training adaptations with a hernia

[monas7]

I did a hernia (inguinal) deadlifting a few weeks back. I've had a hernia in the same place before so it classes as a recurrent hernia and I've been referred to a keyhole surgeon. Being the UK and the NHS this could be months before I have it done.

I discussed my working out with my GP and he said no deadlifts, no squats, as for the others avoid anything that pulls on your abs. The problem is most compound lifts do pull on it.

I decided to replace squats with extra work on the leg press, but I get a twinge in my hernia at the start of the push up. I'm also noticing I feel it on T-bar rows, bent-over rows and overhead lifts. I think I've made my hernia bigger by doing this and its more noticeable now so I'd better stop.

It's amazing how to take for granted something as simple as pulling a deadlift from the floor, and at the moment it's all I long to do, it kills me watching other guys in the gym loading up the bar.

I guess I have to accept that I'm not going to be able to lift as I'd like until I get my surgery done, whenever that may be, but I will need to modify my workout.

Have any of you guys had experience training with hernias in the past, or do you have any suggestions for a routine shake-up? I think as far as compound work goes I'm going to have to try and break some world records for pull-ups, chin-ups and dips.

 

[Warboss Alex]

all compound work involves the abs somehow including chinups and pullups (they stabilise the torso). overhead presses, rows, everything. they all work the posterior core (which includes the abs).

I would basically not work out at all until it's fully healed, a hernia is no small matter, and you have all your life to train.

 

[stronglifts]

Have any of you guys had experience training with hernias in the past, or do you have any suggestions for a routine shake-up? I think as far as compound work goes I'm going to have to try and break some world records for pull-ups, chin-ups and dips.

I had a beginning stage of hernia back in the days (sleeping leg). Had it from deadlifting using a wrong technique

Took me some months to get rid of it. What I did:
* Quit deadlifting & any sort of heavy pulling from the floor
* Light Squats
* Lots of glute activation work
* Postural realignement for the pelvis
* Ab work
* relearned to deadlift with correct technique

I don't know how severe your case is. I would never have anyone perform surgery on my body. Surgery won't solve a thing if your have a misaligned pelvis/inactive glutes/weak abs/wrong technique. It will come back anyway.

Good luck.

 

[monas7]

it does need surgery, there is a hernia there so I can't strengthen my abs and make it go away...once you get the actual rupture in the wall then strengthening your abs goes out of the window because when they contract under pressure the hole in the wall will tear further open

I appreciate your advice for erring on the side of caution warboss, but who knows how long I could be out of action while I'm waiting for this. They told me about 4 months wait till an outpatients appointment, then the time varies after that, usually 4 to 8 months, however I've read stories in the newspaper that talk about waits of 18 to 36 months. Sportsmen do continue till the end of a season with hernias, its quite common for rugby league players to have hernia operations in the off season so they must have developed them during the season - so presumably they are just 'managed'. Not working out at all for the best part of a year would make me depressed.

Actually stronglifts, interesting you mention poor technique for deadlifts as a factor. I think I know what did mine - I always wear a weights belt for it. I did a bit of google searching of "hernia" and "deadlifts" and a few stories similar to mine came up, the pressure inside your abdominal cavity raises when you deadlift anyway, and that is exacerbated when you wear a belt. The downside for the extra back support is that you risk popping your ab wall open, lo and behold a hernia.

 

[spesmilitis]

How can you tell when you are in the beggining stages of a hernia?

 

[stronglifts]

Actually stronglifts, interesting you mention poor technique for deadlifts as a factor. I think I know what did mine - I always wear a weights belt for it. I did a bit of google searching of "hernia" and "deadlifts" and a few stories similar to mine came up, the pressure inside your abdominal cavity raises when you deadlift anyway, and that is exacerbated when you wear a belt. The downside for the extra back support is that you risk popping your ab wall open, lo and behold a hernia.

Monas7, I'm not saying you do not need surgery. I'm not a doctor and I have certainly not seen your back.

What I say is that, if the cause of your hernia is a a misaligned pelvis/weak glutes/decreased hip mobility => you'll get lower back/knee problems after the surgery. That's the way it is. You can treat the symptoms & results as much as you want using medication/surgery/... if you don't treat the causes, you haven't change a thing. It will come back.

About the technique on the deadlift. Let's be clear about this. A correctly executed deadlift will not cause a hernia.

Here's an article on deadlift safety

If you've got an hernia from deadlifts:
1) you were pulling the weight with your back, not with your glutes
2) you're bending the back
3) you're hyperextending too much

Those who have learned to keep their back neutral, often make error number 1. Due to tight hip flexors the glutes lie dormant, which puts the whole weight on the lower back. They often have a lordosis caused by a sedentary lifestyle.




spesmilitis,

It starts with learning to listen to your body & admitting that if it hurts, something is wrong. It can hurt one day, but when it starts to hurt everyday & every time you do a certain movement, something is wrong. Especially if it never hurted before.

Then you look at the symptoms, start to analyse everything you do, start to look what could be wrong & you'll start finding correlations. In my case I had a "sleeping leg" on the right side. Back hurted constantly in the lower back on the same side. A simple analysis in the mirror showed I had lordosis.

I'm all no pain no gain. But there's a difference between good pain & bad pain. I've quit the habit of training through the bad pain, it only worsen things.

 

[monas7]

good information there stronglifts, I think lifting it with the back rather than the glutes may be the culprit - I also think wearing a belt encouraged me to use the pressure in my abdominal cavity as a way of generating extra leverage from the belt which implies I was using my back

one good thing about a post-surgery comeback (when I reach that stage) is that it necessarily involves building up from low weights, which will be good for making modifications to technique

as I can't actually do a deadlift at the moment I guess I may as well read as much as I can about it to get things right for the comeback

thumbs up for the 'stronglifts' website, some excellent information there shared by other lifters, how much better is that than the crap thats out there on so much of the internet promising THE SECRET that 99% of lifters don't know that could maximise your gains, if you subscribe here for just $19.99......

 

[stronglifts]

good information there stronglifts, I think lifting it with the back rather than the glutes may be the culprit - I also think wearing a belt encouraged me to use the pressure in my abdominal cavity as a way of generating extra leverage from the belt which implies I was using my back

one good thing about a post-surgery comeback (when I reach that stage) is that it necessarily involves building up from low weights, which will be good for making modifications to technique

as I can't actually do a deadlift at the moment I guess I may as well read as much as I can about it to get things right for the comeback

thumbs up for the 'stronglifts' website, some excellent information there shared by other lifters, how much better is that than the crap thats out there on so much of the internet promising THE SECRET that 99% of lifters don't know that could maximise your gains, if you subscribe here for just $19.99......

Thanks for the motivating words on StrongLifts.com .

Take your time to read as much as you can on the main lifts. Wrong technique is one of the main reasons why people injure themselves. If you only buy one book on the subject, by starting strength. Or you can check the articles on StrongLifts.com, I pay a lot of attention to correct lifting technique.

Good luck with the rehab.