I need to pick your brains

[MarkKO]

Before I go and shell out money on a physio, maybe someone can tell me something useful or point me in a useful direction.

Around three weeks ago I tweaked my lower back on the left side while doing a high deadlift. It's a tweak I've done a few times, so it didn't worry me. I knew what to do, and it improved really fast. About a week later my back was fine, but my left hip, somewhere really deep inside it, started locking up when I hinge.

Even more weirdly, any time I brace or strain with my midsection whether to lift or even take a dump, I get a very unpleasant sensation deep in my left hip and pelvis. It isn't painful, it's just very strange and feels like on that side I'm trying to push or brace with nothing there.

Yesterday I found out that if I get into the starting position of a conventional DL, I can exert absolutely zero force. Nada.

So I'm now very confused. Ideas?

[acorn93]

Can you produce zero force because it hurts too much or your body just won’t allow you? And are we talking you were lifting in the hundreds of pounds but now struggle to lift 135?

[MarkKO]

Can you produce zero force because it hurts too much or your body just won’t allow you? And are we talking you were lifting in the hundreds of pounds but now struggle to lift 135?

Won't allow more than anything I think? I set up to Pendlay row 220 lbs and couldn't break it off the floor. No idea if I could have done something like 132 lbs because I went straight to two plates as I was warm already after farmer's and yoke. I could get into position but as soon as I braced and tried to row it I just couldn't. My hip/pelvis or whatever the hell it is on the left hand side just locked up, it was like I hit a wall. It wasn't painful, but the feeling I got was that if I tried to push through it would hurt a TON.

I could pick 198 lbs farmer's handles and walk with them, pick a 440 lbs yoke and walk. It wasn't comfortable but it was doable, and only a small range of the pick felt off. The actual walking was fine. I can squat down as well, there's just a really small part where it locks a bit that's maybe halfway up, but only on the way up too.

It's weird because it seems like there are a few really specific positons and ranges of motion that are cooked and the rest is normal.

[cgeorg]

@Renascent seems to know a lot of the little muscles going through that area. I feel like I've heard psoas mentioned in issues like this, that might be something to look into?

[cole]

I remember Dennis Cornelious having sensations like that in his upper body after benching. He pinched a nerve in his neck and could only bench like the bar for a while. He normally benched like 4 plates. it was weird and took him like a month to get back to normal. Could be a pinched nerve

[acorn93]

Can you produce zero force because it hurts too much or your body just won’t allow you? And are we talking you were lifting in the hundreds of pounds but now struggle to lift 135?

Won't allow more than anything I think? I set up to Pendlay row 220 lbs and couldn't break it off the floor. No idea if I could have done something like 132 lbs because I went straight to two plates as I was warm already after farmer's and yoke. I could get into position but as soon as I braced and tried to row it I just couldn't. My hip/pelvis or whatever the hell it is on the left hand side just locked up, it was like I hit a wall. It wasn't painful, but the feeling I got was that if I tried to push through it would hurt a TON.

I could pick 198 lbs farmer's handles and walk with them, pick a 440 lbs yoke and walk. It wasn't comfortable but it was doable, and only a small range of the pick felt off. The actual walking was fine. I can squat down as well, there's just a really small part where it locks a bit that's maybe halfway up, but only on the way up too.

It's weird because it seems like there are a few really specific positons and ranges of motion that are cooked and the rest is normal.

That’s weird. Pain can certainly inhibit strength even if you’re trying to push through it. I tweaked my back really bad in 2020 I think and one session I could deadlift normal weights but the next session I couldn’t budge 2 plates even if I tried my hardest. But you aren’t really complaining of pain so idk. Problems with valsalva can be a disc issue too but yours sounds a little different than that unless it’s like upper lumbar. Idk man I’d do what I could painfree and avoid anything that hurts right now. Hopefully it’s just a pulled muscle or something and if you avoid aggravating it then it can heal.

[Hardartery]

Before I go and shell out money on a physio, maybe someone can tell me something useful or point me in a useful direction.

Around three weeks ago I tweaked my lower back on the left side while doing a high deadlift. It's a tweak I've done a few times, so it didn't worry me. I knew what to do, and it improved really fast. About a week later my back was fine, but my left hip, somewhere really deep inside it, started locking up when I hinge.

Even more weirdly, any time I brace or strain with my midsection whether to lift or even take a dump, I get a very unpleasant sensation deep in my left hip and pelvis. It isn't painful, it's just very strange and feels like on that side I'm trying to push or brace with nothing there.

Yesterday I found out that if I get into the starting position of a conventional DL, I can exert absolutely zero force. Nada.

So I'm now very confused. Ideas?

Can you do any hip activation movements, like airplanes (The thing that Licis and the Kabuki guy like to do for warmup)?

[MarkKO]

Before I go and shell out money on a physio, maybe someone can tell me something useful or point me in a useful direction.

Around three weeks ago I tweaked my lower back on the left side while doing a high deadlift. It's a tweak I've done a few times, so it didn't worry me. I knew what to do, and it improved really fast. About a week later my back was fine, but my left hip, somewhere really deep inside it, started locking up when I hinge.

Even more weirdly, any time I brace or strain with my midsection whether to lift or even take a dump, I get a very unpleasant sensation deep in my left hip and pelvis. It isn't painful, it's just very strange and feels like on that side I'm trying to push or brace with nothing there.

Yesterday I found out that if I get into the starting position of a conventional DL, I can exert absolutely zero force. Nada.

So I'm now very confused. Ideas?

Can you do any hip activation movements, like airplanes (The thing that Licis and the Kabuki guy like to do for warmup)?

Good question. Haven't tried, so I'll find out what they are and give them a shot.

[DanCR]

The second to most recent time that I fucked up my back, this was what happened. It hurt when I did it but as of the next day and after, there was no pain - it was simply as if I had no muscles in my lower back. I couldn’t deadlift 135 lbs. i started over with 55 lbs (the lowest amount that I could load and pull from the floor because the 10s were the same diameter as the 45s), which I could pull, doing sets of 10, added 5 lbs each time, and at some point the muscles “turned back on.” (I kept up the slow progression, though, until I got back where I’d been, and ultimately hit a PR a few months later, so go figure.)

[MarkKO]

The second to most recent time that I fucked up my back, this was what happened. It hurt when I did it but as of the next day and after, there was no pain - it was simply as if I had no muscles in my lower back. I couldn’t deadlift 135 lbs. i started over with 55 lbs (the lowest amount that I could load and pull from the floor because the 10s were the same diameter as the 45s), which I could pull, doing sets of 10, added 5 lbs each time, and at some point the muscles “turned back on.” (I kept up the slow progression, though, until I got back where I’d been, and ultimately hit a PR a few months later, so go figure.)

Did you get the same weird feeling when bracing that I'm getting? Deep in the hip/pelvis area?

[DanCR]

The second to most recent time that I fucked up my back, this was what happened. It hurt when I did it but as of the next day and after, there was no pain - it was simply as if I had no muscles in my lower back. I couldn’t deadlift 135 lbs. i started over with 55 lbs (the lowest amount that I could load and pull from the floor because the 10s were the same diameter as the 45s), which I could pull, doing sets of 10, added 5 lbs each time, and at some point the muscles “turned back on.” (I kept up the slow progression, though, until I got back where I’d been, and ultimately hit a PR a few months later, so go figure.)

Did you get the same weird feeling when bracing that I'm getting? Deep in the hip/pelvis area?

I didn’t, but tbh at the time my attempts at bracing were much less than proper (essentially just flexing my abs as hard as possible, nevermind rib position or anything else).

[MarkKO]

The second to most recent time that I fucked up my back, this was what happened. It hurt when I did it but as of the next day and after, there was no pain - it was simply as if I had no muscles in my lower back. I couldn’t deadlift 135 lbs. i started over with 55 lbs (the lowest amount that I could load and pull from the floor because the 10s were the same diameter as the 45s), which I could pull, doing sets of 10, added 5 lbs each time, and at some point the muscles “turned back on.” (I kept up the slow progression, though, until I got back where I’d been, and ultimately hit a PR a few months later, so go figure.)

Did you get the same weird feeling when bracing that I'm getting? Deep in the hip/pelvis area?

I didn’t, but tbh at the time my attempts at bracing were much less than proper (essentially just flexing my abs as hard as possible, nevermind rib position or anything else).

Hmmm. Interesting.

Looking at an anatomical diagram the muscle where I get the feeling is the piriformis, so possibly this is some kind of piriformis syndrome but it doesn't quite present the way piriformis syndrome apparently does.

[MarkKO]

I remember Dennis Cornelious having sensations like that in his upper body after benching. He pinched a nerve in his neck and could only bench like the bar for a while. He normally benched like 4 plates. it was weird and took him like a month to get back to normal. Could be a pinched nerve

That would fit with it being piriformis syndrome at least

[Bolder]

Did you strain your QL?

[MarkKO]

Did you strain your QL?

Oh shit, quite possibly. Never thought of that, thanks

[MarkKO]

Did you strain your QL?

On closer inspection, probably not but thanks again for the suggestion. I have in the past, but this time it's presenting entirely differently.

[Renascent]

@MarkKO, you started butt-walking yet?

QL would've been my fourth guess or thereabouts; piriformis syndrome is such a specific kind of discomfort that it pretty much establishes itself once you know which sensations are the undeniable hallmarks.

[MarkKO]

MarkKO, you started butt-walking yet?

QL would've been my fourth guess or thereabouts; piriformis syndrome is such a specific kind of discomfort that it pretty much establishes itself once you know which sensations are the undeniable hallmarks.

I did, and then stopped because if anything it made it worse. That's what's confusing me, it's unlike any issues I've had in that area before and doesn't respond to all the stuff that usually works.

It seems to have abated slightly over time but I still notice it periodically.