The Mental Side Of Injuries

[Seeker]

Recently I've been seeing a few guys on ug posting about getting injured. It's frustrating, I know. It sucks balls. I too, have had my share of injuries over the years.

It's a fact: Lifting weights is a blast and it's what we love to do. It's why we're here. ( well, most of us ) but lifting will eventually injure you. We strive to continuously best our best. Injuries are bound to happen

INJURIES ARE FRUSTRATING!

I understand injuries are frustrating. But we have to develop a certain mentality when it comes to injuries. This mindset has helped me deal with my injuries over the years. I will not let an injury keep me down. I will not use it as an excuse to stop training. An injury can be like a mental bomb going off in your head. So you need to get your head on straight to deal with it. I want to add some strategies to wok through the mental side of injury. Please, feel free to add any you may have as well.

1. Stop and evaluate the injury:

First and foremost, if you get injured. Stop and evaluate the situation. Too many people push on and turn a not so bad injury into something much worse. Don't be an idiot! So, stop. Evaluate the injury. Does it need immediate medical attention? Well, go get it! Or do you just need to go home and treat it with ice or heat or massage and anti inflammatories? Once you know the extent of the injury you can formulate a plan to get better.

2. Sometimes you can train around the injury. In other words, you may be able to train areas around the injury and help speed the healing process and help maintain strength and mobility. This can help you stay in the game mentally and not get too depressed about your injury.

3. Physical Therapy:

What if your injury requires physically therapy? Don't be an idiot. Just go get the PT done.

Injuries are not the end of the world. See it as an opportunity to overcome a challenge.
An injury can be a,permanent set back or a gift. It's all in how you look at it and how you respond. It's your choice. Choose wisely.

Seek.

 

[ECKSRATED]

Injuries do blow but seek is right. Take the time off and let that shit heal. I've been dealing with a nagging back injury for a few months and keep trying to push thru it. Not smart. I get miserable when I can't train but I got these vets yelling at me to take the time off I need (seek and snake)

 

[Solomc]

Currently going through this now. Down time sucks, but is needed.

 

[snake]

1. Stop and evaluate the injury:

First and foremost, if you get injured. Stop and evaluate the situation. Too many people push on and turn a not so bad injury into something much worse. Don't be an idiot! So, stop. Evaluate the injury. Does it need immediate medical attention? Well, go get it! Or do you just need to go home and treat it with ice or heat or massage and anti inflammatories? Once you know the extent of the injury you can formulate a plan to get better.

2. Sometimes you can train around the injury. In other words, you may be able to train areas around the injury and help speed the healing process and help maintain strength and mobility. This can help you stay in the game mentally and not get too depressed about your injury.

3. Physical Therapy:

What if your injury requires physically therapy? Don't be an idiot. Just go get the PT done.



Seek.

1. Stop and evaluate the injury

I am not sure the average lifter understands the importance of this one. IF YOU FELL SOMETHING EVEN REMOTELY ODD, PUT IT DOWN! Do not try to push through it or rest for a few minutes and test it out with some lighter weight. You know you overstepped your bounds. I have no problem just calling it a day at this point. For me this is the difference between having to take a week or 2 off that body part and possibly rehabbing it for months.


2. Sometimes you can train around the injury.

Agreed! But for me, it's time to walk away for a week or two. This is more about the lifters personality. I'm an all or nothing guy and if need be, ok with nothing.


3. Physical Therapy:

Its simple; you need a professional. Get the help unless it becomes a $ issue.

 

[snake]

I left something out about injuries that I would like to address.

Seek, forgive my rant that is about to come and sorry if this end up being a hijack but I need to add something to the mental side of injury.

People get injured over doing some stupid things but this is not about standing on that part of the ladder that says, "This is not a step" You pushed your limits; it's what athletes do. We go to the uncharted places that others fear. Sometimes this lead to an injury and sometimes, they are very nasty.

One thing I can not stand is at the time of your greatest weakness, someone will ultimately say how you had it coming by pushing your limits. It's like they sit and wait for some harm to come to your; needing you to become mortal for their attack to have any effect. Here's the difference between them and you. You will pick yourself up, you will learn from this, and you will be better than before in many way.

No one welcomes an injury but everyone who has been at the top of the game gets them sooner or later. If you so choose to go for that extra rep and something gives way, accept it and move on. If you choose to rack it early for safety, so be it but do not judge those that push their limits and get injured.

To sum it up; "You never know how much is enough until you know how much is too much"

 

[ECKSRATED]

I've been lifting for 18 years now and havent really had too many serious injuries. Once hurt my back curling, Yes curling, and couldn't stand or get out of bed for three days. Besides that I've never really had an injury that I had to really take time off for.

As I get stronger in the sport of powerlifting I find myself with more aches and pains. Like I said in the first post I'm the type that usually works around them and they usually heal up just fine. Everyone who powerlifts always has some sort of ache or nagging injury. Its just part of the game. And that's when it's most important to evaluate it. Think if u can push it until your next meet and not have the injury effect the results.

Shoulders hurt. Back hurts. Elbow hurts. It sucks but its what I have to deal with if I wanna keep moving forward in this sport. Maybe one day I'll take a month off and let everything heal up 100%. But until then I'll keep throwing the iron around and poppin lots of ibuprofen.

 

[BigSwolePump]

Some old school ideas.

 

[IHI]

You guys have seen my shoulder surgery repair thread and yeah, it absolutely phucking sucked, 9 months pre op/post op of nothing.

smart guys know it, i listened, and ATTACKED my PT like a beast thru 40 visits because all you/others that have been there said follow it to a tee and you will come out as close to nothing ever happened. 2-3 months ago i woulda thought it was BS, but since i couldnt lift, this was "my time", blasting for an hour with the trainer, 60sec rest at best between sets/exercises...I honestly cracked open a part of me i had lost theu the years and relearned to mentally push thru while my body was ready to quit (mainly cuz trainer chick was hot as hell and i didnt wanna look like a puss

almost 1 month since release to normal, told to stay light until 1yr mark rebuilding/conditioning to prep for progressive loading again; all i can say is wow, i mean really, phucking wow!! Way down on strength but pain is almost completely gone, shoulder is almost tightened back up (no clicks/pops); amazing i tell ya.

so to sum it up, if you have the insurance/ability to work with a good pt person, DO IT. and do exactly as your told; this will reap benefits later you will be extremely happy for

 

[BRICKS]

Great stuff from everybody. I look at it like this. Serious powerlifting and bodybuilding is an extreme sport. There are people who go to the gym and exercise, then there are those of us that take this to a whole other level. Taking it to the edge consisantly is only possible when safety is put first. This game far transcends the physical. It's a study in discipline and self control of the mind and listening to your body. In the gym and out.

 

[stonetag]

Unfortunately I have a lot of experience with PT and I cant say enough good about it, just in injury prevention alone it is outstanding. The only thing required from you is the effort.

 

[Athena]

Thanks, exactly what I needed. Can't train for 2 months now and it's devastating. Been working so hard, but maybe not so wise and right when I was about to have the word at my feet it all has stopped. But nothing is lost, it takes time, only now I will get back to it with wisdom and even more courage. Once you meet pain, you know you can defeat it. Pickin myself up and back on track, cause tb-500 does miracles. L

 

[Seeker]

Thanks, exactly what I needed. Can't train for 2 months now and it's devastating. Been working so hard, but maybe not so wise and right when I was about to have the word at my feet it all has stopped. But nothing is lost, it takes time, only now I will get back to it with wisdom and even more courage. Once you meet pain, you know you can defeat it. Pickin myself up and back on track, cause tb-500 does miracles. L

Well said, Athena. Good for you for not losing to the injury. You will beat this and come back even better. Stay the course.

 

[Joliver]

I tore my hamstring doing weighted single leg GHRs. Grade 1. Not too bad. But it taught me this: if you tear your hamstring doing single leg, weighted, GHRs, you're a beast of a mother ****er that did single leg, weighted GHRs. I've been bragging about the injury for weeks.

Psychology of it all never really got to me. Mental toughness is prerequisite to this sport.

 

[Bro Bundy]

Mental toughness is number 1

 

[ECKSRATED]

I tore my hamstring doing weighted single leg GHRs. Grade 1. Not too bad. But it taught me this: if you tear your hamstring doing single leg, weighted, GHRs, you're a beast of a mother ****er that did single leg, weighted GHRs. I've been bragging about the injury for weeks.

Psychology of it all never really got to me. Mental toughness is prerequisite to this sport.

The first thing I said to.you when u told me about that injury was "who the **** does single leg ghr"? Sick mother****ers. That's who