I had said last month, or maybe it was January? Who really knows. Anyway, I had said that talking about my back is something I just really haven't wanted to do. The more I learn about my body and how things work and what has contributed to, quite possibly, the most annoying 6 months of my life in regards to sports and injuries....the more I'm okay with discussion. I didn't want to talk about things when I had no idea what was up, but I kinda know whats going on with my body now, and it's okay. I have an understanding.
Instead of going into some crazy, long, drawn out explanation, I will keep it simple. All of my issues surrounding my back come from multiple sources. 1. my right glute. 2. my right QL 3. tight hip flexors 4. constant muscle spasm 5. SI being "out" As you can imagine, 1,2,& 3 contribute to 5 and really everything is just playing off of one another. My entire right side is a hot mess, to be honest. I have returned to my home chiro & there's a new guy in the office who has a slightly different approach and has been lots of help. More importantly, he has finally been able to provide me with a detailed explanation of what is going on, why, and how we can begin to address things in order to get me back into the gym. YAY.
There are so many things I have become aware of that were wrong with my technique on all 3 lifts. The time away from the barbell has been hard, but I've done my research, and I understand my lifting in a way that I never have before. I'm grateful for this and the knowledge I have gained. I have taken bits and pieces from everyone along the way in order to recreate myself as a lifter, and I am not finished.
This past weekend I attended ASF17 and trained at the EliteFTS S4 Compound on Friday evening. My goal for the night was just to squat the bar, because I haven't even had a barbell on my back in 6.5 months. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to do a bunch of sets of 5 with 95. SO HAPPY. So, so, so happy. I also got to try out my new bench set up and did 135 for 5x5, and my goodness I just LOVE it, so much. As the training session went on I felt my back loosen up even more, to the point where I had NO discomfort at all, which was such a strange feeling. Regardless, I knew it would be short lived, and it was. I woke up in the morning and kept rolling from side to side in bed, waiting for pain, and to my surprise there really wasn't any. I thought "this is good". I got out of bed and started some stretching and I was so unbelievably tight, with moderate discomfort throughout my back and right glute. BUT this is a win. And you may say, but Tarra, it still hurts? Yes. It still gives me discomfort, but I am able to function the day after without being in so much pain I can't bend forward. This is progress.
The plan for the next month is to make training sessions on Saturdays, 1x per week. This will allow for adequate rest and healing between sessions, along with incorporating some new mobility work into my "off" time. Also, chiro trips 2x per week are an absolute must. After that, depending on where I'm at, I would love to increase frequency of training, and at some point in the next 1-3 months I'll be hiring my new coach 🙂 which I am beyond excited about. I can't wait to take what I've learned and combine it with someone else with tons of knowledge, and get back into things. This time is different, I ask questions to understand. I want to know why I'm doing things, instead of simply just doing what I'm told. The muscle issues I'm experiencing are not a quick fix, but I know what's going on and I'm addressing the problem and making progress, without doing any dumb shit or sabotaging recovery. I'm gonna make it, one day at a time.