Firstly, this is not an issue!
Think about the first time you did gardening, or even returned to it after a lengthy hiatus. How was that lower back feeling? But, then you decide to make it a weekly habit and spend even more time in the garden and after the second week the lower back tightness has diminished greatly, or maybe even disappeared! And you look at your garden with pride and THAT sense of achievement, you know the one! You do this for three months over Summer and you develop a twinge in your lower left back which moves beyond gardening and into everyday life. Most right-handers will experience this as you are constantly bending over to the right, hence stretching the lower left of your back. Sounds a lot like the evolution of a gym injury, doesn’t it?
For every action, there is a reaction. It may not be instant, but it will happen!
Now, think about the first time you tried a new piece of equipment at the gym. Then, for the next two days that body part was really sore! The crescendo of delayed onset muscle soreness was probably 48hrs after the session. This is fantastic, you go back the next week, same piece of equipment, same form and you add more weight and the resulting pain is about ten percent of the original workout. How can that be, when you added more weight? You are really determined the following week knowing that this new exercise does work as you continue to reflect back on the first workout. So, on week three you add more weight and the post workout pain is even less than last week! Of course, you add even more weight on week four and you notice a twinge. Which develops into an annoying or chronic injury. So you give up on that exercise forever, deeming it dangerous and ineffective.
The gardening experience filled you with pride, a sense of achievement and a warning to not overdo it. Whilst the gym experience left you totally despondent about the whole situation. However, you had the exact same physical response in both examples! But, you didn’t recognise it mentally with the new gym exercise. Your body adapted quickly in both examples. If you maintain your form with the new exercise and increase the weight, whilst optimising your rest and recovery your muscle will grow! Just because you can’t feel it, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
Things are often not always as they seem.
Your author, Ken Ross is a current competitive bodybuilder with INBA/PNBA. Ken has competed in 117 INBA/PNBA competitions, is a PNBA Pro Bodybuilder and is in the INBA Hall of Fame. Ken also coaches athletes globally for natural bodybuilding competitions.
You can contact Ken through the contact form on flexr6.com or Instagram: @flexr6 or Facebook: Flexr6 Fitness Solutions
Founding Director of FLEXR6 Fitness Solutions and a natural bodybuilder for 39 years. Ken is based in Australia and currently competes at the international level. Ken is a current PNBA Pro, INBA Hall of Fame Inductee, INBA PNBA Global New Zealand President, INBA World Ambassador, multiple Asia Pacific, Natural Universe & Natural Olympia gold medallist, Competition Preparation Coach, writer for Iron Man Magazine and has competed in 144 INBA shows, in 17 countries across 6 continents! Ken is also a qualified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach. Read more about Ken or get in touch via the contact form.