Deadlift 'pop' in lower back and getting to know me

[tootallshorty]

I've been lifting off and on since I was 20 years old. I always avoided deadlifts since I hated them. I also hated squats but as I got more experienced I learned that these lifts were super important. Long story short, between three drug rehabs, three shoulder surgeries, two divorces, misdiagnosed for depression when I really think it was low T, amongst other depressing life events like losing my brother that I always looked up to, I found myself finally ready to start working out again.

I've not dipped my toe into an AAS cycle yet but I have done SARMs. Three to be exact. Two Ostarine cycles for cut and one I am currently on which is 5mg/day LGD 4033.

I am self taught. I didn't have friends telling me how to lift. I didn't read any books. I didn't join any gyms. After my third surgery on my shoulder healed, finally, it was golden. It took a world renown sports Dr to finally get it right.

Anyway, this thread is partly meant to tell those of you that are 'regulars' in this forum more about this TooTall Texan, but mostly its about the following lol:

Since I now know how to work out, I worked myself up to 360 deadlift. One day, and thankfully my wife was there, on a pull my back just 'popped'. And when i say pop i mean it. I immediately dropped the weight, hit the ground and was in antagonizing pain.

The 'pop' was in the lower most position in my back...i think.

It was serious at first and then got better over a week. I skipped back for a week which made it two weeks since the event.

Then I started light and worked my way back up over a months time to my 'pop' working weight. Well, just before i hit that weight....'POP' again!

This time wasn't as bad as the first time. The pain was not as severe and didnt last as long. But as many of you know, when you feel a POP in anyplace, especially your back, its concerning.

So my question is, WTF is causing my back to POP? Have anybody else experienced this? If so, what T F?

[Test Monsterone]

No idea, but it sounds like you’re doing too much weight for the deadlift. If you can’t do that weight ten times, don’t do it. Being a tall dude, your spine is more prone to compression injuries. My deadlift hex bar only goes up to 250 and that’s plenty heavy for reps. 3-5 rep maxes are for the birds. You’re lifting to be strong and to primarily look good, I assume. Do moderate weight and concentrate on each rep. You will have to get some X-rays done if this concerns you.

[Hughinn]

No idea, but it sounds like you’re doing too much weight for the deadlift. If you can’t do that weight ten times, don’t do it. Being a tall dude, your spine is more prone to compression injuries. My deadlift hex bar only goes up to 250 and that’s plenty heavy for reps. 3-5 rep maxes are for the birds. You’re lifting to be strong and to primarily look good, I assume. Do moderate weight and concentrate on each rep. You will have to get some X-rays done if this concerns you.

I agree with this assessment completely.

If you don't have any really bad pain the popping is probably shifting and movement of your spine.

I'd personally see a chiropractor to make sure nothing is fucked up permanently and adhere to the above advice.

There's no reason to go so heavy you can only do 1 or two reps if your goal is to be fit, strong and look good.

The guys who deadlift that heavy because they compete know that they risk injury every time they lift like that. If you're not planning to compete, it just ain't worth it.

[wango]

A few things. Welcome to the forum, if you can’t learn from here, you can’t learn anywhere as guys are fantastic, knowledgeable and helpful.

Had to say as soon as I saw your name, I thought of a character from a Mel Gibson movie called “Once we were soldiers”. The character was called Too Tall and was a helicopter pilot.

I am about 6’3” with a long torso and even in my youth had difficulty maintaining flawless form with squats and deadlifts, so I stayed light to protect myself and relied more on leg presses. I don’t recall when hex bars became available (not when I was younger) but as Test mentioned, they are great. At no stage of the game do you want to risk injury at the cost of adding resistance, and as we age, that gets more and more critical.

Test’s advice was spot on and it always is! Your form has got to be correct, maybe it’s slipping as you get to higher weights.

The pop truly can just be that. If it is accompanied by pain, well that isn’t the greatest. For you though, bouncing back in 2 weeks is great news. Also if the pain or any other symptoms didn’t start making it’s way into your butt or down your leg, that too is excellent news.

The x-rays will reveal a fracture or there is a lower back defect in which there is a slippage of one of the vertebrae that could be seen. Only way to see a disc issue is by MRI, but with your minimal pain & no leg symptoms, don’t see that as an issue.

SARMS only huh? OK. Got my start with TRT about 6 years ago and did my first cycle the year before Covid, no complaints.

BTW, curious, what were your shoulder issues?

Great talking ink with you!

[rise_against]

It could be a bulging disc. I bulged a disc at work last june. It popped and was painful. The disc bulged into my spinal cord and was causing nerve pain when I'd try to squat. It was a burning sensation. I went through months of physical therapy working on core strength and "seal" stretches to try and realign the disc. It was a long recovery but I can squat and deadlift heavy without pain now and got the green light to enter a deadlift competition in april. I'd lay off heavy deadlifts for a while and let it heal. Do what you can pain free and focus on form. Listen to your body

[tootallshorty]

Really good advise here, really appreciated thanks fellas. I'll up my reps and drop the weight.

@wango I severely dislocated my shoulder in the Air Force during basic training. It stayed out of socket for a couple hours which damaged the nerves. It kept dislocating so surgery was decided. The first one worked for about 5 years before it dislocated again. The second surgery lasted just 6 months, basically as soon as the rehab was finished it came out, during sex actually which was quite awkward haha. The last surgery was done by a sports Dr and he removed part of my collar bone and screwed it in the front part of my shoulder creating a sort of block at the exit. It had come out so many times it had worn a groove into the socket holding it in place so that had to be fixed with this procedure.

I was done with surgery after this one whether it worked or not so I'm really happy that it did. Thanks again everyone.

[wango]

Really good advise here, really appreciated thanks fellas. I'll up my reps and drop the weight.

@wango I severely dislocated my shoulder in the Air Force during basic training. It stayed out of socket for a couple hours which damaged the nerves. It kept dislocating so surgery was decided. The first one worked for about 5 years before it dislocated again. The second surgery lasted just 6 months, basically as soon as the rehab was finished it came out, during sex actually which was quite awkward haha. The last surgery was done by a sports Dr and he removed part of my collar bone and screwed it in the front part of my shoulder creating a sort of block at the exit. It had come out so many times it had worn a groove into the socket holding it in place so that had to be fixed with this procedure.

I was done with surgery after this one whether it worked or not so I'm really happy that it did. Thanks again everyone.

Sorry to hear. Hope it doesn’t become a continued issue for you.

[kelkel]

My opinion Tootall, just stop deadlifting. There's plenty of other back exercises to get by with. Why keep risking something that may permanently effect you in the future?
You can build a big back without them. Unless you plan on entering a powerlifting comp just stop, imho. There's plenty of IFBB Pro's who don't squat or deadlift.

There's always a work around!