Hamstring Problem

[RobMoriRB]

After squat day. I get pain in my left hamstring like it feels like a pull; I gets hard to walk the first day after with cramps in the hamstring and calf area...... Any suggestions are helpful

[Fazc]

It could be either a minor pull/tear or just a hamstring weakness. The solution to both is the same, what I would do is start performing SLDL, Stiff Leg Deadlifts. Do them from the floor and preferably with a rounded upper back. Start slow, work up to 1 top set of 5 done three a week.

Key is to start very slow, 40kg and build slowly from there.

[RobMoriRB]

Thanks Fazc, I'll start today I will throw it in...

[Fazc]

Originally Posted by RobMoriRB

Thanks Fazc, I'll start today I will throw it in...

It'll work for you Rob.

I started off with just 200lbs for a set of 5 (I wasn't injured, just weak) and now I'm pulling almost 440lbs for a set of 5. My hamstrings are far stronger for deadlifts and they seem to be more injury resistant so far (Touch wood).

Good luck, keep progression slow and gradual.

[dmaipa]

Originally Posted by RobMoriRB

After squat day. I get pain in my left hamstring like it feels like a pull; I gets hard to walk the first day after with cramps in the hamstring and calf area...... Any suggestions are helpful

Do you have a history of knee problems?

Also FAZC mentioned it could be a weakness. performing hamstring exercises are really important but it also sounds like you have weak glute muscles which may be causing your left hamstring to overcompensate.

It also be smart to perform hamstring exercises unilaterally. if your left hamstring is overcompensating for a weakness/injury then more than likely your right side isn't getting much work done.

just throwing my 2 cents out there and hopefully it helps you.

[RobMoriRB]

I'm coming off a torn laterale minescus in september so knee is still coming back

[jdmalm123]

Originally Posted by dmaipa

Do you have a history of knee problems?

Originally Posted by RobMoriRB

I'm coming off a torn laterale minescus in september so knee is still coming back

Looks like a culprit to me.

Healthy muscles that act on the knee will overcompensate for the injury-induced limitation. Your lateral meniscus is probably sending caution signals to your brain, so it is activating hamstrings to help out.

This is true even if it is the hamstring on the leg opposite the injury... the strong leg is overworking to offset the limited side.

I recommend as much soft tissue work (professional massage and/or foam roll at home) to help recovery and keep things in balance. Focus on the ITB knee-to-hip and do some gentle supine figure 4 stretching (Drop the bent knee externally and internally).

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by jdmalm123

Looks like a culprit to me.

Healthy muscles that act on the knee will overcompensate for the injury-induced limitation. Your lateral meniscus is probably sending caution signals to your brain, so it is activating hamstrings to help out.

This is true even if it is the hamstring on the leg opposite the injury... the strong leg is overworking to offset the limited side.

I recommend as much soft tissue work (professional massage and/or foam roll at home) to help recovery and keep things in balance. Focus on the ITB knee-to-hip and do some gentle supine figure 4 stretching (Drop the bent knee externally and internally).

Totally agree, great advice

[jdmalm123]

just because i have a degree in repeating myself...i just found this today...

oh, and consider a knee brace when actively lifting...

5. The Thing You Kind of Know About Strength
Joint health is extremely important to strength. The body has sensors and proprioceptors throughout its framework to tell it what's going on. Joint stability and joint integrity is a very important concept for the body. If your joint is in pain, the body will turn off (deactivate) parts of the agonist muscles that cross the joint and produce the movement.

The body does this because the lower levels of force represent a reduced chance of injury to the already fragile joint. This is why, in my opinion, it's generally not advisable to train through joint pain. Even if you're tough enough to do it, you're using less of your muscle so you'll get compromised results – this is ignoring the fact that the pain is a warning something is wrong and further work might really mess up the joint.

While many factors affect joint health, a big one is joint stability. This is a reason why lifting aids like a belt or a bench shirt have become popular – the belt adds to the stability of the joint by externally stabilizing it. This allows the muscles that cross the joint to contract more strongly (recruiting more motor units) and thus more weight is lifted or more force generated.

This is also why powerlifters who wear gear (bench shirts, squat suits, etc.) often have a hard time calculating how much their gear helps them. In one sense it's simple – how much can you lift raw versus how much can you lift in gear – but another factor is how much the gear is adding to the stability of the joint and thus allowing the muscles to contract more forcefully.

T NATION | 6 Interesting Things About Strength

[RobMoriRB]

Yeah, I had rehab and everthing for it when it happened. What IS had done to restrengthin the knee was work every area around the knee......I am thinking about getting one for football