Hey all,

New to crossfit, about 6 weeks in. Did deadlifts on Sunday morning, and now it's Thursday and my back has been killing me since Monday.

I am positive my deadlift form got more horrendous as I got tired, and I know this is why my lower back has been very painful. I saw a chiropractor on Tuesday, who attributed my pain to being a new weight lifter and said it should go away soon.

I'm wondering how all you experienced cave people have handled a similar injury.

Thanks!

Form is more important than reps.

What exactly are you experiencing?  Deadlifts hit the lower back, muscle soreness should be expected especially if you are new.  It sounds like your chiro is telling you that you have DOMS and not a real injury.

Deadlifts are definitely one of those exercises that you should stop as soon as your form is dropping. The potential to destroy your back or knees is huge. The idea of doing it in a crossfit style workout is a little weird...

Quote from: Xon on February 25, 2012, 07:34:13 PM

Deadlifts are definitely one of those exercises that you should stop as soon as your form is dropping. The potential to destroy your back or knees is huge. The idea of doing it in a crossfit style workout is a little weird...

Technically, dead-lifts are not Olympic lifts. Olympic lifts consist of clean+jerk, and snatch.

Although during training, and olympic style weight lifter will do dead-lifts, those exercises aren't classified as such.

Also, I agree. Dead lifts should be done with control, and as soon as your form takes a dive...STOP! Same goes for Clean's, power cleans, snatches, and any and all forms of plyometrics.

When did I say it was an olympic lift?

Almost certainly but when I tried out xfit terrible form seemed more prevalent in the WOD's with Olympic lifts. A f**king recipe for disaster.
[/quote]

Xon you didn't, Rollin did.
[/quote]
Ah, you're quite right. Apologies!

Quote from: chromagnumman on February 26, 2012, 02:52:14 PM

Almost certainly but when I tried out xfit terrible form seemed more prevalent in the WOD's with Olympic lifts. A f**king recipe for disaster.

Really my post reads like that?

I think it is likely that with high rep deadlifts form will break down but from my limited experience with crossfit that risk seemed much greater with high rep Oly lifts (not deadlifts).

Just something to ponder on the scale of risk versus reward... like everything else in life.

After 3 years of CrossFit I can tell you one important thing:  if the workout includes one of these heavy lifts like a deadlift or a snatch, go light on the weight.  Lighter than everyone else your size.  In some boxes I know people might try to egg you on or you might feel pressure from seeing what others are doing to up the weight, but you need to resist.  DLs killed me for a long time because I simply did too much and experience exactly what you're going through.

The only time to do a deadlift approaching your capacity is in a non-timed workout.  When you can focus on form and only form.  Once I changed my mindset about that I started recovering from WODs much faster and I also started seeing better progress on my lifts.