three to four times a day until acute injury subsides.

C ompress. Apply pressure to the area by wrapping it in a snug (but not tight) elastic bandage.

E levate. Lift the injured limb 12 to 18 inches and rest it on a pillow or cushion. This will reduce swelling. 

Men's Health, JUN92

The funny thing about R.I.C.E. is that I don’t remember when I learned to do it. It just seemed like the logical thing to do. It’s just like grabbing for an ice pack the instant I burn my finger.  The only evolution of which I am aware is the fact that you want to do some sort of mobility work eventually. This depends on many factors and may require some experience though I hope you all don’t get experienced in getting injured.

So in my situation, I will use ice alone for the first day. I will probably apply it four to five times for 10-20 minutes. Starting tomorrow, I will alternate with heat. If I have significant pain, I will take half an aspirin and I will not perform a movement that affects the injured area for at least a few days.

This is where many of us go awry. People get so used to hearing about "working through the pain” and “feeling the burn” that they don’t realize that they might be working themselves right into surgery.

And this brings up the question of avoidance. How do we keep from getting hurt in the first place?

I can only offer my opinion. I base my opinion on close observation of my brothers and associates (all of whom train in weight lifting, mixed martial arts, and/or other “risky” sports.  I believe you simply cannot negate the chances of injury 100%. Even in sports like Golf, you see the potential for debilitating injury. Look at Tiger Wood’s recent knee injury as an example and there isn’t anyone trying to knock him out while he swings.

I think you can minimize the odds of injury to an extent, but it is possible to get hurt regardless of how careful you are. The best thing you can do is to understand the risks and become in tune with your body. I believe that if you learn to listen to your body, it might be possible to avoid 90% of the injuries to which you’ll be exposed. With this and some practical basics like warming up (I mean warming up the joints about to be used, not just doing cardio), you could get pretty far without injury.

Everyone gets hurt sometime, but not everyone makes a comeback.