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Other/Mixed Advice for possible strained rhomboid, painful full breaths

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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happyhd

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Hi

TLDR:: tried not pushing bell, messed up, want advice on rhomboid and/or rib release. For the record, I have only gratitude towards @Anna C and @Mark Limbaga for helping, it was I that messed up:) Aka "too much too soon".

After posting videos of my technique here Hi there, I got some very interesting, good, and for me totally new info: I could(should?) swing without hip push. A powerful hip push was THE cue I had used to learn myself to swing, as in the deadlift.
I immediately tried to changed my focus, trying to delay the swing until just after the moment my forearms leave my thighs. First experience was being dragged onto my toes, obviously wrong. After some trial-and-error I felt the technique was "ok".

I also realiced that this is the excact way I am swinging a lighter bell, no direct hip push. Definitely no arms involved, I can float the bell mid-air, arms removed.
After this my struggling onehand 5x10 felt MUCH easier. I had a notion that my body didn't allowed me full force because of grip stamina so I switched to 10x5, staying on 10 sets while increasing 1 rep per set per day/workout.

So the day before yesterday I got to 10x10 one-arm swings with the 24kg and felt good. Now, I guess I must have pushed those last reps when I shouldn't because I felt "funky" low in my back on the right side, right on the inside of the lovehandle. This was around 6am before work. I felt so great that I decided to have another workout after work, that was a mistake. The workout went great(semi-easy, played with calisthenics and barbell, among them pendlay rows).

Enter yesterday: I almost needed help getting out of bed, walked like a woman 9 months pregnant and could not draw breath fully. Well, I could, but I felt like I was beeing punched in the back. I spent some hours doing light mobility work, then light stretching and a lot of foam/ball rolling. That eased things alot and I felt 90% ok.

So today, same stuff, had to roll out of bed, painful to breath really full breaths, but better than yesterday. I have an appointment with a naprapat(combined Chiropractic, muscle release and needles) next week, but I really don't want to sit around waiting for that.

I know this is not webmd, but I still want to hear your thoughts. As for actual doctors the standard advice in this country is pain killers "if need be" and "give it 14 days". Both are non-options.

Some thoughts: past two weeks I have been working a lot on improving my posture, pulling shoulders back and down(into their sockets), releasing chest and shoulder muscles and general mobility work. This makes me think that perhaps my middle back can engage in ways it could not do(in a long time).
 
Speedy recovery.. may I ask which country are you based??
Of course, and thank you. I am in Norway. I have had great help from doctors, but when it comes to things that can be categorized as "training damage" there is little help(in my experience) apart from above two advice.

Now, recovery may be speedy indeed, I have testing different things since yesterday..just finished this and while what I feel is "right rhomboid" feels tight I can now breathe and walk 100% without pain:



I have no knowledge of that channel or the woman in it other than this video, but it surely helped. I held the position while using time to "relax into it" while my wife pressed on what was indeed tender spots on rib on the opposite side. Truly fascinating. 5 minutes of floor work and I am better.
 
Well, @happyhd, I have to thank you for that video, because that stretch she shows on the yoga ball helped me with what felt like my tension in my right rhomboid area, a problem I've had off and on for years. I'll use that as my go-to fix when I feel it and maybe that will help it go away for good!

This is not medical advice in any way, but it doesn't sound to me like you've done anything more than some strained muscles. I would just keep moving in ways that don't cause aggravation of symptoms. I'm thinking OS resets (if you're familiar with that), very light goblet squats and halos, and kettlebell deadlifts. Hopefully you'll be feeling better shortly. I think this can happen when we change a movement pattern and put a previous amount of force and enthusiasm into it before the new movement pattern is smoothed out. Anyway, hope that helps. Once you're feeling good again feel free to post another form check video.
 
Well, @happyhd, I have to thank you for that video, because that stretch she shows on the yoga ball helped me with what felt like my tension in my right rhomboid area, a problem I've had off and on for years. I'll use that as my go-to fix when I feel it and maybe that will help it go away for good!

This is not medical advice in any way, but it doesn't sound to me like you've done anything more than some strained muscles. I would just keep moving in ways that don't cause aggravation of symptoms. I'm thinking OS resets (if you're familiar with that), very light goblet squats and halos, and kettlebell deadlifts. Hopefully you'll be feeling better shortly. I think this can happen when we change a movement pattern and put a previous amount of force and enthusiasm into it before the new movement pattern is smoothed out. Anyway, hope that helps. Once you're feeling good again feel free to post another form check video.
This forum is great. Light squats was perfect. After rolling my entire mid and upper back I took a light barbell session to check for pain. No issues with squats, press or deadlift. Again, this was light. Felt good and test light swings, no pain. Decided to try a normal workout and stop if I experienced any discomfort, that didn't happen:) Needed lots of rest though, spent 30 mins to complete swings and tgu's.

Here is video of recent technique, taken straight after workout @Anna C @Mark Limbaga :
Link
 
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Glad to hear you're feeling better!

Honestly I think you're a ways away from your best swings, technique-wise. Not that it's that bad, just that you'll need to re-work some things, IMO, to keep progressing forward strongly. Because you have a technique established and you're decently strong and athletic, it may take some regression to rebuild and is probably more complicated than what can be tweaked here on the forum. I'm not taking online students currently myself but would be happy to help you find another SFG to work with if you'd like.

Oh, and make your wrist straight on the get-ups :) Back of the hand should be straight in line with the top of the forearm.
 
Glad to hear you're feeling better!

Honestly I think you're a ways away from your best swings, technique-wise. Not that it's that bad, just that you'll need to re-work some things, IMO, to keep progressing forward strongly. Because you have a technique established and you're decently strong and athletic, it may take some regression to rebuild and is probably more complicated than what can be tweaked here on the forum. I'm not taking online students currently myself but would be happy to help you find another SFG to work with if you'd like.

Oh, and make your wrist straight on the get-ups :) Back of the hand should be straight in line with the top of the forearm.
Thank you for constructive feedback. Would you say that my non-hip-push technique is actually worse than my hip-push technique?

I am planning to attend a Strongfirst course in Ireland 2021 btw.
 
Thank you for constructive feedback. Would you say that my non-hip-push technique is actually worse than my hip-push technique?

I am planning to attend a Strongfirst course in Ireland 2021 btw.

Hard to compare as one was 2H and the other was 1H. Good idea on attending the course! You know if I was going to pick one thing for you to drill I'd say do a fast kettlebell deadlift. Somewhat explosive on the way up, just not swinging the bell. Can do sets of 10, either 2H or 1H.
 
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